Felicity Jane Pickering
Felicity Jane Pickering
Writer / Director / Producer
Los Angeles, CA
www.felicitypickering.com
instagram @flictionmedia
twitter @fliction
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I am a Writer and Director who mainly focuses on female stories and the female perspective. ”
I write for television, film, theatre and anything I can get my little hands on.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
After leaving school I completed a Bachelor of Arts, Communications (Writing and Cultural Studies) at the University of Technology Sydney. This degree was wonderful, it taught me so much about writing, cultural theory and how to work as an artist.
But I wanted to hone in on my interest in Film, so I completed a Masters Degree of Media Arts and Production at UTS. During my studies I worked at Playwriting Australia and Screen Australia in arts administration, which gave me a great insight into the mechanics of Film, TV and Theater. During this time I wrote plays whenever I could and worked on independent films. I finally grew the courage to direct my own short film 'Toni Fitzgerald's Cult Following' and fell in love with directing. I am currently working on a short form digital series called 'Bird Memes' and have several features and pilots I'm working on.
How do you stand out in your field?
I stand out in my field because I have a quirky and playful voice. Can't you tell?
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
I’m currently shooting my digital series 'Birb Memes'. 'Bird Memes' is a digital series about a 30 year old ingenue's plight to have her pet cockatiel, Sweet Cheeks, become an instagram influencer. It was a larger idea that I had written before the Coronavirus pandemic hit. But when the social distancing was put in place in Los Angeles, I realized it was quite achievable to shoot under the guidelines.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
I'm a passionate feminist and I think that naturally comes through in my writing and directing. I'm passionate about portraying women and the female perspective authentically.
My characters are often filled with whimsy, joy and vulnerability. Someone once told me that I have a habit of writing women pulling scams. I thought that was very funny and insightful, I would argue that I like to write complex women with agency.
You can get a sense of my work through the 'Toni Fitzgerald's Cult Following' trailer.
Or the short film I wrote and produced 'Facon'.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I'd love to expand my directing/writing portfolio and would be interested in collaborating with teams who want to tell offbeat, quirky stories.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Currently, I’m in lock down due to Coronavirus, so I think internationally we are all a little frustrated and a little scared.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Network and promote! The hardest balance of being an artist, I often find, is that you have to make work to meet people, and you have to meet people to work. I can find it hard to decide, should I go out and network or should I stay home and practice my craft? If I could hire an assistant I might get them to help me network and promote my work.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
I’m going to break the rules of this question and say I would go into the future and check in with my future self and get advice off her. I’d love to see what SHE has to say.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
I would love to gain more insight into Psychology. I’m a character based writer, so it makes a lot of sense. To be fascinated with characters is also to have a bit of fascination with psychology.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Directing and/or Writing for TV, Film and Digital.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
I love collaborating in teams of creatives with humor and mutual respect.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
This comes down to the project! Shoot me an email with the synopsis of the project, pitch deck or whatever you've got and we'll discuss.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Email me. ❤️
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Fear of not creating!
This member profile was originally published in May 2020.