There are many reasons to love Julie Andrews: maybe her Mary Poppins was the childhood friend you never had or her Maria von Trapp gave you the courage to climb any mountain that stood in your way. These roles, and more, solidify Julie as an undoubted icon who has touched countless lives, but here at ProductionPro, she shines brightest for another reason. Julie is a firm believer that the good people recognized in those all-too-fast credits are the true unsung heroes of moviemaking, and we agree. Just like Julie, we’re gobsmacked by their daily contributions, talent, and dedication that make the medium of film a masterful art. But enough with our opinions! Let’s hear how the Grande Dame herself feels about the people behind the camera.
As Julie embarks upon the 5-minute journey that is her American Film Institute Life Achievement Award acceptance speech (I’m not crying, you’re crying), she eloquently recalls a chance encounter she shared with an elderly set painter when leaving Fox Studios late one night during the filming of The Sound of Music. The man boasted about the star-studded films he had worked on and was profoundly proud of his craft. Julie recounts:
As I finally drove away, I was suddenly reminded, with great clarity, just how many people are involved in making movies. What a huge, again, collaborative effort it takes to bring film to the screen. And usually on a night such as this, one thanks one’s agent and one’s manager. One’s publicist, and perhaps, one’s mother. And I do thank, in fact, all of them, […] but I would also like to thank the vast number of people you don’t get to see other than when their names are listed in those all-too-fast credits. And I wish something could be done about that, please, one day. For they are, THEY ARE, the unsung heroes of moviemaking. Because I know that without the contributions and the talent, and dedication of all those good people, I very much doubt that I would be standing here tonight. And I really, honestly, mean that. I mean it.
At ProductionPro, we applaud Julie for being a conduit of change and increasing awareness of the exceptional work film crews do every day. We care deeply for this community and their craft, which is why we created ProductionPro in the first place. It is our goal to provide a product that makes the lives of these individuals a bit easier so they can continue to do their best work and one day, hopefully in the very near future, be recognized with the same enthusiasm as those on the screen. Julie Andrews is leading an industry movement in the right direction. Thanks, Julie!
Learn more about how we are doing our part to help film creatives at ProductionPro.