Meet Lauren Dreyfus | Writer, Director, and Production Designer

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

Hi Lauren, why did you pursue a creative career?
I decided to pursue an artistic career because of the endless possibilities it leaves open for you. I have always wanted to be a writer and create worlds and new characters— I think filmmaking not only allows you to be creative in a visual sense but also introduces you to so many artistic departments. Since pursuing filmmaking, I have found so many other duties on set that I enjoy. Whether it is art department, directing, cinematography, etc. you are able to bring your vision to life and I think that’s so special. I also believe the opportunity to tell personal stories and share with the world your unique perspective on life is also such an exciting job to have.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I absolutely love writing but in my filmmaking journey I have also discovered my love for production design. I started out by moving from Erie, Pennsylvania to Los Angeles after high school to go to college at New York Film Academy. I originally wanted to do screenwriting but then started filmmaking and production design. I mostly have been able to work on student sets this past year— decorating a horror movie, a western, a Christmas movie, etc. and have learned so much along the way. Writing wise, I wrote and directed my thesis film which was a science fiction/ coming of age story. I am most excited to be working on a book series right now named, “Tanski: The Secret Amulet” which will be full of fairies and magical happenings. This is all so exciting, but getting to this point was definitely a huge learning curve. My journey through New York Film Academy was quite interesting as we also dealt with Covid-19 in the middle. I learned so much about being on set after we were off zoom— finally was able to learn how to prepare design sketches for a location, organization for my props and set decor beforehand, how to get crafty with designing props while on a budget, thinking on the spot to solve issues. One set we needed a three layer birthday cake and I had never made one, but the director and I decided on a way to save money but still have a beautiful cake. I had to think outside the box and cut up pies and small cakes and decorate it to the directors vision. For the horror movie, I learned how to make edible fake blood for the first time, and it ended up being used quite often and devoured by the actors. For the Western film, I used breakaway glass for the first time and realized how delicate it is. This helped me for a later film to prepare multiple pieces in case of emergency. I think a lot of these student productions taught me so much— being quick on my feet, prepared for any emergency, working with a small budget, and how to stay one step ahead of your department duties to make the day as least stressful as needed. Even on my own set, realizing how important preparation is and making sure you are ready for weather challenges (like filming in the snow when you didn’t expect it!).

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
LA is such a fun place to live— there’s so much for friends to see when they visit! Some of my favorite places to eat are:

Breakfast/Coffee:
1.) Homestate – breakfast burritos! Great prices and super yummy.
2.) Bea Bea’s breakfast in Burbank- sooo good and so many options!
3.) Priscilla’s gourmet coffee house – great place to read/ study, and amazing coffee 🙂

Lunch/Dinner:
4.) Casitas Taco Al Carbon – my absolute favorite place, they are so sweet and the food is amazing!
5.) Something Vegan – best vegan food in LA, and super cute restaurant.
6.) Reno’s pizza- pizza and pasta is the best !
7.) Bob’s Big Boy- all American diner, and 24/7 !

For places to visit:
1.) a Hike to the Wisdom tree or a drive to Mulholland drive for some amazing views!
2.) obviously Hollywood walk of fame, Griffith observatory, Universal studios— gotta take them to the iconic sites!
3.) the beaches— if there’s time I would rather take a day trip to Laguna and go to thousand steps or Victoria Beach.
4.) Santa Monica pier and Beverly Hills for some more sight seeing 🙂
5.) any filming locations from their fav movies they want to see as well!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my Shoutout to Michael Buckley, the author of “The Sisters Grimm” series. Growing up, I was a reading fanatic and this series sparked so much excitement and curiosity in me. I think this series is one of the reasons I started to write more, understand character development, and was the reason I became so interested in fantasy. I remember receiving the first 4 books as a gift, and I couldn’t put them down! I asked my parents for the next four after I finished the previous and again, couldn’t put them down until I finished those. The story follows two female leads that are solving mysteries, fighting off fairy tale creatures, and standing up to their enemies— I think having characters like this as a young girl was really inspiring and affected my writing goals to this day. I owe a huge thank you to Mr. Buckley for bringing such a unique story into my childhood.

Website: Laurendreyfus.com

Instagram: @laurenndreyfus

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-dreyfus-24784b188

Other: Article about my thesis film: https://www.goerie.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/11/26/lauren-dreyfus-erie-pa-thesis-film-leaving/8744181002/

Image Credits
Photos by: Interview- Rob Frank Media BTS- Zachary Goodwin, Kevin Lobnow, Lu Mendoza Erie Times Article- Gregory Wohlford