Anya Adams: Award-winning Director

Episode Description:

Anya Adams is a two-time NAACP Award winning director whose work can be seen on shows like Yellowjackets, Ginny and Georgia and A League of Their Own. Sista Brunch’s own Anya Adams returns to the podcast to talk about her incredible path to becoming an award-winning television director and update us on what she’s been up to since she was last behind the microphone (hint: it includes a new feature film).

TRANSCRIPT:

00:00:11:11 - 00:00:44:16

FANSHEN: Welcome back to Sista Brunch, the podcast all about Black-ish women and gender expansive people thriving in entertainment and media. And we're now in our fourth season. I say it every time because I can't believe it, and it's amazing. We encourage you to listen back to our previous guest on Apple or Spotify podcasts and find ways to uplift and encourage these amazing women and non-binary folks that we have on the podcast. And also, if you've got questions about the entertainment and media industries, we would so love to hear your voice and your questions.

00:00:44:24 - 00:01:17:18

FANSHEN: As a matter of fact, we're going to play one today. You can always call us and leave us a voicemail at 4245874870. And we might just ask your question or play your voice on a future episode or on our social media. We also want to share all the love that our listeners leave for us through reviews. This one is from zero two Hero. This one is two, 0 two Hero. I love that name. And 0 Two Hero says Fantastic show with fantastic people.

00:01:17:24 - 00:01:56:26

FANSHEN: I learn every time I listen to this podcast. Well done. Thank you so much. Zero Two Hero. And if you're listening now and loving our show, anybody else, go ahead and subscribe. Right. And leave us a review as well. I'm your host, Fanshon Cox, and today's guest. Come on now. I mean, you already know it's Anya Adams. She's the O.G. She's the reason we're here. She's a TV director with over 25 years of experience in the industry. She started out as a DGA trainee, and she worked as a 1st AD on the award-winning shows like "The Mindy Project", "Insecure", and "Black-ish".

00:01:56:28 - 00:02:29:14

FANSHEN: She is a two time NAACP Image Award winner for Outstanding Director, and she was named as one of the top emerging female filmmakers on the Alice list for 2020. You can also watch her recent work on shows like "Yellowjackets", "Ginny and Georgia" and "A League of Their Own". Last but not least, she is, of course, the co-founder and the producer of this very podcast, Sista Brunch. Help me family in welcoming back our Sista Brunch O.G.

00:02:29:16 - 00:02:35:03

FANSHEN: and director extraordinaire Anya Adams. Welcome back Anya.

00:02:35:20 - 00:02:39:21

ANYA: Thank you. I cannot believe that I've been in this industry for 25 years.

00:02:40:04 - 00:02:40:20

FANSHEN: Wow.

00:02:40:22 - 00:02:41:15

ANYA: How did that happen?

00:02:42:01 - 00:02:55:15

FANSHEN: And the thing is, you've got a lot done. This is the thing is like, because this takes a long time, doesn't it? But she's like, you're really, really, really far ahead of the game.

00:02:56:03 - 00:02:57:18

ANYA: I mean, I'm in the game.

00:02:59:03 - 00:03:00:27

FANSHEN: Sista. You so far ahead of the game.

00:03:00:29 - 00:03:01:14

ANYA: I'm in the game.

00:03:01:16 - 00:03:06:27

FANSHEN: You're our role model. You are you. You are you are straight up the role model.

00:03:07:06 - 00:03:09:03

ANYA: This is why I came to the podcast. So that you can just give me flowers. 

00:03:09:05 - 00:03:11:03

FANSHEN: Yeah, get all of this. Let me, let me give you all the love!

00:03:11:05 - 00:03:13:08

ANYA: Just give me all the flowers.

00:03:14:00 - 00:03:28:04

FANSHEN: Well, so you already know how this goes, but especially mentioning that you've been here in this industry for that long. Take us back as far as you want to take us back to how all of this happened in the first place.

00:03:28:12 - 00:03:31:28

ANYA: Okay. When I was a little baby, no.

00:03:32:00 - 00:03:32:20

FANSHEN: You could go back that far.

00:03:33:19 - 00:04:04:20

ANYA: I am. I went to school for psychology. I didn't know what I wanted to do. I always loved theater, arts. And so I joined a group called our company called "Up with People." I traveled with them. They were a nonprofit organization of students that traveled around the world for a year. When I traveled with them, they did a two hour show, like a live show, and they did community service and they stayed in host families. And it was an incredible experience. I traveled as a student and then I worked with them for like five years.

00:04:05:12 - 00:04:36:04

ANYA: But it was a nonprofit. And so, as many of us know, nonprofits have a hard time sustaining themselves and so Up With People was kind of crumbling. The entity that it was when I traveled was kind of crumbling. It's still around. It's just in a different manifestation. So I was like desperately looking for how I could take that experience and apply it to like, life because I was traveling. And so that was kind of a different world. And I found the DGA trainee program, which is still around.

00:04:36:06 - 00:04:53:28

ANYA: It's a program that trains you to be an assistant director. And at the time I thought that was like what I should be doing. I came up as a production manager - helping other people. I was a production manager and a company manager. I was really good at the logistics and, you know, I was really good at creative, but I was very logistics heavy.

00:04:54:05 - 00:04:59:25

FANSHEN: Okay, okay. So one thing that we have to mention is that you are from Canada.

00:05:00:06 - 00:05:00:21

ANYA: Yes.

