Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Noelle Balanag
Hi Joy Noelle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I attended the University of Houston for media production and received my degree in December 2020. I started working in production in Houston on commercials and independent projects in March of 2021 before moving out to Los Angeles in August of that same year.
While in LA, I received a call to work on a show in Houston and moved back for a few months while working on a Netflix show here in the city. Once I wrapped that, I moved back to LA and got to work with big-name companies like Disney, Hulu, Discovery+, and Warner Bros. My experience working on the show in Houston led me to the opportunity to work with WBTV on the show All American where I was from 2022 to 2024. I wrapped up my final season with them and am now continuing my freelance journey again.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey has not been the smoothest. Graduating during the pandemic, working during entertainment union strikes, and the competitive job market made it difficult to maintain my income. Luckily, through collaboration and staying in touch with my contacts, I was able to make ends meet while being able to pursue my passion for storytelling.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have always had an interest in storytelling and writing. I love creating characters and bringing them to life. My interest in human psychology has helped me to understand what makes a character more relatable as a human being. Post-college, I focused on honing in on my screenwriting skills and exercised my writing techniques often. I started working as a production assistant on set before moving into an office PA role. I found the transition to be beneficial for me and gave me more consistency with work to be able to focus more on passion projects.
I am most proud of the first short film I wrote out of college. I received a lot of warm words from colleagues and friends and reached quarter-finalist status when I submitted to screenwriting competitions. It was out of my comfort zone, but I’m glad I did it. I like to tell stories with the Asian perspective in mind, most of my work is written to have an Asian lead. I think it’s important that, as an Asian-American, we create our own opportunities to succeed. I love the collaborative aspect of writing and being in writers’ rooms.
How do you think about luck?
I believe fortune favors the bold and for me, I’ve been a bit shameless at times in the way I’ve networked with people. I’m big on “if you don’t ask, the answer is always no”, so I always like to ask for what I want or open the conversation to it. I’ve worked hard for the career I’ve had and have been fortunate to get to do the things I’ve done. Rejection from one thing is redirection to another, so all the bad luck that’s come my way has redirected me towards the good, both in life and my career
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joy.noellee/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/joynoellee?lang=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@babypancit
