Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adrianne Owings. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Adrianne, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I’ve always known I wanted to be a storyteller of some kind — ever since I starred in my preschool’s stage production of The Grouchy Ladybug, which featured my 4-year-old rendition self’s of Aretha Franklin’s “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” in front of the entire school, I was hooked. There was something incredibly freeing about discovering myself and building up my confidence through performing, and the level of connection I established with audiences and castmates throughout the years taught me about the power of empathetic storytelling to affect the lives of others. As a kid, I was miserable every time I wasn’t in a show, participating in a choir, or writing a play, so it was clear early on that nothing would light up my life quite like my artistic pursuits.
And, of course, as an avid consumer of theater, film, television, and music, I have been sustained by certain pieces of art and media during every high and low. When it came time to make choices about my career, I knew that if I could even partially be responsible for creating a similar experience for another person, whether I’m producing a documentary, singing in an a cappella group, or performing on a stage (ladybug costume or not), I am confident that I’m fulfilling my purpose.
It’s often said that being an artist is such a tough road to walk that if you’re not sure about pursuing it, you won’t make it. After years of walking this tough road, I know how true that is — but I’ve also never been more sure that I’m in the right place.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am currently based in Los Angeles where I’m focused on creating, directing, producing, and acting in film, television, and new media projects. Like everyone in the industry, what this practically means is that I wear a lot of different hats on a daily basis.
I work in documentary production and development with filmmaker Joshua Zeman. I had the honor of being an Associate Producer on his latest feature-length doc, CHECKPOINT ZOO, which tells the story of a zoo in Kharkiv, Ukraine that was evacuated at the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. The film premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, where the film won an Audience Award. I also head Zeman’s development team and am constantly working on new documentary projects that are in progress. Keep an eye out for CHECKPOINT ZOO, which will be screened at several more festivals this year and hopefully hit theaters soon — it’s an incredible story about the everyday heroes of wartime and the most innocent victims caught in the crossfire: animals.
I’m also the President and Co-founder of End Quote Pictures (endquotepictures.com), an independent production company where I write, direct, produce, and star in the majority of our work. Past projects include THE WINE BOTTLE (2023), which premiered at the 2022 Yale in Hollywood festival, and STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS (2022), which was first screened at the Regal at LA Live. We’re also set to release another film called MELTING ICE CREAM very soon, directed by Ethan Greenlee.
Our current and most exciting project at the moment is a narrative four-episode web series called HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE. It tells the story of the cast and crew of a community theater production of Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist play No Exit, which tells the story of three people realizing they’re stuck in hell. On the last tech rehearsal before the opening night of the play, our characters are forced to shelter in place because of a legitimate threat of nuclear attack, forcing them to face each other — and themselves — as they await the potential end of their careers (and the world). The series, which is loosely inspired by my time as an actress in regional and community theater, is a dark comedy with lots of infighting, bickering, and funny moments, but the seriousness of this nuclear threat starts to call into question how our deepest insecurities and flaws are reflected in the eyes of others, hence the title, which pulled from Sartre’s famous line in the play.
The pilot episode, “Places,” has not yet been released but is currently on the festival circuit. This year, we won Best Comedy Series at the Poor Life Choices Comedy Film Festival and Best LGBTQ+ at the Monza Film Fest. We were also recently named as quarter-finalists in Screencraft’s Film Fund competition for the second time. We wrapped production on the third episode, “Let’s Party,” in April of 2024 and are finishing post-production on the second episode, “Bad Company.” Working on this project has been a true honor in every sense, and we have a top-notch cast and crew — we’re actively looking for distribution so that we can make sure the world can appreciate the love and hard work put into this project! You can view our deck for the project here: https://tinyurl.com/hiopdeck.
Finally, I’m excited to announce that End Quote Pictures is now offering production services for commercial and narrative projects! Our amazing crew members are excited to work with our clients to bring their visions to life — you can set up a free consultation with us by contacting [email protected].
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
On my journey thus far, I’ve found that being resilient, flexible, and proactive have been the most important factors in any kind of success I’ve achieved. I’m well aware I’ve chosen a tough business to be a part of, so I’ve had to learn how to take the ups and downs — most notably, the constant sting of rejection and objectification — with grace and patience. As a creative professional, this lesson began for me immediately upon my college graduation in 2020, which, like many other students around the world, happened via Zoom while I sat in my childhood bedroom and was… not exactly what I pictured that moment would look like, to say the least. While I did have the privilege of a great education and resources I could tap into as a result, I felt like I still had to figure out my career from scratch. It has not always gone as planned, but my willingness to adapt to new circumstances and to be a self-starter whenever I see a lack of opportunities has led me down some pretty amazing paths that I feel are, finally, coming to fruition. It’s not been easy to learn these skills, but they have proved to be lifesavers time and time again.
My best advice to anyone early in their journey is, of course, to take risks and chase as many opportunities as you can. However, in the midst of the hustle, learn how to be gentle to yourself. Take time to get to know who you are and to be comfortable with yourself. Try to avoid unnecessary negative self-talk; the rest of the world will do that for you. Getting comfortable with yourself is the only way you can confidently present who you are to the rest of the world, and — at the end of the day, as clichéd as it may sound — all you have is yourself.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I would say my main challenge is always the issue of doing too many things at the same time. On a daily basis, I’m switching between producing documentaries to watching a cut of an episode of our web series to filming auditions to working on sets, all while trying to live a healthy lifestyle and take care of myself. The reality of being a multi-hyphenate, while more fulfilling than not indulging all of my interests, is exhausting, and in the entertainment industry, you’re usually the only one responsible for your own success. That means that I never feel like I can sit back and coast, even for a little bit — I get a serious case of FOMO for all the amazing opportunities I might have missed out on. I’d rather get turned down from something great than have to live with the fact that I never threw my hat in the ring in the first place. While I do think it’s admirable to specialize in a very specific craft, I try to resist the pressure to “niche down.”
That being said, learning how to set boundaries and say “no” has been a big part of this challenge, but it has allowed me to live a more intentional life, both personally and professionally. Creative endeavors require an insanely large amount of time and effort, from sitting down to create the idea out of thin air to getting it out to the rest of the world. If you’re being distracted and stretched too thin, it’s so easy for rich, meaningful projects to crash and burn, especially if it’s just you advocating for the project in the early stages. I can’t say I have a clear-cut solution to this dilemma yet, but it’s something I’m trying to improve upon every day just a little bit more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adrianneowings.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrowings
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adrianneowings
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianneowings/
- Twitter: https://x.com/adr_owings
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzadSaSZC3gE1Mw2EdhDm0A
- Other: End Quote Pictures (production company): https://www.endquotepictures.com/ | linktr.ee/endquotepictures
Image Credits
Joshua Michael Shelton Kayla Alise Zoe Lee EdArt Designs & Photography