00:05:00:23 - 00:05:20:24

FANSHEN: So to find. To. To know about find the DGA program and also feel confident. Being from Canada not having been raised here. Kind of with that influence that a lot of even our you know some of our guests our listeners even grew up in L.A. so. But how how did you know about the DGA?

00:05:21:07 - 00:06:05:05

ANYA: Yeah, I found it online, and I'm I'm an old head. So the Internet was very weak at that time. But they had a they had a thing actually, at the time that I found this, the DGA training program online, they were sending out VHS tapes of like this like half hour video of what a trainee was. And one of the video, one of the things they talked about was like, as a trainee, you're going to have to carry a bag, a little tiny bag on your hip with quarters because you've got to make calls to the production office. No cell phones with this. It was old so I've been doing this for a minute.

00:06:05:16 - 00:06:06:01

FANSHEN: You have. Yeah.

00:06:06:27 - 00:06:44:22

ANYA: Yeah, I'm I am from Canada and I am blessed in that my parents are American, so I have dual citizenship. So it allows me to work in the States. It allows me to work in Canada. For our international viewers, the DGA training program is not available to you. You have to be American to partake in it. Yeah. But I think the Canadian DGC has something similar that allows to kind of get you in the into working as an AD. So I know the DGC does I'm not sure about Europe or Africa or anywhere else, but for sure Canada has something similar.

00:06:45:00 - 00:06:45:16

FANSHEN: Hmm.

00:06:45:27 - 00:06:48:03

ANYA: Yeah. So I got.

00:06:48:19 - 00:06:59:20

FANSHEN: During the DGA trainee program, the mentor. Some of the mentors decided that they wanted to kind of have you all come together outside of the program.

00:06:59:27 - 00:07:35:13

ANYA: Yeah. So, as I like a Black female in a sea of whiteness, one of the things that happened was, you know, there are there were several Black, specifically women that had graduated or were part of the program. And in an effort to kind of create a, you know, Sistahood, a couple of the graduated trainees who are working started having brunches and just inviting the younger generation to brunch and just allowing us to kind of be like, this thing happened on set.

00:07:35:15 - 00:08:06:02

ANYA: And I don't know, is it racism? Is it like some bullshit? Is it because I'm a woman? Is it because I did something wrong? Like and allowed us to kind of have these conversations and get some clarity? Because it's such a fast paced environment, it's hard to stop and learn. You're just thrown kind of into the into the raging river and expected to float and then swim. So it was this beautiful kind of collection of women that started gathering. And the group grew and grew and we called it Sista Brunch.

00:08:06:04 - 00:08:19:29

ANYA: And so I'm inadvertently I ended up hosting a lot of them because I'm a social being. And so we would host, you know, I'd invite people to my house. It literally would become an all day thing.

00:08:20:01 - 00:08:44:23

FANSHEN: Raucous. Let's let's be real, because as soon as we say to each other, let's talk about the real things that are going down. Plus, add in some alcohol. You know, you you taught me about Aperol Spritz. I think that was the first time I ever had one at one of your sista brunches. But it it is just lovely because we get loud and we laugh. And I don't even think there's a lot of tears because we're mostly just celebrating.

00:08:44:25 - 00:09:21:22

ANYA: It's celebrating. And like what started happening was once everybody, you know, once the largest amount of people were there, we just kind of go around the group and say like, what am I doing? Almost like a fellowship, you know, where my what I'm doing, something great that happened to me so we could all celebrate for each other and also, like, help each other out, Oh, I'm going to go work with that guy. I worked with him before. Let me help you out. And so when Fanshen came, I remember her mind being blown because she was like, I have never seen this many Black women, you know, which is kind of true, like I hadn't either.

00:09:21:24 - 00:09:23:15

ANYA: It became the norm, but.

00:09:23:17 - 00:09:47:27

FANSHEN: And they silo us on purpose, right? And so you do you don't even know. I mean, that's that's even yes. On Sista Brunch or like, oh there's this whole other community and yeah we just don't know it. And I had been told over and over again that people can't find enough, you know, whatever it is to hire. And I was like, well, they're right here in Anya's backyard you don't know about. Yeah.

00:09:48:11 - 00:10:25:13

ANYA: And, and, and yeah. So it was, it was so it was super fun to see your reaction. But also, you know, afterwards when we talked about it and just how important it was to be able to show. The world, you know, the opportunities that are available to young women. Yes. Old women. All women. Black women. That's, you know, the opportunities that are available in production that aren't just director, producer, actor. There's so many jobs and there's so many opportunities for us to become a part of the creative event that is filmmaking, that is television.

00:10:25:15 - 00:10:43:02

ANYA: And all of it is important. Like, you know, as a director on set, when I see another Black person, I'm so jubilant. It doesn't matter if they're the key grip or the hair person or the props person or special effects. I know that their personality and their creative kind of

00:10:44:18 - 00:11:07:21

ANYA: mindset is going to add and create layers in a way that it isn't done when it's all one type of person. So yeah, because that's how I like to run my sets is best idea wins. And so that idea comes from everybody. It's not just me, it's not just the actors. It's like, you know, I know I'm here.

00:11:08:02 - 00:11:12:04

FANSHEN: Anya, Anya I have to point out that you just said, That's how I run my sets.

00:11:12:10 - 00:11:12:25

ANYA: Yeah.

