Billy Greenfield on set 
In Dubious Battle

WHO I AM

All about Billy.

I came to Los Angeles and the Film Business by way of St. Louis, Missouri.

I grew up in St. Louis and went to College at the University of Missouri-Columbia where I received a Bachelor of Journalism.

At the time, Missouri was the top rated journalism school in the world and while I loved to write, I loved movies more, so I moved to California.

I went to Graduate Film School at San Francisco State University part-time at night while cutting concrete and dispatching a fleet of trucks for my uncle’s specialized construction service company. I

didn’t complete my Masters. I dropped out and bounced around for awhile. It was a bit of a journey. It took me awhile to find my place.

Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri in the 1970s and 1980s, making movies seemed like it was something only special, seriously talented people did. I didn’t realize that anybody could get into making movies if they wanted to.

I didn’t know that talent was something you developed. It took me a few years but I finally figured it out (sort of — I’m still figuring it out.) I didn’t think I belonged anywhere for a long time to be honest.

But I couldn’t kick the love of movies and the dreams of making them, so I made my way to Hollywood in 1997 (actually Van Nuys) and got an internship with Blue Rider Pictures answering phones, making copies, doing runs in my pick-up truck and reading scripts.

They let me intern on a real production — “Children of the Corn V” and I was hooked. I stayed in touch with the production team and kept networking, getting a few days here and there.

BillyonSet.jpeg

It’s crazy but here I am, living the dream.

On the set of “Shot,” Directed by Jeremy Kagan. Photo by Josh Siegel.

Eventually I was working as an Office P.A./runner (for pay) and then a Set Production Assistant (for pay, most of the time) and non-union Assistant Director.

Along the way I did everything else, art department, props, grip, craft service, location assistant, some camera P.A. work, you name it, on all sorts of projects, Movies, Commercials, Promos, Music Videos, Industrials, Print, Documentary and Television.

I wrote, directed and produced short films on the side and have optioned some scripts and been hired for rewrites as a screenwriter.

I just love the process, the teamwork, the camaraderie, and doing creative work with passionate, driven people.

Caught on the monitors

Sometimes they make you get in front of the cameras…

I joined the Directors Guild of America as a 1st Assistant Director in 2007 and have since upgraded to a Unit Production Manager (UPM) and moved to New York City (Another Long Story…) I joined the Producers Guild of America.

I now Produce, Line Produce and UPM. I enjoy the planning and logistics and making it happen.

Developing projects and seeing them come to life. Forgive the sports analogy, but it’s like being a quarterback leading a team, constantly driving to score. You’re a team leader and a team player.

So I guess maybe I found my place after all.