Meet Your Makers: Leah Churchill-Brown on Transparency, Respect and a Good Laugh
Leah Churchill-Brown set up her own production company the Doll Collective in 1999. As well as housing and developing a local stable of talent, it serviced both the US and European facilitation market; working with a host of award winning directors.
In 2005, she produced her first foray into feature films ‘Suburban Mayhem'. It was nominated for 10 AFI awards and awarded 3 including Best Actress. In 2006, Churchill-Brown followed up its' success, producing her second award winning feature film 'Beautiful Kate', also to critical acclaim.
An executive producer with EXIT films since October 2016, Leah continues to represent an award-winning roster both locally and internationally including Garth Davis, Glendyn Ivin, Stefan Hunt, Mark Molloy, Bonnie Moir, and upholds the EXIT tradition of mentoring and developing emerging talent.
LBB> What first attracted you to production - and has it been an industry you’ve always worked on or did you come to it from another area?
Leah> I came to the industry firstly through working in television, which led to documentary and feature films and then finally to TVC production. It was a circuitous route - but I got here in the end. I pretty much worked in most departments over the course of my journey. Except for grips and elex - even though I reckon I’ve wrapped a lot of cables in my time.
LBB> What was your first role in the production world and how did this experience influence how you think about production and how you grew your career?
Leah> I was working as a children’s television presenter and was offered a PA job as the TV station was needing someone urgently. I took it, and never went back to ’the other side’ again. I liked the problem solving and being more involved with people.
LBB> How did you learn to be a producer?
Leah> By people believing in me when I didn’t have the courage to believe in myself. Then making a lot of mistakes, always asking for help and advice when I was out of my depth. Always having the best at their jobs surrounding me and having some wonderful mentors.
LBB> Looking back to the beginning of your career, can you tell us about a production you were involved in where you really had to dig deep and that really helped you to grow as a producer?
Leah> There are so many memorable times. One thing that never changes is managing people and personalities. And having imprinted on me from my early days as a PM that you cannot ever say no - but come up with a solution instead - I think one of my most challenging times was working out how to warm the water in a dam. In the Flinders Ranges. In winter. With a young actress who had to be nude on camera for her first ever screen appearance.
We had so many meetings about it, how to manage her comfort and how to maintain a constant warm temperature. Ultimately, we found an old mechanic who said, what about an immersion heater like an old kettle….and that’s what we did. Sort of worked! Took forever to get warm enough. But it worked. But there was a lot of hand holding throughout the night shoot to keep our actress on side and not give up.
LBB> A good producer should be able to produce for any medium, from film to events to digital experience. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why/why not?
Leah> Producing is all about putting teams of people together - no matter what medium. And to run that team in a way that is fun but still gets the job done on time and on budget. Sometimes the biggest budgets are harder. The level of problem solving required on micro budgets can be easier. If expectations are managed by everyone involved.
LBB> What’s your favourite thing about production and why?
Leah> Meeting and working with people from different backgrounds and skill sets, who are often genuinely perplexed and stupefied about what we’re asking them to do. And getting them involved in the project. It is why I enjoy shooting on location so much, as it involves community and ingenuity. And really being immersed in other cultures.
LBB> How has production changed since you started your career?
Leah> For me the move from film to digital. And that we are expected to produce a lot more in less time and with challenging budgets. I think there is an unrealistic notion about shooting content these days. Content is content whether it is for broadcast or online - you still must pay crew, cast and hard costs. But there is a mindset that if is for online only it should cost less.
LBB> And what has stayed the same?
Leah> The process. You still take a brief and put a pitch together. Then the production process begins.
LBB> What do you think is the key to being an effective producer - and is it something that’s innate or something that can be learned?
Leah> You learn as you go. When I first started out, I was ignorant about what producing really involved, I suspect there was a lot of bluster and faking my way. That and many mistakes that I learnt from kept me going. Experience in many ways makes you gun shy, as you really do know the risks and have less appetite for being loose. Producing is knowing when you must let go or when you must dot the lower-case j’s.
LBB> Which production project from across your career are you most proud of and why?
Leah> Running the risk of sounding like a wanker - there are too many to choose from. My first film was such an achievement. I thought being invited to screen in Un Certain Regard in Cannes was as good as it gets. But last year we made 'This Is Footy Country’, which was brilliant in so many ways. And was so appreciated by audiences, not just the industry. That was a thrill.
LBB> And in terms of recent work, which projects have you found to be particularly exciting or have presented particularly interesting production challenges?
Leah> A few years ago, we shot a brand campaign for Westpac with DDB Sydney. It was big idea with multiple styles. So, I pitched the idea that Garth (Davis) mentor four of our emerging directors. The agency and client jumped on board for the ride. Which was challenging x 4!!! But we pulled it off and I do love the final campaign. Being an EP on this job was about managing expectations and personalities of all involved, which I enjoy immensely.
LBB> Producers always have the best stories. What’s the hairiest / most insane situation you’ve found yourself in and how did you work your way out of it?
Leah> The one that really sticks is when I literally wrote myself into the budget for a documentary shoot in Central America. I went as PM, but over the period of pre/shoot and
post-production, I was required to add a few more strings to my bow. Sound recordist, clapper loader and producer.
The nature of our shoot was very small crew. There were 6 of us when we set off from Sydney. But when we lost the main protagonist and had to wait for the director to find who next to focus the film on, our crew slowly started to fall off. Other commitments, lack of funding etc.
So, in the end there was the director and me. I was suddenly changing mags in extremely high heat and humidity, in a crowd of tens of thousands chanting El Papa, El Papa - and all I could do was sit in the middle of the crowd with my hands in a black bag trying to remember how to change a mag - I have rarely been as stressed! I did it…but for the next 4 weeks waiting to get the neg report back - was hideous.
Why 4 weeks? We had to wait until we’d shot enough to justify a flight back to NYC to process the film.
LBB> What are your personal ambitions or aspirations as a producer?
Leah> To work on jobs that have brilliant ideas and enough money to pull them off. And to continue to work with directors who inspire me. Nothing is too hard when you’re excited.
LBB> As a producer your brain must have a neverending "to do" list. How do you switch off? What do you do to relax?
Leah> Drink heavily…actually, I am like a dating profile. Walks, dogs, chooks and cooking.
LBB> Producers are problem solvers. What personally fuels your curiosity and drive?
Leah> Interesting, intelligent people. I love when you’re working with a client and agency and the mutual respect of each other’s skills is respected and listened to.
LBB> What advice would you give to people who are interested in becoming a producer?
Leah> Be nice to everyone - as your runner will most likely be your employer one day.
LBB> From your experience what are the ingredients for a successful production?
Leah> A great script. Collaborative director agency and client. And always the best crew you can attach.
LBB> What’s the key to a successful production-client relationship?
Leah> Transparency. Respect and a good laugh.
