Meet Fran Strine | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fran Strine and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fran, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk… Prior to being a full-time filmmaker I was touring video/photographer for well known music artists traveling the world and make a great living. I gave up a lucrative career and jumped into the complete unknown of documentary filmmaking,

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a documentary filmmaker and do mostly music centric docs but finally branching out a bit. Both my past films Hired Gun and Who you gonna Call? are both available on most streaming platforms.

I think I’m most proud of getting my films made! Any filmmaker will tell you difficult it is to make one. The challenges range from raising millions of dollars and not taking studios money, too licensing music and archive materials. The way to overcome these challenges is to not letting them overcome you, don’t look back, fight like crazy to get what you need to get it made.

I am really proud that both my films have won audience choice awards.

The lessons I’ve learned is to surround yourself with others more talented than you, you will learn so much in a short amount of time and leave the ego at the door or you will fail.

What do I want the world to know about me? I am living proof you don’t need to go to film school or take a photography class. I never did and I shot 2 Dolly Parton album covers to being on set with her directing a live multi-cam DVD show of her 2 sold out shows at the o2 arena in London, Lastly, alway ask! That way they can say ‘yes’..

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Santa Monica, there is so much to do here! Not to mention, California is hands down the best State!

First, I’d take them on a nice walk along the beach from the Santa Monica Pier to Venice. Them we eat at MEAT on Ocean. Then we’d go eat eat some amazing Vegas with the coolest people in the entertainment industry, we do this almost every week and just have the best conversations, laughs and food ever.

I think we’d take a quick hour flight to San Francisco and just take it all in. The city gets a bad rap, but if you go looking for it you’ll bump into it. I lived in the Bay Area for 10 years and its magical! The hiking trails are world class and the sights are mind blowing.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is a tough one, I have had so many people help me get where I am today so i’ll just list here.

David Levy, Todd Poulson, Jamie Roberts and Maria Gonzales, Jay Roewe, Steve Bellamy…

Website: www.f26productions.com

Instagram: franstrine

Twitter: @franstrine

Facebook: Fran Strine