Life and Work with Frances Causey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Frances Causey.

Frances, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began my career with CNN where I was a Senior Producer for fourteen years. At CNN, I was a member of a team honored with News and Documentary Emmys for our breaking news coverage of the Oklahoma City and Olympic Park Bombings. I have produced several feature-length documentaries for television and theatrical release including my latest documentary IS YOUR STORY MAKING YOU SICK? which will be released in 2019. THE LONG SHADOW, a film about the effects of our failure to end slavery at our nation’s founding was released in theaters in 2018 and screened at film festivals throughout the world. My 2012 film, HEIST: WHO STOLE THE AMERICAN DREAM? was released to wide acclaim and was a New York Times Critic’s Pick. I was honored with the Women’s International Film and Television Jury Award for my work on HEIST.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
GREAT QUESTION! Making independent documentary films is very challenging, not just making them but getting them funded. I am asked quite a bit to speak about this and whenever I can I stress to young filmmakers, a lot of them women, that a filmmaker needs to spend as much time and money on marketing, distributing and promoting films as you do on making films. By the time distribution rolls around most filmmakers are exhausted from making their films and the temptation is to turn the film over to a distributor who is many times juggling 100’s of other films and often, your tie film can fall through the cracks. This is a critical observation in the ever-changing landscape of film and the importance of the internet in distribution. Even big movie studios struggle with getting eyeballs on their films when it comes to the Internet and streaming which is where so much of the industry is headed. There is no magic wand. It takes a lot of hard work (and some luck) to get your film widely seen.

We’d love to hear more about your career and the work you are currently focused on. What do you feel sets you apart from others?
I cut my storytelling teeth and learned a lot about managing a company through CNN where I landed right out of college at the tender age of 21. At CNN in the early days (LOL) YOU DID EVERYTHING. You could write, produce, edit… do just about all because it was such an efficient “shop” or put it another way- Ted Turner was “cheap”! Everything I learned there I use each and every day while running my own business-from budgets, personnel management, setting up field shoots to be very cost effective and so on and so on. No question, this has given me an advantage in understanding “the business of film” and a formula for success. It also made me very practical.

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Finding a mentor is critical. Even just observing from afar those whom you admire… the way they do things. How else do we learn? Honestly, in the last several years, networking has been challenging for me because I generally write, produce and direct all of my films which takes up a huge amount of my time. But I am moving away from that more and more and spending more time collaborating with the vibrant film community in Arizona. Before I formed my own company, I was the film manager at the venerable Old Tucson Studios which was one of the most interesting and best times of my life because of the collaboration with the Tucson film community. We all were working early with the state’s film tax program which I hope one day is resurrected as film is a huge economic driver. Just ask the states where programs exist and you’ll see the immense economic impact there.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: On Facebook please find me at:
  Frances Causey
  The Long Shadow,
  Is Your Story Making You Sick?
  Ours Is The Land
  Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?
• Twitter: follow our films @fcausey, @LongShadowDoc, @HeistDoc
• Websites: www.thelongshadowfilm.com, www.heist-themovie.com, www.storythemovie.com

Image Credit:
Allison Taylor

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