Liz Adams - Independent Filmmaking At Her Finest

"We have locked the picture and are continuing with the post-production process, " says Adams. "Next up is music composition for the score, sound design, and computer generated visual effects."

In an early screening of a rough cut of the film, it was clear that Adams is already firmly on the right track as Side Effect proved itself to be a savvy, well-executed and culturally relevant horror film. Even without the yet-to-be added adrenaline-inducing sound and mind-bending special effects that horror productions usually rely heavily upon, the film soars along, buoyed by an excellent script, exquisite pacing and honest performances that make the thrills real.

Side Effect follows a teenage baby-sitter who has taken on the care of two young children, the preparation of a Thanksgiving turkey and an endless amount of pressing college-determining papers, projects and assignments all in one night. The pressure to ceaselessly perform, and perform well, has driven this young girl to prescription medication, medication which proves to have an unexpected effect on her behavior that leaves a controversially pill-popping, medically dependent generation like ours feeling more than just a little unnerved.

Storyline isn't the only way Side Effect peeks, pokes and sniffs at controversy. In her letter to prospective investors, Adams sited some pretty dismal statistics about the percentage of women employed in key behind-the-scenes jobs in the big bad world of Hollywood. According to as study done by Dr. Martha M. Lauzen of the School of Communication at San Diego University, the number of women employed as directors in the top 250 films of 2005 was a mere 7 percent.*

Thus, it would seem that while women have exceeded the expectations of equality in many areas, they are still vastly underrepresented in the realm of film and television and this, according to Adams, is a statistic talented and ambitious women the world over need to work to change - "These important media shape the way we perceive our world, making it more important than ever that women's viewpoints are seen and heard."

And though it may be hard to believe, the viewpoints and perceptions of women do matter -especially when it comes to horror films and their all important box office results. According to Anne Riley-Katz, staff reporter for the Los Angeles Business Journal, women today " . . . comprise more than half of the audience at the most scary films, once seen as the sole domain of awkward male teens."** In her article entitled Misses' Macabre - Moviemakers cashing in as girls go for more gore, Riley-Katz goes on to quote box office tracking Media by Numbers, LLC president Paul Degarabedian, " 'It takes people by surprise because they often assume females will be repulsed by the gore of the horror genre. But it's quite the opposite - they love it . . . It's a good vicarious thrill that scares you at the time, but there's not much potential for physical harm.' "**

An intriguing trend but will it last? Riley-Katz believes so and mostly because of the fierce independence seen in many women of today - "No one can say for certain why today's young women are more likely to attend horror films than their mothers. Some attribute the shift to a generation of young women who have grown up on video games and 'girl power' and are a more thrill-seeking set than their earlier counterparts may have been."**

Girl power can only go so far however. Help, guidance and insight are ultimately needed to guide that power into action. The AFI's has set out to provide just that, giving Adams and other DWW participants a $5,000 jump on production cost along with production insurance, access to editing facilities, faculty advisory sessions and all important introductions into the tight-knit Hollywood community.

Establishing the Directing Workshop for Women in 1974, AFI designed the program in such a way as to provide "talented women who have established themselves within film, television and theatre with the opportunity to direct narrative projects . . . Since it's inception, such talented women as Lesli Linka Glatter, Randa Haines, and Maya Angelou have directed Workshop projects."***

With such a history, much can be expected from its participants, much can be expected from Liz Adams.