Uprising: Elizabeth Archer Says Unreal Comedy Can Challenge Beliefs

“I grew up across the street from a DVD store and a Chinese take-out restaurant, so you could say I was raised on Indiana Jones behind-the-scenes featurettes and chicken chow mein…”

Elizabeth Archer is now a director, signed to New York production company SLMBR PRTY, with an irreverent style and penchant for modern life’s absurdity. She attributes her passion for film not just to this fortuitous situation growing up, but to her cineaste parents who gave her endless space to be creative. 

“It’s the greatest gift you could ever give a kid,” she tells LBB. “I would spend hours of uninterrupted time alone, entertaining myself by writing short stories, building dollhouses, and pretending I was Liesl in ‘The Sound of Music’.”

Born and raised in Mill Valley, “a small town north of San Francisco nestled under a canopy of Redwood trees”, Elizabeth was constantly inspired by the surrounding nature - be it in her backyard, driving to Stinson beach, or hiking Muir Woods. “I was beyond fortunate to grow up in a school district that prioritised and funded the arts - theatre, film, music programmes…” she adds. “I always felt like I could grow up to be anything I wanted.”

Seemingly destined to find filmmaking, however - her mother went into labour with her a few hours after watching Stephen Herek’s ‘Mr. Holland’s Opus’ at the cinema - Elizabeth first dabbled in photography, before stealing her dad’s camcorder to experiment with friends and family.

And though she finds both parents funny, Elizabeth says the dry sense of humour that’s weaved into her films comes from her dad, having gravitated towards comedy after starting to write scripts at high school. “I quickly learned there’s nothing more euphoric than hearing a room full of people laugh at something you wrote.” 

“If you know me, you know my favourite movie is ‘Juno’,” she says. “My parents took me to see it in theatres at the ripe age of 11, in hopes of showing me what would happen if I touched a boy before marriage. I remember walking out of the theatre absolutely mesmerised. Not by high school pregnancy, but by how a movie could so beautifully discuss complicated issues while also making people laugh. From there on out, I knew I wanted to make movies just like that. To this day, [screenwriter] Diablo Cody remains one of my biggest inspirations."

Above: ‘Two Women Make a Lunch Plan’

Elizabeth’s commercial work and her latest short film, ‘Two Women Make a Lunch Plan’, combine this love for absurd humour with her passion for the magical realism she discovered in plays and musicals as a child. “I would get lost in how the genre bent the rules of time and space, allowing characters to escape into their own worlds. Both have roots in the ‘real world’ until something ‘unreal’ appears. When that ‘unreal’ thing is a situation or concept that is SO unexpected and ridiculous, it makes you laugh… THAT is one of my favourite types of comedy.”

Attending film school at Loyola Marymount University, Elizabeth grasped the opportunity to make a network of friends who remain some of her closest collaborators to this day, and “to throw sh*t at the wall to see what sticks.”

“Bad short films will be made. And that’s okay!” she says. “At the end of the day, directing is all about taste. And taste takes time to refine. Give yourself permission to not be good. Every director has a unique approach - don’t compare your process or your work to someone else’s. At the end of the day, actors don't need a flowery monologue about what they're doing in a scene, they just need specifics. How you deliver what you direct is not as important as whether you can communicate effectively and understand the story.”

The philosophy of this development process that she always keeps in mind is to never believe that she has the best, or only, idea in the room. “My other formative experience was learning that you can eat too much peanut butter on a freshman year diet,” she adds. “And that it can lead to developing a nut allergy.”

During college, Elizabeth interned at Chernin Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Netflix, and Hello Sunshine, primarily learning how to summarise and evaluate a script or book for executives - a difficult task, especially under time pressure. “Working at Hello Sunshine was my most memorable internship,” she says. “Shoutout Lauren Neustadter and Reese Witherspoon! It was magnetic getting to work for women who were and are actively making a change in Hollywood - they are such groundbreaking and inspirational forces in our industry.” 

She adds, “It was also at this internship that I learned how to successfully carry eight cups of Starbucks at the same time. In heels. In the rain.”

Above: Visible - 'The Gift'

Elizabeth’s first professional directing gig was a handful of commercials for Visible (Verizon) Wireless in 2021, a job won through Tongal, a platform that gives filmmakers the opportunity to pitch their ideas directly to a brand. Produced with Anemone Artists, owned by a friend from LMU, Katie Anne Moy, she says it was a “great experience” despite its imperfections. “I learned what I would do differently in the future as a director; plus, I walked away with three legitimate commercials under my belt.”

This project led to more work for the likes of Copper Cow Coffee and, paired with a batch of self-funded spec commercials she directed in 2021 for Spotify and Quaker Oats., eventually brought her to SLMBR PRTY. “I’m also incredibly proud of ‘Two Women Make a Lunch Plan’ (written by Nick Logsdon - hire him; he’s so talented). We made the sketch during the strike with every intention to make ourselves laugh. We have been blown away by the exciting opportunities it’s led to and the amazing people we’ve met throughout its festival run. I've also discovered through the success of this film that I have an interest in directing horror… so updates to come.”