00:11:12:27 - 00:11:21:11

FANSHEN: And we are going run that back over and over and over again. Even to look at the difference between where you are now and where you were when we started the podcast.

00:11:21:13 - 00:11:24:00

ANYA: I know, I know.

00:11:24:10 - 00:11:52:24

FANSHEN: It's so beautiful, you are running your sets and you were starting to and you were you were already working. You won the NAACP Image Award. I think you won your first one when we first got started in that first season. But you, you, you're you're running it. So now you're in this position, one for people to listen to you and and for you to have influence on the stories that are told and to hire folks like.

00:11:53:21 - 00:12:26:28

ANYA: I mean I don't know the hiring is also harder like when you're in TV you're a journeyman so you're not necessarily well, your your influence in hiring is really in casting. And that's whether a showrunner is open to allowing you. To have say. But if you're a working director, a lot of times the casting is happening before you got there or you're not able to be involved. So there's not a lot of like opportunity to hire as a journeyman director.

00:12:27:05 - 00:12:39:00

ANYA: As a pilot director, you have more influence, as a as a feature director, you have more influence. But in television, it is definitely harder to to hire.

00:12:39:10 - 00:13:03:23

FANSHEN: I'd love for you to talk about a TV pilot that you have directed and then the movie and movies that you're going to be directing and then talk about the differences, like what is it like on a daily basis and and start with the pilot because you then you do you're helping to shape the TV show some, right? That's why they hire you on. So.

00:13:05:23 - 00:13:09:09

ANYA: I mean, I've only done one pilot. That pilot was "Ginny in Georgia".

00:13:09:11 - 00:13:15:06

FANSHEN: Yeah. Well, I mean, no, that's a pretty big one of, like, number one show on Netflix.

00:13:15:19 - 00:13:45:04

ANYA: Yeah. No, this season is. Yeah, I mean, I yeah, I directed episodes one and two of Ginny and Georgia season one. So I was the director that worked with the showrunner and the creator to create a look. We were intimately involved in casting. So like Antonia Gentry, Brianne Howey those guys were like, the trio of us really fought to get those women into the leads.

00:13:46:06 - 00:14:29:04

ANYA: And that involved a lot of collaboration because ultimately in a television show, you're working with someone who's created the you created the show, and either that person is the creator and the showrunner, or there are two different people. There's a showrunner, and that person's running the creative throughline of the show, running the that the writers room and really like is the person pushing the cadence forward in terms of like when scripts comes out, how that all rolls, as well as dealing with on set stuff as well as dealing with, you know, post and then the creator is involved as much or as little as is, you know, kind of woven into that fabric in "Ginny and Georgia".

00:14:29:19 - 00:15:08:15

ANYA: Sarah is very involved. She's a part of everything. And and I think that's great. I mean, it's her vision. It's her idea. So. So yeah, the three of us really worked tightly together to create that for that pilot and, you know, and kind of all that looks like what does the house look like? You know, what is Tony's story? What is Ginny's room look like? You know, what kind of car do they drive? What school are we shooting in? If you watch the show, there's a very long hallway that they walk along that has all these different colors and seating areas.

00:15:08:17 - 00:15:39:09

ANYA: And that was kind of born out of Sarah, had a vision from her high school. And so I had to take that idea, work with the production designer and Sarah, the creator. To like, you know, making a version of that in the hallway. So it's like that's the kind of stuff you do are I had did as a as a pilot director for that Netflix show I think pilot directors have different experiences. But that was definitely, you know, it was casting.

00:15:39:11 - 00:15:40:12

ANYA: It was it was everything were a.

00:15:40:14 - 00:15:45:03

FANSHEN: Huge part of the success of that show. Let's be real.

00:15:45:25 - 00:15:55:22

ANYA: I mean, yeah, I helped to set the look and the tone and I think like, that's what pulls you in. It's what, you know, people enjoy and will keep them watching. And so yeah.

00:15:55:28 - 00:16:02:26

FANSHEN: So then when you go on to a show that's already two or three seasons in, that's a very different experience, right?

00:16:03:08 - 00:16:34:00

ANYA: Yeah, I, I was talking to somebody about that the other day. It's like, it's a, it depends on what kind of director you are, right? Like, I'm a big collaborator. I like to collaborate with the people that have created the story. If I haven't brought the story, I like to collaborate because they've been working on the story longer than I have. So they have all this basis, all this like information that I can use to create a visual kind of representation of this script.

00:16:34:02 - 00:17:05:15

ANYA: So I like collaborating. So for example, I just did an episode of "Yellowjackets". It's for season two. It's not out yet. It will come out in March. So I loved doing this show. It was so awesome. Well, one of the things that I loved about it was like I just I watched the first season. I really tried to understand the characters. And then when you get on set, if you have an understanding of where they've been and then you've read your scripts, you've read everything up until what you're shooting and after you know where they're going.

00:17:05:17 - 00:17:22:24

ANYA: So you have that. You can have this real dialogue with the cast in a way that they feel respected and heard and you can really like dig into performances. So that's fun because you're not creating anything. You're just magnifying it and bringing your bringing your talent to it, you know?

00:17:23:01 - 00:17:46:07

FANSHEN: Was there given that that's a majority women cast, Right. It's really centered on on these women. What did, that make a difference for you being and and does that show in the behind the scenes of that show? And then what about being a Black woman in particular on that show or others that you've done?

