Talk Digi To Me March FWD: Kerri Birch

Talk Digi To Me

Kerri Birch's remarkable 20-year journey through the film and TV production industry reveals what true persistence looks like in creative careers. From her early days as a set runner on German films to co-founding award-winning 13 Degrees North Productions, Kerri shares how childhood dreams of storytelling evolved into executive leadership in Caribbean filmmaking.
The conversation takes us behind the scenes of major productions, including how Kerri spent four years persistently pursuing the producers of "Below Deck" before finally bringing the show to Grenada's beautiful waters. Her stories about managing over 100 crew members during COVID-19 for a Royal Caribbean shoot in Dominica showcase both the logistical challenges and creative rewards of production work in paradise.
Kerri demystifies the art of location scouting, explaining it's far more than finding pretty backdrops. She describes evaluating waterfall locations in Dominica's rainforests not just for their beauty but for practical concerns like equipment access, setup space, and filming angles—considerations that make the difference between successful shoots and production nightmares.
As a female executive in a male-dominated field, Kerri speaks candidly about her perspective on the Caribbean film industry's potential, and highlights the need for simultaneously developing local talent through funding while attracting international productions through strategic incentives.
For aspiring filmmakers, especially young women, Kerri's advice resonates with hard-earned wisdom: "Do not let the "nos" deter you. Feel your feelings but don't stay there." Her journey proves that networking, persistence, and self-advocacy create opportunities in an industry where determination matters as much as talent. Listen now and discover how Kerri turned "no" into "yes" through sheer persistence and Caribbean creativity.

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Chapters

1. Meet Kerry Birch: Caribbean Film Pioneer (00:00:00)

2. Childhood Dreams to Production Reality (00:01:56)

3. Building 13 Degrees North Productions (00:05:04)

4. Favorite Projects: Below Deck & Royal Caribbean (00:07:35)

5. The Art of Location Scouting (00:09:25)

6. State of Caribbean Film Industry (00:12:07)

7. Women in Film: Challenges & Opportunities (00:16:30)

8. Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers (00:19:00)