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Amanda Spencer-Phillips — also known as Mandy Spencer-Phillips — has always known that she was destined to do great things in the film industry. Having begun her journey as a production coordinator 38 years ago in an industry when there were no computers or cell phones, she understands that there are certain nuances and intricacies that come as a result of filmmaking.
But Spencer-Phillips isn’t just someone who ventured into this field by way of chance. She has lived, breathed, and experienced filmmaking throughout most of her life, and her accolades show that. She’s won a Daytime Emmy Award for the R.L. Stine TV adaptation of The Haunting Hour (2010-2014), which lasted for four seasons, as well as a Leo Award for Sports on Fire (2015), for which she was also nominated for a Canadian Screen Awards. She’s also known as being a production manager for movies such as Insomnia (2002) and The Chronicles of Riddick (2004). Spencer-Phillips’ career stretches back even further, however — to The Little Match Girl TV movie from 1987, when she was the assistant production coordinator.
Now a producer, Spencer-Phillips’ job is multi-faceted. She not only obtains scripts and develops the budget and board for them, but helps negotiate the way finances flow into her projects.
“The best way to solve a problem is to keep us moving forward, as we can never afford downtime on our tight schedules,” she says.
Her dedication to her work is what makes Spencer-Phillips a powerful figure in film and television, and has allowed her longevity in an often competitive business. Over her career, she has been responsible for helping produce a stunning array of film and television programs from companies that include Disney XD, Marro Films, Mar Vista, and Two 4 the Money Media. Her wide array of experiences allows her to see a project from multiple angles, which better serves her capabilities as a producer. She describes her work as a “catch-all position” that ensures that the movies and films she’s working on get produced on time and budget.
Spencer-Phillips’ last major releases were the Netflix movies in the Ivy + Bean series, which chronicles two unlikely girls as they discover that even completely different people can become the best of friends. These films include Ivy + Bean; Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance; and Ivy + Bean: The Ghost That Had to Go, all of which are based on the Ivy + Bean children’s book series.
Upcoming projects that Spencer-Phillips is helping produce are the TV movies The Cases of Mystery Lane: Death is Listening, and an action feature called Life on the Line, which stars two-time Oscar Award nominee John Travolta, Young Hollywood Award-winner Kate Bosworth, and Devin Shaw. The indie drama follows a crew of high-wire linemen who help repair electric grids, which becomes life-threatening when an unexpected storm hits.
With her vast experience, and her continued drive to help produce the best films she can, Amanda Spencer-Philips has undoubtedly secured herself a lasting impression in the world of film and television.
