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Off The Path Productions in Nepal

Being that I just turned 27 whole years old (officially in my late 20′s!), a couple of things have shifted suddenly. My health insurance went up an additional $55 a month, for one. The second, is that I think people are starting to believe me when I tell them I am a documentary filmmaker. More importantly, I am starting to believe it myself.

When I set out to create this blog more than two years ago, I was experiencing the repercussions of my first big leap of faith after joining the world of starving artistry. I was 25 years old , had just left my first big-girl job, and was hoping to travel the world and gain life experience. Ever the virgo, I created my “Life To Do List” in the hopes of having a guide for at least the first five years of this transitional time in my life.

Two years and over 30% of the Life To Do List completed, and I am more sure than ever that taking the leap of faith was more than worth it. I have traveled around the world, had my work featured on important travel sites like LonelyPlanet.com and have started to get paid to edit travel videos, behind the scenes featurettes, and documentary films. It’s working!

Very recently, I had a dream meeting with an incredible woman who is inspired by the children of the country of Nepal. As you may know, I traveled there with my best friend to begin filming my first feature documentary about the incredible children of the Unatti Foundation.  This woman has decided to bring us along with her and her team as they bring music to the children of Nepal. My best friend and I will be documenting their efforts on the ground and then will be staying to continue working on our own documentary. We leave on December 13th of this year. This is a dream come true!

While I’ve got a ton of work to do and multiple opportunities in the pipeline, my Co-Producer Patty and I still have to pinch ourselves. It took us a very long time to get here and many dollars of investment and the energy and support of so many individuals. And even when I pushed my brand new business card across the table which says “Janelle K. Eagle, Off the Path Productions,” I am still baffled that someone else takes us as seriously as we are asking them to. After all, I wouldn’t even have had the business card unless I had written it down (#10 on the Life To Do List!).

There will be much more content coming to this site in the next couple weeks and months so I hope you will stay tuned. If you’d like a sneak peak at what we’ll be experiencing, check out this video I created for some brownie troops in Los Angeles (yeah, you read that correctly):

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Elissa & I present our research

When I am in the Queer community, doing work on behalf of LGBTQ equality, I proudly announce that I am a practicing Jew. That I have no qualms with my religion and it has no qualms with me. I want to break the stigma that you can’t be religious or spiritual and also be gay.

Similarly, when I am working in the Jewish world, I am proudly open about the fact that I am gay. My home synagogue knows I am gay- and my straight rabbi there recently spoke from the bimah or raised platform in front of the congregation about his demands for equality. Every day that I go to work at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, my colleagues embrace me and my partner- who also works here.

It is rare that I am surrounded by a majority of LGBTQ Jews. When I do- it’s like a special home; a rare treat. Twice this summer, I have participated in conferences that have surrounded me with LGBTQ Jews from around the world.

This past weekend, I presented at the World Congress of LGBT Jews at UCLA with a dear colleague and friend of mine, Elissa Barratt. I was proud to conduct a survey of young LGBTQ Jewish women and share our results to an invested crowd.

A picture of Elissa and I leading the session ended up being the featured picture of a recent feature in the Jewish Journal and our research and presentation is also mentioned in the attached article.

Check it out: CLICK HERE TO READ

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It’s important to note that I have met Ms. Ensler on at least three other occasions, though this time I wasn’t crying and bumbling through my attempt to thank her for inspiring me. In fact, I was tres calm and simply thankful for the entire experience.

You see, 7 years ago I walked into an auditorium at UC Irvine greeted by 400 people that had just experienced my production of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” in Orange County, California. At the time the Orange County Register wouldn’t print an article about the show because of the “V-word” in its title.  It was with this show that I secured my future as a social activist, artist, and fundraiser.

This Valentine’s Day, I walked onto the same campus greeted by 1000 attendees and the playwright/activist herself. I was invited to attend the show by Jacob Knobel, a remarkable young man who took over running the show after I graduated. Jacob came to me almost 4 years ago to ask me about my experience and talk to me about his vision of V-Day UCI going forward. I was impressed by his enthusiasm for a theaterical production that was not part of his major (he studied engineering) and for a subject matter which was not part of his anatomy.

Little did I know that this young strapping gentleman would elevate V-Day UCI to a level I never thought possible. He guided generations of girls through the incredible production process, empowered new leaders, and though he’s graduated and moved to Northern California, he still returns every year to make sure that the show is a success.

This year, Jacob was joined (and thanked publicly) by the woman that inspired us all. Eve Ensler decided to spend her 2010 Valentine’s Day at UC Irvine as part of this year’s fundraiser. She announced to the appreciative crowd that Jacob was “one of the best V-men that we have.” I couldn’t agree more. His parents could not make it to the show, but I was gleaming with enough pride for all of us.