00:17:46:18 - 00:18:22:14

ANYA: Yeah, on on "Yellow Jackets", there are two Black characters that are in the regular cast. The younger and older Tawny Newsome and Jasmin Savoy Brown, they're, they're. They play each other, the younger and the older. I think the cool thing about this show is they have a Black producing director. His name is Jeff Byrd. So he is there all the time and is definitely somebody who's like carrying the weight of all of that and representing all the time, which is really fantastic.

00:18:22:16 - 00:18:28:10

ANYA: So it was great to have him just kind of be there for support.

00:18:30:13 - 00:19:04:25

ANYA: So as a Black person coming into that show was somebody in the upper management that's Black. It was really nice. Jeff holding this, first of all, Jeff, a Black man holding the role of producing director on a female driven show is like, it's pretty, pretty epic. Yeah, and I think it's nice. It's a good balance. You know, I think you need to have like you need to have the yin and yang there to like, really balance things out. So I think it works. The women, I mean, all of them really care about the work.

00:19:05:07 - 00:19:39:28

ANYA: When I say that, I mean like as a director, if your actors care about the work, you better fucking care about it too, which means you better know the show, you better know your script, and you better have answers to questions or reasons why you want to do things. Because the cast is so invested in who they are and why they do things. So I had a lot of, you know, good conversations with people about like, hey, you know, I'm thinking about you doing this or that. And if somebody would say, no, I was able to have a conversation with them because I had I did my homework.

00:19:45:19 - 00:20:15:26

FANSHEN: This is Sista Brunch, the podcast by and about Black women and gender expansive people who are thriving in entertainment and media. Stay tuned for more of this conversation with our guest, our Sista Brunch O.G. Anya Adams. Also, do us a favor, actually. Well, if you love this show, if you love Anya, I mean, let's put it out there. What about if you just love Anya? Then you probably love the show as well. I mean, it's her show. Then go ahead and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

00:20:16:03 - 00:20:21:16

FANSHEN: Share your favorite episode with your friends, with your family. Let folks know about Sista Brunch.

00:20:27:24 - 00:20:33:16

FANSHEN: Welcome back and we hope you are as excited as we are to continue our conversation with Anya Adams.

00:20:36:27 - 00:21:09:02

FANSHEN: Okay, I know we said we're going to do TV and film, so I want to get back to film. But just before that I meant to make sure we share your leap because you you essentially had this giant leap one from being a kick ass 1st AD. So. So and you talked about that a lot, you know, on the show is the importance of doing really well when you do get hired. And so you really stood out and you were well known for being a really good 1st AD on "Black-ish".

00:21:09:14 - 00:21:18:03

FANSHEN: And then you also shot a short film and will tell tell us a little bit about that and then the leap into directing.

00:21:18:12 - 00:21:53:28

ANYA: Okay, I shot I, I was the 1st AD on a bunch of shows. I was when I decided I wanted to direct. I was on "The Mindy Project". I've been on the Mindy Project for a couple of years, and I approached Mindy because we had a great relationship and people were getting opportunities on the show and I just said, Hey, I'd love to direct. And she was like, Awesome, I want to support you. What have you done? And I. I was like uh, I haven't done anything, so I better get my shit together. And so at that, that sort of set my wheels spinning like I need to find a script that I can shoot.

00:21:54:04 - 00:22:23:06

ANYA: I need to do something to have a calling card to show people I can do the job. And at that, like at the end of that season, Black-ish ish started out. I got poached over to Black-ish ish. I told them I wanted to direct. They were like, Cool, cool, cool. Come on, come on, come on. And so while I was there, I got real tight with not real tight, but I mean, I did. I got close with Marsai Martin and her family, and. And my cousin wrote this script called Lemonade Mafia, about two girls dueling over

00:22:25:20 - 00:22:37:03

ANYA: a corner for lemonade, a lemonade stand. And Marsai agreed to star in it. And so I was able to shoot a short film in two days with her, I had all the support.

00:22:37:05 - 00:22:40:09

FANSHEN: I didn't know you did it in two days. Go ahead. Anya. Wow.

00:22:40:19 - 00:23:15:18

ANYA: It was. I had all this support from like. It was insane. Like I always say this to people, let people let people know what you want to do because they want to help you. But you have to, like, be able to also ask for specific things. Like, I know we've talked about this before Fanshen and the whole idea of like people calling me and say, Hey, I need a mentor. Like, I'm not interested in that kind of connection. Hey, I'm looking for a mentor specifically for this thing, or I need to learn this thing or can you help me with this thing? And then I can say yes or no or direct you, but you're never going to catch me just being like, Sure, I'll mentor you.

00:23:15:20 - 00:23:43:17

ANYA: That's just not I don't have the time for that. You know, we need specifics. So when I said I wanted to direct. And I told people on the set I wanted to direct and that I was doing this short film and it was happening at this time. It was like people were like, Yes, I'll help you, Yes, I'll help you. Yes, I'll help you. So I had a lot of help from the Black-ish family, which I am forever grateful. And we shot a short film. I showed it to Kenya and,

00:23:45:04 - 00:24:05:14

ANYA: and I think that was like along with like I had very strong work ethic. I was always there to help with problem solving. We had a lot of problems on Black-ish, like, you know, stuff that, you know, organizational stuff. I was always there and ready to help. And and so I feel like I showed

00:24:06:29 - 00:24:37:18

ANYA: merit. And so Kenya gave me an episode and I didn't stop from there. And I think, like, you brought it up, I was a good AD. I was very good AD. But I also am a good I feel like networker. I keep in touch with people and I let people know what I'm doing and I and I don't just call people when I need something, you know, it's you just you have to keep the relationships going, even if it's like every year and you just make sure you're connecting.

