Leslie Ann Jones

I met up with Leslie Ann Jones at her workplace, Skywalker Ranch, at 1pm on June 24, 2008. The drive to this Marin County location (right outside of San Francisco) was extremely picturesque. I tried to take a picture or two, but almost ran into a horse and a vineyard, so I put the camera away.

I purposely didn't fully research the women I was interviewing as I didn't want to be thinking of their fame and legendary status while interviewing them. To be sure, I had no idea what stars these women are, as I didn't want to run the risk of being all starstruck and geeky in their presence. Leslie Ann, however, had a reputation that preceeded her. I didn't look up her resume or credits, nor did I even know anything about the place where she works. I just wanted to meet her and ask her about her career as a female in the industry.

However, when I would mention her name (her name comes up a lot in the industry) or where I was going, the reactions I got from local colleagues were quite hilarious. Some pleaded for me to pack them in my suitcase, others had slack jaws and wide eyes. No matter. I didn't want to know any more.

To be honest, I would have met this woman in the grittiest bar in the most dangerous area of town. It doesn't matter to me where she works - to me she is the holy grail because she was one of the first women to succeed in this business. And I KNEW that she must have some stories to tell.

Leslie Ann was friendly and open about her life. It was obvious to me that she was used to being interviewed (a lot of these women are!), but she still had patience with little old me. She told me of her history of getting into the field, of how she didn't really know of any other females until she worked at Automatt. She also told me of how she was chosen to be on certain sessions BECAUSE she was female. She truly gave me a balanced look at all the difficulties and all the benefits a female encounters in this business.

Leslie Ann is looked to as a major role model for many women, young and old. In the course of my research, I have found that a lot of women find success by creating their own studio/business, much like I did. It is oftentimes a lot harder to go the route that Leslie Ann did - entering into a traditional commercial studio setting. But she somehow has forged a career where she works hard, commands respect through her gentle, humorous, professional demeanor, and then gets to have adequate free time too.

I really admire her, not for what she has done or where she works, but for who she is. She seems so grounded, so happy. Certainly she holds the secret to a well-balanced life, and I hope that we can all learn from her story.