That’s why we have been excited to take a seat down throughout NAB 2015 to speak with CA in LA (aka Courtney Birk and Ashleigh Coffelt), a dynamic multidisciplinary movie and content material creation duo primarily based in Los Angeles to study extra about their journeys and see what recommendation they might share for everybody else launching their very own channels, manufacturers, and careers.
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NFS: Thanks for chatting with us right here at NAB 2025! Might y’all introduce yourselves and inform us a bit about what CA in LA is all about?
Ashleigh Coffelt: We’re Courtney and Ashleigh, CA in LA, and we’re greatest pals, filmmakers, musicians, and selection streamers. We co-own a multimedia firm collectively that spans dwell broadcast, movie, music, movie schooling, and wonderful artwork. We’re simply looking for a method to transfer ahead with storytelling, and we actually really feel like interactive broadcast is the way in which of not solely the current, but additionally the long run.
Courtney Birk: Sure, and we’re actually excited to speak about Mommy Points as we speak. It’s our latest brief movie. It is an absurdist comedy, which all of us desperately want, and it is a couple of lady checking in on her ex and discovering out he created a Temu AI model of her. It’s actually enjoyable, and this is only one of 200 brief movies we have made up till now. We’re actually grateful to be right here and discuss extra about our tasks.
Ashleigh Coffelt and Courtney Birk
Credit score: CA in LA
NFS: Might y’all inform us a bit about your backgrounds and the way y’all acquired into filmmaking and content material creation?
AC: Yeah, so I used to be a psychology and enterprise main at Towson College in Maryland, and I used to be like, I actually wish to choose music for films. Fortunately, Towson had an EMF (digital media and movie) monitor that I utilized to and graduated with an audio diploma. The trade was in a extremely attention-grabbing shift, it was a variety of the sound engineers and mixers who have been choosing music for films. I acquired on a few units in Maryland and was like, okay, this isn’t understanding the way in which that I assumed it might. So I used to be like, “I wish to make films. In 2013, I will make 13 brief movies.” Courtney overheard me in a Ruby Tuesday. She messaged me on Fb in a single day, and it was like, “Hey, put me in one among your films.”
And that form of set off our trajectory. We made a ton of movies. We have been making 12 to twenty movies a yr in Maryland, actually simply making an attempt to discover what our voice was, what our storytelling strategies have been, and what outlined us as creatives. We discovered that it was a really collaborative and sandbox method.
We moved out to Los Angeles in 2017. Our movie tempo slowed down dramatically, however the high quality and the manufacturing design, every thing simply skyrocketed. So the trade-off was that we needed to cease making as many movies, however we began making high-quality movies. We acquired a variety of that out of our system early. However yeah, a variety of the ethos of our movie is collaboration, sandbox method, working with pals, working with folks we love, respect, who’re artists that also have that childlike play and creativeness. We are inclined to steer in direction of absurdist comedies and psychological thrillers that concentrate on the human connection and exploring what it means to be human.
CB: I additionally wish to contact on this. I really feel like as quickly as somebody says collaborative and we would like everybody to be passionate, folks assume that they aren’t being paid. And I simply wish to say for the room, Ashleigh and I, our ethos on the subject of filmmaking. We at all times, if we’re capable of, handle our crew. Clearly, they will eat very nicely, however caring for our crew is crucial factor as a result of with out them, we can not even make a film. We simply want them to have that childlike mentality of, “I am prepared to play, I am prepared to leap in and get as quirky or bizarre as potential”, as a result of I feel that that is what makes the most effective movies.
