Los Angeles—Breaking into the film industry has been harder than ever, with actors, directors, and screenwriters struggling to find work. With the SAG-AFTRA strike, reliance on connections, and economic pressures, those interested in film have faced multiple obstacles among the last couple of years. When Los Angeles-based creatives Jean Evans and Zack Pulliam launched BLEACH, they sought out making projects, including video production and acting. However, what began as a production company soon evolved into a creative hub for film enthusiasts all around the Los Angeles area.
Evans and Pulliam had been working in the film industry for years when they founded BLEACH in November 2024. “We were inspired by the many conversations we had with friends in the industry who were frustrated with always wanting to create but never being able to,” Evans says. BLEACH became a new opportunity to approach the community in film, while also developing skills around them.
When BLEACH was created, their mission was simple. Evans says that the goal was “to provide filmmakers with the tools they need to succeed and give them opportunities to make an impact by focusing on community growth and artist development.” At first, they primarily focused on production.
“Originally we wanted to produce short narrative films and utilize the growing community to do so, but we realized that our biggest strength was growing the community and allowing the filmmakers within it to organically collaborate.” With this, they started to host social events that had nothing to do with film in order to build community. Whether it was karaoke or beach volleyball, Evans decided that fostering friendships instead of traditional networking would help improve the organization.
Their walking clubs began as a way to catch up with friends outside of work, but have now become one of BLEACH’s most popular get togethers. These weekly walking clubs allow its members to get to know each other while also getting their exercise in. The locations often change, but mainly take place in Silverlake or Hollywood. “It’s hard to get people out of their house to take a coffee meeting. It’s a lot easier when you offer other potential connections and getting your steps in.”
Events like this aim to encourage people to talk about things outside of work in order to connect with each and everyone. “For the first half of our outdoor events, we pass out questions to the group that talk about their hometowns, their hobbies, their favorite sports teams. Only after that do we dive into questions about the industry that help us get to know each other’s journeys.”
Evans says she’s learned by working on set that for a community to thrive, it takes a lot more than chemistry. “Consistency is king,” she emphasizes. “Anyone can throw a good event, but to have something that actually makes an impact in someone’s life you need to consistently show up and prove that you care about investing in them.”
“Chemistry off set builds chemistry on set and, in turn, better product.”
As BLEACH grew, they began implementing programs to help those interested in film build their resume. This includes acting improv classes, writer’s nights, table reads, and pitch nights. Evans and Pulliam, specifically, host script reviews, shadow programs, and demo days, noting that demo days are her favorite as she gets to produce and customize demo reels for actors within their community a couple of times a month.
Many of their events are completely free for its members as well. They’re made possible through public places or venues that are generously gifted to the company. “There is a lot of red tape in this industry, especially for beginners,” Evans says. “We know the return on these events go a lot further than monetary for us and our members, so we try to give that to our members when we can.”
BLEACH’s inclusivity is central to its mission. “Do you work in or have aspirations to work in the industry?’ That’s it,” she says. “We have people who are in the directors guild and people who are starting from ground zero. We believe everyone has something to benefit from conversing at any level.” Evans explains that she wants every member to take away “that the industry is more accessible than you’re told it is.”
So what’s next? BLEACH is approaching their one-year anniversary celebration this November, and they plan on throwing a larger social event to bring the community together. They are already planning for 2026 as well, recently partnering with Peerspace on an event.
“We are so grateful to see that larger brands are getting excited about our mission and recognizing the power in this community.”
As the community continues to grow, its mission remains clear to foster community and artist growth in the film industry. “Film is one of the most powerful tools we have to change the world, there is a great responsibility in the work we are choosing. I’m often astounded that we get to play some small part in that.”
For more information on BLEACH and how to join, visit https://filmsbybleach.com/logo.