After watching the show, hearing the stories of women around the world who’ve experienced violence, and then Eve sharing the story of her recent personal journey while in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I realized that I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by all the discussion of rape, incest, genocide, genital mutilation… all the gross stuff that no one wants to talk about but V-Day confronts full frontal. I stood up during the question and answer period and asked Eve how she avoids becoming numb to each individual and horrific story. How she avoids feeling overwhelmed by how great the problem is.

Eve Ensler, my ever-present mentor suddenly was giving me advice. Not the advice that I gleaned from her writing but the advice that I had actually stood before her (and 999 other people) and asked for. Suddenly I was having a conversation with my guide. She talked about how difficult this can be sometimes, that she didn’t always succeed in remaining micro when the macro seemed to glare. As she collected her words she simply said “stay present in each moment and focus on the individual in front of you.” So obvious but just so true.

Thankfully I got to hang with Eve for a short moment after the show and after the adoring crowd got their books and programs signed by the ever-gracious guest of honor. She thanked me for bringing the show to the school in the first place and we laughed about the fact that I’m usually such a mess whenever I meet her. We then commented on how excited it was that the newspaper that originally wouldn’t’ print the name of her show had chosen this year’s production as one of the top two “things to do” on Valentine’s Day.

Amazing, really.

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The voting starts all over, and we find out soon if I made the top 20!

From there its a round of phone interviews. Then I might make the top 10.

Then I’d have to create another video. Then they choose two people for the gig.

A long process… but well worth it! Thanks for your continuing support and remember to VOTE!

Here’s the link: http://www.worldtravelerinternship.com/member/janelle-eagle/

Love!

Janelle

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A little over a year ago, I left a career in non-profit fundraising to become a freelance travel blogger, filmmaker, and photographer. It was the biggest career obstacle I’ve faced to date as I figuratively chose to become a starving artist and follow my passions.

The original company that inspired me to take this leap was STA Travel. Their brand is infectious, they cater to young travelers like myself, and they happen to have an incredible competition for what I would classify as my “DREAM JOB.”

In STA Travel’s WORLD TRAVELER INTERNSHIP,  two young travelers are sent around the world, all expenses paid, for the entire summer. These travelers are asked to film, photograph, and write about their experiences… EXACTLY what I already do on my website!

Getting this gig would be a HUGE platform for me. And the good news is, you can help me with ONE SIMPLE CLICK!

There are a number of things that you can do to help me win:
1. Click It: Go to my competition page and click on the green button that says VOTE!

2. Forward the link (http://www.worldtravelerinternship.com/member/janelle-eagle/) to EVERYONE you know and encourage them to do the same

3.Share it on twitter, facebook, email, wherever!

4. Comment It: Once you’ve voted for me, leave comments on the page about why you think I’d be perfect for this job

This is the chance of a lifetime for me and as a recipient of this note, you are someone that has supported me, believes in me, and wants to see me succeed. Now… there’s a very simple way that you can help all those things happen.

Best of luck in all you are doing and thanks in advance for your suppport!

Best,
Janelle

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Take for instance two recently completed items on the list:

#12: Wipe old PC harddrive, convert to my MAC, and sell the oldie

and

#35: Set up an email signature

These may seem like silly tasks to prioritize, but I also feel that these easier items balance out larger goals on the list such as #2: Travel to Africa. If everything were too difficult to attain in the reasonable time frame I gave myself (5 years), then I would grow disinterested and unmotivated. At least when I cross off these items, I feel like I’m accomplishing something!

And in fact, completing #12 was a big and long overdue feat. My old PC  had been sitting in my closet since college. I never used the thing because I’ve had access to a MAC laptop for the last 5 years. Nonetheless, many old music files, old pictures, and old documents were on the PC and I couldn’t simply throw it away. I knew that I had to somehow get the courage to plug the thing back in and get the files that I wanted to keep onto my new computer (or at least an external harddrive). The process took hours to complete, but by golly I got it done. And it’s a huge relief!

#35 on the list was initially added to the list purely out of jealousy. Because my emails had consistently come from a business account for so many years, I was suddenly struck with a sense of confusion when I quit my job and personal emails I sent didn’t have a signature at the bottom. Many of my independent business people friends had cool signatures that linked to all their fancy sites that allowed them to maximize their self promotion. The end of my emails just looked so… empty.

What also perplexed me about being on my own is that I suddenly didn’t have a “title” that I could easily reference on the signature. I had to ask myself, “what exactly is it that you do?” Was it appropriate to put documentary filmmaker/blogger/photographer/starving artist on the bottom of an email? After realizing that I do a lot of things, but all of them have something to do with me in a Producer role, I decided to own that space and call myself what I am: a Producer. Well count me in! The abridged version of my signature is below and I am two items lighter on the list!

