Local creative entrepreneur Joann Self Selvidge creates documentaries via her production company,
True Story Pictures. Her latest documentary,
The Keepers, provides a behind the scenes look at the animal caregivers at the Memphis Zoo. the film won the Best Hometowner Feature award at the 2015
Indie Memphis Film Festival.
Join Joann and other local creative entrepreneurs on 12/2 at Creatives in the City, presented by High Ground News and the EPIcenter. Register for free here.
How long has True Story been operating? What is its mission?
I founded True Story Pictures in 2004 -- and again in 2010 -- first as a nonprofit with an emphasis on life stories, then as a social venture company focused on documentary production. Our mission from the beginning has been to create connections for audiences and communities by exploring, capturing and sharing unique perspectives. All of the people who work for True Story Pictures are non-employees, including me. We hire crew on a project-by-project basis.
What unique opportunities have you found for creative entrepreneurs in Memphis?
I grew up in Memphis, moved away for college, and returned in my early twenties. Having lived in New York and California as a young adult fending for myself, I found that it was easier to live here and do creative work and still pay the bills; the cost of living is very low. I love the community here, and the roots -- our history and culture are steeped in creativity and entrepreneurial enterprise. We are defined by it.
What could Memphis do better in terms of resources for creative entrepreneurs?
I have been encouraged and supported every step of the way. When I thought that I didn't have resources to go after a project, all I had to do was go looking for them, and I found them. So personally, I've asked for support, and we received it. I'm not sure what else "Memphis" could do better. If you're going to do this work, you have to know what you want to accomplish and have the guts to take risks, knowing that you might be out on the edge doing it all by yourself. That's why they call us creative entrepreneurs -- we figured out how to make it work, and we're still here making it work.
What is your favorite project you've completed thus far and why?
My favorite project so far is my most recent film,
The Keepers, a feature doc that I co-directed with Sara Kaye Larson. We wanted to make a film that would explore this behind-the-scenes subculture of people who take care of the animals at the zoo in a way that really connected general audiences to the personalities and work of zookeepers, and it worked. We've received a ton of feedback from people who loved the film and really appreciated the personal stories of the zookeepers who are featured in the movie.
I'm also really proud of our "
Voices of Jericho" short film and interview series because it has directly inspired more humane models of treatment for indigent defendants with serious mental illness. In partnership with the Shelby County Public Defenders Office, we produced a DVD that has been distributed to more than 2,000 leaders at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice in communities across the country. As a result, more than 50 city and county criminal justice systems have adopted new jail diversion strategies to create better outcomes for this population, which typically spends three to five times longer in detention facilities than other individuals in similar circumstances who don't have mental illness.
What do you see for the future of True Story?
More feature-length documentaries that follow individuals as their stories are unfolding. I'm enjoying our break from historical docs, which is what we produced primarily up until 2012.
What advice do you wish you had from the get go when starting up?
Always try to work with people and projects that challenge you, so you can become better at what you do. It's good to have your "safe" projects that bring in dollars for your bottom line, but make sure you always have room to take on the more creative and demanding work, because it will reward you in greater ways. Be tenacious and persistent and willing to make mistakes. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Find good people to help you accomplish your mission, pay them well, treat them like you would want to be treated, and keep them close.
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