Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Buchanan.
Stacy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Films! I grew up watching them. I studied them. I read all of the books. I spent a lot of time on production sets all over the country. When I was 10 I hand wrote letters to directors and actors telling them I admired their work. (I still do this but now they’re emails.)
Films (were and) are an important part of my life and I’ve always known I was going to make them.
I also love storytelling and exposing all of the cracks in the painting, if you know what I mean. Take an apple for example — it had to come from somewhere, right? Most would assume a seed. But if you do a little digging you’ll find out that the origin of an apple -a simple apple- is much more complex than that. I like to tell those stories.
As for my story, it’s a multifaceted one. Before college, I spent years studying acting and learning the trade. I pivoted to production in college, and took an internship at an FX house in Wilmington, North Carolina. That opportunity put me on a lot of film and TV sets, and I began networking. I also decided to pivot again – this time to marketing and communications. I then spent over a decade in that field, naturally evolving into the digital space. And I quickly learned that film production and marketing pair well. So I dovetailed my experiences and cobbled a pretty cool career together and am now a producer at WGBH in Boston. This was also the point that starting a production company felt like the right thing to do. That’s when Wicked Bird Media was born.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Smooth? No. It’s been a very long and very bumpy road. There are so many ups and downs and closed roads and detours in this business. I’ve been at it for over 20 years and I’m just now feeling the momentum.
But I don’t think I’d change that. All of my opportunities and experiences (even the struggles) are invaluable to me. After all, they’ve molded me into the person I am today. And I don’t think I could have changed that. I love film too much. And while I do believe that I am the captain of my own destiny, I also accept that I cannot control everything. My secret is that I remain positive and tenacious, and I also follow my instincts.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Wicked Bird Media – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Wicked Bird Media is a production company that I and my business partner Jess Barnthouse started in 2012. In the beginning it was all about film, and giving our first couple of projects a home under the brand.
The company has since evolved into a multi-service business that produces commercials, films, music videos, and all sorts of other branded and commercial web content. And we work with everyone — companies, agencies, brands, and various productions.
Film remains the foundation of the company, and our linchpin is our method. We like to remain nimble so that we have the ability to approach topics in a first-person, cinema vérité style — allowing us to find the cracks in the painting that tell the real story. (See how it all comes full circle? It always does.)
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We’re currently working with an agent on the development of an SVOD series, and I’m in development on a full feature documentary about Fort Apache Studios. I wouldn’t say that there are any big changes happening, but our network is expanding and the work is growing. I’d call that positive momentum!
Contact Info:
- Website: wickedbirdmedia.com
- Email: stacy@wickedbirdmedia.com
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