Director Shannon Flynn Wants More Ladies Behind The Lens

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I first met Shannon Flynn on the set of Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn. I had a small but hilarious part as “Peg” the lovable truck driver. And I was nervous. I have always wanted to be on a sitcom for kids. My huge personality and comedy style lends itself to that type of show so I wanted to make a good impression. Shannon, being the pro she is, quickly put me at ease and told me I was really funny. Obviously I fell in love with her on the spot.

I later learned that Shannon has been directing for nearly a decade. She cut her teeth on a little show called, Hannah Montana. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Yeah me too. She worked every day with Miley Cyrus as a dialect coach and then eventually as a director. She quickly gained notice by other networks like Nickelodeon and starting working regularly on shows like, Austin and Ally, Bella and The Bulldogs, and Jessie.

But I wanted to talk to her about life beyond her resume because another thing I found out is that she’s a married mom of three. And I thought my job was hard! As an actress my thoughts are often very actor-centric. Will any one cast me again? Am I too fat? Too gorgeous? You know, the usual. But director moms have a different yet similar set of worries when they get pregnant. Will they get hired to direct again? How will they find child care? Will they get quality time with their kids if they have to be on set all day?

All of these are issues we deal with as parent in the entertainment industry.  Shannon told me about what it was like being hugely pregnant on the set of Hannah Montana and not knowing if she would have a job to come back to after giving birth. It’s a legit concern for women! And I wish it wasn’t. We should have the same job security that our business counterparts to but we don’t due to the freelance nature of the industry.

Shannon was very candid about how her career has evolved in the last 10 years, and why she feels there is major inequality among female and male directors. She also reveals some interesting information about the casting process on these types of shows and why often directors don’t get to be a part of the process at all. Very eye-opening!

You can find out more about Shannon and her upcoming projects at ShannonFlynn.net and you can follower her on Twitter @VoodoSkidoo.

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