Beth Carpenter - Film School Here We Come

Beth is 18 and adventuring into the world of Entertainment; Film.

She has a passion for filmmaking and acting. The Industry is not a forgiving one, and, as a neurodivergent lady, the pressures are high.

She has a very positive attitude and says she wants to makes changes within the industry.

Let's find out how and what else she has in store for us.

This is Beth's journey into the Entertainment World.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello and welcome to Backstage Gosh, the podcast where we dive into the entertainment world. Not just the red carpets and glitter, but the panic, the tears, the questionable career choices, and the what was the thinking moments too. We're talking to real people with real dreams, surviving the highs, the lows, and the occasional identity crisis along the way. So, grab your popcorn. This is gonna be fun. In this episode, we talk to Beth Carpenter. Now she's 18 and she's just going into the industry. She's gonna go to the Met Film School down in Brighton. She's got a passion for everything: film and theatre. She's also autistic. Let's find out what her little journey's all about.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Hello, my name is Beth Carpenter and I am off to Met Film School in Brighton in September.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

How are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Good, thank you. How are you?

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Alright, how old are you now?

SPEAKER_00 0:58

I'm 18.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Okay, good, so we can talk, that's not a problem. Now I remember because I mean you came to uh my uh drama school and everything, didn't you?

SPEAKER_00 1:06

Yes, I did. I was in your pantomimes and your film.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

So you've done a bit with it.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

The film club, yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Yeah, how did you like the film club?

SPEAKER_00 1:14

I loved film club. I loved film club so much. What? I really loved it. I have always loved filming things. I was the type of person that like when I had homework in year eight, I got told to research like a local church, and everyone else like wrote like a few paragraphs about something they found on Google. I went to the church, went to Reverend Louise and asked, Can I like film a documentary of your church? And she was like, sure, I guess. And uh I came in, had a whole guided tour, filmed their choir, made this whole documentary, and my teacher was like, You've made like a whole 10-minute documentary on this on this church, and I was like, Yeah! And that's just a thing I like to do. So going to film club kind of gave me a place to do that more structured with a bit of guidance as well, and just with people who were like-minded and also wanted to do it, like my friends, people I made connections with that that I still talk to today.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

So you're you're actually on um a really exciting journey.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

Because where are you going to go to?

SPEAKER_00 2:14

I'm going to Met Film School in Brighton. So I am going down, which is very exciting. Yes, and I I love it there. And I am very lucky that I already have the UCAS grades. I'm in a very unique position that I already have my media studies A level, and I have an A in that, and so I have a guaranteed merit, hopefully, distinction, in having social care. So it means that I have the UCAS grades to go right now for self-gressing. Yes, I have them, hopefully, and um it should pay off, I hope, when I get there. What what's the um what's the big the big picture for you then? The big picture for me actually is my main objective in doing this is trying to give a voice and put out more representation into the industry. It's improved a lot over the last like 20 years or so, but I want to increase that and add to that, and that's what I've kind of talked about in like my interviews and in my portfolio and stuff for going to Met. That is my main focus, that is what I want to do. And obviously, Brighton is quite diverse, it's quite it has it has a lot of representation within it, and I want to kind of encompass that and use that and put it out into the industry. So that's my bigger picture. I want to create things, I want to act in things, I just want to be part of the creative industries and make stuff that make people happy and feel seen. That's my mean.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

You want to do it all, didn't you?

SPEAKER_00 3:39

Yeah, I do want to do it all. Never never dream too big, I think. So I no, good for you.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

No, I mean it's um it's interesting that you you're actually thinking that way, but but let's just talk about this representation. Why why? Why is it so important to you?

SPEAKER_00 3:54

It's important to me because I feel like a lot of media that I consumed when I was younger kind of helped me realize who I was and kind of made me blossom into myself a bit more and kind of accept myself a bit more, and that's what I like about shows that do that for me is that I'm like, wow, I'm really inspired by this. I want to create something along those lines and add that back into the industry more with more input and get more people involved. Um, I'm very focused on the representation of women, the representation of neurodiversity, the representation of like mental health and mental illness, um, of just dynamics in general, of the LGBTQ. Like, I I just want to give a space that everyone can feel kind of heard and included and give that kind of representation back to the industry more.

unknown 4:55

That's huge.

SPEAKER_01 4:56

That's a that's a huge platform.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

Let's just look at those one by one by one, yes. Well, okay, women. Why women?