00:24:37:20 - 00:25:08:14

FANSHEN: Yeah, check in, invite them to the Hollywood Bowl. Yeah, you've done. But for real. It's that. It is. It's the. It's building the community first. And you did that from having people over for the Sista brunch like you had the space. And so you had people over. You were you. It's the whole pay it forward. And even if that even if you don't have money or you don't have the house to do it or whatever, you've got time, you've got energy, you can check in with your friends. You can offer to come and be on their sets.

00:25:08:16 - 00:25:22:08

FANSHEN: You can offer to do something on their sets like all of that matters. And then it comes back to you for real. Because once you once you said you're a director, like you have not stopped. You have not stopped.

00:25:22:21 - 00:25:36:21

ANYA: It's true. It's true. I also think it's some I was talking to somebody else the other day about like when I first came to or when I was had set my sights on L.A., I thought I found a diary and I'd written in my diary that I wanted to be a casting director.

00:25:36:23 - 00:25:37:08

FANSHEN: Interesting!!

00:25:37:10 - 00:25:55:04

ANYA: And I and I said, I'm saying this on this podcast to all y'all out there. I wanted to be a director, but I wrote in my diary, I wanted to be a casting director because I saw that as attainable. I never in my wildest dreams saw directing as something I could do.

00:25:55:24 - 00:26:21:27

ANYA: So I say this to you all now, like, don't write that shit down. Don't like stifle yourself if you want to direct, but say it. So it took me a long time to get to that point where you know, to say it. And once I said it, it happened. And it happened because that it's the job I absolutely should be doing. I love doing the job. It's fucking hard. There are days that I hate it, but I love it overall. Like, I'm just it's the right.

00:26:21:29 - 00:26:24:10

FANSHEN: It's what you were meant to be doing.

00:26:24:12 - 00:27:05:29

ANYA: Yeah, 100%. And when I stepped into it, I knew it. So and that. And like. Like my first year of directing, I had. I had the wind at my back. I had, you know, I told a director that I was AD'ing for that I wanted to direct. And she was like, Oh, you should meet this guy. I met this guy. Melvin Mar. Melvin Mar was like, I like you. I'm going to give you two episodes of TV. You gave me "Speechless" and "Fresh Off the Boat". I direct. I worked as a 1st AD with this director named James Griffith, who directed the pilot of "Black-ish", and we stayed in touch and he started doing this show called "The Mayor" with Brandon Michael Hall, which is not around anymore.

00:27:06:10 - 00:27:07:21

FANSHEN: And was a great show, though.

00:27:07:27 - 00:27:32:03

ANYA: It was. Yeah. And he became he was a showrunner. And so after Black-ish, I did that show because he knew my work ethic and knew what I wanted to do. And then I'd done my short at that point. So, you know, it was laying the groundwork for moving forward and then, you know, working hard when I got the opportunity and, you know, being a team player.

00:27:33:06 - 00:27:46:19

FANSHEN: It's so important and it's so and we can talk about what that means as a Black woman, right? Because, yeah, sometimes team player means swallowing. Some feelings,

00:27:48:27 - 00:28:29:07

FANSHEN: some feelings, some anger or and not necessarily. Anya, one of the things that you do so well is like you still speak truth. And you push where you can. I think that that's something that I always want to make sure we we talk about is like in creating community. It means you're going to be talking to other women that are not having a good time in this fucking industry. Right. Are are pushing up against things and you and that we can talk about that honestly and at the same time understand that we have to work within it in order to get to the place where we can bring up the next person.

00:28:29:19 - 00:28:42:28

FANSHEN: What are your coping mechanisms for the days when somebody says something or does something and you have to hold it in to be able to get through that moment or day or or show?

00:28:43:13 - 00:29:21:11

ANYA: I mean, I'm just thinking about my last the last three shows that I've been on have not I have not had issue like that because I hired my DP for the movie. I did an episode of "Not Dead Yet", which is a new show out right now, and I'm the DP. And I here's the thing that I try to find is like, if I can find some commonality with someone that connects us, it just makes the work situation easier. So pretty much every show that I've just worked on, again, "Yellowjackets", I worked with an amazing DP.

00:29:21:13 - 00:29:53:02

ANYA: Her name's Shasta Spahn, and she was the DP on "Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist", which I did three episodes of. And and it was probably the hardest show I've ever had to work on. Like it was. It was hard not because we got to create cool dance sequences, it was hard because the production aspect of it, the the personalities that were involved and what was needed to make it through an episode. And I just didn't. It didn't jive with that.

00:29:53:11 - 00:30:29:08

ANYA: And Shasta was the DP, and I was probably I feel like I was the worst version of myself on that show. I wasn't able to make decisions. I got really confused with the easiest things, and it was because I was constantly checking myself and was so off my game and just didn't feel right. And so I worked with her on that show and I was like, I never want to see her again. Like, I was just a terrible I like I just let's just go our separate ways. And then I get on "Yellowjackets" and she's there and I was like, Oh my God, this is going to be really tough.

