Hi there! Welcome!
I’M JANET, Emmy-award winning filmmaker and founder of Friends In Film and the Craft Certificate Program. My mission is to inspire and educate actors, filmmakers, and creators to take control of their careers and—more specifically—work professionally on TV shows and feature films.
I’ve been fortunate to be one of the most in-demand professionals here in Los Angeles. I am on set every week, and sometimes even teach from the set.
The film industry has given me a lifestyle I could never have imagined: I’ve traveled the world for National Geographic, won an Emmy, was nominated for an Emmy, and now work regularly with celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Sandra Bullock, and Liam Hemsworth. Recently, it was John Stamos, Eva Longorio and Selena Gomez… three different shoots in one week. This is typical… and this is how it can be for you!
What is Friends In Film?
Friends In Film gets people the connections and experiences they need within the Feature Film, Commercial, and TV community to reach to the top of the industry. Students build their careers on professional film shoots under the guidance of online mentors, trainings, weekly video meetups, and an online Mentorship group.
We challenge conventional methods with a more direct approach that addresses the rapidly changing structure of today’s entertainment industry.
What is the Craft Certificate Program?
Friends In Film’s Craft Certificate Program is a program that gets people on film sets around the world—working alongside professionals in departments associated with their crafts: acting, writing, cinematography, sound, editing, directing, producing, hair, make-up, stunts, and more.
Meet the Fearless Friends In Film Team!
Our tight-knit team is dedicated to helping actors and filmmakers reach their goals in the industry where everything is word-of-mouth. Started as a Film School alternative, Friends In Film created the A-list Model to ignore everything except what gets people in demand and working on paid professional sets.
Janet Urban
The fearless leader, Janet knows how to break into the industry from the outside because she did it herself with no prior film experience or set knowledge. She refuses to let the Universe tell her to back down on any endeavor she sets her heart to. Her top priority is getting fantastic people inside the film industry—on set—doing what they love and having the greatest time.
Joe Hettinger
Joe is Janet’s Mountain Man. He has climbed Mount Denali, was a kayak instructor and trip leader, and keeps things running smoothly behind-the-scenes at Friends In Film. On top of having a warm and gentle soul, Joe is known as the de facto father figure within the Friends In Film team and community.
Hanlu Doyle
Hanlu is Friends In Film’s Creative Strategist. She creates graphics, copy, and visual systems in high hopes they will deconstruct the cryptic nature of the film industry for everyone. She was FIF’s official cat-petter, much to the cats’ chagrin… but now, much to their delight, she lives and works in Denver. Follow her on Instagram at @hanludoyle and @hanlu.png.
Nycole Flynn
Nycole is the Director of Social Media and Happiness at Friends In Film. She’s also who you’ll email with the most before your mentorship with Janet. Nycole is a die-hard foodie, shoe lover, and former Music & TV industry Marketing professional and Publicist, who also moonlights as a mom of three beautiful daughters and wife of a charming Digital Strategist. After a 15-year stint in NYC, she brought the East Coast hustle to California’s laid back shores and is loving every minute of it.
Omar Lopez
Omar is a self-proclaimed badass and all-around excellent individual. It is simply known. He spends his time reading, writing, making videos, adventuring, and exploring different spiritual practices. He has a BA in Music Production, plays guitar in a band called Plan Your Escape, and plays bass/sings at his church: City View Worship. Omar also loves making hiphop and rapping. Follow his Instagram @omarthegrateful for links to his music and podcast!
Gregory McDonald
Greg is a Writer, Video Editor, and Astrophysicist-In-Training. He finds it an amazing privilege, and incredibly inspiring, to be able to watch everyone in the program create new careers and lives for themselves.
Aaron Omar Talabucon
Aaron is a recent addition to the team as a video editor. With a degree in Music Industry Studies, his passion for arts and entertainment extend through many different avenues. He is a highly sought-after marching band instructor in his hometown area of Ventura County, is a recently accredited music producer for the up and coming indie band, Archer Oh, and is a trumpet player with professional gigging/studio experience.
Adrian Arroyo
Adrian Arroyo is a Director of music videos who uses his skills for creating content for TikTok and other social media videos.
FAQs
Get the answers to the questions I get asked all the time. Click on a question below to reveal the answers.
I started explaining the nature of the film industry, which works through connections. It grew into conference calls, helping people get work in the industry… and all of that hard work eventually turned into Friends In Film.
Get involved in Friends In Film, grow your experience on film sets, and get good. Soon you’ll have plenty of work in film, enough to go full time and do it for a living.
My goal today is to help people build careers where they go to the top of their niche – Acting, writing, cinematography, sound, editing, directing, producing, hair, make-up, stunts, and more.
From the Getting Started in FILM training, people have gotten internships, auditions, paid film jobs as well as relationships that lead to film gigs, that have even taken people around the world.
After Getting Started in FILM Mini-Course, you can do the Craft Certificate Program, our PAID program, and learn the A-list Model which gets you professionally into the niches of of acting, writing, cinematography, sound, editing, directing, producing, hair, make-up, stunts, and more.
All the people you see on the case study page did the Craft Certificate Program and now are full time in the film industry. This is the program that got them IN and working.
The idea is you’ll say, “Man, this helped me so much, think what the paid stuff can do for my career.”
We keep it pretty simple, direct, and honest here.
Finding Friends In Film is a life changer for you. We have a strong network of professionals worldwide. We often have get-togethers in cities around the world, have parties, go wine tasting, and pass work to each other.
It is a wonderful thing!
If you’ve tried and been discouraged about making a career in this industry, that’s because you didn’t master how to build your business in a word-of-mouth industry. Friends In Film will give you explicit steps on how to make a career happen for real.
Every Big, Life-changing Goal Starts with a Simple Decision.
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