Keara Anderson talks about her Alaskan roots, the BTS business and her recent success
We sat with aspiring director and actress Keara Anderson to talk about her Alaskan roots, the filmmaking business, and her recent success in the narrative film arena.
Who are you?
“I would define myself as a human with many different interests and creative outlets who likes to explore and enjoy time with friends and family.”
What do you do?
“I do a variety of things! Sometimes I take BTS (behind the scenes) photos for larger film productions but it’s been a challenge getting freelance work. I co-own a small production company called Bleep Media Productions with my business partners. The end goal with Bleep is to produce other people’s films or produce our own and tap into the narrative film world. Along the way we’ve been contracted to do more behind the scenes projects. We document the filmmaking process and make highlight reels for bonus features (how else is BTS used? For self promotion of the cast and crew?).”
“We enjoy those projects a lot! It’s cool to be on a film set and not have the stress of the main crew. Really we get to film the beauty of the filmmaking process. Not to say that all parts of it are beautiful. So much doesn’t get shown on screen and some people dedicate five years of their lives to make a film, and we get to showcase a little bit of that. It’s a way to thank other creators. Hopefully they can look back and see something that they would have never noticed while they were busy on set.”
“Some people are weirded out when we’re on set because they aren’t used to being on that side of the camera. We try to be flies on the wall. The first day it’s important to feel out the vibe because we’ve had people that don’t like when we take photos and it’s good to be mindful of that.”
“It’s a cool niche because you could be on five different sets at the same time. It’s contract work but it’s cool to be involved in the film world independently. It’s more fun to make films you’re a key part of.”
What’s was the first BTS footage you saw as a kid?
“I remember seeing Titanic’s BTS. The moving parts of that production were crazy. It’s good they had that BTS crew, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to experience any of that.”
She takes a breath.
“I think we forget that people who don’t know anything about this industry are interested in seeing that stuff! I get excited when I’m on big-time directors’ sets, getting to see how they work. BTS provides that experience for the audience. It’s valuable to get people interested in that side of film, to learn what goes into it.”
How did you get started?
“Both my parents are creative so I was interested in art as a child. I was surrounded with people who were interested in art but I grew up in a small community in Alaska so I also didn’t have many creative programs. It did give my imagination free range. I went to the University of Alaska , Fairbanks and that’s when I got into film. I hadn’t used a digital camera before 2018! That was my first time taking formal art classes. I did some student shows.”
“I remember spending 24 hours on a huge portrait, needing to crank it out because it was due the next day. That’s what’s crazy about film, or art in general. There are deadlines and time flies!”
What’s been your most fulfilling job so far?
“If I’m counting only jobs I was paid for it’s a toss up between doing BTS or teaching ballet classes. I grew up doing ballet with my sister. Sometimes we would fill in for the teacher with the younger kids. It’s fun seeing them so excited to dance, helps you remember that it’s not all pain and long hours. It’s similar with BTS, it’s cool to be around people who are excited to make films. Burn out happens too and it’s totally normal but it’s cool to feed off that creative group energy.”
“I get a mini burn out after each project.”
“Whether it’s directing or acting, I always get a little burnt out. I need a couple days to regroup before the next gig. It’s so cool to see your project come to life once you’ve poured your heart and soul into it. People work on these projects for years at a time! But producers and funders don’t see you literally putting your heart and soul into something. ”
“There are so many things about this work that I enjoy but there are some pretty crooked things that happen too. The industry is so much about business and it’s hard to balance. You have to know how to talk to people that only care about the money side of it. I think the more small production companies and the more artists that can be in control of where that money is going, the better. If they can control how people are being treated on set, it’ll make the industry more fair and livable.”
What’s a challenging thing you’ve overcome?
“I think just believing in myself and putting my dreams first. Sometimes it’s scary to do what you most want to do. It’s easier not to try. ‘If your dreams don’t scare you, then you’re not allowing yourself to dream.’ You only get one life—that we know of— and you’re only guaranteed these moments right now so put in the time.”
How do you cope with nerves?
“Hmmmm. I don’t!”
She smiles.
“I’m not a nervous person day to day but I definitely went through times in my life, like when I first moved into the dorms at college. I could barely eat and when I did I was too nervous to keep it in my body. I was hardly sleeping. You know when you get nervous and your stomach is in knots? That’s how I was for three weeks straight.”
“I always get nervous directing, acting, creating, or even on the first day. Usually if I’m creating it’s a really fun process but it’s super hard to eat and sleep or do the things you need to do to be a functional human. I’m learning how to stay calm and take a step away from a stressful situation even if it’s just for a few minutes. Just to breathe and drink some water and remind myself that this is just one moment. Exercise helps and getting good sleep does too.”
“I try to remember that I will always create no matter what, and even if one project doesn’t go right I have a supportive family. It’s not all or nothing, and at the end of the day I have so much in my life waiting for me.”
“"Before taking my first ever acting class in college, I used to getting really in my head. People always said I did a good job and it would stress me out. I learned how to let go of everything and put it into my performance.. I feel like I need to get back into that state of mind and just let go to really unlock my best work.”
What inspires you?
“Most things that inspire me are things from everyday life. Whether it be a conversation, friends and family, photos or catching a moment of someone’s life when you drive by. My art has a whimsical element to it but the ideas are from everyday experiences that are wrapped in a whimsical package. That’s kind of how my mind works.”
“I don’t think anyone should rush art. Sometimes I’m creative and other times I won't make anything for a couple months. When I go looking for inspiration sometimes it works but it’s usually not my best work. It’s hard if you’re trying to be a consistent and your income depends on it.”
What would you want to remind yourself in ten years?
“To always remember where I came from and never forget the journey. I hope I remember core values and what has kept me going. Life would be extremely empty if you were only focused on money.”
What’s something you haven’t tried that you wish you could?
“I’ve been watching a lot of videos…”
She smiles and raises a finger,
“This is just a fun thing. There are these videos of people horseback riding on the beach at sunset really fast and that sounds super fun.”
What’s on the horizon?
“The horizon is full of surprises. I would love to continue making films and acting and I’d love to travel more. Hopefully get my business a little more businessy.”
“I just made a short film with my sister, Keziah called “Last to the Wild.” It’s on Netflix’s YouTube channel. They partnered with Adobe and held a short film competition on TikTok last year. I had a creative streak when I went back to Alaska and I thought we might as well submit the trailer to the competition. We submitted it on the last day of the window. We were one of the three winners.”
“A big thing for my sister and I was to include Alaskans in the process of making it because we don’t get a lot of narrative film opportunities there. We pulled (our friend) Enrique Torres on from New Mexico but besides that everyone was local to Alaska. It took a lot of planning and some challenging lessons. It’s definitely the biggest thing I’ve ever done and the most different film I’ve made. My sister co-wrote it with me, and was the cinematographer and editor as well. It’s great to have a life long collaborator to go through this whole process with. We were able to bounce so many ideas off each other.”
Check out Keara’s film "Last to the Wild" on Netflix’s YouTube channel below.
Edited by Sonya Burke