With Elizabeth’s sketch and narrative work being grounded in character-driven, dialogue-heavy comedy, she is also pulled towards commercial briefs rooted in those same things, but elevated with colourful art direction and playful cinematography. “I love working in the ad space because it challenges me in a way that narrative work can’t,” she says. “How can I effectively sell something in a succinct, informative and funny way? I like to think that if I can creatively sell cat food in six seconds, I can definitely direct a feature film.”

Above: Spotify spec film - 'Proposal'

Noting how ads have become shorter to compete with the audience’s “ever-dwindling attention span”, she adds that it's been a fun experience to see how brands can stop consumers mid-scroll with greater creativity, and to collaborate with content creators. “After all, influencers are successful on social media for a reason! How to make ads short, funny and sweet (aka the infamous :06) is a skill set I’m always trying to perfect. It’s a challenge!”

With adland seeing something of a comedy revival in 2024 - Elizabeth points out Cannes Lions’ new humour subcategory as an example - she says it’s exciting to see the industry recognise and celebrate funny work. “Over the past couple of years, people have been gravitating toward comedic content (dark comedy/horror is certainly under this umbrella). I wonder why?!” she says. “Could it be a coincidence, with the current state of our world and political landscape!? Brands shouldn’t be afraid to tackle comedic campaigns - comedy works because it’s memorable! If you can wrap it up in a satirical bow and make people stop, think, and challenge their beliefs, then that is an effective ad.” 

Beyond adland, Elizabeth has a scripted mini-series on KeyTV called ‘BOSSES’, starring Keke Palmer. As well as directing the show, Elizabeth edited the first three episodes, allowing her to establish the tone and timing - something she used to do for all of her work. “Mainly because I hadn’t found an editor I trusted,” she admits, before praising the comedic timing of her co-editor on the show, Maddy Schwartz, who edited the final three episodes and is now set to be a future long-time collaborator of hers. “Sorry Maddy, you’re tied to me for life!” she jokes. “‘BOSSES’ wouldn’t be what it is today without her… I’ve found that it’s incredibly helpful to bring in an editor to give the film a fresh perspective.”

Above: Keke Palmer in 'BOSSES' Ep.1

The project was Elizabeth’s first time directing an episodic narrative, and so she was grateful for the trust given by the writers, Matt Cullen and Troy LaPersonerie, to bring her vision to life across the whole season - which is not always the case when directing a series.

“Not only was it a life-changing experience to direct THE Keke Palmer and her lovely parents, but I got to do it alongside my amazing team: Becca Standt (producer), Harley Astorga (cinematographer), and Olivia Twiford (production design).”

As well as these collaborators, Elizabeth also admires other “bold, smart and brilliant” directors across the commercial landscape. “To name a few of my all-time faves and influences: JJ Adler, Nick Roney, Mathery, Los Perez, The Daniels, Calmatic, Jess Coulter, Tim Wilkime, WATTS, Taika Waititi, Rainne Allen Miller, Kate Halpin, Carlyn Hudson, KINOPRAVA, Alice Mathias, Mark Molloy, Quinn Katherman, Ian Pons Jewell…the list can and should go on.”

Like these talents, Elizabeth is most comfortable behind the camera - although she recently acted in a spec commercial she co-wrote for BetterHelp. “I thought it would be a fun challenge,” she says. “As a director, it’s so important to understand what it’s like to be in front of the camera. It turned out great! But affirmed that I do NOT have an interest in acting.”

Also stepping out of her comfort zone as a director, Elizabeth is now exploring the horror genre, after dipping her toe with ‘Two Women Make a Lunch Plan’. “I’m watching as many films as I can, without giving myself too much anxiety - I’ve quickly learned that the paranormal is not for me!” 

Having “learned the hard way” that it’s impossible to stay sane by only focusing on your career, the director enjoys unwinding with long walks around Silverlake, accompanied by a murder mystery podcast, going on road trips, reading, and trying out new restaurants - not to mention being a “passionate ClassPass member”. She adds, “I’ve also recently discovered gardening - pulling weeds is much cheaper than therapy. Especially on my freelance budget!”

Reflecting on the positive, creative environment she grew up in, Elizabeth shares that one of her greatest motivations is getting to show her work to her parents, and make them laugh. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without their ongoing support and confidence. They believe in me when I don’t believe in myself,” she says.

“In general, I like to think I popped out of the womb a highly motivated person. I have a very hard time sitting still and relaxing (we’re working on that)! There's just SO much I want to do and SO little time - my ambition comes from my curiosity. I’m motivated to build a career in directing not only for myself, but to show other young women coming up in the industry that we can and should take up space - representation is everything.”