Meet Breea Janay | Film Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Breea Janay and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Breea, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking has been the existence of my entire career. As a film director, taking risk should be on the top of everyone’s list. When I first started as a writer, I got invited to Nickelodeon Studios in Burbank, California. I was 18 at the time and I had never flew by myself anywhere, let alone as far as California. My mother is a concerned mother, so of course I had conflicting thoughts in my head. However, I decided to book my flight and go. If I did not fly to meet with the writer’s team, I would not have had the opportunity to work at Nickelodeon. This only opened doors for me. Again, I was approached with a similar offer down in Austin, Texas. It was a weekend trip, which meant that I would have to stay in another state, alone, while providing for myself. If I did not attend the meetings, I would not be who I am today. I got the chance to be in a room full of writers, actors, and directors. I got to see how they worked with one another. It inspired me to not only write my own material, but to direct it as well.
I later saved up and directed the pilot of my tv show, in which I later pitched to Warner Brothers.
Risk taking, no matter how big or small, is a great endeavor for any creative. To this day, I am happy that I followed my heart and took a chance rather than sit and wish that I did.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a young, black, female film director, anything I do is challenging. My voice and vision is minute in the male dominant industry. I did not look at it as a disadvantage, rather as an advantage in life. Because my voice doesn’t project as loud as the rest, I am forced to be quiet during meetings. I actually love when this happens because my ideas aren’t heard. While everyone is telling their stories and what they bring to the table, I always realize that my ideas aren’t done. This will always make my work stand out.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would take my friend to the studio with the other artist I work with. After a night of creating vibes, we would go to a social dinner/winery. We would also go to the mall to buy new outfits. At some point during the week, we would watch a couple of cringe romance movies. I also enjoy glow in the dark golf. Because I know a lot of DJ’s, we would put on our outfits that we bought and go to the club for a special experience.

I’m very adventurous and enjoy pretty much anything. I like something as wild as extreme supports and something as chill as stargazing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a huge shoutout to Bill Crane with Cranesworldtv. He has done a lot to uplift my career. I also want to thank Corey, an actor that I trust, and KJ, my go to writer, for everything. I promise to give them the world once I get it. I lastly want to give a huge shoutout to my Mom who has encouraged my creative side since I was young.

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