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Why women? Uh we still live in a patriarchal society. I study sociology and it's something I'm quite passionate about. But um, I think there's a there's a lot of inequality in society still, not just in this country, but across the world, there's a lot of oppression for women still. Um, a lot of rights are starting to reverse. I mean, you just have to look at America and look at like the abortion laws and stuff. I I just I have such a strong emphasis of trying to put women forward into the community because when you think of like a camera person, you think of a cameraman. Like you go, oh yeah, who's the cameraman? It it might not always be a cameraman. Why why can't we have a camera person or a camera woman? You know, I just think that we need more of that in the industry, and that's what I want to. I want to bring that in. And I'm I'm lucky that I've met quite a few other women who want to be in the industry too. A few of my friends want to break into the industry who are also women, and I I think that's great, and I think there should be more push on that.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

Starting a rental occasion.

SPEAKER_00 6:02

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

What about the uh the LGBTQ people? Oh why why that?

SPEAKER_00 6:09

I um I have a a big, a big focus on the LGBTQ. I have a lot of friends at LGBTQ myself. I am a lesbian, I'm not afraid to say that. And um, it took me a very long time to kind of come to terms with that and be like, oh yeah, okay. Um it took it took me a while, like I always knew there was something, but like to actually like say that and be like, yeah, there I am. Um that took that took a while, and not everyone knows that. I don't even think my dad knows that who's upstairs right now. But like um, I I'm I'm not afraid to say all my friends know, it's it's quite a it's quite a known thing, and it's something I want to stand up for because I I think it's important, I think equality is really, really important. Um, I think it's it took way too long for gay marriage to be accepted and legalized, and it's still not in so many places. Like, if you if you just look, there's so many places you can't, if you're in a relationship, like a same-sex relationship, there's so many countries that you can't go to because you'd risk getting like um prosecuted just just for going to a country, and I think that's absolutely not right. Oh, absolutely not, no, and I just think that's ridiculous. I I just so many people have to hide it, and so many people have like live in shame or they get sense like conversion therapy, and I just think that's so silly, and I just think we've gotten to a point where I think we should just let people be who they want to be, and that's why I have such an emphasis on that because I think there needs to be more representation in the media, and I think especially for sapphic relationships, because a lot of them are very I'll put it I'll put it nice, it's done, it's done in a kind of a weird way. A lot of men tend to write sapphic relationship stories, and I kind of I really like seeing the movement of more inclusivity of sapphic relationships in the media that aren't like that and are more real and more more true, more of a true representation.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

That's kind of why I'm not I I can I can run with it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:03

I want to put more across that in to the it's interesting, Lija.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Why doesn't your dad know yet?

SPEAKER_00 8:10

I don't know, it's just it's not something I thought I'd have to kind of tell anyone. I feel like I'd just come home one day and be like, oh yeah, this is my girlfriend, they'd just kind of be like, Okay, that's just kind of what I hope.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

Um it's not something I'm just that's the way it went for me with my daughter. Yeah, yeah, no, you know, it is. Do you know what? When when it comes to acceptance, your child's your child, who they love is down to them, you know, who they feel for and you know, emotions for no, just rumble it. It's good, good on you, well done. Yeah, why not? Why not? Um, what what other oh neurodivergent? Why neurodivergence?

SPEAKER_00 8:46

Um, I myself am autistic, so I think that's a big part of my life. Um, it took me a while to kind of be able to tell people that. Like, I think my old friend group who knew me for for years, it took them a while for them to like be told by me. They all kind of assumed, or people would ask me and I'd go, yeah, and they kind of work it out for themselves. So it took me a while to start actually telling people.

SPEAKER_01 9:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

But because obviously I'm an adult now and I kind of need to I need to fend for myself, obviously. Um, I think it's important to tell more people because then more people know and more people understand. And I've been very lucky with the people around me who understand me and just kind of accept me for who I am. I've got very lucky with friendship groups, very, very lucky with friendship groups who just kind of embrace me like that and help me out a bit. Like, um, I got invited to a house party once, and um I'm not a party person, but it was one, it was a friend that I really, really liked, and it was her 18th, and I was like, you know what, I'll I'll go along, and that she knew that was a big thing for me, and she had like a she no one else is allowed out of this section of her house, but she had a whole room dedicated just for me if I wanted somewhere to go. Oh really?