My background in movie, I have been making movies since I used to be a child. I’d make brief movies with my pals, with a VHS recorder, and we might edit by rewinding the VCR and stopping it the place we thought we wanted to retake one thing. It was horrible, nevertheless it was wonderful. I have been performing all all through college, and after I graduated, I did not know if I used to be ever going to behave once more. That was after I collided with Ashleigh and overheard her. I used to be like, it is a probability for me to behave once more, however I used to be doing wedding ceremony images and internships. Ashleigh was like, “You are going to make films with me, you are simply not there but.” Now, we’re right here making a bunch of various kinds of movies, however as Ashleigh was saying, a lot better high quality and extra intentional with what we’re making an attempt to say, too.
Credit score: CA in LA
NFS: Superior, circling again to your brief movie, Mommy Points, the place are y’all at along with your journey with the movie?
AC: We got down to do a trilogy of movies targeted on human connection and know-how, and the way we simply form of get it unsuitable. Black Mirror is a big affect, however the world is a really darkish and bleak place, and we wished to carry a lighthearted method to it. Initially, we have been imagining that we have been going to begin with this one movie and this story round AI courting. This story resonated as a result of somebody at Bumble was saying the way forward for courting is definitely that we do not have time thus far anymore. We will ship AI avatars out into the ether thus far for us, after which in the event that they join, that can immediate the customers to match in actual life. So we’re saving you guys time by sending AI variations of you into the universe. It was actually fascinating that we have gone that far that we will not even date.
And courting is tough, do not get me unsuitable, nevertheless it’s so weird {that a} courting app is like, you do not have time, we will handle this for you. So, we actually wished to discover that essence. After which Mommy Points form of simply got here into play, of us saying, okay, we have got one location, we have got two actors. What’s a extremely outlandish story that we will do? And there was a variety of discuss, as there was, about AI, and we wished to discover what that regarded like in actual life. What in case you had an AI robotic that is simply not fairly there? It passes, however solely up till a sure level.
CB: the place AI is true at times watching it eat itself and the output, and individuals are like, this is not proper, I do not assume. And that is what we actually wished to seize, together with how essential human connection is. We do want it, we desperately want it greater than ever, and AI isn’t going to repair that. So yeah, it was a extremely attention-grabbing factor from Bumble, and on the first considered this idea, we have been like, it is a drama, and we will be actually indignant, there’s some catharsis in right here that we’d like. After which we’re like, no, it must be a comedy so that individuals take note of it and take it critically. However then, it is not doom and gloom, it is extra lighthearted, however we’re nonetheless saying one thing. That is how we leaned into the absurdist comedy of all of it as nicely.
Credit score: CA in LA
NFS: With y’all being co-filmmakers, what’s the post-production course of like for y’all? What has been the modifying course of for tasks like Mommy Points?
AC: So, once we did all of our previs stuff, we have been in Resolve and we have been utilizing it for grading to form of see what the latitude of the digicam was – how far can we push, how a lot lighting will we wish to do virtually on set verse what’s the functionality in publish. We did the colour grade in Resolve. Our colorist, Lana Dedova, did an exceptional job, and he or she and Courtney have been working in tandem to develop that look and to develop the language as a result of, as you understand, once you movie one thing, you’ve three totally different movies. You could have the script, you’ve what you shot on set, after which you’ve the edit. And so it was simply actually combining all of these totally different variations to search out what the story right here was — what did we really get versus what did we hope we acquired.
CB: And we knew that we wished to essentially punch up the colour. Our location was simply white partitions with these darkish brown wood beams that we wished to give attention to, however then we wished a pop of coloration as nicely. Our costume designer, Claire Mildred, did a tremendous job of dressing the actors in brilliant mustard yellow, and people have been the pops of coloration throughout the room. We have been capable of actually punch up the highlights within the area with out blowing something out, and convey up that saturation on the yellow. It offers it an entire new life, nevertheless it’s not like —I do not wish to say a normal movie, however every thing pops a bit of bit extra.