00:30:29:17 - 00:31:00:21

ANYA: And a full disclosure, I was on the show. I was supposed to be on "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" for four episodes. It was during during the pandemic. So they only hired two directors. They brought us down and we were like kind of back and forth. And I made it to three. And then I had to go. It was a mutual agreement. But I was like. Like I couldn't make it. And Shasta directed the episode that I didn't do. So it was like a weird, yucky feeling leaving.

00:31:01:11 - 00:31:28:26

ANYA: So coming on to this show, I was like, Oh, God, this is going to be tough. And I actually called Jeff for it and said, Look, I want to make sure that there's because I know she's going to be my DP. That there's not any- I'm a different person now. It's been a year, you know, like. So when I got there, it was nothing but love. Like it was nothing but love in terms of like we both went through a really hard situation because she also had a hard time, but I couldn't even see that I was It was so.

00:31:28:28 - 00:31:30:00

FANSHEN: Hard for you, right?

00:31:30:04 - 00:32:10:22

ANYA: Right. So we we, which I think is a really important thing to think about, is like everyone has their own responsibilities on the set. And if you're having a hard time, if it's a hard show, probably everyone's having a hard time. And when you come out of it, you'll be able to kind of commiserate. But anyway, we I mean, we did a fucking awesome episode. I'm so excited about the episode we just did on "Yellowjackets", and we worked so well together and I'm so happy that we had that kind of redemption. So I guess I guess why I brought that up, Because I, I knew that I was stepping into a situation where I'd had struggles with somebody, not even struggles with it, but I had struggled around somebody.

00:32:11:01 - 00:32:42:05

ANYA: And so I just tried to mitigate the circumstance as best as possible. I talked to Jeff. I wanted to talk to her before we started shooting. We, like had a moment and just rehash stuff so that we could clear it all away and move forward. I don't I don't think I've had like, you don't know what you're doing. You're an idiot situation. I will say this as a presence on set. I'm 5'11 and I wear wedge shoes.

00:32:42:07 - 00:33:04:27

ANYA: I'm always taller. I have a very loud voice. I'm not stupid and I know what I want. And I'm clear about the show. So I may not know everything. And I recognize that, but I know what I'm trying to get. So I will try to communicate that as best as possible. I guess that's what I'm saying.

00:33:05:04 - 00:33:39:19

FANSHEN: That's so important. And it and it's tough because there are a lot of introverts in this industry, writers, directors in positions that make it really hard for you to get work if you are an introvert. And I always say, you know, put on your extrovert hat for the day. When you go to pitch this project, when you go to direct something like because otherwise you get stepped on and it's the nature of this industry.

00:33:39:21 - 00:34:17:06

FANSHEN: And so you've got to if, if you are doing that, I mean, I think if you're a writer, you might be okay as an introvert. But even that, right, Like not if you want to make sure they write, say the words that you have on the paper, right? You you really have to. So to your point about walking in with that confidence, clearly you've done that since you were a 1st AD. Even since prior to that with up with people, you were carrying yourself with that. And so then people said, Oh, you should try this next level, and they just listen to you when you walk in with with confidence and decisions, you know, knowing what you want.

00:34:17:18 - 00:34:47:18

ANYA: I that's that is a sets worst nightmare when a director doesn't know what they want. You can do that what I would I say that is you you you are put in a position where your director on set and you don't know what you want make a decision you can go the wrong way and then turn around. But if you don't make a decision and you all sit there, what will happen is everyone feels the void and then everyone will jump in to try and move things forward because there's a lot of like controlling people and it's a mess.

00:34:47:28 - 00:35:26:09

FANSHEN: Because because too many cooks in the kitchen at that point. And it's a it's a really good point. And hearing this from you, because you you have now passed your first time as a director, right? Those first times where, of course, you feel a nervous, your fear. But still, even in those cases, you have to walk in decisive, like you have to walk in, and then they'll let you know whether or not you can do it. But you maintain and and your research and and now sometimes it's you know, it's not even patronizing to remind us that we need to know on a deeper level the story that we're telling.

00:35:26:11 - 00:35:26:26

FANSHEN: Right.

00:35:26:28 - 00:35:35:14

ANYA: You kind of got to know you got to know, yeah. Because so to be able to have conversation with people about it. You know. Because otherwise you just-

00:35:35:16 - 00:35:44:18

FANSHEN: They'll know. They read it, if you don't know and they'll just walk all over you. Let's talk about your feature film, "Prom Pact".

00:35:45:13 - 00:36:15:25

ANYA: Yeah. "Prom Pact" March 31. Disney Plus. Yes, please watch it. Yes, it is. It was very cool. I. So, again, this movie came out of a relationship that I made. I brought him up earlier. His name is Melvin Mar. He's Jake Kasdan's producing partner. And he produced "Fresh Off the Boat". He produced "Bless This Mess". And he also produced "Speechless". And I did episodes of all of those shows and had a connection with him.

00:36:15:26 - 00:36:47:18

ANYA: And he's like, He I consider him one of my mentors, and I wouldn't be directing if it wasn't for him as well, because Kenny gave me my first episode. Melvin gave me two more, I mean, and continued to employ me. So he got a script and pitched me, pitched me to the producers, and then I had to come in with my incidentally, I had to do this for "Ginny and Georgia" and for for "Prom Pact". I had to pitch the studio, my vision for the show.

00:36:48:02 - 00:36:49:26

ANYA: So I came in and did that.

00:36:50:03 - 00:36:59:24

FANSHEN: Can you talk about that so that if anybody is listening, who needs to prepare that kind of materials? What did that look like? Materials and preparation.

