WS Chronicle

According to a study conducted by San Diego State University and The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, women make up less than 25% of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors and cinematographers working on top 100 grossing films in 2019. Despite having those odds against her, Nachela Knox turned her dreams into reality by creating her own production company, GotGetHer Productions. 

As a kid growing up in Cornelius, North Carolina, Knox said she’s always had a passion for theatre and film. She said her mother traveled hundreds of miles driving her to different auditions throughout the city and in neighboring communities. Knox said although she impressed the directors and other staff at auditions, growing up in a single-parent household, oftentimes they couldn’t afford it. 

“It seemed like I would get to the audition and they would always want me and then we got to the financial part and we couldn’t do it,” Knox said. “So this has been something I have been chasing for the longest time because it’s been the one thing that interested me … I never played any sports, it’s always been theatre, theatre, theatre.” 

Still fascinated with acting and theatre and determined to make it happen, after high school Knox attended UNC Greensboro (UNCG) where she majored in acting, but after her sophomore year, Knox decided to change her major to film. “I auditioned for the BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) program at UNCG and I didn’t get in,” Knox said. 

“I didn’t know what I was going to do, but everybody kept telling me that I would be a good director … and honestly, I ran from that for the longest time because I felt like if I started directing it was because I failed as an actress. But when I finally made the decision to change my major and I started learning more and directing more stuff, it gave me a different feeling and I liked that feeling more because when you’re directing, you’re in control and you just don’t have that as an actor.”

Knox said in college she was introduced to a world she didn’t know existed. She said by connecting with the acting community in the Triad, she discovered the indie film world and how to create and distribute her own content.  

After college Knox moved back to her hometown. Although she had released several short films and collaborated with big and small production companies, Knox said she wasn’t satisfied. “The thing they don’t tell you in film school is that just because you have a film degree, you can call Tyler Perry Studios and have a job,” Knox continued. 

“If you go to school to be a doctor, by the time you graduate you can go apply to be a doctor … you can’t do that in film. So it was very frustrating being at home and not being able to do what I love.”

After giving it some thought, Knox relocated to Winston-Salem and decided to take a leap of faith and start her own production company. Knox credited Garrett Davis, CEO of GDavis Productions, for showing her the ropes and giving her the confidence she needed to pursue her dreams. Knox said she didn’t know what to name her new venture at first, but then one day it just came to her, “GoGetHer.” 

“I’ve always been the type of person to just go and get what I want … because I felt like I had to do that, like I have to make it happen one way or another, so GoGetHer just fit,” Knox said. “And it’s spelled with an “H” because I wanted to emphasize that … there’s not a lot of women film directors in general and it’s definitely not a lot of Black female directors. The film industry is white male dominated … there are plenty of Black female directors out there, but you just don’t know who they are because it can be challenging to get the recognition that you deserve.” 

Today GoGetHer Productions offers a wide variety of services including directing, creative consultations, cinematography, writing, casting, and acting services. Next month Knox and her team will begin shooting for the film “Coma Couch.” The film, which is the first feature film released by GoGetHer Productions, is written, directed, and produced by Knox. 

“Coma Couch” is a comedy about a young woman named Briella who flees to the small town of Maple Creek in hopes to escape her abusive husband. However, she quickly realizes that her problems are just beginning when she’s gifted an old couch that has a unique kind of magic – when men sit on it, they immediately fall into a coma. 

Knox described the film as a “fantasy-comedy.” She said she wanted to give viewers something they’ve never seen before. She said her goal is to make “Coma Couch” a classic within the Black community, like Ice Cube and DJ Pooh’s “Friday.” 

“If you think about it, there aren’t many Black fantasy comedies. It’s a magical fantasy comedy and the characters are very interesting,” Knox said. “The people who have listened to the script, they loved it so I’m excited to get it shot and put it out. I think it’s going to be well received.”

When asked what advice she would give to young girls or boys to help them to pursue their dreams, Knox said, “Don’t quit.

“My message would be don’t quit. Whatever you want to do, whatever you want to achieve, you can as long as you don’t quit and as long as you don’t stop believing in whatever that dream is,” Knox said. “This is a dream I’ve had since I was literally five years old and there have been plenty of people who said I couldn’t be an actor or a filmmaker. But here I am. I am 23 and I’m getting ready to do a feature film that has LA producers connected to it, and so many other opportunities. That alone sounds like a dream but that is my reality right now.”

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to help with production costs for Coma Couch. For more information or to make a donation, visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/coma-couch#/. For more information on GoGetHer Productions, visit https://www.gogetherproductions.com/  or “@gogetherproductions” on Instagram.