SPEAKER_01 9:51

So she's looking after your well-being.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Oh, yeah, 100%. And I think there's a lot of really good representation in the media, but a lot of it's focused on men, and I really liked what they've done recently with Heartbreak High, um, with the character of Quinny. I think that is a gorgeous representation um in today's media, and I'm watching season three right now, which is very exciting. Um, but I think what they've done with that and Chloe Hayden, who plays Quinny in that, um, I think they've they've written it gorgeously, and I think they've really incorporated like her suggestions into it, and just really got like people involved who are neurodivergent to put what they think should be represented well across and how that should be representated. And I I want to be a part of that, I want to kind of give the more platform to that, um, because it's important to me and it's important to other people that I know. Like I know a lot of other people who are autistic or who found out later, and I think that's quite common for women to find out later on, and um, I would really like to kind of shine more of a light on that um neurodiversity as a whole, but especially autism, how it's presented in women, is something that I feel quite strongly about, um, just personally, and I think that the more representation we see in the media, the more parents or the more teachers, or the more adults in children's lives can see this and be like, oh wow, this child shows traits and they can get diagnosed earlier and get help earlier, and I think that's really important to me.

SPEAKER_01 11:24

One thing that that really annoys me, because as you know, I mean I used to teach as well, yeah. Yeah. So I I could I I could see the children that needed, you know, a little bit of extra help and everything else. What I don't understand is if you're a neurodivergent, right? In my mind, teachers should should have been able to pick it up, right? Yeah. But then devised a learning plan, an individual learning plan, that was aimed and made for you rather than putting you, you know, into a little pig and saying, no, stay there, you're gonna do this, you're gonna do that. Well, you think differently. Yeah, the world's different to you guys, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:06

Yeah, and it varies, each person needs a different um type of support. A lot of people everyone's everyone's different. That's why I think. Of course we are.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

We all we're all different, you're right, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:15

Exactly. So some people need different support, and I think a lot of early learning models came from studying it in men because they always they used to believe that it was just men who could have autism, and then they kind of realised no, that's not true.

SPEAKER_01 12:29

But do you okay that's an interesting point you make there? Do you think that's because again, I'll state it women, girls, just hide it. That they they you know what I mean? That they can they can handle it a lot better than fellas.

SPEAKER_00 12:44

Yeah, and I think that's why it's taken so long, and I think that's still a huge misunderstanding, and I think a lot of a lot of teaching resources have improved, but I think a lot of them still kind of the size to look out for are still different, it's still very aimed at at a more male representation of it, and obviously everyone is different, but um it presents very differently in everyone, and I think that's something that should be talked about more. And if it's not one size fits all, it's it's no, you're right.

SPEAKER_01 13:16

Do you know what? Do you know what I believe? I believe we're all on that spectrum. I do. Somewhere along there, we all fit on it, you know. And I did um I did a project with a young lady, I'm gonna name her because she's fantastic, Lucy Moon, she's a local girl. Uh she did Panto for me when she was 18. She played Alice in Dick Whittington. Five years later, she rang me up and said, Um, I'd like to make a film. I said, Oh, okay, fine, yeah. What we're doing it on? She said, Oh, I don't know. Um not quite sure. So I said, Well, how about we look at something you've been through or might be going through? You know, um, what is it we're looking at? And then she said, Oh, you know, because I'm neurodivergent, I'd I'd like to tackle that. Yeah, great, let's let's do it. And what we did was um we had a discussion, and I said to her, I'll mentor you, but you're gonna be the director. And that was a bit overwhelming to start. Yeah pushing, oh my god, oh my god, I've never done it, I've never done it, I I I can't, I can't, and then she started to panic. Um we came away from that to her doing it and absolutely smashing it. It was it was such a the the project was amazing. We had twenty four neurodivergent actors, actresses, um some crew, and that it was the best experience I'd ever had on set. Well honestly, but I'll tell you, but I was like how is it all of these people in this room could be so kind and caring and uh worrying about each other's welfare. What where's that all come from? But it was all genuine, yeah. You know? Um it taught me a big lesson, but I wasn't gonna let her down in any way because I I she said I believe in you and I know that you can do this. So she was like, Really? I went, yeah, yeah, let's do it. Consequently, you know, we're looking at another um project. Yeah. Um that we will be including her in. Uh hopefully yourself.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

Hopefully, yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:38

Yeah, no, no. You know, I mean there's um there's gonna be something there for you, I'll guarantee you that. Especially when you're going off to the Met Film school and that, and you've kept up your your drama.

