Bryce Dallas Howard: Renaissance Woman
Howard was born in Los Angeles, raised in Connecticut, and eventually moved back to L.A. Howard was five years old when her parents moved to Connecticut, a move, industry professionals told her father could cost him his career. Throughout her experience in and out of Hollywood, Howard says the industry has come a long way since and that the industry is changing, a change her parents saw coming.
“My mom, ages ago she was calling this. She was saying, ‘Ronnie, this is going to change, we need to save every penny, you need to put on your big boy pants and get out there, and keep making your movies.’ She really, really, anticipated this and so while quite a lot of people have been quite thrown, my dad has really taken this changes in stride and has stayed focused,” said Howard.
The change Howard is referencing is the move of Hollywood crews to other states due to tax incentives, the flexibility of the industry, and the rise in technology. Howard recently spoke to USC students at the screening of a short film she directed in partnership with her father Ron Howard and Canon U.S.A’s Project Imaginat10n called, “when you find me”. During the Q & A portion of the screening, Howard said the increasing advances in technology especially in the “5D Canon” cameras, has helped spread the concept of Hollywood throughout the nation.
“It’s cool to be around when a change is happening. It’s a nice feeling to say, I don’t know where we are headed but I’m pretty sure its better and its going to be really hard to get there, but I am going to stick it out and wake up every morning and find some time today to be creative,” said Howard.
Howard says another part of the changes in Hollywood is the opportunity to collaborate, “There is nothing better than working closely with a person or a group of people who inspire you. You have a partner and you don’t feel alone, and it is just beautiful. Collaborating is a part of my job that I love the most, absolutely.”
Hollywood Pros and Cons
Although Howard believes the changes in the industry are occurring for the better, she says there are some aspects of Hollywood (the location) that makes it a unique part of Los Angeles.
“One thing that I really love about this industry is that there are truly no rules, I love Hollywood’s ability to grow and change,” said Howard.
On the other hand, Howard says there is a darker side to the industry, “I haven’t really been affected by this personally and neither has my family but something I feel very sad about for my friends is the loss of their privacy.”
Howard acknowledges Hollywood as a public industry and life exists under a “microscope”, but still worries about the impact of the publicity on fledgling actors.
“As an actor or someone who is creative, you want to be vulnerable and you want to stay vulnerable and open and be a part of life. When you are exposed or criticized, not just for the things you do creatively but for the things you do personally that can shut down someone very quickly, And that’s not constructive,” said Howard.
Moving Forward
Over the past three months, the Los Angeles City Council has reviewed and accepted a proposal from Councilmembers Jan Perry and Bernard Parks that extends the state’s current tax program and would continue to provide additional incentives to match those being offered in other states like North Carolina and Louisiana.
At the end of the day, Howard believes there’s one thing to keep in mind when people think of Hollywood, “This is an industry town, and it’s a creative hub for a lot of different industries in many ways, primarily the film industry. It is a place that’s important to feel comfortable in, but it is becoming more and more obvious that it is not as much of a handicap anymore to not live in L.A, as it was in the past.”
