Meet Lauri Levenfeld | Producer, Filmmaker, Creative Agency Owner & Advocate for Women & Girls

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

Hi Lauri, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
The funny thing is, I rarely attribute anything I do to taking anything but a risk. In my business as a creative (founder of a branding agency/ filmmaker) all I do is take risks in that I am always instigating new ways to see and experience through the off-the-cuff ideas and bold narratives I put out into the world. All of which can be met by excitement or fear. It’s all subjective, so for me, I just have to go for it! My hope is to always lead with courage and never with fear. As a creator, you have to try and try again. You have to incubate until something sticks, clicks, and works! Some of my failures have turned around (later in life) to be my biggest successes. As a filmmaker and storyteller, I love finding intricate, interconnected ways to reveal a person, a company or subject. My curiosity inspires me to tap into unconventional means which allow new and unexpected opportunities to arise. I want my audience and the people who participate in our work to feel educated, ignited, and perhaps, awakened to make something happen. I am inspired to energize others to collectively heal the world. I hope that by sharing stories our work can evoke a type of response whereby others will be inspired to take risks, create movements and follow their dreams. Ultimately, manifesting work they truly want to do and going for it regardless of any obstacles they see in the way.

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 am the founder of AgentC, a boutique creative agency in LA that specializes in building brands through digital storytelling. The companies that we work with represent a variety of industries- from beauty to technology- and are united in their shared commitment to elevating the aesthetics of the everyday. We are a collective of experts who represent a cross-section of creative industries. We are united by a shared commitment to original storytelling driven by ethos. I am also currently working on a personal narrative, a feature film set in Japan; Red Line is a coming of age adventure (think Euphoria meets The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe) set on a train traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto. It is a spiritual story based on my life (and probably the lives of most women I have met) whereby a fantastical, life-altering journey ends in a field of Sika deer and cherry blossoms. I recently got a tattoo on my wrist with the Japanese words for Red Line to remind me everyday to write. It is an Ephemeral Tattoo so I only have 14 months to finish the script, and then, poof(!) the tattoo will disappear. I have learned to motivate myself in exceptional ways to provoke strength, stay focused and less fearful. I never considered myself a writer, as I was such a visual person but I feel the more tools I have for storytelling the better I will be. It’s hard to put yourself out there, but it is the only way you will continue to evolve and elevate. I am not much for social media (as I have so many other areas in my life where I want to spend my time), however, it is a great place to test the waters and put things out in the world to see how they transcend and inspire.

Another life changing moment for me, and certainly, one that heightened my trajectory as an artist is when I went to USC for Film and graduated 1 of 2 women in my class. I went on to do film and my friend went on to real estate. This was a very significant and pivotal moment for me; I became outwardly determined and committed to collaborating with other women in the industry. As I became more involved with film, I became more clear in my conviction that women need to lift one another up and our voices must be heard, valued, and celebrated. I realized the importance of the work we can share, how different our perspective can be and how most women are willing to tell the hard stories (the emotional and raw). When we allow ourselves and the women around us to be authentic and truthful, we are limitless. Of course I love men and we have great talents on our team, but my biggest priority as a female creative is to hold space for and bring opportunity to other women wanting to break into this industry.

I have also learned that the more you give, the more you will receive. There will never be a film made by one person. It takes a team committed to telling a story (each showcasing and fulfilling their set of expertise) to with all the twists and turns that come your way actually make a finished product. You truly need each and every person to do their thing and to trust them knowing that many times it will be them instead of you that will know the way!

I am excited about our latest batch of work at AgentC as I feel it truly represent the work we want to put out into the world. Our agency was recently nominated for three short films which will be premiering at La Jolla International Film Festival in July. We are also hard at work on two documentary projects starting in the Fall that wonderfully combine a fashion-forward aesthetic with a purposeful look at industries pivoting to help others prosper.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a big fan of LACMA & The Academy of Motion Picture – currently I would drop in to see the exhibits of artist Barbara Kruger and fashion designer Alexander McQueen at LACMA. Then I would hit up the Academy for the incredible Pixar exhibit and Hayao Miyazaki who is a masterful storyteller from Ghibli Studios; Miyazaki is responsible for creating the mystical award-winning Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and Ponyo. I also adore hitting up Fanny’s on the 1st floor for a spicy reposado margarita, where I can lounge all afternoon in the big curved booths reminiscent of the iconic old restaurants of the big studio lots. Every time I lose myself in the glamorous, Old Hollywood vibe and the restaurant’s art deco design. It’s the perfect spot to unravel a day of inspiration in art and cinema and plan for the next big deal. Ha..

For shopping, I love Attic Koncept, Curve, Capitol, and go see Sydney at Elyse Walker in the Palisades Village. My absolute best find in LA for designer vintage is TBC Consignment on Robertson. I have found so many iconic pieces there for a reasonable price. I also love Paper Bag Princess. Elizabeth Mason is a master treasure hunter.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well I always say that the day I met Nelson Mandela to work on his documentary (only a few years out of USC) was a game-changer. In less that a week, he taught me the kind of humility, resilience, kindness and determination I would need to hold a prominent position and persevere in my industry as a woman. He also taught me the importance of giving back, mentorship, and advocacy which became a life-calling for me and one of the many reasons I built (with help) The Project for Women & Girls and Project Mentor as platforms to support women and creatives through better resources and mentorship. I believe my team and those I collaborate with on a daily basis make me a better person and a better artist. They constantly push me to better my communication, skillset and storytelling. I also think my daughter is one of my biggest inspirations. Her creativity and big heart flow with inspiration, pure energy, and love. She is my guide for letting go of any unwanted fear, trusting my instincts, and leading life with curiosity and wonder. She also reminds me everyday how incredible it is to be creative and how art is a constant connector to the people we love and the places we want to venture. We both are wildly in love with anime, anything Japanese, Alice in Wonderland, singing, dancing, and generally just having a good laugh and time with one another. Over quarantine, Harley and I created a jewelry company (@girlsrox) to celebrate girls and feed families during covid.

Website: theagentcbyll.com

Instagram: @laurilevenfeld @theagentcbyll @theprojectforwomen @theprojectforgirls

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauri-levenfeld-397bb926/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauri.levenfeld

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9MHf7LIfdV0K6tFmF8t3ag

Image Credits
Photos by Grace Wethor & Lauri Levenfeld for AgentC Makeup by Sterling Waddell & Irmina Martinez Loeffler Hair by Lindsay Victoria & Irmina Martinez Loeffler Styling by Katja O’Brien & Stella Waddell Set Design by Michael Purdy