SPEAKER_00 15:50

Yes, of course. Which is good.

SPEAKER_01 15:53

Yeah. With um how do you perceive the industry?

SPEAKER_00 15:57

How do I perceive the industry? In what way?

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Well, as you say, you're a woman going in, yes. Um how could how could you make your mark? And I mean really make your mark.

SPEAKER_00 16:09

Really make my mark.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

Yeah, what do you really want to do?

SPEAKER_00 16:12

I want to push more, more more focus, more more support, more understanding, not just in front of the camera, I think behind the camera, I think we need to include more people. If we're doing a project, say um about women or about GRGBTQ, or about neurodiversity, for example, I think the people involved in that should be part of those groups. I I I think that's something that we we see in the industry, but I don't think it's something that's like all. I think it's I think it's less common to see an all cast of what someone's creating. So I think a whole like neurodivergent cast for creating something about neurodiversity would be fantastic. I think that would be wonderful, and I think that would make a really well-rounded representation because different people can can suggest different things and add things as they go along, and ideas might come that you might have not got before because everyone's experience is different. Right, right. I think that altogether that would be that would be amazing. But the industry as a whole, I kind of have a a little bit of an optimistic view on it as well. Um I I just I hope that there is space for me, and if there's not I will make it. Is is what I'm gonna say. I want to if there if there's not if there's not space for me and my ideas in the industry, I want to make that space somehow.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

Good.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

And make that space for other people.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

Good. That's just so positive. You know, that that's great to hear. Um I want you to check out the film Unmasked on YouTube.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:03

Yeah, you'll find it under um uh Elephant in the Room Productions and Lucy Moon director. Okay, check it out. Because that is that was all neurodiversion.

SPEAKER_00 18:16

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

You know? Yeah it was, it was absolutely cracking. There's um a young actor called Leo Long. Now Leo was cast as a lead autistic boy in uh I Used to Be Famous again. Yeah, yeah, it's a Netflix, it's on YouTube, um, and he got the part because believe it or not, well I I I couldn't get my head around it to be honest. They needed a drummer who taught himself to drum. Yeah, you know, then you find out he plays other instruments, then you find out he's uh a songwriter, he's this, he's that, and and I'm like, wow, you know, I I just get inspired by you know um being around the neurodivergence because they do have a different outlook, you know, um and the majority of the time it's for the better. They see things, you know, that I I I I was closed to, yeah, and and you're like, oh, uh no, no, that's that's a better way of doing it. But why didn't I think of that? Well, of course I'm not Eurodivergent, I didn't see it. I've got a different set of rules and learning capabilities and everything else, you know. So what do you reckon then? Do you reckon you're gonna write your own material?

SPEAKER_00 19:39

Yes. Oh, I'm very interested in screenwriting. I I've always write I've created stories throughout my life. I've kind of I used to when I was younger, instead of playing conventionally outside of all the children at break, um, I used to play by myself. That was that was my main thing, but I'd always get really inspired like after going to like a pantomime or a show. I was very into that. Um or watching, like, especially when I was in like year one, like the C BB's panto every year on the TV. I'd be like, yes, I'm making that now. And I'd round up anyone who agreed, regretfully in the end, who would agree to put on a pantomime at break, and I would boss them all around and be like, You're this, you're that, you're doing that, and um I'd get them all, I'd tell them their lines, I'd have them remembered because I had a very weird memory as a child. I could memorise books from them being read to me before I could read, you know.

SPEAKER_01 20:31

Cool to hell.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

Yeah, that's one on YouTube actually. Yeah. Tabby Mukta, I knew that off by heart, and I did when I was about three or four. Wow. Before I could read. And people used to be like, oh, she can read so well before like doing like primary school. And my parents are like, no, no, she just memorized it from us reading it to her, and they're like, Oh, okay, yeah, that makes sense. Um, but I used to just tell everyone their lines and make them do it, and I'd get anyone who's around to come watch this a second, and uh so I've always tried to make my own material because it was never fully exactly. I kind of changed a little bit to fit whoever whatever cast I had, right? Right, right. How many people I had, I'd cut in characters, I'd cut them out. Someone's like, no, but I wanted to be the dog, okay, and we'll have two dogs. And I I would always compromise, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And um, I would I would I was always writing things, I loved writing stories. I still love writing stories, it's something I've never stopped doing, and so to turn something into something visual like that would be amazing.

