NYWIFT Blog

By Sofiya Saykovska and Lily Della Pietra

Welcome to NYWIFT, Amanda Deering Jones!

Amanda Deering Jones is the director of the new short film Little Mother Lies. She is also the Producer of the Academy Award-nominated animated short film Borrowed Time. She has over 20 years of experience working with Dreamworks Animation and Blue Sky Studios and is currently at Pixar. 

Her career began in Cooperstown, NY, as House Manager at Glimmerglass Opera before transitioning to film. Amanda is a zero-waste advocate and a published writer for the Producer’s Guild Magazine. She is an active member of the Producers Guild of America, Women in Film, Women in Animation, a Governor of the Emmy’s Northwest Chapter Board, and now a NYWIFT member.

Amanda discusses her theatrical roots, getting into animation (without drawing!), and how she creates work that elevates our thinking and highlights the complexities of being human!

NYWIFT Member Amanda Deering Jones

Welcome to NYWIFT! Can you give our readers a short intro to who you are?

Thank you! Film was a staple growing up with no TV in sight, and I was obsessed, easily watching a film I loved a dozen times or more. I was a directing major in college for theatre but switched to producing in my last year, which led me to animation. My journey through animation has been profound on so many levels, and I’ve had a front-row seat to the creative leadership of three studios and over 15 films/series. I’ve been a script supervisor, and I’ve managed almost every department in the pipeline.

Outside the studio, I have produced personal projects in both live-action and animation, taking me to the Cannes Film Festival as well as the Academy Awards. In recent years I’ve rediscovered my passion for directing, which is taking me in a whole new direction. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband, senior pup, and chickens.

What brought you to NYWIFT?

My good friend, the brilliant [NYWIFT Board Member] Sibyl Santiago, introduced me to your organization, and I was immediately impressed with the important work you are doing in the film and television world.

It was clear that this group was different, truly walking the walk on support and inclusivity. I am always looking for ways to elevate women and marginalized communities so I was excited to join this important community.

Amanda Deering Jones with a DP

What inspired you to transition from working in theater to pursuing a career in film and animation?

My training was in theatre, but my heart was always in film. I truly believe theatre is an incredible training ground for any career, if you can pull off a live show with little money, you can do anything. But films had a massive impact on me growing up. They proved to be a guidebook for me, they honestly taught me how to be a woman. In films like A League of Their Own, Little Women, Fried Green Tomatoes, and How to Make an American Quilt, the impact of these characters was massive, and I knew I wanted to be a part of telling women’s stories.

Even though I was a massive fan of Disney animation, it was an unexpected career path. Like many, I assumed you needed to be able to draw (I cannot). Turns out there are many other jobs involved! And my only industry contact was in animation so that became my path.

Amanda Deering Jones at the Oscars

Can you tell us more about your experience working on Borrowed Time, and how it felt to be part of an Academy Award-nominated project?

Borrowed Time was a remarkable experience on all fronts. It was a passion project created by the directors, Lou Hamou-Lhadj & Andrew Coats, and it was done entirely in everyone’s free time. The film took about six years to make, so it was key to keep the team going, and fortunately for the three of us, everyone was very invested in the project. It was exciting working on something outside the studio norm.

We aimed high in all ways, and after a successful festival run and a crazy viral release online, we were fortunate to go all the way to the Oscars. It really was enormously meaningful to be nominated by our peers. The event itself was wild and surreal, and we all felt such immense gratitude for the recognition, which continues today.

Watch Borrowed Time on Vimeo for free!

Amanda Deering Jones and Script Supervisor

Having worked at major studios like DreamWorks, Blue Sky, and Pixar, how have you seen the animation industry evolve over the years, especially in terms of technology and storytelling?

It’s been remarkable to experience all three studios because each one is entirely unique in culture and philosophy. Within each studio, the technology is constantly evolving and it’s easy to see that change as you look through their catalogs of films. It certainly gets more efficient with each film.

