Julie Corman

In film production everyday is quick-paced and exciting. When she is making a film, there are three different areas Julie could be working in: development, production, or post production. Each area is crucial to complete a film. Development consists of looking for projects to produce. This searching period is done by reading or talking to people so that she can formulate ideas. Production begins when a project is chosen. In production, Julie looks for a cast, a working crew, and locations for the set. After organizing everyone and everything to arrive at the set, then they can begin to shoot the film. The last step in film production, post production, involves adding sound as well as music that fits the film. The film is then edited and perfected. During an average day, Julie could be working in any of these three phases.

The most enjoyable part of this field for Julie is her involvement in the creative process. She can put her imagination to use and create for the public. This role is fulfilled by choosing the perfect actor, developing a good story line, finding a talented crop man, or discovering the ideal set to film. Finding all of these necessities to create a film is the challenge; however, once Julie puts all these elements together, the finished product is thrilling.

Roger Corman, Julie's husband, was the one who believed and motivated Julie to excel in this field. Roger, himself, is very well known in the film industry. He too is a film producer, and they work hand in hand. Julie never imagined that she could make it so far and be able to do so much. The fact that the industry is male-dominated did not hinder her. One obstacle Julie had to overcome was the inclination to always put emotions first.

Julie built foundation allowing her to excel in producing films. Her mother gave her the fond love for reading. The year Julie's mother would have entered college, 1929, the Great Depression hit. Her mother's father was a building contractor, one of the professions first hit by the depression. Therefore, her mother had to leave school but she became a voracious reader. Julie's father attended the University of Minnesota for college and pursued his interest in math. Julie's father taught math tricks to Julie like "Casting out Nines." Both the love for literature and learning, as well as her father's imaginative games, aided and were even crucial to her profession as a producer in the film industry.

Julie's high school years were the main building block to what would be her future profession. Her fondest high school classes were english, physics, music, and art appreciation. Physics, allows Julie to understand the lighting and the cameras when filming a movie. However, all subjects, she says, were necessary to understand her present profession. As Julie says, "Everything counts! What one learns in high school builds a good general education and that is the most important tool. Teenagers today can take advantage of summer courses at high schools, summer internships, mentors, or video cameras, then they can teach themselves the basics of film-making."

Julie was one of three girls in her family and attended an all girls high school. She was surrounded by girls! She says, that in her teenage years, she wished she had understood boys and their life stages better. This would have made high school run smoother. At UCLA, there was a diversity of people as well as a firm education.

Julie enjoys life! Her abilities do not end at film-production. Outside of work she has a family of four children, two girls and two boys. Julie has always tried to balance family life and work life. She also gives film seminars at Universities as well as working to help save the environment. Her mothers fondness of books rubbed off on Julie since she loves to visit libraries and read. Julie is a very powerful woman! A line said in one of her early movies characterizes Julie, "Girls don't want to watch, they want to play."