Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Executive Producer Charlotte Woodhead Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry

Art and culture should be a mirror reflecting society. If we are only seeing one or two types of stories, we can’t really be getting a true reflection. Today film, television, commercials, and IG are the mainstream for arts and culture. By seeing and watching other people’s stories and experiences, we learn and become more empathetic humans. This leads to a more understanding and inclusive world. Which can only be a good thing.

As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Charlotte Woodhead.

Charlotte Woodhead is an Executive Producer. She’s crafted advertising campaigns for directors including Jonathan Glazer, Tom Hooper, Gus Van Sant, as well as directors in the advertising world such as Megaforce, Noam Murro, Romain Gavras, Jean-Baptiste Mondino at production companies including Biscuit Filmworks, Academy Films, Anonymous Content, Blink, HSI, Hungry Man, Iconoclast Partizan, and Stink. She’s worked with brands from British Airways and Adidas to Dior and Nike, starring talents such as Johnny Depp, Elle Fanning, James Earl Jones, and Malcolm McDowell.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

It was an unconventional upbringing. Through the ’80s and 90’s my parents were British Expats working with the UN in the Philippines. This was against a backdrop of the Marcos dictatorship years, the daily threat of kidnapping on the journey to and from school, plus the Philippines is in the ring of fire — earthquakes, typhoons, and volcanos. There was never a dull moment.

My brother and I were sent back to England to go to boarding school from the age of 11 and this certainly developed the British resolve of a stiff upper lip and made me fiercely independent, resourceful, and a little mischievous.

I read Drama at Goldsmiths University, giving me an insight into the London art scene of the 90s. Starting at the bottom, I worked my way up in television — from documentaries to light entertainment — before moving into producing music videos and then commercials with the world’s leading directorial talent.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I fell into it, as many producers do. It’s generally slow osmosis into becoming a producer; you work your way up the ranks — intern, PA, Production Manager, and then Producer. I sort of skipped through the steps and became a producer quite quickly at age 24. I had the gift of the gab. My first producing gig was a music clip. I didn’t know the difference between a 1st AD and a Production Designer, had no contacts with crew or suppliers. Being naïve, plucky, and resourceful, I asked the right questions, did my research, and pulled together the video shoot for £20K. It got on MTV’s playlist (when they played music clips) … and I caught the producing bug.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Who doesn’t love to produce a script with the first line: ‘Open on a Tropical Beach.”

I was producing a shampoo commercial on one of the most beautiful lagoons in the Philippines only to get a phone call saying,“Get to the higher ground there is a tsunami headed your way.” Sure enough, this was the day of the horrific tsunami that struck Japan and it was on its way to the Philippines. In the middle of nowhere, in paradise, I had to persuade thirty crew, cast, and agency to drop everything and get hiking up the nearest mountain as a tsunami was coming.

There was no internet, no TV, no radio. I had a satellite phone. I had to get everyone to trust me.

The tsunami never hit the Philippines.

But I had to keep my cast crew and agency safe. They thanked me in the end when they saw what occurred in Japan.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I thought my very first job was going to be my last; I did the classic. I was still an assistant and was being given hell by an artist’s manager. I sent an email to the people who needed to be emailed, with rather strong language regarding the manager and her requests. Of course, you know what is coming. I cc’d her on the email as well.

To this day, I never put anything heated in an email and check every email to make sure I am sending it to the correct people.

And another story. I was producing a commercial with football (soccer) players. One was called Joe Hart. We were in the green room and Joe asked me to throw him an apple. I asked him if he could catch. He looked at me a little bewildered and stated, “Yes, I am the England Goalkeeper!” I was a little embarrassed, and the British crew thought it was hilarious.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I don’t think I have one particular mentor who helped me get where I am. But I am grateful to all the women in my industry who came before me — they trail-blazed for us, allowing us to come after them in their wake. I am certainly standing on the shoulders of giants.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

Develop your own style. What I love about our industry is there is no ‘right’ way, but there is ‘your’ way. There is no instruction manual. This is what is fantastic: yes you learn from those above you when you climb the ladder, but you end up forging your team and charting your own way of resolving the obstacles and challenges that can occur at the worst time. Watch and study those around you, learn from their ways, and develop a style that is authentic to yourself. My advice on avoiding failure: try and always retain a sense of humor and be kind. You will find people remember those traits and will want to help you if you come from an authentic place.

