About The Artist

 

 

Film at 11 was established in -and inspired by- Hollywood. I worked for the ABC television network for years, starting in 1984, and saw firsthand how TV shows were produced.  When I started, many productions were still shot on film.  In 1985 I transferred to the film department.  It was the company policy that if a show was shot on film, it had to be delivered to the network on film and we would transfer it in-house to videotape.  I loved the smooth feel of the film and the rich color saturation.  One day I took some aqua blue academy leader from the recycle barrel home to make a pair of earrings. I had no experience making earrings at the time, so my first attempts were pretty crude.  I simply cut a piece of film and put it on an earring wire I bought at Berger Beads in downtown Los Angeles.  In the photo above, I'm wearing one of the first pair. (That's me on the right in blue.)  They are fun, lightweight and easy to wear, even while talking on the phone.  And the styles are easy to pair with favorite wardrobe staples like denim and tees, or your LBD.

 

 

In time I improved my techniques.  I added beads to the bottom and found other ways to decorate them, crystals, shells, charms, stars and other drops.  It was a fun hobby that I enjoyed doing.  I wore a pair of earrings to work one day and several co-workers asked for a pair.  When I came back a few days later with a selection, I sold $96 worth in 10 minutes.  I thought, wow, that’s more than I made all day!  Getting the earrings in stores was no easy task.  I thought of them as a great souvenir and tried to get them into stores along Hollywood Blvd for years, but no one saw my “vision.”  Finally the new manager at the Chinese Theatre Gift Shop agreed to take three dozen and let me put up a display.  They sold there for nearly 5 years (1987-1992?).  I wish online shopping had been a thing then.  

 

 

P.S.  You can follow me on Instagram @filmat11jewelry to learn more about my work.