Justine Bateman on Writing and Directing Violet, Starring Olivia Munn and Luke Bracey

DreamPath Podcast

Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Justine Bateman is an author, screenwriter, producer, and director. After decades as a successful actor, with roles on Family Ties, Satisfaction, Men Behaving Badly, and Californication, Justine made her feature film directorial debut with Violet, starring Olivia Munn, Luke Bracey, and Justin Theroux, which opens in theaters on October 29 and will be available on VOD on November 9. Justine is also author of bestselling books Fame and Face: One Square Foot of Skin.

What you will learn:

• What inspired Justine to write the books Fame and Face, and what the writing process was like. Justine’s thoughts on the concept of fame, what it means and what it doesn’t mean, and how fame (or lack thereof) plays out at events like red carpet premieres. [0:00-12:02]
• Justine reveals why, out of the numerous screenplays she has writiten, she chose Violet as her first feature film to direct. What steps she took to make the film an immersive experience for viewers, and what the casting process was like. [12:02-25:28]
• How Justine found funding for Violet, the hustle required to pitch to film festivals, and thoughts on the shift in the entertainment industry (and humanity in general) due to COVID. [25:28-35:10]
• What Justine has planned for the future, from a new book to a handful of scripts, and the added hurdles COVID presents for filmmakers. She shares about her personal experience with sexism in Hollywood and how that did and didn’t translate to her film Violet. [35:10-46:12]
• Advice Justine has for those wanting to break into the television/film industry, as well as book recommendations (listed below). [46:12-1:00:03]
• Why Justine toiled over the final edit of Violet and what steps she took in editing to help the film come together as she had originally envisioned. How the actors during the shoot were in the dark about much of what would be on screen until the final product was revealed. [1:00:03-1:13:38]

Resources:

• Justine Bateman’s: Website, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
• Justine’s book recommendations: ​​Like Brothers by Mark and Jay Duplass, A Man With a Camera by Nestor Almendros, The Big Goodbye by Sam Wasson, and A Life in Movies by Irwin Winkler.