What drives you to get up every day and work in TV and Film? What change do you want to see in the industry going forward?

I produce high-end commercials, and what I love is a simple fact: it is always a different recipe; each project has its own creative, its own team who are the best at their discipline and craft of filmmaking and you get to work with a host of different directors, who are a world to themselves. Each job is a challenge of how to convey a message in 90 seconds or less. Producers need to give a director, agency, and client what they need to make a film; this can be a cause for tension. The unseen art of being a producer is to be like a swan — elegant and composed above water and furiously paddling underneath, to make it all happen.

It never gets boring, which is why it has held my attention for 20 years.

What change would I like to see? I would like people to be judged on their merit — the merit of a good idea and execution. I hope a day comes when we no longer need to mention age, sex, race, or color.

You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?

Because of NDAs, I can’t specifically talk about projects we are working on. But in general terms, we are working on commercial projects with Steve McQueen, Sean Baker, James Grey, Damien Chazelle and the impressive roster at Superprime Films, where I am an Executive Producer.

Eventually, I would like to develop into a talent manager as I think there are so many interesting people and projects and brands to collaborate with.

We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?

Art and culture should be a mirror reflecting society. If we are only seeing one or two types of stories, we can’t really be getting a true reflection. Today film, television, commercials, and IG are the mainstream for arts and culture. By seeing and watching other people’s stories and experiences, we learn and become more empathetic humans. This leads to a more understanding and inclusive world. Which can only be a good thing. A film (no matter the format) has the potential to show you a universe you have never seen before and to move you. We need diverse crews and cast to make these films. I have a 10-week-old son, and I dream for him to grow up in an inclusive and welcoming world. The transformational power of stories has the ability to make this happen.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

Try as many different disciplines (as an intern / PA) to learn what you really enjoy doing.

I did a drama degree, but I found through experience that I was much better behind the camera than in front of it.

Fake it ’til you make it.

As a producer, everyone looks to you for a calm, knowledgeable perspective. If you looked panicked everyone will panic. This is a vital producer skill.

It is not a 9–5 job.

I have missed out on concerts, parties, and family events — all because I was working on a film. We also work in 3 different time zones so when Paris is calling and you are in LA, the call must be taken.

Assumption is the mother of all f*** ups.

I once produced a music video for Kings Of Leon. The idea: the band would be hypnotized and the video would be them doing odd things instead of playing their instruments. We hired one of the best hypnotists in the world. The band turned up but were a little worse for wear. It was impossible to get them hypnotized. Never assume a rock n roll band will do as they are told!

Have fun — it is the journey not the end destination that is important.

I’ve met some of the most fascinating, hilarious, serious, and insanely talented people on my journey, and I hope I meet a lot more before I am put out to pasture.

Can you share with our readers any selfcare routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.

I hike with my dog. Walking is such a good way to recharge, especially in nature. I used to be a complete gym rat but find now a hike is much better. For my 40th, we went to Bhutan hiking. If you live in a city, I recommend visiting a place like Bhutan; your lungs and soul will love you for it.

Massage and bodywork have always been my go-to recovery tool at the end of a hard stressful job. Work out all the kinks and leave the drama behind.

Travel is essential. You must see the world. We are only on this rock for a few years. Don’t sit in an office all your life — make sure you strike a balance, see as much of this planet as you can. Start in India. Everyone must visit India; it is its own universe.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

More of a Life rule than a quote:

When a job/pitch/opportunity has not gone your way, you are allowed 24 hours to mourn and mope. After that, you must brush yourself down, pick yourself up and move on.

We have all had setbacks and lost jobs that we wanted, however, I don’t really remember those down moments as I was always on to the next adventure.

You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

As Martin Luther King said, “Never judge anyone by their age, sex or color.” We have made progress with Me Too, Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ rights. I hope the next movement will be educating people about Ageism.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

In reality, my London friends as I have not seen them for 2 years, thanks to Covid. And Steve Martin. I just finished his superb Master Class. I could listen to him talk all day. Then my fantasy lunch date would be Georgia O’Keefe and listen to her talk about her art and inspirations.

Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?

@charlottelwoodhead

This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!