Tamara Black on refining her filmmaking and creating "The After School Club"
Italian-Canadian filmmaker Tamara Black is on the rise. Pursuing film after studying criminology and a prospective law career, her pivot now allows her the creative freedom for her imagination to run wild—within the boundaries of budgets and logistics of course. Black has been growing her skillset alongside her directing, writing and producing credits, which range from music videos for Vancouver artists, short films and commercials, to podcast series and an HBO Adam Pally comedy special.
Her vision is refined and sharp, and she wants to bring a new perspective to cinema while advocating for space in a still male-dominated industry behind the lens. Her newest short film, The After School Club, premiered to positive reception at Whistler Film Festival last December, and with more projects in development, it won't be long before we see Black's name again.
We spoke with Black about her path to filmmaking, the social commentary within The After School Club and the team effort and stylistic choices made, and the development and approach she takes for new projects.
What can you share about your background in the arts and what sparked that passion in you to pursue this field as a career?
Like most filmmakers, my path to this career was not linear. After taking a film class in high school and falling in love with it as a form of expression - I didn’t formally pursue it as a career path until a decade later. The leap of faith from a comfortable 9-5 to freelancing was certainly scary (and still is sometimes) but ultimately fulfilling. This career has introduced me to people and taken me to places I’d never thought I’d see and I learn something about myself from every project.
What training do you have in filmmaking and how have you gained experience and grown your skillset?
I’m a bit of an outlier in that I didn’t go to film school. I had a scholarship to the Capilano [University] film program but ultimately went the safe route out of high school and got a Criminology degree with aspirations of being a lawyer. I met some of my best friends during that program and for that - I am very thankful - but I also realized the legal path was not for me.
Since making the jump into film, I’ve tried to keep my education current and topical to what I do. I’ve taken introductory filmmaking classes, acting and writing classes to improve my skills as a director, and I’ve also started intimacy coordinator classes, as I believe this skillset is an asset to everyone. Thankfully, producing has a lot of hard skills that cross-over with project management, which is what I was doing in a corporate sense prior to filmmaking.
Who and what are you inspired by as a writer and filmmaker?
Stillness. We are constantly bombarded by information in this age of technology. Not only that, but we can be reached at any time. My best ideas or epiphanies come to me when there aren’t a million tabs open in my brain. I’m trying to implement a new rule; I don’t look at my phone or my laptop for half a day each month. We’ll see how this goes… but I truly believe mental space is necessary for creativity.
You studied criminology in university. Did your studies inform or shape your perspective as a filmmaker in any way?
So much! I think having an academic lens is a form of storytelling in a lot of ways. Forming a good essay or argument is similar structurally to a good script - you have your first act - your hypothesis - middle acts that support your point or your character’s journey - and a final act or thesis that ties it all together. This is obviously a major oversimplification but I had to reframe a lot of things for myself as a protective mechanism - to show myself that I didn’t waste time “figuring out” what I wanted to do but simply took the scenic route and ended up in a cool place.
As a female filmmaker, what challenges have you faced and how have you overcome any stigma or lack of opportunities? How proud are you to be taking up space behind the camera?
I think women are made to feel - or told - that we need to show up in a certain way. That we can only take up space if it fits within the guidelines of how we are perceived. In my opinion, men do not experience this as much and often feel they don’t need to be granted the agency or authority to lead. Women in any male-dominated industry often have to work twice as hard to be afforded the same opportunities and pay. I read a statistic that films directed by women dropped to a 7-year low in 2025 and women directors only made up 8% of this year’s top grossing films. Any time I can direct or support a female led team I jump at the chance - creating opportunities and platforming each other in an industry where we are often overlooked is so, so important.
For me, I know on various occasions that I’ve been offered less pay than my male counterparts for the same role. I’ve been told I need to adjust my tone on set as an AD for both being “too nice” or “not firm enough” although I feel my conduct was similar in both scenarios. I think tone is something women have to tread lightly with when men can often just show up and be themselves without constant adjustment or question.
How would you describe your style as a filmmaker? Are there any signature elements you gravitate toward using in each new project?
I love colour and a strong visual language as the backdrop for the stories I tell. Making moodboards is probably one of my favorite exercises - how are the characters in your story coming to life tangibly and what do certain aspects say about who they are? Developing the aesthetic feels like adding colour to the outline of an image - the main components of story and action are there but how are you elevating them with the other elements?
Aside from commercial projects, you’ve also directed music videos for local Vancouver artists. Tell me about this different kind of collaboration and how the process is guided by the song itself?
My journey into filmmaking definitely happened through music. I was very introverted and in my head growing up - my favorite pastime was either reading or sitting in my room listening to music, which both opened the door to imagination and creativity in different ways. There are so many ways you can approach a music video but I like to be song forward. First things first - is there a performance element? Will the artist be in the video? What other criteria needs to be incorporated to let the piece shine? Sitting down as creatives and answering these key questions are really what kicks off the process for me.
You are also a producer. When you’re solely a producer for a podcast series or comedy special, for example, how does your creative process differ as you take on a different role?
It's interesting because I feel most people view producing as a left-brained endeavour when it involves as much creativity as it does logic. You are the one presented with obstacles that can prevent a production from happening - and you have to find a way around them that is sustainable enough to move forward. This can involve looking for resources or information in places you did not expect, or reaching out to people in your network who can help. Outside of the box thinking is the biggest asset as a producer.
