International Women’s Day – Ladies Take The Lead in Hollywood

We are excited to showcase Arielle Boisvert, VP of Production at Brightlight Pictures this week where we discuss the landscape for women in the film industry. From girl-powered blockbuster hits, strong female-lead television series and award-winning women producers, it’s clear that an industry notoriously known for being a boys club has a female future. You know I love featuring women leading the way in their industry! I am excited to share with you Arielle’s thoughts on women in Hollywood and new projects she is involved in.

As a highly respected female leader who has worked with the likes of Disney, NBCUniversal, and ABC, Boisvert can provide excellent insight into her experience starting out in the industry, the current female-focused projects in the works at Brightlight Pictures and where the industry has yet to go in terms of gender equality.

What inspired you to get into this business? Was there a particular film or actor that inspired you?

When I was growing up, my screen time consisted of watching and rewatching the 4 or 5 VHS tapes we had lying around the house. One of those tapes was Legends of The Fall, which I must have watched 100 times over the years. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what moved me so much about the film, but I was intrigued to find out. It was so devastatingly beautiful and sad all at once. I found the passion to pursue a career in the entertainment industry after I enrolled in film school on a bit of a whim. I knew I liked watching and dissenting movies – maybe I would like making them? In my early days studying film and working on set, I was surrounded by creatives who had a hunger for the work and I brought that into my future roles. Early on I was particularly inspired by the head of Brightlight Pictures, Shawn Williamson who gave me my first office job working as his Assistant. I was mentored by him and was able to meet so many talented individuals in the industry that inspired me to continue to grow as a producer. Throughout the years, I have also drawn inspiration from kick-ass women in the industry such as Reed Morano, Ava DuVernay and Kelly Oxford.

What advice would you give other women looking to get into producing and/or directing?

My advice to women would be to keep telling their stories and sharing their perspective. Get your voice out there! I think it’s easy to focus on the negative stories surrounding lack of representation in the industry, but I see the opposite. Films and series produced and directed by women have been breaking box-office records and garnering more awards than ever before. I can’t wait to see that trend continue.

What are some female-driven projects that you are most excited about coming up?

Amazon Studios/Sister Pictures’ The Power, based on Naomi Alderman’s novel is something I am thrilled to see some together. Reed Morano is directing and I think her visual storytelling is going to give this series a commanding voice. I am also excited about the new Disney + Mighty Ducks series I’m producing, starring Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls). Inspired by the original films (which I loved), this reimagining surrounds a woman balancing a busy career while also coaching her son’s hockey team. As a mother myself who balances a busy career, I can relate!

Any thoughts you’d like to share with our audience? Best advice given to you?

I’ve been lucky enough to have received a lot of great advice over the years, but the best in regards to producing is to honour the holy trinity – script, director, and cast. There are so many elements and numbers to juggle in our line of work, but those three are the only things that matter at the end of the day. Story is everything.

Favorite quote?

“Sometimes getting in my way is the way.” – Andy Kaufman

ABOUT BRIGHTLIGHT PICTURES:

Brightlight Pictures develops, packages and produces independent feature films and television projects. Brightlight’s President, Shawn Williamson, has produced more than 100 productions in the last 15 years and over 60 productions since launching Brightlight in 2001 including WHITE NOISE (Michael Keaton), 50/50 (Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and THE COMPANY YOU KEEP (Robert Redford).

ABOUT ARIELLE BOISVERT:

As VP of Production, Arielle brings over a decade of production experience to her position at Brightlight Pictures, having worked with both independent and major studios like Fox, Disney, Sony, Voltage, ABC, Netflix, and Amazon. Arielle served as co-producer on the feature film COLOSSAL (Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis), producer on the biopic independent feature LITTLE PINK HOUSE (Catherine Keener, Jeanne Tripplehorn), and executive producer on the feature film STATUS UPDATE (Ross Lynch, Olivia Holt). She produced the limited series VALLEY OF THE BOOM (Steve Zahn, Bradley Whitford) for STX TV and National Geographic, and DESCENDANTS 3, a Disney Channel original. Most recently Arielle produced the crime drama series THE MURDERS for Rogers and Muse Entertainment, and the upcoming Greg Daniels comedy/sci-fi series UPLOAD for Amazon Prime Video.