As the daughter of a comic book store owner, I was immersed at early age into the worlds of comics, cartoons, and ‘60s and ‘70s TV shows. As I got older, I decided that in order to understand my own world, I needed to understand the world as a whole. I needed to travel and live life by doing the things that scared me and challenged me the most.
So I left my New York City roots and ventured west to Montana, where I braved the cold and fought off snow monsters (okay maybe I imagined that last part). A year later, I traded the small town for a bigger city, Portland (Oregon), where I would go on to work in the Retail industry for several years. Despite falling in love with the beautiful City of Roses, it’s friendly people, and the fact that someone else pumps your gas for you, I knew I was meant for something more.
I took a risk and left my well-established career and hit the road yet again. I spent the next year traveling in and out of cities along the Pacific Coast Highway, couchsurfing and meeting some unforgetting people along the way. A year ago, I officially moved to Los Angeles, the city I’ve always been inexplicably drawn to. I began focusing my attention on writing full-time and have been writing nonstop since. I encourage people to “never settle,” “never stop dreaming,” and remember, “there’s always a what if.”
Hired Education Web Series Trailer – Episode 104
indieactivity: Why did you get into filmmaking and screenwriting?
Michelle Dos Santos: I’ve always had a passion for writing. It’s the one thing that has always brought me back to when times were simple and I wrote “just because.” It’s a freeing experience when you’re able to incorporate a piece of yourself and experiences into your stories and characters. I write screenplays with the goal of inspiring others to share their stories too. I think the best stories are ones people can relate to because seeing a relatable story can make a similar experience feel not so isolating.
indieactivity: How can filmmaker finance their projects?
Michelle Dos Santos: For me, it’s been self-financing and networking. Building genuine connections with people really does go a long way. Having a strong script and a passion for what you’re doing makes a world of difference and attracts people to your project.
indieactivity: What films have you written?
Michelle Dos Santos: I have written 3 short films, one of which, Avocado, is currently in the film festival circuit. I am also producing the family comedy web series, Hired Education. Additionally, I have a portfolio of unproduced scripts.
indieactivity: Why did you get into filmmaking and screenwriting?
Michelle Dos Santos: I’ve always had a passion for writing. It’s the one thing that has always brought me back to when times were simple and I wrote “just because.” It’s a freeing experience when you’re able to incorporate a piece of yourself and experiences into your stories and characters. I write screenplays with the goal of inspiring others to share their stories too. I think the best stories are ones people can relate to because seeing a relatable story can make a similar experience feel not so isolating.
indieactivity: How can filmmaker finance their projects?
Michelle Dos Santos: For me, it’s been self-financing and networking. Building genuine connections with people really does go a long way. Having a strong script and a passion for what you’re doing makes a world of difference and attracts people to your project.
indieactivity: What films have you written?
Michelle Dos Santos: I have written 3 short films, one of which, Avocado, is currently in the film festival circuit. I am also producing the family comedy web series, Hired Education. Additionally, I have a portfolio of unproduced scripts.
indieactivity: What is your concept on collaboration?
Michelle Dos Santos: I think collaboration is a wonderful and necessary part of the filmmaking process. With so many ideas from a variety of people, you can take something good and make it great. One of my favorite things about working on Hired Education has been our improv sessions. The actors are able to put their own spin on episodes and really dig deep into who these characters are, and as a writer, I am able to incorporate their unique humor and ideas into the stories.
indieactivity: How do you find the process of filmmaking?
Michelle Dos Santos: The process as an indie filmmaker is you wear many hats. Basically almost every hat in the filmmaking closet. It’s great because you get to learn all aspects of the business, which means you’re more well-versed when hiring, and working with and training people. You also know what you like and don’t like so you can set the bar high. It’s a lot of stress, yes, and it’s a lot of work, yes, but I love it for whatever reason. It’s fun, stressful, exciting, scary, intriguing and a lot of long days. But that’s the business. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
indieactivity: Describe your recent work?
Michelle Dos Santos: Currently, I am crowdfunding for post-production on the latest short film I wrote and directed, This May Take a While. Check out the page to see a first look at what we’ve shot. We have some really cool perks, like a handmade origami farm, props from the movie and a “number 4 kit.” I’ve also just begun the early stages of pre-production on a feature film I wrote and plan to direct.
The process for making content has certainly been fast-moving. I look at it as if I were working on a TV show – content needs to be produced fast, without sacrificing quality. In the last six months, I worked tirelessly to create the two 22-minute short films (Avocado and This May Take a While). I usually spend a month writing and editing the scripts, then a month in pre-production, which is primarily casting and location scouting. There are always challenges too, like losing locations last minute and having to find a new one in less than 24-hours, but a lot of the process is just rolling with the punches, utilizing the networks and resources you have available, and not being afraid to ask for help.
As far as marketing, it’s been mostly word of mouth and planting flyers (for Hired Education) around L.A. I even sent flyers and postcards to friends in the various cities and states I have lived, so if you’re not local to L.A., you may indeed stumble upon one of our flyers! And if you do, please take a picture and tag us on Instagram. We may have a surprise for you!
indieactivity: What are your future goals?
Michelle Dos Santos: Life has a way of taking you in directions you least expect. I love making content, writing and collaborating with people. I’m excited to see where this path takes me.
indieactivity: What does an indie filmmaker need into today world?
Michelle Dos Santos: An indie filmmaker today needs to have ambition, passion, talent, and fearlessness. Not one of those traits, not three of those traits. All of those traits. This business is too competitive not to be.
indieactivity: Briefly describe your careers?
Michelle Dos Santos: Writing and workshopping screenplays led to working with some independent filmmakers on a holiday movie as their social media manager and production assistant. They took me under their wing and really taught me a lot about the business. But I really wanted to focus on writing. Realizing how difficult it actually is to get your work read as an unknown writer, I decided to start producing some of my scripts.
Through a lot of networking, I built a solid crew that helped me to complete my first short film. They also taught me a great deal about filmmaking. And then I got the filmmaking bug. So when I came up with an idea for a web series (which is now Hired Education), I knew I had to make it. The show is loosely based on some of my own experiences.
I feel like I gained a wide variety of skills in each career I’ve had (which is a long list, so that’s a story for another day). Although those careers were not right for me, I have been able to take the skills I learned and apply them to writing and directing. The same is true for the main character in Hired Education, Adriana. She needs to go through different jobs and have those experiences to figure out what career is right for her.
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