00:37:00:05 - 00:37:32:07

ANYA: I hate it so much. I hate it. It's like birth. I've never birthed a baby, but it's what I imagine it is. I'm mentally because, yeah, you need to take all your ideas and distill them, distill them into a document, a visual document, and then and then go through that document with producers talking about visually how you want to service the story, why you should be servicing the story and how your, you know, your ideas for casting your, you know, whatever that is.

00:37:32:17 - 00:38:02:18

ANYA: And I would say this to you, too, because the both pitches I did, I had something personal in the deck, an image. So like when I did the "Prom Pact" pitch, I had a picture of myself from prom with my date. And then at the end of it, because it's about promposals, I had a picture of me prom posing the, you know, like saying, hey, what you do "Prom Pact" with me like a promposal kind of thing.

00:38:02:20 - 00:38:32:13

ANYA: And when I did "Ginny and Georgia", because it's about a mixed race girl in a small town, I, you know, had in the first couple pages images of me as a little girl in a small town. So, you know, I always try to bring the personal connection to them. So the piece into any deck I put out, because I think it shows people like how really connected you are to that material.

00:38:32:18 - 00:39:10:08

FANSHEN: Thank you Anya, listeners, please. What? Really? Because that's the most important thing. Sometimes when you take a pitch, people immediately go into this story and I'm like, Who are you? Why are you telling me that story? And you've got to start with who you are. Why? Why you? Yeah, it is. It's why you. Why you? Why now? Right. Yeah. So why you? Why this? Why not? I love it. So what was it like? Like, okay, what were the difference? Differences between shooting a feature which also is going to go directly to streaming.

00:39:10:10 - 00:39:22:27

FANSHEN: So also, is there. Did that mean something different in terms of how, you know, production, etc.? And then what was the difference? This was your first time doing an actual feature. What was that like?

00:39:23:02 - 00:40:02:01

ANYA: Yeah. So a feature going to streamer versus theatrical. I think the world is changing with that right now. And the question will be what are theatrical films now? Are they Marvel things only? And then like the really, really like cheap, amazing "Little Miss Sunshines"? Like, is it that and there's no middle? Like, who knows what's happened? But this movie was always for Disney Plus. My team was hesitant for me to do a show that was going on to a streamer because the theatrical thing is what you go for, right? Still, even though.

00:40:02:03 - 00:40:02:28

FANSHEN: Even though.

00:40:03:00 - 00:40:04:08

ANYA: People aren't going tot he movies.

00:40:04:24 - 00:40:35:15

ANYA: Everyone's watching it on TV. But so so there was a lot of conversation about that. I ultimately wanted to do it because I like, first of all, this is funny because I hate Rom-Coms. I'm going to tell you this right now. I'm not a Rom-Com lover. This is a Rom-Com. But I mean, there's a couple of Rom-Coms I like. I love "Easy A". Like there's there's Rom-Coms I like and I liked the script. It was funny. And Peyton Elizabeth Lee was the star. And I was excited to have a mixed race lead.

00:40:36:12 - 00:40:48:19

ANYA: So that was something that I really like was like, Yeah, let's do that. And so and also I was like, This is a great way for me to do my first movie and kind of the cushion of Disney. You know, it's going to be cushioned.

00:40:48:26 - 00:40:50:17

FANSHEN: Not a bad cushion.

00:40:51:20 - 00:40:58:05

ANYA: It's not a bad cushion, but it's going to it's going to go on the streamer. It's a solid, you know, solid.

00:40:58:09 - 00:41:14:17

FANSHEN: It's. But you're in. I mean, you're in. And they're going to put money behind the marketing of it. And we're already seeing that. Everybody got a follow Anya. If you're not already hopefully, you are you're long time listeners. But it's it's really wonderful to see the support you're getting for this film to.

00:41:15:13 - 00:41:28:13

ANYA: 100%. Yeah. So I would say okay so the difference between television and feature going to a TV show that's already running versus a feature that you were going to do yourself. The feature is all on you.

00:41:28:28 - 00:41:29:24

FANSHEN: Right.

00:41:30:01 - 00:42:01:10

ANYA: Like there's no show runner network. There's nobody else saying, No, don't do this, do this. Or somebody you're having a conversation with. It's like, Oh, you chose that shirt. Oh, you want that jacket? Oh, you chose that school. Oh, like all of it is on you, which is exciting. And scary is daunting because. Yeah, because that like and I think that's why directors do this. This is like you're manifesting your vision. Your actual vision is coming to screen.

00:42:01:20 - 00:42:02:07

FANSHEN: Wow.

00:42:02:09 - 00:42:35:25

ANYA: I mean, obviously you have for example, we had multiple conversations about the leads and the love interests and who's going to do what. And Disney was very involved in those. And while they're deferential because they've hired you as the director, ultimately you have to come to an agreement together, along with the producers and everyone else that's involved. So it's not just you saying, I want this person, but you're the weight of your opinion is way, way stronger in a feature than it isn't.

00:42:36:07 - 00:42:38:20

ANYA: I mean, if you're Steven Spielberg, you're doing whatever the hell.

00:42:38:22 - 00:42:44:16

FANSHEN: You make every all every decision for as much money as you possibly could ever need.

00:42:44:20 - 00:42:46:07

ANYA: Yes, exactly. Exactly.

