Bird's Eye View

It's Eurovision...But Not As We Know It

Rachel: When SLTS was pitched to you, did you immediately realise it could be a hit movie?

Elizabeth: We thought it might have the potential to work in the market and were prepared to take that risk, which is especially high with feature documentaries, because we thought Jamie Johnson, the director, was a real talent who we wanted to back and forge a relationship with.

Sounds Like Teen Spirit

Rachel: You support 3 children, 1 husband and umpteen film productions. I’m sure you must have your own support team to make that possible, but any other top tips for people who don’t want to put their careers on hold whilst raising a family?

Elizabeth: The support team is vital, both at work at at home.  You can’t do it alone. I have been lucky in this respect. Kate Lawrence, who is now our head of development, started out as my assistant nearly 7 years ago. She has been a rock at the company and to me. Now we have two assistants Robin and Jo, who have been with us for several years and keep everything together. At home,  I have been fortunate to have had some brilliant childcare. My partner, Stephen Woolley, is a total support. We share our domestic and work life, which is a big plus.  It is a struggle to find the right balance, but you have to try and keep family and work in perspective.

It follows the journey of 4 aspiring pre-teens from very different backgrounds and parts of the continent to The Junior Eurovision Song Contest

Rachel: Do you sleep?

Elizabeth: I have to have 8 hours or I am a wreck – pathetic I know, but I need sleep! I do frequently wake at 3am and panic for half an hour about almost everything, but once morning comes whatever it was I was worrying about doesn’t seem so bad.

Rachel: Significantly more women work as producers than writers or directors (women make up between 25-30% producers, 12% screenwriters, 7% directors). Any ideas why that might be?

Elizabeth: I think there are a couple of reasons. Firstly, on a mundane and practical level,  the demands on a director are grueling if you have a family. A film can take a solid year,  if not more, of your life.  You typically work 14 hours a day during pre production and filming 6 days a week. Shoots are often on location. The pressure is huge.  Writers can work from home and keep more sensible hours. Producing is certainly demanding and has its fair share of stress, but there is more flexibility about where and when you do the job especially with new technology. You don’t have to be on set every minute of the shooting day if you have a great team around you, you don;t have to be in the edit room or dubbing theater round the clock. Secondly, I think it just takes time for people of different groups to be fairly represented in the workplace. When I first started working there were really only a handful of women working. We are much better represented now and I think the number of women working across different fields in film will continue to grow.

Elizabeth Karlsen

Rachel: Do you think you’ll be producing films for the rest of your life? Are there any other roles you’d like to try?

Elizabeth: I am not sure I will have the energy to produce if I live into my nineties, but I certainly want to keep going as long as I can! I would also like to ‘put something back’, which I don’t think I do at the moment mostly because I just don;t have the time. But, I don’t want to end my life taking and not giving.

A touching comedy about the struggles of growing up and the excitement and the difficulties of being a kid.

Rachel: Do you have any personal heroines / female role models / mentors – women who’ve inspired you?

Elizabeth: It would have to be my grandmother, who died a few months ago aged 100, and my mother. They both taught me the importance of intellectual pursuit, financial independence and social equality. My grandmother was from Newcastle, lived through both wars and was a teacher all her life. My mother worked as a psychiatric social worker in inner city schools in New York where I was brought up. They both were very committed to making people’s lives better. I am not sure I have achieved what they did, but they certainly inspired me.

Rachel: What are you most proud of?

Elizabeth: Without doubt,  my marriage of 20 years and my three children!