SPEAKER_01 21:35

Anything that you've uh you've written in the past that you wanna you want to work on?

SPEAKER_00 21:38

That I want to work on still. There's a few things. There was one, uh there was uh a mini short film I made called um um I think it I think it was called like Young Crime. Very broad, I know, but I just went to my friend's house and she had the guy she was dating over at the time when I was about 13, 14, and I was like, oh yeah. Whilst we're all here, let's make a short film. And they were like, cool. And um, I think the dynamic of it was was pretty cool. I think the the immediate idea I had on the spot was pretty was pretty cool. So I'd like to revisit something like that, something that is a bit serious, something that's a bit it kind of shows it kind of was a it was a toxic relationship. The guy was hiding something from the girl, she was like, what? He's having these phone calls and he's actually like working for someone, he's like going out and killing people and he like carries a knife around with him and stuff. And I just came up with that on the spot, and that's something that I I quite like to look at. It's something like deeper, and I also really like looking at documentary. I would love to make some documentaries on what on anything, really. I really like documentaries that or docuseries, I like I like both. I like doing both. I like docuseries when they're done right and they have the right research. Um the Amanda Knox documentary recently was really good. I really enjoyed that. Not just because Rebecca Wasaki was in it, but that was a very big bonus. Um but I I love documentaries when they're done with the right intentions. I think I would love to do some some documentaries in schools to do with neurodiversity. I'd like to do some LGBTQ.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Well, what would you tackle though? Let's just look at that. Yeah, what would you tackle?

SPEAKER_00 23:23

If I had to make a documentary now and everything, all logistics aside, and I was going into a school to do a documentary, I would probably pick to do I would I would probably interview neurodivergent girls specifically. Um that's what I'd go through. I'd ask them about their experience. I would try and work out um the level of support that they get compared to neurodivergent boys. I think that's something that very, very highly interests me. I saw a lot of people, people who were my friends who kind of got pushed under the rug or were told, oh, they they could have something like this, and the school didn't push it enough and they and they didn't get the support they needed, but then you saw boys who just kind of show traits a bit more and they got a lot more support. And I think I would go into a documentary with girls and ask them um about the support they get and and how that compares to others and how they feel about it and how they feel in school and try and work out the statistics of how many girls feel like they are under supported compared to boys, and I'd probably interview a few of the boys for contrast to kind of put into place how that's happened. I'd take into account when they were diagnosed, if they even are diagnosed, compared to the boys, and I would kind of work out why that happened and try and ask them why they think that happens, and I think that would be quite interesting to do one day.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

Interesting subject though, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 24:57

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_01 24:58

You know, I mean uh yeah, when I was teaching, um like you say, identifying people. I mean, I I had some students that you know that just fell through the cracks, yeah. You know, and you're like, how does that happen? You know?

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

So yeah, I mean from a documentary point of view, I mean that that would be quite cool. What about comedy? What what turns you on with comedy?

SPEAKER_00 25:21

Oh, I love comedy. I have I'm actually still watching well, I've finished watching it, but the last episode hasn't come out yet as Last One Laughing. I love that show, wonderful, it's on Amazon Prime, everyone should watch it, it's very good. Um, but also the CBS version of Ghosts is like my favourite thing in the entire planet ever. I love that comedy because it's not just a comedy, it's every person's life, no matter your background, no matter where you live, it's everyone's lives, everyone can see themselves in a bit of the ghosts. I've started watching it with my friends who I've met from Met Film School Pride, and um we watch it on FaceTime, and I've watched it a million times, a million's a bit dramatic, but I have watched it a lot of times. I can basically recite most episodes, um, but they haven't, it's their first times, and um we all see the ghosts in each other, and it's it's so cool. And I've watched it with my family, um, I've watched it obviously with my friends, and there's such a massive community around this comedy as well that I'm very lucky to to be a little part of online, and I I just I just think it's wonderful, it's great. I love ghosts. That is what really inspires me with comedies, is how they've done ghosts. It's stemmed from the BBC version, which is also fantastic, and there's there's French, there's there's the um I think there's a Greek version now, and there's the Australian version, which is also wonderful. I'm I'm actually very happy what they're doing with the Australian version as well. I think all the versions of it are just wonderful, but they all have the same premise that if everyone is a bit of each of the characters, and it's a comedy, but they also tackle things so seriously as well, and they do it in such a beautiful way, in a way that's very carefully thought out and done. And I I think that's wonderful, and I want to be part of something like that. Doing a comedy that also tackles things that are serious issues in people's lives, I think is amazing. Like um, the CBS version of Ghost has so many things in it that you just go, wow, and it just kind of kind of blows you away a little bit. It's it's it's it's very moving, and I think it's wonderful what they've what they've done with it. I cannot say anything else about ghosts that isn't that isn't incredibly positive.

