Today we’d like to introduce you to Colleen Davie Janes.
Hi Colleen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, I was born and raised in Nashville. I love this town. I live in New York mostly, but come home often, and it always feels like my true home. Now, I work wherever my projects take me – Los Angeles, Atlanta, and overseas. How to tell the story of decades briefly…. let’s see. For university, I knew I wanted to do something creative, whether that was music or acting I wasn’t sure. I had been an award-winning saxophonist in my youth and was in the school plays, etc. So when I went to university for Film/Communications in Boston, I found that my happiness, that my sweet spot, came when I was directing and acting.
To break into the film industry, I started working on film sets as a production assistant. I was able to watch some iconic directors at work, and it fueled my desire to do what they did. The same with actors. People like Brian DePalma, M. Night Shyamalan, Sydney Pollack. Actors like Robert DeNiro and Harrison Ford. I went from PA to Coordinator, to Producer, and pretty much every department on a set – all the while directing and acting in things on the side. In those early years, I would direct black box theater in NYC, spec commercials, short films, and anything to keep that part of me alive.
Once I realized what made me truly happy, I focused. I’m what you call a late bloomer, but as always, better late than never! And so I built a portfolio of short films. From the network, I had built over the decades in the industry, I took that portfolio and began piecing together how to get my first feature. Since then I have not looked back, only forward.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Is it ever a smooth road? It has been winding, frustrating, enlightening, and bittersweet, but all of it makes me a better director. For challenges… I’ll say this. How many female film or television directors can you name? There you go. But challenges make success all the more delicious. Back in the late 90s (yes, I go that far back!) I was pursuing a career as an actress. I was told that I had to pick – “Are you an actress or a director? You can’t be both.”
Times have changed, but mentorship is so important when it comes to learning any business. I didn’t have mentors to reach out to, and so for a long while, I believed what I heard. What I’ve learned since then is that there are no rules. That if you do what you love, what you excel at, and you come from your heart and your truth, you will succeed. I recently heard a great quote from two-time Emmy nominated director Morenike Joela Evans, and I’m taking it as my own. “I’m not asking for permission, I’m asking for an opportunity.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a feature film director, interested in telling big stories that positively impact the world. I’d love to move into the studio system as a director, and I am actively looking for opportunities in television directing because that is the medium that bridges worlds and enters so many living rooms. My work is often darkly comedic, straddling the world of drama while appreciating life’s absurdities.
My sense of humor likely comes from growing up in a large family (I’m one of seven kids) and for a while, my father and grandfather were professional wrestlers. So suffice it to say, I had an interesting upbringing that lent itself to dark humor. I even did a stint as a stand-up comedian for a few years! I am still an actor, having recently booked a small part in the CBS show “FBI: International”, and I audition regularly for film and television as I do still love it.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Great question. With the influx of AI, I don’t know.
The actor’s and writer’s strike was prolonged, powerful, and painful for the industry and that was a large point of contention – the use of AI and the rights of the talent it will replace. In my lifetime we’ve gone from splicing film together with tape to online editing, to AI editing. We’ve gone from VHS to streaming. Where will it go? I’m not sure but I’m doing my darnedest to keep up!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.colleendaviejanes.com
- Instagram: @lights_camera_colleen
- Other: www.imdb.me/colleendaviejanes
Image Credits
Boris Martin Photography (Featured Photo)
