CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Sara Elizabeth Timmins – Life Out Loud Films By Autumn Mur r ay
S ara Elizabeth Timmins, producer and founder of Life Out Loud Films production company in Atlanta, sat down with us to answer our questions on her career and goal to “inspire audiences and filmmakers to follow their passion and live life out loud.” Before starting Life Out Loud Films, Timmins was a motivational speaker, actress, and spent seven years as a freelance producer in Los Angeles. She was offered her first job behind the camera as a producer after the movie production team of Tattered Angel witnessed her strong leadership skills and talent to think creatively and outside the box. The company’s film topics range from exploring social justice issues like FGM and civil rights, to stories of mental illness, teen suicide and the life of navigating a disability as an ability, to celebrating love, resilience and the theme ‘success is not determined by your circumstance’, the slate is vast and covers YA, family, romantic comedies, drama, biopics, and unscripted. Life Out Loud Films has produced three feature films: Coming Through the Rye, Wish YouWell, Lake Effects with award winning talent and worldwide distribution, and an Atlanta based short film LAMB . They also field produced for an HBO documentary series for Mark Wahlberg’s company. CAN YOU TELL US HOW LIFE OUT LOUD FILMS STARTED? “The short story is, early in my career when I was acting, the roles that my agent was sending me out for were roles where women were always the victims or the
object. I was told to wear high heels, short skirts, etc. These were not the type of roles I was interested in, so I stopped auditioning. “From the producing side, I saw the lack of female representation and I saw men telling the story and instructing women what they should say and how they should say it. My company came from a response to these experiences in Hollywood. I started Life Out Loud Films in 2008 to champion women both in front of and behind the camera in addition to working on stories that I care about. I want to work on films that spark conversations, inspires action, and create change.” WHAT IS THE MISSION FOR LIFE OUT LOUD FILMS? “To inspire audiences and filmmakers to live life out loud. We produce original content and partner with other filmmakers to tell stories that matter and to bring more quality, diverse and inspiring films to life. We don’t just make films; we make a difference.” WHY IS DIVERSITY AND REPRESENTATION IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR COMPANY? “Media is a mirror to our society. Representation and equality are important. We believe in “if they see it, they can be it. It is important that little boys and girls see themselves on screen being successful in all walks of life, being strong, and being able to overcome circumstances. The same story can be told from a male point of view, from a diverse point of view, and from a female point of view and all be completely different because of the perspective from which it is being told.”
WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE ASPECTS OF YOUR JOB? “Working with amazing women that inspire me and being able to give them opportunities.” DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNG GIRLS AND WOMEN WHO ARE LOOKING AT A CAREER IN THE FILM INDUSTRY? “There is no one path that leads to success. When you look at the careers of anyone that is successful, they’ve all done it in various ways. I would say to network, find mentors, and get experience. But most importantly, don’t give up on yourself and don’t let someone make you feel small.” WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS YOU WILL BE WORKING ON IN 2020? “We have a lot of exciting film projects that we are working on in 2020. Some of them are under embargo so I can’t go into details. I can tell you that Shoeless Wonders a feature film about orphan boys in the 1920’s who formed a successful barefoot football team is projected to shoot at some point during the year. We have a lot of completed scripts and a few that we are in need of funding to get the ball rolling on production.”
Timmins also works as a consultant for both films and filmmakers and has produced national commercial campaigns. She is currently building a MasterClass in Atlanta and will be announcing dates for that on her website at LifeOutLoudFilms.com.
3 6 | T H E G E O R G I A H O L L Y WOO D R E V I E W | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter