Danielle’s Story
I’ve spent more than 30 years working in film and television production across Australia, New Zealand, and the United States — from managing actors and crews to Line Producing feature films, scripted television series, commercials, and large-scale live events.
Much of that time has been spent in high-pressure environments where decisions are made quickly, stakes are high, and leadership is tested daily. I've worked alongside producers, directors, assistant directors, production managers, coordinators, and crew navigating demanding schedules, tight budgets, creative pressure, and constant change.
Over those years, I became increasingly interested not only in how productions get delivered, but in how people function within them. I was fascinated by how leadership holds under pressure, how teams communicate when things break down, and what it truly takes to sustain a long and successful career in this industry.
I've seen talented professionals leave the industry after burnout. I've watched relationships suffer under the pressures of production life. I've seen capable leaders struggle in silence because everyone expected them to have the answers. The screen industry talks constantly about production challenges, yet rarely about the human beings carrying them.
I've sat in production meetings, managed crews, negotiated impossible schedules, worked under studio pressure, navigated creative conflict, and faced the uncertainty that comes with a career built around projects and contracts. Those experiences shaped my understanding of the personal and professional challenges faced by screen industry professionals at every level.
In 2008, alongside my production career, I began training in leadership and coaching. I was motivated by seeing so many talented colleagues and mentors struggling with burnout, workplace conflict, and leadership challenges despite being highly capable professionals.
I completed the full Co-Active Coach Training (CTI) program and the year-long CTI Leadership Program in Barcelona, Spain. These experiences were transformative, providing practical tools for leadership development while challenging many of my own assumptions about performance, resilience, and personal growth.
This work led me into professional coaching, supporting screen professionals through career transitions, leadership challenges, burnout, workplace conflict, and the complexities of working in creative industries. I have also trained in DBT-informed skills for emotional regulation and stress management, and I am currently completing a Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Today, Screen Leadership Institute brings together my experience in film and television production, leadership development, coaching, and psychotherapy training to support screen professionals across Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. My focus is simple: helping people build sustainable careers, navigate pressure more effectively, and thrive both professionally and personally in an industry unlike any other.
Why This Institute Exists
Screen production is a unique and demanding environment. It requires creativity and precision under intense time pressure, shifting conditions, and high interpersonal complexity. The short-term contract nature of the work and significant power imbalances often create unsustainable conditions.
Over the years, I’ve watched capable, experienced professionals reach burnout — not because they lack skill or resilience, but because the systems place constant pressure on decision-making, relationships, and personal capacity. Yet the industry rarely creates safe space to talk about these realities.
Screen Leadership Institute was created to fill that gap — to support the human side of screen production leadership with honesty and real-world understanding.
Our focus is simple: Helping producers, directors, and production leaders navigate pressure, prevent burnout, manage career transitions, and build sustainable, long-term careers in film and television.