Ashley Leitner of Turncoat Pictures Answers Five Questions with SCREEN

Terminator 2, Cake Wars, and the Real Housewives?!? It’s going to be a high-octane round of Five Questions with SCREEN, as Turncoat Pictures Visual Effects Coordinator Ashley Leitner joins the fray. If you’re new to Turncoat Pictures, their latest endeavors include the critically acclaimed AppleTV + Elisabeth Moss series Shining Girls, as well as collaborations on Matrix: Resurrections and Showtime’s Work in Progress. Let’s get to it!

SCREEN: Ok Ashley, what show are you watching right now?

ASHLEY: The Boys on Amazon Prime when I’m not eating. When I am eating, Bravo’s Real Housewives is a go-to.

SCREEN: What was the first film that piqued your interest in visual effects?

ASHLEY:Terminator 2. When I saw the T-1000 terminator melt through steel bars for the first time, my jaw dropped. I’ve been wanting to make movie magic ever since! 

[Editor’s Note: All right, Ashley, here is a gauntlet of top scenes from T2… enjoy!]

And Summer is here since we have to ask… what was your Best Summer Vacation Ever?

I went to the 71st Cannes Film Festival! They were offering a program called Three Days in Cannes for film lovers between the ages of 18 and 28. I applied, was accepted, and got to see Burning, BlacKkKlansman, and The Image Book. Hard to top!

What’s the best thing you ever ate? (Again, you are welcome to include a pic for the article though that is certainly not required!) 🙂

My fiancé’s classic English Sunday roast of course! He cooks potatoes with garlic and rosemary, and they are beautifully crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

If you could the host of any game show in game show history, what would it be? Why?

ASHLEY: Cake Wars! My mom records all the episodes, and we binge them together whenever I’m home. Always a bit sad to hear a delicious cake described but not get to try it!

Ok Ashley, let’s dig in!

BONUS QUESTIONS!

SCREEN: What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

ASHLEY: Such a difficult question, but I think Work in Progress Season 2 on Showtime is my favorite! I It was wonderful working on a show by and about a diverse group of Chicagoans. I was really disappointed to hear that the series was canceled but grateful to have contributed to something so authentic and moving (Work in Progress was also my first credit, so that may also be impacting its “favorite” status).

SCREEN: Worst job ever?

ASHLEY: I shelved books at a secondhand shop over the summer in high school. This was the worst job only because I spent all my money buying the DVDs!

Thanks for playing, Ashley! Turncoat Pictures is a story-driven creative and consulting studio that specializes in Visual Effects for Film, Episodic and Advertising. Upcoming feature film projects include Wolf Hound and Revealer. Click here to reach out to Ashley, Ryan Urban, and the team.