As part of our ongoing mission to interview industry professionals, we spoke to Kate Andrews from Boldly Go Productions – a production company dedicated to films that can’t easily be categorized or neatly fit into a box.
What inspired you to start Boldly Go Productions?
I started Boldly Go to bridge unexpected genres, eliminate common stereotypes/tropes, and tell diverse stories that inspire my inner child who grew up obsessing over Fincher movies and LOST. At first, I thought that if I found the right production company to work for I would be able to make what I wanted – but what I realized through that journey was a calling to start my own.
Where does Boldly Go fit into the current industry landscape?
Ironically part of my mission is to never fit in a box. When you watch something from Boldly Go, I want you to have trouble describing what genre it fits into yet be captivated by the specificity of the characters and the world we’ve created. I also love to challenge the current industry landscape. To quote James T. Kirk: “risk is our business.” For example, I’ve been developing a Jonestown miniseries with Leigh Fondakowski, Margo Hall and Colman Domingo based on the play The People’s Temple they produced years ago and Leigh’s subsequent book Stories From Jonestown.
Kate Andrews
The Jonestown Massacre is a topic that Hollywood has tried and failed to cover for decades; and that’s because it is a vast ensemble story with so many nuances and key historical moments you don’t expect. It’s a massive undertaking and responsibility to tell it right. Because of that, we’ve been told it’s impossible – and that’s what makes me even more driven and excited for the world to see it.
What is your film/TV industry background and how did it shape your current tastes and interests?
When I moved to Los Angeles I was a PA for a bit and then did the default year at an agency on a below-the-line desk at Gersh. Then I started working as an assistant for writer/producer Seth Grahame-Smith and director/producer David Katzenberg’s company KatzSmith Productions right as their It remake was coming out. One of the masterful things about It is how it nails several aspects of the human experience: fear, loss, love, adventure, humor and growing up. You go from laughing hysterically at relatable kid antics to clamoring in your seat terrified of a clown in a matter of minutes. That was definitely a huge inspiration for my own work.
Then we worked on the Child’s Play remake which was taking a similar formula used for It and applying it to the Chucky franchise. Throughout the notes process with incredible screenwriter Tyler Burton Smith, I started to notice I was totally envious of his career. I wanted to be the one crafting the story, not just relaying studio notes. I thought maybe I was suppressing the writer/storyteller in me by continuing on a development executive path. Eventually I left KatzSmith to focus on writing full time, but I quickly missed the producing elements of my old job. I felt isolated, confused and wondered if I had made the biggest mistake of my life.
Then I met Colman Domingo who needed an executive for his production company, Edith Productions he was building with his husband Raúl under a first-look with AMC Networks. Colman is an amazing multi-hyphenate – an actor, playwright, screenwriter, producer, and director.
He embraced my writing skills and considered them an asset, not a distraction or deviation from the development executive & producer roles he also needed. As in-house creatives, we were able to communicate with other writers as equals, instead of in the more rigid creative-to-executive hierarchy during the long development process. We still have several projects together as co-producers and he’s one of my biggest cheerleaders. Working with Edith and KatzSmith definitely informed how Boldly Go operates and showed me I don’t have to choose between being a writer or producer.
Where do you mainly source new projects?
Internally for the most part. I don’t want to be overwhelmed as a small company trying to get through 20 or more scripts a week. If projects do come to me externally it’s probably from an existing work relationship or a mutual friend who knows my taste, as opposed to an agent or manager.
At what stage do you prefer to develop a new project?
I don’t have a preference at what stage they come in. But if an actor, director or other creative producer is attached before it gets to me, I’d prefer they are active in the development process and we’re all on the same page. I’ve worked on projects with big names ‘attached’ and yet we never actually interfaced – which is not the best dynamic for building a team.
Is there a signature/ defining film that captures the essence of Boldly Go?
The Social Network is one of my favorite movies of all time and I listen to that Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross soundtrack at least once a week.
In terms of a defining film Boldly Go is making, we’re shooting an eight-person body swap movie in the fall that goes against everything you’ve seen associated with the usually clichéd body swap genre and definitely represents our out-of-the-box mission statement.
Where do you see the most opportunities for writers in the current climate?
Man, it’s really tough right now for writers, especially emerging writers. That’s a hard question to answer, but I always believe that creating your own agency in the world – like making a one-issue comic book based off your pilot or shooting a short proof of concept – is what will bring broader attention to your work, and therefore more opportunities.
Should writers pitch with a pitch deck?
Depends. If you just want to be staffed-based off of your script, then you do not need a pitch deck. But if your script is something you truly want to make and you have a lot of passion behind, then you absolutely should have one. When you have a strong visual component to present tone, structure, character or season arcs; it is much more likely to make its way up the ladder. Think big, high resolution images and as little text as possible. You’re sending it along with a script, so no need to write a novella on the PowerPoint too. Your first round of gatekeepers are the lowest people on the totem pole: underpaid, overworked assistants. It is of your best interest to make their job easy and – dare I say – fun.
Additionally, in a post-pandemic world where we are pitching over Zoom and attention spans are shorter than ever, executives are requesting decks and including them in pitch strategy by default. Pre-pandemic they fell more into the nice-to-have category. I get asked all the time if I have a deck designer to recommend because I always have some sort of deck or video to go along with my submissions. Seeing this new demand was why I started pitch deck design consulting for other writers, directors, studios and production companies. It’s an unlikely service for a production company to offer, but I’ve assembled a pretty cool team who have a knack for it, so why not share it?
What mistakes do you see newer writers making?
I see a lot new writers operating on the assumption that winning a contest or finding a manager/agent are the one-way tickets to success. Screenwriting contests and festivals can be great tools for making introductions. But winning an award doesn’t necessarily mean the writing gigs will flood in. And doubling down by trying to rack up as many wins as possible isn’t as impressive as you think and will waste your time and money. Additionally, if you land a rep, the hustle isn’t over. You still need to network, join writing groups, research opportunities your rep should put you up for, and most importantly keep writing.
How do you characterize the current state of the industry?
More unpredictable than ever, but to me that’s a good thing since there’s more room for new and diverse voices to come in and shake things up. If it’s predictable, the same stories are told over and over by the same characters. The problem with unpredictability is that (understandably) it terrifies the people with deep pockets. We need new voices on the finance side just as much as the creative side.
