Like most people, I've always been impressed by the title "Executive Producer" and wanted to learn more about how somebody scales the heights to such a position. So when I met Cindy online, I thought this opportunity was too good to miss.
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* Where were you born and where did you grow up?
* Where did you go to school?
* You have musical abilities.
What is your history as a performer/composer?
Yes. I play piano, sing and took/taught Russian
Ballet. I was a night club singer for years in the greater Bay Area.
* In the 1980s you moved
into an entirely different field, as a child advocate. What led to that, and
what gave you your greatest sense of achievement?
My daughter was born in 1987, with a genetic disorder called
Angelman Syndrome. I had to choose
to between singing and
caring for my daughter. I chose my
daughter. Her father left. My daughter and I moved to
Mendocino. I learned how to become an effective advocate for my daughter. I began working with parent
organizations, took mediation courses at Sonoma State University, provided mediation/ombudsperson/advocacy services in Mendocino County, and lectured for special education teachers at Chico State and Hawaii State University.
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| Sundays: Where it happens |
I was hired by Mendocino County Schools to write, produce and
host a live telecast (on local cable public access channel), promoting the
special needs kids and the services provided in our County. It was a great
show that lasted about five years. I created a non-profit for parents and by
2000 had over 300 families on my case load. I had to leave my CEO position to
care for my daughter after scoliosis spine surgery.
I promoted my daughter's
need to be included with her peers throughout her school career. I was the parent representative on the State of California
Board and helped create Early Intervention for infants and toddlers to provide support services immediately for the child and the parents.
I worked with her service agencies and built a house for my daughter in my
backyard for her to live full-time, with round-the-clock help. She will be 25 this month and lives in her own
house, with her team of caregivers, giving me the freedom to have my own
life. She will always be my responsibility, but she has her own life.
My message for all parents with disabled children: NEVER GIVE
UP. Believe, work as a team with agencies. See the bigger
picture. It can and will happen if you never give up.
Cammie Conlon and I met in Fort Bragg where she was working
for the Chamber of Commerce. We became great friends. She
was friends with my aunt (the location/extras coordinator for film). She
was a great promoter who did everything
she could to support our local economy and non-profit organizations. I
learned a lot from her tenacity and "getting the job done", how to do
it with grace and always a smile. She is greatly missed.
* In 2000, you moved into
another new field. How did that come about and what was the most satisfying
aspect?
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| The Sea Hawk |
My new husband was a charter boat captain, and I helped him with his new charter boat
business, All Aboard Adventures. I worked on
the boat, fishing, whale watching, and even did karaoke on the sea trips. I earned my sea time to become a 100 ton master and become the first lady
captain in the Noyo Harbor, Fort Bragg. Unfortunately, I was assaulted at
a fundraising event for kids, causing a severe neck injury and had to leave
working on the boat.
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| Noyo Harbor |
At that time, I worked for our local medical clinic as
their fundraising event coordinator. This is where I worked with Cammie Conlon,
producing the benefit "Tea with Bonnie Blue Butler," and Bill Irwin's
"A Work in Progress," to raise money for the clinic. I also
coordinated our famous Crab and Wine Days Crab Cake Cook Off Event.
I began singing again, started my own band, and did a CD called Landing for author/songwriter Patti Angeletti. Unfortunately my
drummer passed away, and the band members went their separate ways.
I was cast
for "On The Road with Austin and Santino". It was a spoof about me
being a crab fisherwoman, celebrating our 10 year anniversary of All Aboard
Adventures and I needed a designer dress for the party and the debut of my new
band. The drummer passed away during the
filming and the show took a different twist. Santino Rice and I still
remain friends. He is such a kind man. He loved my daughter, and she just loved
him! We had a lot of fun filming together
* In 2011, you became Executive
Producer for the Sundays Web Series, a 10 episode webseries about a small Californian town and the characters that
call it home—drama, comedy, romance, and mystery. How did that come
about?
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| Cindy Lemas and Forrest Naylor — radio interview. |
I was producing a 'haunted house' fundraiser and asked Forrest Naylor to film the
event. I was aware of some of his films and told him I would
like to produce his next film. He was so impressed with the
production, he asked if I would be interested in reading his script for
Sundays. I did, and said I would like to produce.