You directed the young adult short, The After School Club, written by Alex Love Kink. How did you become collaborators and align on what you wanted to say in theme and story? What questions did you ask that helped build the story?
I’m really proud of how Alex and I began our collaborative relationship and the work we did to ensure approaching these themes was the right choice. I was familiar with Alex’s work as an actor and writer, and had always admired them from afar, but it wasn’t until a Run & Gun event where my sister started chatting to them that we officially met. From there - we had many Zoom talks about the type of art we wanted to make. We made decks for each other and one overlapping theme we wanted to explore was “social commentary on gender perception.” We decided to do this through the lens of political satire with The After School Club.
Were there any young adult films or series you looked toward for tone? How did you approach being behind the camera as your primary focus?
We drew on films like Heathers, Election, Cruel Intentions and the Netflix series The Politician to form the world of The After School Club. I worked on my script breakdowns leading up to pre-production so I could be as available to my HODs as possible when it was crunch time. I cannot emphasize this enough - hire a good 1st AD - Carl Figueiredo really deserves many flowers on this one. The 1st AD’s ability to run the set allows you to focus on the creative aspects and less on the logistical ones. That and a phenomenal producer team and HODs you trust! Filmmaking is truly a team endeavor, I cannot stress this enough!
I loved the lighting choices you made which created a moody and dramatic air to the school and the students’ dialogue and politics. Tell us about the stylistic choices you made.
Thank you! The stylistic choices in this film are a culmination of efforts from all the wonderful creatives on our team. Belen Garcia, our cinematographer, and I sat down first and built our visual language. We wanted the film to feel “painterly” in its aesthetic. This really sets the tone for the drama to unfold and brings us into how the characters are feeling. They’re high school kids but their moods and problems feel very adult and larger-than-life to them.
Our Production Designer, Isobel Baker-Smith understood the assignment from our initial call. She was already coming to me with ideas after our first meeting, which were just so spot on to this high-brow private school world. Last but not least, a moment for THE COSTUMES. When I engaged Jason Pillay I had it in my head that we couldn’t afford school uniforms. Jason pretty much said “oh, this concept needs uniforms” and I don’t know how the hell he pulled off what he did on such a tight budget, but WOW. I had chills at our wardrobe fitting seeing the looks come to life.
Which was your favourite scene to direct?
Definitely the party scene, and I think this is where my directorial skills shine the most in this film. Because of my background in music videos, big BG scenes with a lot going on feel more familiar and less daunting to me. This scene was very much that, with an important piece of intimate dialogue taking place in the middle of a party. Belen and I wanted this moment to feel intimate, without taking away from the chaos surrounding these two characters. With time running out we could only cover this from one angle so we decided to shoot the conversation from behind the couch, with the party as the backdrop.
The film premiered at Whistler Film Festival in December. How was the reception and also getting to participate in a panel with fellow women artists?
It's always surreal watching something you’ve made with an audience. I’m over the moon hearing people react to certain lines or moments. I was really grateful to speak at the screening and also at a ‘Femme Fatale’ panel with other women directors and artists. The best part is people coming up to you after and sharing their thoughts - this type of engagement with the material is something that is rarely felt, especially as an indie artist. A lot of people told me they wished The After School Club was episodic and this was really affirming for me as someone who wants to branch into television directing.
How do you find the right team for a project and keep the energy and motivation at the right level to match your own? How has networking played a role in your career thus far and how have you built connections within the Canadian film and media industry and beyond?
Filmmaking is certainly an industry of big personalities. I was having coffee with our The After School Club producer Jessica To the other day and we were discussing exactly this. “Networking” can feel weird and disingenuous in this industry sometimes - everyone always has an underlying ask and it can easily become very awkward when people aren’t up front about those things. My rule is always - work with people you like spending time with, because you are going to be spending A LOT of time together. Production often involves long hours, lack of sleep, travel and challenging conversations - who are the people you want to surround yourself with and how can you better understand each other in moments where you might not be at your best?
That’s a bit deep to go for a first coffee chat, but I like to inquire about what types of collaborations people are looking for when we meet. Even if we don’t end up working together, this helps me gauge someone’s temperament and what type of team they’d thrive with. The next time someone reaches out saying “hey, I’m looking for someone for this project who is good at this,” I can hopefully draw on these conversations and give them a recommendation. A lot of this business is simply long term relationship building and forming strong teams.
What are you working on next?
Currently, I’m developing an original drama-thriller Pilled and producing three upcoming comedy specials with the wonderful Brent Hodge directing. I’m also working on a short form series with Alex Kink called Hate Cute - it's Tell Me Lies meets One Day about an anonymous gossip blogger that clashes with a fame-hungry scenester as they fall into a toxic situationship.
If you could be any ice cream flavour, which would you be and why?
Chocolate gelato - no dairy, all sugar! I have a huge sweet tooth that I’m always trying to get under control, unsuccessfully. I’m half Italian and also lactose intolerant so naturally, gelato is my go-to. I do enjoy trying wild flavours sometimes but chocolate is classic!
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For more information on Tamara Black and her work, including The After School Club, visit her official website and follow her on Instagram.