Women Leading the Industry: Laura Pursley

Laura Pursley is a longtime marketing strategist specializing in emerging media technologies and the founder of Purrmark Consulting. She explores the intersection of storytelling and new creative tools through her publication and interview series The Moving Crafts.

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What drew you to work in this industry?

Everyone comes to Hollywood with a dream. Probably very few dream of marketing the technologies that power motion pictures – yet there are many of us doing exactly that.

I originally set out to be a film producer, but kept finding myself working in areas of technological transition: movie theaters switching to digital projection, home video distributors navigating the upgrade to HDTV, and indie filmmakers embracing new cameras like the Canon 5D and the RED One.

In 2011, I found a way to bring together my technical background, marketing experience, and love of storytelling at Createasphere, a tradeshow company focused on emerging technologies across the video ecosystem.

Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to help introduce a range of tools to the industry: from mobile dailies workflows at Light Iron to digital cinema cameras at Sony, cloud collaboration platforms at Frame.io and Adobe, and remote broadcast operations platforms at TVU Networks.

What’s been common across each go-to-market strategy is the tension between the efficiencies brought by new technologies and the desire to keep craft at the heart of visual storytelling.  Filmmakers often embrace the breakthroughs that emerge from creative struggle – they’re not necessarily looking for the easiest way to make their art.  The key to introducing new technology is identifying the friction creatives are happy to smooth over, while demonstrating that the tool exists to support their creative journey, not alter their path.

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What part of your work brings you the most joy, and what fuels your passion and motivation in your career?

The most rewarding part of my work is the sense of connection it creates – between technologies, creative teams, and the stories that ultimately reach audiences.

On one level, there’s the professional satisfaction of seeing a tool you helped introduce become part of a celebrated production. I once heard from a cinematographer working on a television series watched by millions that the camera I represented allowed them to use less lighting, which saved valuable time on set and gave them a little more work-life balance during a demanding shoot. Moments like that make the work especially meaningful.

More broadly, I enjoy connecting people across disciplines. Media technology sits at the intersection of creative craft, engineering, and business strategy, and each group tends to speak a slightly different language. Whether it’s meeting product teams from around the world at industry tradeshows or helping creative teams explore new tools that will eventually reshape how stories are made, I find energy in the collective curiosity of people who care deeply about both the art and the infrastructure of media.

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Have you ever had a moment in your career where you felt especially proud to be a woman in this industry? What made it meaningful?

One recent moment that stands out was moderating an all-women panel at the HPA Tech Retreat examining how AI is reshaping the role of editors.

The room was filled with technologists and creative leaders, and what struck me most was the dynamic among the panelists. Each brought a different perspective on creativity, automation, and genre – a powerful reminder that “women editors” are not a single voice within the industry.

It was clear the audience was energized by both the topic of AI in editorial and the diversity of insights being shared.  Moments like that reinforce that the technologies shaping our workflows are strongest when they are informed by a wide range of perspectives within both the creative and technical communities.

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What do you see as the most significant barriers for women in our industry today, and what more can be done to support their advancement?

One of the biggest barriers for women in media and entertainment today is the perception that the work of advancing women is largely complete.  In the past decade, open discussions about the challenges facing women and other underrepresented groups across the industry have led to important shifts in awareness and support, but the data still shows that women remain underrepresented in many of the roles that shape what audiences ultimately see on screen.

According to the 28th annual Celluloid Ceiling report, among the 250 top-grossing films of 2025, women accounted for just 7% of cinematographers, 13% of directors, 20% of writers, 20% of editors, 23% of executive producers, and 28% of producers.Those numbers make it clear that true parity across creative and leadership roles is still a work in progress.

As our industry navigates major technological shifts – from cloud workflows to the growing role of AI – it’s especially important that the people shaping those tools reflect the full range of voices working across production and post.

That’s why communities such as HPA Women in Post, Women in Media, Women in Technology Hollywood, and Alliance of Women Directors remain so important. These groups provide mentorship, visibility, and professional networks that help talented women move into leadership roles.

Supporting these organizations – through sponsorship, participation in events, and continued engagement – helps ensure that the next generation of women entering the industry sees a clear path forward and a wider range of opportunities to help shape the future of media.

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