Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Irene Bruns
Hi Paige Irene, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Looking back, I think I always knew that I wanted to do something in entertainment. I grew up in West Michigan where I was surrounded by art and storytelling from an early age. I was really involved in local theater programs and productions which I attribute a lot of my passions to today. When I was three, I discovered The Wizard of Oz and instantly became mesmerized. I was completely enthralled by the world the filmmakers had created. So much so that I would run around the house convinced that I was Dorothy, refusing to respond to my own name. I guess that should have been my first clue at the direction life would take me in.
I was very intrigued by acting so I chased that for a few years but as I started going through the audition process, I very quickly realized that I was not cut out to be an actor. Being in a room full of people, or on a set where everyone’s attention was on me was something I was never going to adapt to so I decided to take a step back from pursuing acting professionally. Not too long after, my high school theater director approached me with an opportunity to direct a one-act play. I remember being so confused as to why he thought I would be a good fit for directing as I had no experience behind the scenes but I ended up agreeing. That was the first time I was exposed to the directing world and I absolutely fell in love with it. There was no turning back after that!
I graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in May of 2020, which was a crazy time to transition into the industry. My plan originally was to go straight to LA but with everything going on at the time, I wasn’t ready to move to a new city with no support system whatsoever and I found myself back in West Michigan. Through that process I ended up starting Affinity Insight Pictures, an independent film production company that draws on narrative storytelling to tell thought-provoking, hard-hitting stories portraying some of the harsh realities of both societal and quotidian struggles.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest struggles we faced stemmed from the fact that we formed in the middle of the Pandemic when the industry was shut down. A lot of the early projects we had lined up would be green lit only to get shut down before production which is tricky when you’re trying to establish yourself as a company. It was really frustrating. Looking back at it now, it feels like a blessing in disguise. It gave us the opportunity to focus on longer form content that we were really passionate about which has been such an incredible process.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m really drawn to deep-rooted emotional narratives that portray some of the harsh realities of both societal and quotidian struggles. I often joke that I couldn’t tell a story without a tie to a real world issue if my life depended on it. I always find my way back to those threads.
In 2019, I wrote and directed a short film titled Anchor which told the story of a young college student who experienced a sexual assault at a party and simultaneously, how the handling of the situation impacted her closest relationships. It was a story that I wanted to tell for what felt like forever and really came from a place of me just being angry with the way society views and handles sexual assault. With criminals it’s always innocent until proven guilty but when it comes to survivors of assault, more often than not, they are seen as the villain until proven to be a victim and that just didn’t sit well with me. Anchor was my way of working through those emotions with the hopes of creating a community of support for those struggling.
Currently, I’m in development of a drama series that touches on the opioid crisis and how it trickles down, infiltrating small towns across America.
What’s next?
You can expect more deep-rooted emotional dramas! I have so many ideas running around in my head and I’m excited to share those stories with people in the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.affinityinsightpictures.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigeirenebruns
- Other: https://www.paigeirene.com