–
Janelle K. Eagle
Producer
http://www.twitter.com/janelleeagle
www.journeywithjanelle.com
http://unatti.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/jkeagle

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My Photos on IMDB

For those of us who attempt to make a career happen in the Entertainment Industry, it is a goal to have an official listing on IMDB, the Internet Movie Database.

Theoretically, this is your online professional resume. You inevitably are asked to pay a fee to have your picture and personal resume listed as well, but it’s well worth the charge. Networking, as they say, is the only way to make it in this business.

With my recent work on A MARINE STORY and an old listing from when I worked on Cornerstone Theater’s film SHARIF DON’T LIKE IT… It’s official!

I get to cross of #42: Have my name listed on IMDB from the Life To Do List.

To check out my page, click HERE

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#3: Hike on a trail outside CA
#13: Go Wine Tasting
#36: Choose to drink fairtrade coffee when available
#45: Collaborate on an original project with a mentor

The feature of this particular entry will be the completion of goal #5 of the list: Get paid to Blog.

Considering that it’s almost been a full year of dedicated writing and readership, I love that this item is checked off now. Theoretically, I could have checked it off when my article “How to Host an Inauguration Party” was ranked in the top 10 articles on eHow back in November.

It didn’t feel right then. But being paid to create, manage, and host the blog for the film I am working on now is exactly the type of work I was hoping for when I posted #5 on the list almost a year ago.

The blog is hosted at “www.amarinestorymovie.com” and features my writing, photography, and video contributions, as well as those of the rest of the producing team. This type of behind-the-scenes, first person storytelling is a dream for me.

The journey here has been an interesting one. It started with interviews of full-time bloggers like Esther Kustanowitz (of www.myurbankvetch.com). Then I googled everything from HTML coding, picture and video embedding, and just. kept. writing. I learned more about my writing voice, how I wanted my personality to come through my words, and the ways in which I could build an audience.

Recenlty, I took the blog a step further by actually buying my own address (www.journeywithjanelle.com), and setting up a partnered email newsletter that would keep readers engaged. I regularly upload my entries onto sharing sites such as facebook and reddit. I twitter. It’s all media all the time!

I am super proud of this particular accomplishment, but am mostly grateful. My friends and family and mentors have continued to offer me feedback and encouragement; that’s been the driving force behind dedicating myself to this particular career goal. Onward and upward (a crossed fingers!) to continuing to get gigs like this!

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The Production team has a serious chat on set

So much has happened in the past 7 or so days. We began filming “A Marine Story” this week. A dear friend experienced a great loss. And I just found out my cousin/older sister is pregnant at 40. The ups and downs have been polarized and the entire experience has been both exhausting and enlightening.

Working a low-budget film provides many opportunities to foster creativity. Because there is a lack of financial freedom, the production team has to be resourceful. For instance, when asked to find a “clear plastic bag” that was large enough to cover our fancy RED camera… we couldn’t pay someone to create a “hoodie” for the device to protect it from paintball and rain. This meant that I had to run to Walmart (a first for me) and come up with something clever. It ended up being a jumbo-sized Space Bag usually used to vacuum-suck pillows and bed coverings. For only $10, we had our cure!

Spending 15 hours a day making magic happen is tiring to say the least. Considering I am pretty far down on the food chain of this project, I can’t even imagine the exhaustion that our Producers, Directors, and management teams are experiencing. However far up or down the chain, it’s obvious that the entire cast and crew is dedicated to the project. While dreaming of our pillows, we are also dreaming of telling this incredible story that has the capacity to change hearts and minds. What a pleasure to be surrounded by people who care about what they do.

Amongst the long days, I’ve attempted to keep in contact with the civil world around me. My roomies have taken to leaving me notes on my pillow to tell me they miss me. My friends follow my life on twitter instead of via my own mouth over a vanilla latte at Urth Cafe. Text messages are returned late and voicemails are hardly listened to.

Sadly enough, my lack of availability has also forced me to be absent during a great loss for a dear friend of mine. Her soulmate took his life after a long struggle with bipolarity and artistic angst. His 31 years of poetic life is the stuff of great novels, Shakespearean sonnets and best selling biographies. My heart is with the family of this lost soul and my love and commitment to my friend grows exponentially with each day she carries on.

My Cousin and I at our annual San Fran sleepover

In a week of exhaustion and horrible news… I was also informed of one of the greatest gifts to come to someone I love. My dearest cousin, whom is the closest thing to an older sister I’ll ever know, has learned she is PREGNANT! After 40 years of being an honorary mother to so many others’ children, my dear Elaine will finally bear her own gift into the world. I can not imagine a more welcome piece of news in the life of an already distinguished woman. Our family is joyous.

With all this happening, I look forward to an incredible summer full of continued artistic expression and expansion. I can’t wait to travel more, bring my camera along, and prepare for the extreme excitement that awaits me this fall.

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