Women Behind the Scenes Spotlight: April Blair

Today’s Women Behind the Scenes spotlight is focused on producer, writer and series creator April Blair.

Throughout the late 90’s April held a variety of behind-the-scenes positions on the following films: Set Production Assistant for the 1995 Jason Alexander film For Better Or Worse; Production Office Coordinator for the 1996 Gregory Hines film Good Luck; Post-Production Coordinator for the 1996 Tilda Swinton film Female Perversions; Production Office Coordinator for the 1997 Michael Apted documentary Inspirations; Post-Production Coordinator on the 1997 documentary Full Tilt Boogie; Production Office Coordinator the 1997 Natasha Gregson Wagner film First Love; Production Office Coordinator for the 1997 French film XXL that starred Gerard Depardieu; Production Office Coordinator on the 1998 film Pants on Fire and Production Office Coordinator on the 1999 film Joe the King.

The next year, she continued with behind-the-scenes work as Production Office Coordinator for the John Leguizamo film King of the Jungle and Development Coordinator for the Jeff Daniels film Chasing Sleep. In 2001, she moved up by working as a Production Manager for the film According to Spencer; Unit Production Manager for the film I Am Josh Polonski’s Brother and Unit Production Manager for the film Wendigo. One year later she worked as a Production Coordinator for the 20002 Rosanna Arquette directed documentary Searching for Debra Winger.

The difference came for April in 2007 when she wrote the made-for-TV movie Christmas Caper that starred Shannen Doherty and Ty Olsson and then she wrote the screenplay for the 2008 Jessica Simpson film Major Movie Star (aka Private Valentine).

Two years ago, she wrote the made-for-TV Disney movie Lemonade Mouth and then she co-wrote (with Thomas Bezucha, Maria Maggenti and Kelly Bowe) the 2001 box office movie Monte Carlo that starred Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy and Leighton Meester. Currently she is the series creator and writer for the popular ABC Family series Jane By Design.

On a personal note, April is married to producer Jake Weiner (A History of Violence and Leap Year) and is sister-in-law of author Jennifer Weiner.