Meet Olivia Dunkley | Filmmaker

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

Hi Olivia, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I decided to become a filmmaker because I wasn’t getting the roles I wanted as an actress. I thought if i could make a movie that it would show casting directors I could carry a film as the lead. I wanted to show them that I could do more than under 5’s and one liners.
However, after the film was released something wonderful happened. No, I didn’t get more work as an actress. Instead I started making money on my movie. The money continued to come in year after year. It became apparent that this was going to be a more lucrative career choice. Plus, it had the benefit of control. I wasn’t at the whims of a casting director, producer, or director. I was the creator. I made the choices, good or bad. I had control over what was made, in fact, I had control over the whole process and loved doing it. I decided to give up acting and focus on making more movies.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a filmmaker I would say the thing I”m most proud of, is that I’ve made 2 feature films and both have been distributed. Only 1 in 100 films gets distribution, so this is no small feat. I’m also proud of the fact that people have so far responded really well to my films. People really seem to love A Holiday Boyfriend, my first feature, and I’m hoping they love Slay Ride as well. When film is your medium, you put your heart and soul as well as your sweat, sleepless nights, and long hours into it. It’s an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. And I mean to the bitter end, because after you finish filming there is still editing, music composition, sound mixing, color correcting, and more before the film is done. By the time you are finished you’ve spent every dollar you have to get it shot, edited, and then distributed (which also costs a small fortune so be prepared!).

With filmmaking there are challenges every step of the way and not all of them external. Fear, doubt and wondering where you will get the money, are constantly rearing their ugly heads as you work. One minute you think this is going to be the greatest movie ever and the next minute you are considering scrapping the whole project. You have to be willing to move forward in the face of certain uncertainty!

With Slay Ride, even before we started filming I had problems. SAG wanted too much of my budget to hold onto for payments. I had to pull the film out of SAG altogether then wait for them to send me my money back so I could pay my cast and crew. My AD got covid the first week and 3 other crew members walked unwilling to risk catching the virus. Fortunately, the rest of my crew was able to fill their positions.

We were using my brother’s house as a location and we kept getting fake blood on the furniture and carpets. I had to have his entire house professionally cleaned afterwards. The weather was crazy! We had so much snow it was hard for the cast and crew to get up the driveway. Then we’d move to a new location and there wouldn’t be enough snow! I think that the art of problem solving and compromise are absolute necessities when it comes to making movies.

And finally, I want you all to know that I truly care about what I’m putting out there. While my movies are LOW budget I want them to be the best they can be. I am aware that you have limited time and lots of options, I would never want anyone to feel like their time had been wasted watching one of my films. So, while they may not be blockbusters, I have worked hard to make them entertaining and worth while.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend were visiting, we’d have to start with Disneyland. It’s still a must for southern California. Then we’d hit the Korean spa. WII. If you’ve never done a Korean spa before, read up on it before visiting. It’s not for everyone, but I can promise it’s worth going! We’d do a massage and scrub.

For food we’d probably head to Mongols in Pasadena and get Mongolian BBQ. Then we’d head up to Fly High Adventure Park in Altadena with my kids. It’s a great place for parents and kids to play together. They have trampolines, a zip line and lots of slides. My kids love it.

For dinner, we’d head to the Americana and probably eat at Cheesecake Factory. Then we’d take a walk around the Americana, especially now when their Christmas decorations are going up. It’s absolutely beautiful.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Marco, was a huge help throughout the process. Not only that, but he made me feel like I could do something as big as make a feature film because I wasn’t alone. I knew I could count on him to help with the heavy lifting.. Literally. WIth all the krafty, props, costumes, decorations etc. there was a lot of lifting, and my husband was a rock star through it all.

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1320674731837543

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bobgriffith2001

Other: https://linktr.ee/oliviadunkley

Image Credits
Brynn Bromley