Bailey did continue to do them all through the mediums of film and live theater, but in a new location--- Los Angeles. She then began producing films with her “boutique film financing company,” Cold Iron Pictures. She didn’t just want to “sit around and wait for someone to give me a job,” she said. Bailey continued, “I like to start with nothing and then make something happen,” which is taking a film from a conceptual idea to selling it at festivals. Bailey is also a partner in the distribution company, The Film Arcade. She chuckled, “I didn’t have enough to do before!”
Bailey does notice a difference with being female in this industry, but, she said, “I don’t think that me being a woman stopped me from doing anything that I wanted to do. I personally don’t feel like I was denied an opportunity because I was a woman as a producer.” However, as an actress, she definitely recalls instances of what she terms “systemic sexism” in auditions. It has changed for the better in the last 6-7 years, but, she laughed, “You still have to be hot and thin … and young!”
Bailey’s recipe for success is to be proactive in creating her own opportunities. It’s what makes her not only a force in filmmaking, but a role model for other women. Bailey also encourages new female filmmakers to join the organization Women in Film to take advantage of their “... great networking events [because] in this town, it’s all about who you know.” While the number of women in all aspects of filmmaking hasn't seen an increase in almost 2 decades, inspirational and influential women like Miranda Bailey assure us that we have a bright future ahead. Perhaps our "once upon a time" story might make it full circle to have that "happily ever after" ending after all.
Miranda Bailey, Red Carpet of Don’t Think Twice. Photo courtesy of The Film Arcade