Audrey Rosenberg: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker

… How underappreciated producers are and how little people understand about what we do. I can’t tell you how many times people still ask me “What exactly do producers do”? When a person really does the job of producer and fills that role, there is no way the whole operation can happen without them. Film Festivals still put all the emphasis on directors and many people call themselves producers on projects when they are not actually fulfilling that role. I think if I knew what an unsung hero role producer is, I may have approached certain projects and career choices differently.

As a part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Audrey Rosenberg, a Peabody-Award-winning and Emmy-nominated producer known for her ability to cultivate talent, develop material, and champion projects from inception to release. She is lead producer on the HBO Original documentary Katrina Babies, which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival in June and will air on HBO/HBO Max in August. She co-founded Invisible Pictures, a NY-based woman-led production company focused on authentic representation. Rosenberg serves on the Board of Directors of New York Women in Film & Television, which advocates for inclusion in media and supports women at every stage of their careers through professional development programming, networking opportunities, and funding.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?

I grew up on Long Island in a pretty cool town called Port Washington. My parents chose it because it is one of the few towns on LI that has religious, racial, and socio-economic diversity. I attended public school and was extremely extroverted as a kid. I am the youngest of four siblings and gave everyone a run for their money. I told my aunt I was an old soul when I was three years old. In high school, I worked with another student, Jamal Skinner, to advocate for history reform away from a Euro-centric view. My career is an extension of that advocacy for much needed change, this time via storytelling and representation.

The proximity to NYC widened my world as well, especially culturally, being taken to see ballet, theatre, and museums. My uncle, Paul Feldman who was an artist, poet, musician and puppeteer (he was one of the chickens in The Muppets Take Manhattan) died of cancer when I was 10 and he was 32. He was an artist and I consider myself an artist. His death had a profound impact on me. My parents care about people, and their values reflect a focus on compassion and service to humanity which is in large part how healing begins.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I read the novels of James Baldwin and his work The Fire Next Time when I was 15 years old and connected the truth, humanity, and urgency of his words to the power of storytelling. I knew that producing film and television had the potential to reach large numbers of people and to be an agent for social change. I also loved art, especially plays and films. The film Wall Street by Oliver Stone became an obsession and the political nature of his films inspired me to believe that art, and specifically film, can alter consciousness.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?

I suppose it was not funny at the time it occurred but looking back on it I really love the trajectory of the story. I was asked to produce the film His Way, a documentary about legendary Hollywood producer Jerry Weintraub by my longtime friend and collaborator Doug McGrath, who was directing the film. I have always been a NY producer and at that time did not even spend a lot of time in LA.

I had a fever and was standing outside Hugo’s on Santa Monica Blvd already feeling like a fish out of water when I fielded my first phone call with Jerry. Well, I said something that set him off because it was regarding his personal schedule. His office should never have given me that information to include as part of the conversation. They later apologized profusely. I was delirious as it was from the fever and I just remember Jerry losing it and telling me he was going to fire his entire office. Needless to say, I had a good cry and then a conversation with myself. I was going to put my head down and do my job regardless of whether I ended up liking this Hollywood scene or the situation with Jerry.

The next day we went to scout his home in Palm Desert. I still had a fever, but I walked into his house and looked him in the eye when I met him. I was not going to show fear. At the end of the scout, Jerry said to me “Are we friends now?” and I said, “I was never not your friend.” That was the start of a friendship and an intense working relationship and mentorship. Thanks to Doug’s beautiful work, Jerry being Jerry, and one of the most intense producing jobs of my life, I was nominated for an Emmy award. Jerry was one-of-a-kind and I miss his presence in the world.

Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?

I have been blessed to meet so many interesting people on my path. A few of the highlights that come to mind are Gloria Steinem, Julie Dash, and Oliver Stone. Gloria had spoken at my college with Wilma Mankiller and they were both inspiring. I then met Gloria at my hairdresser, which is not surprising because he is a total angel on earth. We talked and exchanged information and emailed a bit. Gloria blew me away as an example of feminine power at its most realized. She was the closest to goddess energy I had experienced and at the time I was not as connected to my female power as I am now, so her presence inspired me. We also reconnected when I was part of the producing team of the film Trapped about the targeted regulation of abortion providers in the South. She was a big supporter of the team and the film.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Doug McGrath is someone who absolutely helped me achieve success. I was an intern at GreeneStreet Films when I met him, and he was about to co-direct and star in a film called Company Man that GreeneStreet was producing. I followed him to the subway and started talking to him and we rode the train together from Tribeca. We really hit it off and the rest is history. I became his and Peter Askin’s assistant on Company Man, and then Doug and I continued to work together on films like Infamous with Daniel Craig, Toby Jones, and Sandra Bullock and the Emmy-nominated documentary His Way.

More than that, we became close friends and Doug has supported me and my career from the beginning. I am incredibly grateful to him for many things, the numerous hilarious moments shared, and his example of grace, kindness, and professionalism in how he runs his sets and treats everyone around him.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Be Here Now” from Ram Dass. The more I accept and do all I can to live in the moment, the better life is for me. There is no power in the past or in the future. All we have is NOW. Be Here Now is the most relevant to my life at this time from the point of view of leadership. I have discovered that being present and listening and sharing my wisdom authentically is all I really have to do to be a leader. Show up, cultivate peace within myself and be present in the moment!

