We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Debra Markowitz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Debra, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I think the key to not letting my sex or gender hinder my effectiveness or success is by working harder than anyone else in the room and being the boss of what I design. When I was the Nassau County Film Commissioner for 33 years, it was a position I created, I ran the entire office by myself. I got to know the industry, and put all the pieces together, and it wasn’t a position that just anyone off the street could walk into. I fostered relationships within the industry which were instrumental to the office’s success.
When I began the Long Island International Film Expo 27 years ago, we were one of the first film festivals on Long Island. Myself and my three partners did everything necessary to insure its success, and it’s lasted through to today.
As a writer and director, I’m on the indie circuit, and although I occasionally work for others, on my sets, I’m the boss. They can’t fire the boss. I stay healthy and vital so that I can keep up with the 20 somethings I work with, and often my energy exceeds theirs.
Not saying ageism and sexism don’t exist, because of course they do, but I just won’t let them stop me. I know what I’m here to do, and I do it.
As far as my writing, I improve with each book and screenplay, and I always work from my heart. If it feels right and if I feel it, I know that my reader or audience will as well.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a story teller. I write movies and screenplays, and the reason I direct movies is because I want to make sure that the story is told well. I write from my heart, and if I feel it, I know that my audience and readers will feel it also. I write and direct many different genres, but I believe my brand is messy relationships. That’s something everyone can relate to because unless you’ve never taken a chance, you’ve looked for and lost at love.
My relationships stories are not the stuff of Hallmark movies, though certainly a couple of them can qualify. People don’t always ride into the sunset. Sometimes they get lost and battered and broken along the way. Sometimes they find their way, sometimes they don’t.
In my Karmic Wind Novella Trilogy (Naked in the Rain, Sarah and Caleb, and Karmic Wind) the two protagonists find each other through different incarnations trying to work out what they failed at previously while never remembering what they’ve gone through in the lifetime before. Brutal things happen, but love remains, and that is my personal philosophy about life and love.
The feature film that I’m directing right now, Wait List: A Love-ish Story, is about 25 year old Carter Morgan who has always had a crush on his childhood friend’s mother, Lisa Chase. When he finds out she’s gotten divorced, he decides to go for it despite all the reasons she tells him it can’t work. It’s funny, sexy, sweet, sad, heart breaking and soul crushing. Supposedly, there are a lot of older women/younger man movies out there, but I haven’t seen them yet. Upon completion of the script, I sent it out to a few actor friends, and they all jumped in. Abigail Hawk and Robert Clohessy from Blue Bloods, Tara Westwood from The Grudge, Kim Director from The Deuce and Spike Lee’s Inside Man and Lukas Hassel from The Blacklist. Actress Bec Fordyce plays Lisa Chase, and comedian Travis Grant plays Carter Morgan. They are incredible together, and I believe they’re going to steal everyone’s hearts. As excited as I am to get this movie in the can, I know I’m going to go into mourning once we finish filming.
Right after this, I’m developing a short psychological thriller called Brimstone, with my husband and business partner, John Marean. John shoots most of our films, but he’s also a talented actor and writer, so this should be fun.
After Brimstone, I go back to writing Hurting Places with 911’s Eddie McGee and developing a Christmas feature, Yule Tides, with actor Michael Fedele. I am always looking for producers/investors, and getting involved with a project from the ground up is a great way to learn about the business. Announcements and information about all of my films and books can be found at www.intentionfilmsandmedia.com
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
For any career, the first thing that I feel is vital is your integrity. You don’t have to do things the way others have, but you have to be true to your word. If anyone lies to me, I will not allow them on my sets or in my life. Everyone makes mistakes. Own it, fix it, move on. If you throw someone under the bus, you will never work with me. Ever. Not everyone is going to like me, but those who are close to me know when I say something, I mean it.
My second would be, Be of Service. When you want advice from others, see what you can do for them. Go see their films at film festivals. Watch their movies, share their posts. You want something from them, you should do something for them. They might not help you, but they will be more inclined to if you also show up for them.
Third. Always, always improve. I’m a much better writer than when I started. I stand behind all of my stories, but it’s clear that my writing has improved. I have a small group of friends who I show my work too for advice. Sometimes I take their advice, sometimes, I don’t, but I always learn.
One super important thing to remember, and one I have had to come to terms with – someone may be a better writer than you technically, BUT, only you can write with your voice and your heart. There is always someone that needs to hear your story. You still have to make it as good as you can, but in the end, it’s your voice that matters.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
As an independent filmmaker and writer, I find the one thing that’s the most difficult for me personally, is finding investors and executive producers.
I can make a great looking film for a small amount of money, but money is still needed. If someone wants to learn about the industry, there’s no better way of learning than with a hands on basis. My first three films had an executive producer who gave money to the projects, and she has now made several features of her own. You can pay for film school, or you can make a movie. I learned from diving into the deep end.
If you have money to put towards the project(s), I have a ton of information to share with you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.intentionfilmsandmedia.com
- Instagram: @debramarkowitzfilm
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/DebraMarkowitzWriterDirector
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-markowitz/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fdebramarkowitz
- Other: Vimeo – https://vimeo.com/debramarkowitz
Image Credits
The first photo I uploaded I believe was taken by Helene F. Schulman
