Crew Spotlight: Jacqueline Wilton

On the set of Beauty Queen

    Jacqueline Wilton, the producer of Beauty Queen, is a senior at the University of Michigan and is in the “phase” process to be a Director’s Guild of America affiliated Assistant Director Trainee.  Over the past four years she has worked on 23 productions with two feature films and five professional productions under her belt.  Although she loves producing, her passion is for assistant directing and is focusing her career towards that goal.

     She is co-creator of the Thundergrads, a University of Michigan sketch comedy show, the assistant director for The V-Card, and is currently in post production for her senior independent study.  Jacqueline is a board member for the Film and Video Association, a member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Kappa Phi. She will graduate Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Arts in Screen Arts and Cultures in April of 2012.

How did you get involved with the Michigan Creative Film Alliance? 

      I was meeting with Professor Robert Rayher for an advising meeting on August 6, 2010, the year I decided to switch my major from Architecture to Film, and he was finishing his last pre-production meeting with Bhanu Chundu (director for Appleville). He asked me if I wanted to PA on Appleville and I immediately said yes.  I started work on the film as key production assistant the following Tuesday. Like Anna, this is my second year with the MCFA.

What is your role with Beauty Queen?

      Producer

Do you think that working on Beauty Queen has helped you learn more about your craft?

      This experience has been quite a journey for me as a student and as a producer. I learned so much about managing people and making decisions.

What is the most valuable thing you’re taking away from being a part of Beauty Queen?

At the Cherry premiere in Ann Arbor

I learned how to manage a large amount of people from many different backgrounds to create one unified production. Working with three schools helped me create a network of people moving into the film industry. For my senior independent film I worked with students from five schools (Columbia Chicago, EMU, MSU, WSU and U-M) to create an even bigger challenge for myself.

What is your favorite memory from this project?

My favorite memory was probably going to the go-cart/mini-golf course next to our hotel on our day off with Luke, Zach, Ryan, Zeko and Kelly and watching Zach be a terrible golfer. I can remember Anna (director) called me and Zeko on the mini-golf course and having to figure out solutions while playing. There were a lot of great memories in our makeshift production offices at every location thanks to Will Chodos and Tinisha Brugnone. They kept me sane.