I am very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

First, I want to say that these deep-rooted issues go beyond the context of diversity, though of course that is also part of it. Authentic representation and authentic storytelling which I am defining as placing people with lived experience at the center of their own stories, is a crucial issue in the entertainment industry and it impacts culture and perception globally. A lot of damage has been done by Hollywood’s irresponsible, inaccurate representation of people and also by who has been made invisible in our storytelling. I have been focused on this issue since the start of my career and while I am so glad these conversations are finally coming to light, there is so much we have not confronted historically that is crucial to confront before real change is possible.

You asked for three reasons why it’s important:

1. To challenge the white male dominated vision of the world that lives in all of us

2. To accurately reflect the world we live in

3. To allow for underrepresented human beings to be SEEN, HEARD, VALUED and humanized via storytelling so that self-perception and sense of what’s possible can expand beyond the extremely limiting categorizations often seen in film and television.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

Let’s see. I love all my projects! I am motivated by content and have to really love the material and the team to take a project on. I produce films, TV, and documentaries so I’ll give you a sampling. I am excited about the doc film I produced, Katrina Babies which had its world premiere at Tribeca Festival on June 14th and will air on HBO/HBO Max in August around the time of the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

I am producing a film called Songs of The Gorilla Nation that is written and to be directed by the magical Lydia Dean Pilcher. Not sure I can share specifics about some of my projects not yet announced, but I can mention upcoming projects with Dominique Morriseau, who is an incredible writer and collaborator on a TV series, and Sharon Stone, who is truly magnificent and one of the most brilliant minds and souls around.

Which aspect of your work makes you most proud? Can you explain or give a story?

The spiritual aspect of my work makes me the most proud, that which transcends race, religion, gender, etc. and unifies us, even for some precious moments. An example was the morning prayer with our incredibly diverse crew in New Orleans on our series Soul City. My partners were the directing duo Coodie & Chike and they are very spiritual and the realest, most openhearted and talented guys around. We would come together in a circle every day on set and share a non-religious specific prayer to set the tone for the day. Storytelling is a channeling of sorts and I am most proud of the ways that I can view my work through a healing lens.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. How underappreciated producers are and how little people understand about what we do. I can’t tell you how many times people still ask me “What exactly do producers do”? When a person really does the job of producer and fills that role, there is no way the whole operation can happen without them. Film Festivals still put all the emphasis on directors and many people call themselves producers on projects when they are not actually fulfilling that role. I think if I knew what an unsung hero role producer is, I may have approached certain projects and career choices differently.
2. To be creative about making money especially if you are not just focused on making money. I distinctly remember a moment when I was at the Venice Film Festival on the red carpet celebrating a film. I had to do a ton of maneuvering to get to the festival as little to none of my expenses were paid by our film. I had a strong impulse to write an article about being broke on the red carpet! I wonder if it would have helped others had I written it. It would have highlighted the irony of a producer’s proximity to a glamorous life coupled with how money doesn’t flow very easily for independent producers. (Venice is an amazing festival, by the way!)
3. The importance of working FOR people and experiencing the business from a true inside/out perspective. I think I avoided working for others as opposed to with them because of my independent spirit and not wanting to curate work based on someone else’s taste and passion versus my own. I think there is a ton of value in spending time working for people and seeing how they are approaching this crazy business and making it work. I think I missed out on an important experience and on certain relationships because I did everything too much on my own. You can still be an independently-minded person and benefit from more traditional jobs in the business.
4. Cultivate strong relationships with agents and managers. While I do have good relationships, agents and managers have a lot of power and are often gatekeepers to talent. When they choose to advocate for a project and really get behind it and help, it can make a huge difference. They also hear about jobs most often in the industry.
5. Women-run companies are not financed at nearly the level that white male run companies are. I joined the Board of Directors of New York Women in Film & Television to experience that unique bond with other like-minded women who care about advancing all women in the industry. Things are changing, and knowing a little more about the specific challenges of being a woman producer/filmmaker at the start of my career could have been helpful so I could apply innovation and creativity, especially around financing. I do not believe in obstacles being insurmountable!

When you create a film, which stakeholders have the greatest impact on the artistic and cinematic choices you make? Is it the viewers, the critics, the financiers, or your own personal artistic vision? Can you share a story with us or give an example about what you mean?

My own artistic vision and that of my collaborators. On a film the artistic vision of the director is key and cultivating, protecting, and contributing creatively to that vision is the job of a creative producer.

On Infamous, the writer/director Doug McGrath wanted a NY shoot as did the DP, Bruno Delbonnel. They were being told it was too expensive and they could not make it work. I encouraged Doug to ask to see the budget and as soon as he did, he had his NY shoot soon after. It’s always about going the distance for the creative vision!

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Consciousness movement: I believe we are all connected and that we share a field of knowing with one another on the planet, a collective consciousness. If I am correct, how we vibrate as individuals makes a huge difference to the state of affairs in our world. For example, if we all committed to personal peace, that energy would reverberate into more peace for everyone. I understand that oftentimes many forms of spirituality and healing arts are only accessible and possible for the most privileged among us, but the movement I am inspired to spark would level the playing field and make these tools of consciousness available to all.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)

Bono: He is the most inspiring intersection of artist and activist, and because “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for!” I believe we would have a powerful meeting of hearts, minds, and souls and that it would yield something healing and expansive on a global level.

How can our readers further follow you online?

My social media handles are private but keep an eye out for upcoming work! You can follow New York Women in Film & Television, where I am on the Board of Directors on all platforms @NYWIFT or at www.nywift.org.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!