Life and Work with Fawn Ashley-De Santis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Fawn Ashley-De Santis.

Fawn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My Denver story began in 2009 when I moved here with my husband, Tony, from California.

I had been working in photography for years and secured a job in Denver as a Fan Portrait Photographer at Mile High Stadium during the Broncos’ NFL games. After a few seasons, I was promoted to Manager of that team of photographers. The rise of cellphone usage eventually caused that concession to be phased out, as well as many other photography jobs around the nation, so I turned my attention toward educating myself in the film and video industry.

I began attending classes at Colorado Film School in the Fall of 2013, determined to gain all the skills needed to begin a new career, finally blending my love of photography with a longstanding interest in writing and storytelling. I enjoyed my time at CFS immensely and built a network of friends and colleagues with whom I’ve been working steadily, bringing our collective visions to the screen.
In 2015, I registered my LLC, Pink Studio Productions, and began business again, this time producing narrative and corporate videos.

During my time at CFS, I discovered I possessed skills in an area I’d never considered prior to film school: Directing. Conducting a large crew of people and coaxing a cohesive story from so many disparate moving parts is a thrill that, once experienced, I couldn’t imagine not having in my life. I changed my course of study to Writing/Directing after completing most of the classes needed for a Cinematography degree; but every class compliments the others in film school and I received an incredibly well-rounded education, even if it took me a bit longer than most to graduate. I earned my Associate of Applied Science Degree, Summa Cum Laude, in Writing/Directing in May 2019, and threw myself full-time into my work.

Great, 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?
My journey has been mostly a smooth one; with a few exceptions. Directing is a huge responsibility and my toughest stretch as a professional has been learning to trust others, to depend on them to do their jobs without constant micromanagement or handholding. Most professionals will rise to any challenge and want to get the job done as well as possible. Sadly, not everyone we meet holds themselves to these high standards and firing/replacing people is a tough but necessary part of the gig and one should always be prepared to do what is necessary to advance the project.

Knowing one’s strengths, truly discovering who a colleague is and what they need to be successful (and knowing these things about oneself), delegating responsibility effectively, stating expectations clearly and respectfully; all these skills must be developed to their fullest capacity, and the sooner one can achieve this, the better.

Please tell us about Pink Studio Productions.
Pink Studio Productions, LLC. is a female-owned and operated video production company based in Denver, CO. We currently specialize in short corporate and narrative video production in Denver and the surrounding areas.

At PSP, we are most interested in telling stories from the feminine perspective, and we seek to employ female-identifying professionals as much as possible. All narrative stories produced have women at the helm and in most major roles as often as possible. This includes writer, director, producer, assistant director, cinematographer, and executive producer, as well as actors. Obviously, we do not exclude anyone, but we certainly encourage the amplification of the female voice at PSP and try to help other professionals in this manner.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
My early history isn’t a particularly pretty one, but it did teach me to stand up strong and be there for myself first, and for others when I say I will.

I learned to take the responsibility seriously and dedicate oneself passionately to one’s work, at all times furthering the project for the better.

I learned integrity is not something of which everyone is capable, but it is a powerful trait to possess, will not steer one incorrectly, and earns much respect in its proper wielding.

Sometimes, we are motivated by the bad things in life to be better, do better, create better. This is what I have chosen for myself and my life, and what I seek to encourage in others. Art elevates our species and I will continually strive for that end. I feel enormously grateful to have found a way to work in a field I love, with people I respect and admire, and to be able to live my passion daily.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pinkstudioproductions.wordpress.com
• Email: F.Stop.Scripts@gmail.com
• Instagram: @pinkstudioprods
• Twitter: @pinkstudioprods
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8656462/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1

Image Credit:
West Bennett, Fawn Ashley-De Santis, Lucas Chapel

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