Hailey Cassidy
Q What do you do?
“I’m a Producer and Researcher with nearly 3 years of experience working on documentary films and docuseries.”
My primary skill sets are in post in story and archival. I am proficient in Avid. And I work on the production side of things doing coordinating and scheduling, as well.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
When I first moved to New York after college, I was a barista and a nanny looking for a job where I could use my degree. I had majored in international studies but also took many film and photography classes and had always aspired to combine these fields – by making documentaries. I wound up accepting an internship offered to me by one of my regular customers at the cafe to work for him at his documentary production studio. Nearly three years later, I've just decided to leave that studio after staying on as staff over the course of many projects. In my time there I went from intern, to Production and Post-Production Assistant, to Researcher, and finally to Associate Producer.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I'm exceptionally organized and detail-oriented, but I'm also a huge people person. I thrive in both post production, holing up in an editing cave and getting very technical, as well as in production, collaborating with directors, producers, and talent. On both sides I'm always selected for tasks that require a good eye and a meticulous attention to detail.
Q What are you working on right now?
I've just wrapped a true crime docuseries for Paramount+ that will air this winter!
Q What’s your style?
I care A LOT about making sure things look really good. I obsess over the framing and composition in a photo or a shot to curate it into the most aesthetic yet authentic version possible. I particularly excel at placing people within a landscape. I'll be looking for a hard-to-find piece of archival material capturing something that happened 40 years ago, and even if I get it, I'll keep digging to make sure I've found the one that looks best. My director, producers, DPs, and editors often enlist me to get my eye on things because they know I won't miss anything and that I can quickly wrap my mind around whatever style or mood we're trying to achieve and make it great.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I want to focus more on the story side of things – figuring out what the narrative is and the best way to piece it together in a way that's compelling and interesting to others.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I'd love to be more involved with projects that are current and investigative and/or impact-driven: a story that's happening now and that inspires action.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
The tedious stuff: logging the materials (footage, photos, audio, articles), adding the metadata, and sorting it within the project. Also, rights and clearances.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish I could have reminded myself about my true passions in college without getting lost in doing what I felt like others expected or wanted from me. There was a time when I pivoted to the idea of law school or getting a masters in public policy, and looking back now I realize I wasn't pursuing that because it was something I really wanted to do, but because I thought it would be impressive to others (and because I know how important that work is). And I realize that telling a story about something that requires a solution can have just as much of an impact – inspiring a law or raising awareness and getting the right people to act.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would talk to a producer or DP or someone else who works on the ground and get a lesson in production out on the field. I don't have as much experience on a set as I'd like.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I'm currently looking for remote work. I'd like to be a producer (associate, post, story, or archival) or a researcher on a film, a series, a podcast, a news source, a nonprofit, or for digital content. I think my skills would translate to a lot of different mediums and I'm eager to begin a new project, whatever that may be.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
My ideal job would be telling a story, through whatever medium, about a human experience that's happening now. I've worked on a lot of docs that deal with something that happened in the past, and I would love to be a part of something more current.
Q What is your rate?
$35 an hour
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
cassidyhailey@gmail.com – I'd want to know the story and the budget!
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Taking photos, and staying open-minded.
This member profile was originally published in November 2022.