Meet Francesca Brice-Martin | Producer and Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Francesca Brice-Martin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Francesca, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Choosing to be a director was process for me. I have always had a predilection for artistic subjects when I was in school, whether it was drawing, music, painting, writing stories or anything about art. When I was a kid, I used to watch a show on TV about movie making. The show focused mainly on how they were building sets, making green screen shots and screen replacements. It was magic to me. I started creating my own miniature sets made of card boards and paper. I knew at that time that I wanted to be a filmmaker but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do in film industry. So I told my parents, when I grow up, I want to make films.
My parents introduced me to one of their friends who was a director and he got me into auditions. I know! so far away from the little sets I was building. But it was a way to start. I started acting and loved it, then later on I tried writing and also loved it. But I discovered I wanted to be a director after I realized what really goes into the craft, to summarize, taking a story and bringing it to life, creating a world and having the opportunity to bring my ideas to every single aspect of this world was so appealing to me. I wanted to make people happy, sad, scared, satisfied, uncertain, reflective, I wanted to provoke emotions.

Filmmaking makes me happy. There is an indescribable feeling about seeing a story gradually transform from paper to film. All the steps of creating a film give me joy. I can’t imagine myself giving up on that feeling and I think life is about that, doing what makes you happy and more importantly sharing it with the world..

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is all about triggering feelings, making statements and sharing a message. I am really proud of the fact that I took a lip of faith to pursue my dream of being a filmmaker and I am exited to see where the future takes me as I work to get more projects done. I am still working on my career and I hope to achieve my dreams as I keep learning and perfecting my craft, telling powerful stories and most importantly as I keep having fun and make people have fun watching my projects.
Being able to fully commit to filmmaking was not easy. It’s an art that is not always kind. But every challenge as a solution and everything is a process. Life is not a straight path and you have to learn to embrace the things coming your way, specially the unwanted ones. So taking things one at the time, being forgiving to myself and positive in general are the ways I overcome my challenges.
I think everyone should remember that when we go through a though time, it’s not definitive. As long as we breathe and do our best, there is hope.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well that is a good question. I think if a friend visited me in LA, I would see it as an opportunity to get to know LA better, with them. I do not know LA that much as I landed few months before the pandemic and haven’t had a chance to cross stuff off my list after everything opened. – guilty.🤷🏾‍♀️ But I have an idea of where we would go. We would start with Disney Park, then we would go to the museum of illusion in Hollywood. We would probably also go to other famous places like Santa Monica Peer, Universal studios, Warner Brothers, the Griffith observatory and of course we would catch a movie at the AMC theater Burbank 16, my favorite. Restaurant and fast foods are a must. There is a great Vietnamese restaurant in Van Nuys , pho 999 and for pizza, my to go is Blaze Pizza on victory Bld in North Hollywood. Also the Red Lobster is great. For fast food, Classic In-and-out or Chick-Fil_A

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

My family specially my mom was very stressed about my choice of being a filmmaker. It’s not an easy path. But no matter my decision, my mom stood by me. She is my biggest fan. So I want to give her a special shout out. Even when she had doubts or fears about how it would play out for me, she would always give me her unconditional support and encouragements. She always believes in me and doesn’t miss an opportunity to tell me how great I am, specially when I have doubts and insecurities. She taught me that if you work hard for something you really want, you will end up getting it sooner or later. I am forever grateful for having her and taking advantage of her wisdom and advice.

I also have in mind my dear friend Guy Désiré Yaméogo, a director I met a few years ago who took me in his youth mentoring project. He made me love filmmaking and I am forever grateful he introduced me to the “behind the camera side” of filmmaking.

Shout out to all my friends who are supportive and believe in me.
And finally, I consider myself a child of god and I am thankful for all the opportunities He placed on my path.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/francescabricemartin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/francesca.bricemartin

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChARJFR9x03nSIvJas1PEzQ

Image Credits
Ritika Telang Rats In The House Das Leune