What kind of artist are you?
I am a filmmaker. I am also photographer though. I had a show at Coolspace recently, Cheesecake Girls. That’s a hard question to answer though. People hear I am an artist and they ask “Oh you’re an artist. So do you paint?”
Are you a native to Shreveport?
No I have lived here 5 years now.
After 5 years how have you seen the film scene develop in Shreveport?
When I moved here the film world was booming. There were a lot of big time movies being shot here. Unfortunately I have seen that decline, but I have also seen the rise of the Louisiana Film Prize – a beautiful community of filmmakers who live here which is unlike anything else.
What are your plans to help sustain the future of film in Shreveport?
That’s really hard to answer. I never thought I would be here for 5 years. I love making movies here. It’s easy. People are very supportive. It’s just oh I have this idea, lets get a crew together and go to town. I’ve been in bigger cities and it’s a pain in the ass. There is all this paperwork and it’s just not as easy. Shreveport is like having a favorite indie band and not wanting anyone else to know out about them. Like no it’s mine. I don’t want you to get too big.
You have entered the Louisiana Film Prize this year? Tell us about your film.
It’s called #thefutureiscrowdfunded, all one word. This is my second time entering the Louisiana Film Prize. My husband and I wrote this one together. We actually work really well together. This year we haven’t done any crowd funding. We’ve cashed in our savings to produce this film. Without giving too much away it’s about two people who have to say goodbye without any typical tropes. They aren’t saying goodbye because they are breaking up or moving away. There is a whole other baseline as to why they have to say goodbye and also have to say goodbye to earthly pleasures. It’s a drama. You should drop a tear or two, if I did my job well.
Did you put this film together specifically for the Louisiana Film Prize because you think it will do well in the festival?
I didn’t think I need to make a drama to win $50,000. I don’t think there is a mathematical equation to figure out how to win the LaFP. Hopefully it will win. We want to people to come see our film and leave wanting to talk about it, the emotions of what it would be like to go through something like our characters do.
Do you think the LaFP is helping change to the way film is respected as in art form?
They are creating such a camaraderie during the festival that just generates a buzz. If there is an aspiring film maker that hasn’t entered the film prize I just can’t help but ask why.
How is the post production process going?
It’s going well. We have a local musician, Alexandra McCullough, who is recording a couple of songs for our film over at Foxtrot Studios which is really exciting. We are really trying to take advantage to what is around us. It’s really awesome, what we have here.
Do you edit you own film?
My husband and I do it together. I go through the shots and pick out what I want and then he comes in and does more of the creative editing. We are using Final Cut.
Any conflicts in the editing room?
I win. It’s my vision. I win when I can back it up, but generally we have a shared vision. I always cut for performance and he cuts for technicality. Very much a ying and yang situation.
What do you like most about film making?
It’s hard. I’m not a fan of pre-production. I like the planning but it’s just overwhelming. I love the manipulation of editing. It’s more fun. The highest form of validation is when you intend for a laugh and you get it.
If you had unlimited funds what would you do?
I would make a feature film in Shreveport. 
What is your favorite thing to do in Shreveport?
There is a lot of drinking in Shreveport-Bossier. The food trucks. Everything Unscene is doing. Month to month it changes. Who knows?
What was your first piece of art you ever
If we can lump in poetry as an art form, I’ve been writing poetry since I was able to write. That’s how I started to learn words. As a dyslexic child my father introduced me to poetry as a way to help with that. I still have my first piece. It was a poem about a deer from Texas.
If you could be any animal what would you be and why?
I would be a panther because I’ve never been very eloquent on my feet. It would be the closest thing to a ballerina I would ever be.
Do you have any role models that brought you into filmmaking or photography?
I have my favorite directors, but I don’t like to list names because sometimes that tends to give people a predisposition to what they think I am trying to be. I just want to be me.
What advice would you give to someone trying to be a filmmaker?
If you have an idea, just go for it. The hardest part of making a film is that space between having an idea and deciding to do it because that’s when all the doubt comes in and you can talk yourself out of it. Start shooting before it happens. Don’t let that happen, don’t think about it.
What do you like on your burger, or are you vegan?
Oh God no! I’m from Texas. I like my meat. Cheese and mustard. That’s it.
What is Bledska Works?
Bledska Works is the combination of Mindy Bledsoe and Rob Senska. We are a production company. We shot a music video for Super Water Sympathy under Bledska Works. We make money. Shreveport has been good to us.
What do you attribute to your success?
When we moved to Shreveport we just met a lot of great people. That has led to more and more work. I’d rather have my own production company than work for another, so if anyone wants to donate, you can. You can see our work at www.bledska.com. Another cool thing about this city is we missed out on the film prize last year but we wanted to show our latest film so we got together with Scott over at Stray Cat and had a showing of our film. I would like to get together with other filmmakers in town and show our short films more often.