AC: We wished to play with distinction and time of day as a result of it is not likely established if that is going down in the actual world or if it is adjoining to the trendy world. Is it a bit of bit futuristic? Is it an older timeline? We’re leaving that to the viewers, however we wished to create just a bit little bit of a stylistic picture that once you’re watching it, it is not a traditional mission, if that is smart. We did a variety of work with our gaffer, Paula Crichton, to attempt to develop the place these highlight moments can be, particularly with Claire doing a implausible job with costuming. After which our manufacturing designer, Hayley Hughes, did such a fantastic job ensuring that there are pops of coloration all through the set.
CB: Bland-looking location and Resolve gave us such a tremendous alternative to essentially, actually punch up these colours and convey within the shadows the place we wanted them. But it surely’s fantastically balanced and we predict it seems fantastic.
AC: Yeah, shades of brown are very tough to make it possible for they pop, after which each of our actors, Chris Zash and Courtney, have brown eyes, and we’re speaking about white partitions and brown beams, so it was actually, actually essential to get that coloration proper with outcomes.
Credit score: CA in LA
NFS: That’s superior, and really useful insights for these trying to discover the suitable coloration and tones for their very own tasks. In the event you may discuss on to any aspiring filmmakers or content material creators trying to launch their very own manufacturers, what recommendation would you give them?
AC: At all times be in a pupil mentality. At all times be trying to study. In case you are desperate to get extra into movie manufacturing, go searching at native teams, go searching on Fb, they’re in all places. There are at all times individuals who wish to movie that need assist, and you’ll actually study issues that you just like, issues you do not like, suggestions, and tips. Simply put your self in a variety of experiences which you can study each unhealthy and good, however at all times be prepared to study and soar in as a result of it’ll show you how to a lot in the long run when you understand a bit of bit about every thing, and you are making your personal mission.
CB: And at all times stay curious. That is crucial factor. Do not let your gear cease you. I do know everybody talks about capturing on an iPhone, and all of us wish to shoot on probably the most stunning cameras obtainable. Completely. However like Ashleigh was saying, it’s important to have a skillset of simply understanding how manufacturing runs, and I discovered limitations to be tremendous useful for Ashleigh and me. That is the place innovation occurs, and once we’re in an indie movie area, issues are going to disintegrate. You are not going to know what goes the place, and you are going to must problem-solve rather a lot.
And in case you begin with one thing smaller, begin with what you’ve. Like Ashleigh mentioned, we had one location, two actors, what can we make with this? There are countless potentialities of what you are able to do with that. And perhaps all you’ve is a cellphone. Perhaps you’ll be able to have an attractive Blackmagic digicam, however you do not have your whole grip gear. That is okay. What do you’ve, and what tales may be advised? Be enthusiastic about that. The story is what issues. In the end, individuals are going to be extra prepared, particularly within the movie competition route, to concentrate to your story than be like, oh, nicely, they actually used this one mild and so they used it so nicely. It is like, what does the story imply? Concentrate on that.
Credit score: CA in LA
NFS: Nice recommendation. To wrap issues up, what’s subsequent for CA in LA?
AC: We wish to end out the 2 movies left within the connection trilogy. One is a function referred to as “We Did This to Ourselves.” That is a couple of couple that has 48 hours to resolve if they’ll keep collectively or they’ll divorce, with very enjoyable technological problems. After which we will be doing a brief movie – the AI courting mission – working with Black Magic on that one. Hopefully getting to make use of the URSA Cine Immersive as a result of oh my gosh, how enjoyable would that be?
We’re additionally proper now in the course of recording a studio album, and we’re making an attempt to do 10 music movies to go in tandem with its launch within the fall. We have by no means shot a music video for ourselves, and we have been musicians since 2016, so that is the right time to leap in. We’re additionally enjoying a bunch of exhibits round LA, so come out and see us. We stream on Twitch 4 days per week. Would like to have you ever with us.
CB: Sure. And Mommy Points. We’re simply wrapping it up, getting it despatched for movie festivals, retaining our fingers crossed, yeah, after which we’ll be on to the following one. Thanks a lot for having us!
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