SPEAKER_01 27:40

Let me ask you about um uni when you you go to what are you expecting?

SPEAKER_00 27:44

What am I expecting from the course or from going to uni and the experience?

SPEAKER_01 27:48

I mean a bit of both, really. I mean, you know, are you hoping to gain um a new set of skills? Are you hoping that they're gonna give you, you know, all the information you require uh in order to get a job?

SPEAKER_00 28:04

Well, I personally love Matt Film because they kind of set you up for everything. They they give you experience on documentary, on music video, which is something I personally also really love doing, is music video. Um I see they do a lot of obviously filmmaking because that's what the course is, but they also do a lot of focus on post-production, and you can you can specialise in year two and three into specific modules that you want to do, and I think that's wonderful. You can you kind of get a grasp in the first year and what would you want to do? What would I want to do?

SPEAKER_01 28:36

What would you want to major in?

SPEAKER_00 28:37

Right now, if I could pick, it would probably be screenwriting and directing, and I think that's quite broad, it's not super specific, but that's right now what I'm interested in. But I'm hoping that when I go there, my mind is changed. I hope I find a big love for post-production or something like that. I I think that would be really cool to explore more of things that I haven't personally done as much, and I hope to find kind of a love for everything. I hope it's a difficult decision for me to pick what I want to focus the most on in your life.

SPEAKER_01 29:12

So I think that's what you're gonna find. Yeah, you know, as you as you go uh you progress from year one to year two, things start to get narrower and narrower until you hone it, you know, to the skill set that that you want. But then again, I mean, you know, if you if you get out into the big wide world and you're disillusioned with it all, yeah, yeah, or you can't get the brakes because so many other people are you know are out there trying to get the same job, what are you gonna do?

SPEAKER_00 29:40

What am I gonna do? Well, hopefully I will have a big understanding of the industry, um, of the all the different roles within the industry. And I think if I went out there and let's say that I really wanted to focus on screenwriting, and there wasn't that opportunity for me, then I'd try and make it. I'd freelance, I'd do my own thing, I would make things until I can prove to people that yeah, I should be here in in this industry and I want to be in this room, I want to write this, I want to create this. That's what I would do.

SPEAKER_01 30:17

I'm so glad that I'm talking to you today. No, do you know what? Because if there were more people like you, yeah, to become an entrepreneur wouldn't be an issue. Because I mean what I'm hearing is is passion that's coming through. You know, I don't care what they think, I don't care. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. It's a wonderful, wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 30:41

Lovely disposition. So I mean, you know, you you get that. What's the ultimate aim?

SPEAKER_00 30:47

The ultimate aim, I think if we if we think widely, for me, I I said this recently to to one of my friends, but I pick doing this as my entire life because it's what makes me happy. So I think the end goal for me is to be happy, to be happy with what I'm doing, to be happy in myself, in my life, and this is what makes me happy. Um, and you know, kind of putting out things into the media, into the industry that are are more positive, are more hopeful for people is something that I really en enjoy having the opportunity to do.

SPEAKER_01 31:27

Sometimes what you find is in this game there's not a lot of money. You know what I mean? Um yes, yeah. I mean, just just try as you say, I mean, you're fighting for the jobs all the time. If you can create your own production company, why not?

SPEAKER_00 31:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

Do you know what I mean? I mean, it doesn't have to stop at films, I mean, because you've got theatre.

