BPS 221: Writing the End of the World with Zoe Lister-Jones

Our guest today is a triple threat. Actress, filmmaker, and writer,
Zoe Lister-Jones, who made headways in 2017 with her all-female
crew directorial debut, Band-Aid. The decision was inspired to
foster new creative experiences amidst the staggering inequity on
sets.

A couple who can't stop fighting embarks on a last-ditch effort to
save their marriage: turning their fights into songs and starting a
band.  The comedy-drama film, starring Zoe, Jesse Williams,
and her New Girl co-star, Hannah Simone premiered at the 2017
Sundance Festival.

Some of Zoe’s most known acting roles include some of your favorite
sitcoms like New Girl, Whitney, or Life In Pieces. I have watched
Life in Pieces with my family many times and it remains a
favorite. 

Zoe’s love for performing and writing goes back to high school
which set the foundation for a scholarship ride in NYU. Even though
the film is what she’s most known for now, Zoe has a background in
music and theater. In 2009 she co-wrote and produced, her first
screenplay, Breaking Upwards with Daryl Wein on a $ 15,000 budget.
The film explores a young New York couple who, battling
codependency, strategizes their own breakup. 

Operating on a thin budget like that turned the experience into a
crash course or a production management Bootcamp in filmmaking for
her and Daryl as described during our chat. 

A couple more production gigs later and she was ready for the
director’s chair. 

Last year, Zoe wrote, directed, and produced the sequel to The
Craft (1996), a supernatural horror titled, The Craft: Legacy. A
group of high school students forms a coven of witches.

Wein and Zoe paired up again to bring a Sundance 2021 official
selection cinematic experience to our isolated-covid-locked-down
screens with what is described as a serene apocalyptic comedy, How
It Ends. Liza (Zoe Lister-Jones) embarks on a hilarious journey
through LA in hopes of making it to her last party before it all
ends, running into an eclectic cast of characters along the
way.

It was chill and fun chatting about Zoe’s indie filmmaking journey
and navigating the minefields of live sets. 

Please enjoy my conversation with Zoe Lister-Jones.

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