00:42:46:09 - 00:42:48:03

FANSHEN: Which you going to get there. You going to get there.

00:42:48:14 - 00:43:04:00

ANYA: Yeah. Yes, I'm on my way. But like I say, that that's the major difference is it's all on you. It's all on you in the feature. Like it's all on you and it's a lot more collaborative in a television show.

00:43:08:15 - 00:43:20:02

FANSHEN: Hey, it's Fanshen Cox, and you're listening to Sista Brunch. We'll be right back. And during this really quick break, if you haven't done this already, go ahead and follow us on Instagram @sistabrunchpodcast.

00:43:31:25 - 00:43:35:15

ANYA: Hi, I'm Anya Adams and you're listening to the Sista Brunch podcast.

00:43:39:17 - 00:43:51:05

FANSHEN: So, Anya, we have a listener question from Lisa Kress. Lisa Kress, thank you so much for leaving us a voicemail with your question. Lisa's an aspiring filmmaker. Let's hear her question.

00:43:52:02 - 00:44:21:00

Lisa Kress: Hello Sista Brunch. My name is Lisa Kress and I'm a young filmmaker, an aspiring producer. And as someone who is just entering the world of entertainment and media industries, I want to ask you this question. So what things do you wish you prioritized more in the beginning of your career? It can be both in terms of work life, but also life and well-being. I'm very interested. Thank you very much.

00:44:21:25 - 00:44:28:13

FANSHEN: Such a good question, Lisa. So, Anya, what do you wish you had prioritized more of?

00:44:29:05 - 00:44:59:18

ANYA: I mean, I don't want to say this, but I'm going to say it because well, I'm going to say it and I'm going to loop it around. So I'm still a single woman and I feel like that is there. There are times that I wish I prioritized that more in my life. However, I'm extremely happy where I am now, and being single is like awesome for me. I can do whatever I want. You're watching Chelsea Handler right now on Instagram.

00:44:59:20 - 00:45:29:23

ANYA: She's hilarious. Every day she does this thing about being single. So there are times, there are times that I wish I prioritized that a little bit more. I guess I would say this to I am I am a person that is like I say what I want and I step into the day and I try to create that so that I can have it. But I don't freak out if I'm not getting it. And I'm not like I just would say to you guys, like, say what you want, but move through life happily and enjoy the time that you're having in the moment.

00:45:30:06 - 00:45:34:00

ANYA: Enjoy as you move through this journey, whatever the lesson is.

00:45:34:18 - 00:46:03:29

FANSHEN: Oh, my goodness. There you go. I mean, that that's got to be priority number one. Just enjoy. Thank you, Lisa, for your question. Anya, this is amazing. Okay, our final. Question. Anya, you are sitting down to a Sista Brunch with young Anya. And what are the two of you drinking? What are the two of you eating? And what do you tell young Anya Adams?

00:46:04:07 - 00:46:45:00

ANYA: Okay, well, we're definitely drinking aperol spritz as a virgin. And, of course, I'm young. Yes. Right. And I think it's some sort of omelette thing, because I do love any kind of omelet at a brunch. I'm not a huge. I mean, I like a pancake every now and then, but omelets are my thing. So maybe we're having omelets with a good feta Greek feta and some onions and spinach. I think that. What are we talking about? I think it's literally what I said earlier about, like, not don't, you know, do a disservice to yourself by putting out in the ethos what you know, you can accomplish as your goal.

00:46:45:21 - 00:47:08:14

ANYA: Put out what you want to do. That makes sense. I just like. Yeah, because I feel like that was a hope for me. I was like, I could do that. I'll be able to do that, but I don't think I'd ever be able to do that. And then the universe allowed me to move in the direction of where I should be. But it doesn't always do that. So you have to speak what you - say, what you want.

00:47:09:12 - 00:47:09:28

ANYA: Say it!

00:47:12:03 - 00:47:13:10

FANSHEN: We love you Anya.

00:47:14:13 - 00:47:17:27

FANSHEN: We love it. We love it. Thank you. Anya Adams thank you.

00:47:17:29 - 00:47:19:27

ANYA: Thank you for having me back. I feel so honored.

00:47:19:29 - 00:47:53:22

FANSHEN: Oh please. You're part of the team. Always. Thank you so much for listening to Sista Brunch, the podcast that brings you the stories of black women who are breaking barriers and bringing so much joy to the entertainment and media industries. This is our fourth season. Yes, you heard that. So you can listen to all three seasons. You can go to sistabrunch.com where you can see the transcripts of our past shows and our current shows. We also so appreciate your support by subscribing to the podcast.

00:47:53:24 - 00:48:24:21

FANSHEN: Leaving us a great review. Sharing it with other folks. Also, we want to remind you that you can leave us a voicemail this season. Leave your questions, things that you'd like us to ask our guests. The phone number is 424-587-4870, 424-587-4870. Thank you again for listening to Sista Brunch. Thank you for your support for your reviews. Sista Brunch is brought to you by TruJuLo Productions. Our senior producer is Sonata Lee Narcisse. 

00:48:24:29 - 00:48:46:20

FANSHEN: Our co-producer is Brittany Turner. Our associate producers are Farida Abdul-Wahab and Mimi Slater. Our executive producers are Christabel Nsiah-Buadi and Anya Adams. We acknowledge that the land we record our podcast on is the original land of the Tongva and the Chumash people. That's our show for this week, and we will catch you next time on Sista Brunch.