Women in Media CAMERAderie Initiative

Overview

The CAMERAderie Initiative is Women in Media's flagship production program. It produces short films using crews composed of women, women-identifying, and gender non-conforming filmmakers, providing participants with hands-on set experience, professional equipment access, mentorship, and industry training. Rather than awarding a cash grant, the initiative provides in-kind support: cameras, sound gear, lighting equipment, and access to professional training facilities, all contributed by Women in Media's vendor partners.

Two rounds of CAMERAderie have produced seven short films to date. The completed films have screened at festivals including Tribeca, Slamdance, and Cannes, with approximately 83% of submitted films winning two or more awards. One film was shortlisted for a 2023 Oscar. The program is now expanding to CAMERAderie Features, with the goal of producing three independent feature films using the same lab-based model.

The program is open to Women in Media Pro and Student Members ($120/year and $60/year respectively) with a completed WiM Crew List profile. The next phase, CAMERAderie Features, is currently in the strategic planning and fundraising stage.

What It Provides

CAMERAderie operates as a multi-stage production lab rather than a simple grant. Participants receive:

• Camera and production equipment donated by vendor partners, including cameras, sound gear, lighting, and grip packages
• Technical training across multiple departments, including MBS Grip, Electric, and Art Department training in partnership with professional production facilities
• Set experience on actual short film productions in a structured crew environment with 80-90% women and gender non-conforming crew members
• Mentorship from established industry professionals. Past mentors include Effie T. Brown (producer, Dear White People), Mary Lou Belli (director, NCIS), Colin Trevorrow (writer/director, Jurassic World), Quyen Tran (cinematographer, Palm Springs), Evan Schiff (editor, John Wick 2 and 3), Germaine Franco (composer, Vida), Kimberley Browning (producer, HBO Access), and Bobbi Banks (post-production sound, Selma)
• Networking with Women in Media's professional community, including directors, producers, and technical crew members across all departments
• Screening and festival support for completed films, including submission strategy and distribution guidance
• Grand prizes for selected participants, which in past cycles have included an 18-day rental of a three-ton grip package with truck, 15 walkie talkies with surveillance kits, spherical and anamorphic lens sets, five cameras awarded to cinematographers, and sound and lighting gear

Program Structure

CAMERAderie operates in acts, mirroring the phases of film production:

Act One: Script Competition

Members submit short narrative scripts (maximum 10 pages) for consideration. Scripts must be shootable in 2-3 days with no more than 8 speaking roles and no more than 4 locations. Entrants may submit up to two scripts, each with a separate submission fee. Scripts must be original work, not adaptations of existing IP (except the writer's own fictional writing or life story). Writers Group Members receive early submission access.

Act Two: Pre-Production Lab

Writer/director finalists from Act One build their teams from the WiM membership. The lab covers all aspects of pre-production: script breakdowns, scheduling, budgeting, casting, crewing up, storyboards, shot listing, design, building, and workflow. Crew members receive support from initiative producers and industry professionals in each department.

Act Three: Production and Post

Films are shot with WiM member crews using donated equipment and vendor-partner resources. The program provides production insurance, catering, location permits, location rentals, and production vehicles. Post-production support continues through editing, sound, and color.

Act Four: Festival and Distribution

Completed films receive festival submission support. Past films have screened at Tribeca, Slamdance, Cannes, and other major festivals. The program reports that 83% of submitted films have won two or more awards.

Track Record and Career Impact

Women in Media reports the following outcomes from CAMERAderie participation:

• Approximately 40% of WiM membership worked on CAMERAderie productions
• 48% of participants found paid work in commercials after the program
• 62% found paid work in television
• 69% found paid work in feature films
• 65% found work in new media
• 79% of participants recommended or referred someone they met during the program
• One film was shortlisted for a 2023 Oscar
• 83% of submitted films won two or more awards on the festival circuit

Recent short-form fund recipients include Erin Brown Thomas, whose film Chasers debuted at Sundance, and Catie Skipp, whose Monster Slayer premiered at Tribeca.

CAMERAderie Features (In Development)

Women in Media is expanding the CAMERAderie model from shorts to features. The CAMERAderie Features initiative aims to produce three independent feature films using a combination of grants, fiscal sponsorship, and equity, while keeping the core lab aspects of the original shorts program in place. The plan is scalable and replicable, with the goal of creating jobs for hundreds of local film artisans above and below the line.

The expansion is driven by the contraction in LA production: shooting days in LA County were down 42% in 2024 compared to 2022, with 25% fewer film and TV jobs in California than in 2022. Women in Media is actively seeking funding partners and government support for the Features initiative, including meetings with elected officials to discuss a WPA-style program for entertainment industry jobs.

Note: Women in Media received a grant termination from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in 2025. The organization had applied for a $42,000 general operating grant and was awarded $14,600 (34% of the requested amount), released across 2026 and 2027. This funding shortfall is part of the broader contraction in arts funding that has affected the organization's ability to scale programs.

Eligibility

• Must be a Women in Media Pro Member ($120/year) or Student Member ($60/year) in good standing
• Must have a completed WiM Crew List profile on the Women in Media website
• Must sign the Parity In Action Pledge
• Open to women, women-identifying, and gender non-conforming filmmakers of all experience levels
• Program is Los Angeles-based and requires in-person participation during production
• Must be 18 years or older at time of entry
• Entrants may submit up to two scripts, each with a separate submission fee

Script Requirements (Act One)

• Maximum 10 pages (excluding title page)
• Must be in English and narrative in nature
• Must be shootable in 2-3 days with no more than 8 speaking roles and no more than 4 locations
• Must be original work. No adaptations of prior IP, except the writer's own fictional writing or life story
• Must follow industry-standard screenplay format
• Must not include identifying information on the title page or any page
• Scripts are final at submission and may not be resubmitted during the submission windows

Membership Costs

Student membership is available for up to two years at the discounted rate, with benefits identical to Pro membership. A third year at the student rate is available by request with proof of enrollment.

Membership review can take 1-2 weeks. Applicants should apply well before any CAMERAderie submission deadline.

Who Should Apply

Women and gender non-conforming cinematographers, crew members, writers, and directors in Los Angeles who want hands-on set experience, professional equipment access, and connection to an active community of women working in film and television production. The program is most valuable for those who have technical training but need production credits to advance their careers.

For writers specifically, the Act One script competition is the entry point. For crew members, the Act Two pre-production lab is where you join a finalist film's team. For cinematographers, the program has historically awarded cameras to selected DPs, making it particularly valuable for early-career cinematographers building their reel.

See Also

For camera technical reference while preparing for set work, use the Depth of Field Calculator and Exposure Calculator. For estimating crew needs on a short film production, use the Crew Size Estimator. For understanding cinematography terminology and shot types, see the Glossary. For planning a short film production schedule, use the Production Schedule Calculator.