He really wanted me for this
project because of my ties to the
community, my reputation to get things done successfully. My being
a good businesswoman, promoter and negotiator suited what he needed.
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| Sundays: The search begins |
* I know some of the funding for
the webseries came from Mendocino County. How did you raise the rest?
I funded the webseries from my life savings, the majority
of which purchased all the equipment—cameras, hard drives, audio
equipment—as Fog Line Films just started their business and had no
equipment. We did receive some funding from local businesses... the list is long.
Before we began filming, I started the "buzz". I
organized interviews on the local radio stations, and newspapers. Getting
the word out there, and also asking for those who would like to sponsor this
exciting new venture to come forward. Most came forward with valuable in-kind support. All of our locations were donated for free, in
exchange for being on our website where the show airs. We could not have
done it without them. I organized meetings with our local organizations—Rotary, Lions,
Study Club, Soroptimist International—to talk about the show. This
generated a lot of in-kind support and also more people to keep the
"buzz" happening.
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| Sundays: The search continues |
If you believe in your project, you will get the necessary
financial and/or in-kind support you need. My first recommendation to anyone
doing any form of film is to find your promoter.
- Find that person who
will live, breathe and talk about your project until the entire community is
talking about it for you. (I just happened to be that person, so Forrest was
pretty lucky!)
- Offer something for their help. This could be in-kind support, as well as money. For
instance, the Beachcomber Motel provided rooms for our
traveling actors. For that, they received landing page exposure, where
the show airs.
- Hold a
special screening event, with the proceeds to go towards the new project.
- Find your movers and shakers in the community who have
connections. Ask for them to host a cocktail party where you can present your
project and ask for support.
- Find a talented executive producer to fund the project.
- Sit down with your executive team and establish a realistic budget.
- Remember you have to feed your cast and crew.
- Consider all obstacles and options for each shooting block.
- Pick
your team wisely.
- Create a budget for each shooting block.
- Stick to your
budget.
- And as an executive producer, stick to your guns to stay on task
and within the budget. This is tricky and directors and producers can
butt heads frequently. But it is necessary for the success of the show.
- Promote, promote, promote, promote, promote.
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| Sundays: A wrong turm |
* How did you recruit your
actors?
Through various newspaper articles in local newspapers and casting
call notices to all theatre groups and casting agencies in Northern Calfornia.
* Have you been happy with the
reception Sundays has received?
Absolutely! I knew it was going to be a hit, and am thrilled it
has received nominations and awards!
* What’s next for Cindy Lemas?
I would love to get back into my music,
write music again, and sing. That is when I am truly the happiest. I have been approached to produce other shows/projects, but nothing has
resonated with me yet. I really am a free spirit. I have true
confidence in what I can achieve, and know what I touch can and will turn to
gold if I believe in it. I think my next project will be a project for
me. I have enjoyed the success of promoting others, and seeing them shine
(for example, my daughter, my husband and now Forrest's dream). I guess I
am at a place in my life where I need to shine and do something for me.
* What are your ten favourite
movies of all time?
Dr. Brené Brown is a "researcher/ storyteller" as well as a professor at the University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work. She studies human connection—our ability to empathize,
belong, love. She is the author of I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't)
and The Gifts of Imperfection
. In this poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself, as well as to understand humanity. 
A question I've been asked from time to time is, Why do you write?
(1993), which deals with the life of C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia books. Lewis was a prolific writer. His circle of literary friends (including J.R.R. Tolkien) formed a writers' group known as the "Inklings". (If you want to see writers discussing their ideas for stories in a learned, but passionate way, watch this movie.) 
. (I intend looking at that book in more detail later in the year, perhaps in discussion with Brian.) It is a small book, overflowing with stories, which illustrate his many points. One of these is the idea that human beings tell stories to pass on survival information. He illustrates that with a story about the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, well-known to Australians, which inundated parts of South East Asia in 2004 and killed almost a quarter of a million people. 
Prison Dancer is an interactive web musical and live stage show inspired by a
2007 viral YouTube hit showing Filipino prisoners performing Michael Jackson’s Thriller. 
