TikTok, Film & Me – Meet Sabrina Lassegue

One Saturday morning spent productively scrolling through my FYP, I stumbled across a young woman explaining the process of setting up scenes on a film set. Intrigued, I took a deep dive into her account. From safety shots to storyboarding, I found that this content creator was offering a rare ‘through the keyhole’ insight into filmmaking. This lady’s name was Sabrina Lassegue and her TikTok page, @directedbybrini, featured reel after reel of videos covering all things filmmaking: life on set, advice to aspiring filmmakers, and even vlog-style ‘day in the life of pre-production’ montages. Racking up millions of views, Sabrina’s creative BTS shorts have helped her amass an impressive 90k followers, proving that viewers are eager to learn more about the reality of working in the industry. I caught up with Sabrina to chat about her production company, accessibility and, of course, TikTok.

So, what makes TikTok such an interesting space to create content?

With TikTok, the world is truly your oyster. As your audience isn’t necessarily limited, you can wind up on anyone’s FYP, which makes it a great space to grow your business, career or your lifestyle.

What inspired you to start making TikToks about your career and experiences in film?

I started making TikToks in hopes of connecting with other filmmakers, building an audience for my films, and sharing my journey as a Black woman in film. I wasn’t seeing many people documenting their process at the time, especially anyone who looks like me, so I thought I’d do it myself.

One of your most viral TikToks, which was picked up by Buzzfeed and The Independent, involved a negative experience with a dismissive male colleague, who used statements such as “the problem with you women is…” and the like. Have you experienced a similar reception elsewhere, and what steps should be taken to improve inclusivity in the industry?

I’ve definitely experienced sexism in the industry before. Whether it be in meetings with professionals or on set when I’m directing, producing, shadowing or even acting. In order to move forward as an industry, I think everyone should follow the rule of letting someone’s work to ‘shut up and show up’. We need to stop judging or making assumptions based on appearance and start allowing work and pitches to do the talking. It’s important for women to hold people accountable and make these occurrences a big deal – that’s the only way people learn. I definitely believe that this generation is heading in the right direction though. I’m very lucky to know men who understand the struggles many women face and who are quick to speak up when these experiences unfold. These are the kind of people I surround myself with. 

Do you believe that raising awareness of such issues on social media can activate change or offer support to young filmmakers?

I definitely think that raising awareness can activate change. The aforementioned video had over 12 million views before it was taken down and it inspired many people to share their stories. I remember getting so many messages from brands and other women who had experienced a similar thing. After the video received so much attention, the brand in question activated change and I found that new brands wanted to collaborate on some inspiring campaigns. Filmmakers are easily stepped on and we must learn to advocate for ourselves – it’s important to share our experiences, both negative and positive.

Moving away from social media, you launched a production company at age 19. What made you take that leap, and what’s the most rewarding aspect of running your own company?

I chose to launch a production company because I have a lot to say, and I had no one who wanted to hear it. I really wanted to implement diverse storytelling from script to screen and do so whilst employing and educating youth. The most rewarding aspect of this venture has been watching my visions come to life and building a team of people I love to work with.

Yellow Rain Productions aims to ‘tell great, creative and innovative ideas, while implementing diversity on all sides of the camera’. It also offers a mentorship programme for underrepresented talent – could you tell us a bit more about the programme?

Our mentorship programme is free and open to anyone who is a high school senior and above and who, crucially, hasn’t had the ability or resources to attend film school. We invite members of the LGBTQ+ and POC communities, women, and those who grew up in a low-income household who are wanting to apply to college, film festivals, or any film related programmes. Through YRP, we can waive their fees and provide them with the opportunity they’ve been looking for. We also invite industry professionals in both the indie/freelance world, as well as unions, to speak to them via zoom. The students are given assignments, quizzes on set terms, shadowing opportunities, marketing information, and more. We set them up to get jobs on set and make it possible for them take the next step in their career via the help of a free film course. Many of them are now actually working on sets as PA’s – one actually works with me at Yellow Rain now. I also have another mentee who is working full time at HBO MAX and another who recently completed her proof-of-concept film through our programme. I think education is vital, but I recognise that not everyone has access to it. Anyone can have the vision, but not everyone has the means of executing it. Here at YRP, we are working to end gatekeeping in the industry and hold the door open for young filmmakers of all backgrounds. 

Finally, a question I always love to end on, what advice would you give to anyone thinking about pursuing a career in film?

Go for it now. Stop pushing off the film you want to write or shoot. Grab friends, be impulsive. You’re going to make bad stuff and fall on your face, but you’re going to have fun doing it and you’ll learn something every single time. It’s important to understand that one day you’ll find your voice. Remember, there’s no such thing as perfection in film – it’s a journey, not a destination. 

Sabrina is currently working on her series “Season of the Girlboss”, a reality web series aiming to highlight women and content creators in various fields who exist in male dominated sectors. This series is set to premier later this year. Follow Sarbina on Instagram to keep up to date with her projects. 

All photos courtesy of @directedbybrini @sabrinalasagna