SPEAKER_00 31:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

And that's another option that you've got, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 31:54

That is another option that I've got. I'm currently doing a year-long online course with um it's a New York University course, and they partnered with Yellowbrick to to do this, and um, I was lucky enough to get granted a scholarship to do this because it's quite an expensive course to do once they've accepted you and everything. And um, so I was very lucky to get a scholarship for this. Wow, and um that's that's what I've been I've been working through. I have the the year to to complete this, yeah, yeah. And it's it's wonderful, it's wonderful so far. They get you so involved. I had to make a timeline on realism recently, that was very interesting and entertaining. I had this PowerPoint that I had to create for that, and I I just think it's it's great, it kind of takes you through um everything you need to know, from a performance side of view to a production side of view to to everything, just the industry as a whole, and they have people talking to you who are just so passionate about it, right? And I I think the way they've done it and how they include things from from script writing to to casting to the history of theatre to the the very, very broad history of theatre across the globe. Um, I I think the way they've kind of channelled that into everything, put meaning behind what you're doing, I think that's very important, and I and I do I do think that's gonna help me in the future. And I I love theatre. You know that I love theatre. I know you love theatre. I love theatre a lot, yeah, and um that is never not an option for me. That is that is always a huge passion of mine. That is still something I would very much like to go into. Anything creative, anything to do with performing or making something, yeah, is what I want to do, and one way or another I want to be a part of that and and do that with my life.

SPEAKER_01 33:45

Even if you cannot be a part of it, you've gotta create it.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

Oh yes.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

Oh yeah. You've got to create it.

SPEAKER_00 33:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 33:52

You you're that fired up with it. Um I'm sitting here thinking, oh my god, what have we unleashed? The monster, she's gonna be out there. Yeah, it's amazing. Well done, well done. Um Yeah, I th I think the only um what one of the issues is it it's not a nice world out there.

SPEAKER_00 34:10

No, you know, no, I understand that.

SPEAKER_01 34:12

In the student world and you know, your first run on the ladder, you know, and all this type of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 34:18

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

You know, what what do you worry about?

SPEAKER_00 34:21

So I know that I'm a little bit of a perfectionist. I feel like if I do something wrong, I'm gonna be like, oh no. If someone's like, you know, oh no, you shouldn't have done that, I'm gonna be like But I I think I don't know, I think I really want to I want to stand my ground a little bit. I I really I think the thing that worries me the most is not doing something that people like. I I think that's I think that's what it would be. I think it's okay to make mistakes End of End of doing mistakes is without a mistake, how are you gonna learn? Exactly. And uh I I don't think it's the rejection that scares me because rejection is just redirection and in a bunch of rejection, make it yourself, do it yourself.

SPEAKER_01 35:07

End of.

SPEAKER_00 35:08

Yeah, and so I think the thing that worries me most is people not liking what I do. I think I can take criticism, but if no one liked what I did, I'd be like, oh. That's I think that would would worry me the most a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

Let me just what say this to you, yeah? You're going into a very, very fickle industry. Yeah. Now there are people that are gonna love it. Yeah. There are gonna be people that absolutely hate it. Oh yeah. Who cares? Yeah. As long as you enjoy it, and you've got that pleasure from it and you've got it out there, yeah. So be it. You know, it's your it's your passion and everything else. You're putting stuff into the world, they're not. It's easy for somebody to criticise, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 35:57

Oh yes.

SPEAKER_01 35:58

Exactly. You know, um yeah, I'd I'd be I'd watch out for that. Toughen up your shoulders, you know? Yeah. Um they need to be a lot broader. Um yeah, listen, I I wish you all the luck with this.

SPEAKER_00 36:12

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

But I also want to throw this out. We um we need to talk about a project or two.

SPEAKER_00 36:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 36:20

Yeah?

SPEAKER_00 36:20

Oh yes.

SPEAKER_01 36:21

Let's get that underway and we'll do that. But do you know what? For now, let's just say thank you very much.

SPEAKER_00 36:28

Thank you, thank you very much too. I've really enjoyed this.

SPEAKER_01 36:31

Good, good, I've done it. We uh we're gonna keep an eye on your journey.

SPEAKER_00 36:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:35

Alright? I'd like you to come back, um, maybe after the first year. Yes. Yeah, uh, come back and just just keep an update on on everything that's going because uh I see that in your eyes that there's there's something magical in there, you know, and you really do want it, don't you?

SPEAKER_00 36:53

Yeah. Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_01 36:55

Bethany, thank you very much.

SPEAKER_00 36:57

Thank you, thank you very much, Steve.

SPEAKER_01 37:01

Wow, this young lady's on a very exciting journey. First step up the ladder to film school. Now, as she said, she's got plenty to say, we want to hear it, we will be bringing her back, and a bit of good news she's already been taken on by a production company to assist the short film. Next up, Scott Payne. We delve into the world of script writing. That's up next.