For storytelling, there’s always a desire by the studios and the filmmakers to break the mold, aiming to elevate the story with each film. There are constant discussions around looks and how we can come at this story from a different angle. We don’t always succeed, but that is the effort everyone at every level is putting in. We’ve certainly come to understand that the heart of the story is the most important part. We can have all the laughter, even a wild ride, but if it doesn’t have a strong heart element, it likely won’t be remembered.

Pixar has its first full-length series, Win or Lose, coming out on Disney+ on Feb 19, and I was privileged to help lead the Art & Assets team (design, characters & sets). This series is a great example of how we keep pushing forward in terms of both technology and story. It’s a wholly new look for a Pixar project and it was done on a third of the budget we normally have. In addition, the story is pushing boundaries. The eight-episode series takes place the week of a championship for a softball league and each episode is a different character’s perspective on that week. That’s the heart, how we can all experience the same moment in completely different ways. I’m enormously proud of it, I hope everyone watches.

Amanda Deering Jones and Marinka

As a zero-waste advocate, how do you incorporate sustainability into your work in animation and film production? 

I’ve been worried about garbage since middle school. Honestly, I used every piece of paper I came across to take notes on, so I didn’t use any more paper than necessary. So a zero-waste life is something I’m a bit obsessed with. It is often difficult and sometimes not possible to achieve, but I never stop trying.

The film industry can be incredibly wasteful with materials, as well as with digital resources. Pixar is a very forward-thinking company in many ways, including constantly examining how they can make their environmental impact smaller. They even have a dedicated green team. Compost bins are normal and expected, as they should be in any space, whether it’s a brick-and-mortar building or on a set. We factored in waste for our two-day film shoot on Little Mother Lies, everything from composting the food to reuse everywhere possible and recycling as a last resort. All props and set decorations were reusable, either pulled from the team’s homes or rented and returned.

Small things help, like insisting on water bottles for every crew member, but there are also bigger things to examine, like what kind of generator are you using or how much render farm is actually needed. Digital space is often overlooked but is truly an environmental concern too. The PGA’s Green Production Guide has become an important tool in helping productions exist more sustainably. The more we all poke at this issue, the more improvements we can make.

Amanda Deering Jones with Sisters

What was the inspiration behind Little Mother Lies? Can you talk about the film’s impact or message, particularly in relation to family dynamics or the lies we tell each other?

And ourselves. Little Mother Lies is a proof-of-concept for a brilliant feature film called Mother Lies, written by Kitty Edwinson. We also made it in partnership with an important organization, Of Substance. They make short films that aim to help the mental health profession navigate difficult conversations around addiction, trauma, and depression. The bigger story is about two sisters and what happens when secrets see the light of day. When the anger and loss carried through generations of a family lose their poison. When a son, whose addiction seems to come out of nowhere, realizes it was in the marrow of his bones all along.

With the short, we set out to light the fire and give everyone a glimpse of the deeply complex relationship these sisters share. And tease what a son will do when the truth breaks through for the first time.

I hope it creates more understanding for families struggling with addiction of any kind, and I hope it opens the door to expanding our approaches to mental health treatment. If just one person walks away with a perspective shift on their own situation, we will have succeeded.

Watch the trailer for Little Mother Lies!

Are there any projects you are currently working on or would like to explore in the future?

Directing Little Mother Lies really lit a flame within me to do more directing. I have two projects I’ve been developing for many years: one is a book, and one is an original series, both based on real women.

It’s become increasingly important to me to elevate women’s stories and stories from marginalized people. The more we know about the real history of our world, the better chance we have of changing it for the betterment of all. I want the stories I tell to better our world, elevate our thinking, expose truths, and reveal the complexity of what it means to be human.

Equal in importance for me is a true collaboration. When your team is inspired, supported, and committed, not only will the final project be better, but the experience will be greater for everyone.

Learn more about Amanda Deering Jones and her film on Instagram at @littlemotherliesfilm and on Facebook!

(All images courtesy of Amanda Deering Jones)