Today we’d like to introduce you to Susie Singer Carter.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Susie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
So, how did I get started and how did I get to where I am today? Hmmm, if you asked 5-year-old Susie what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would have said, “Everything! Duh! Dancer, singer, writer, actress, princess, athlete, chef, photographer, director, fashionista, a mommy…”, just to name a few. And that has pretty much never changed. My appetite to try my hand at everything remains firmly intact and is both my best and worst personality trait. It has definitely impacted the trajectory of my career, where the road has been anything but straight. I majored in journalism at UCLA and began writing for the Bruin Paper, then discovered I needed a platform that was more interactive.
I earned my FCC license and hosted my own radio show until I realized radio was a fairly lonely career. I moved into acting where I found a nice niche for a good while which led to my motivation to write because “I could write better roles for women than the ones I continued to book”! That segued into a development position and then eventually starting my own company where I began creating my own projects. I decided to learn everything I could so that I wouldn’t have to rely on anyone else if wanted to get something done. That included learning to edit, mastering Photoshop, color correction, direction, writing for different platforms and genres.
Now, have I had to compromise my goals while on my way to becoming a multi-hyphenate? Definitely! I may not always hit certain career milestones when I think I should, but I have accumulated a treasure trove of experience that has been and continues to be invaluable. It truly informs everything I do and most importantly has been beyond fun. And honestly, “where I am today” never seems to be where I think I should be at any given time and that perspective keeps me driven and motivated to do more. To be better. I’ve been making my way through my childhood list and have dabbled in almost everything but being a princess. (There’s still time!!)
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The entertainment industry is massively competitive where a glut of people are vying for positions for all kinds of reasons… money, prestige, art or any combination thereof. The lure of wealth and fame is intoxicating. And the amount of wealth and fame one can potentially achieve in Hollywood has caused our industry to be far less merit-based then ever before. Add on being a woman and, well, the struggle is real! Add on being a woman of color – double the trouble.
And then, there is what I call “the blonde bias”. I’ve dealt with it my entire career. I still do. I can’t tell you how many times people have congratulated my partner, Don Priess, on our film, My Mom and The GIrl, which I wrote, produced and directed and then turn to me and ask what I do. Yes! In 2018. It still happens. I made a t-shirt last year that said, “Hire a blonde. We work twice as hard.” Unfortunately, we have to.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
After the development of my first project– an animated show called “BB the Lil Amazon,” I knew I had to start my own company. The lead, BB, was a particularly tiny 10-year-old girl, but despite her diminutive size, she was a force to be reckoned with. Strong as ten men and smarter than Einstein. BB was a hit everywhere I pitched. Everyone loved her. And everyone passed. They each said the same thing: “We just don’t program female protagonists. We program for boys. Boys won’t watch a girl lead. Girls will watch whatever is on.” WTH???? That’s just plain wrong.
I’ll show them! That year I formed my company, Go Girl Media, and made a personal commitment to write and develop female-driven projects that would be as compelling as any excellent project should be. And while I was at it, I vowed to employ as many talented females as possible when the time came to execute them! I hit the ground running and earned my first multi-hyphenate, “writer/producer/director”, when I naively committed myself and my producing partner, Don Priess, to two tween series for CBS Saturday morning. 39 episodes in 3 months. On minimal budgets. Despite the massive challenge, we delivered all 39. On time. And scored an EMA nomination.
Thankfully my colleague was too tired to kill me.
Since then, I’ve created and/or worked on a variety of projects – in reality, animation, film and TV including Lionsgate’s “Bratz: The Movie” (writer/associate producer) and Sony’s “Soul Surfer” (co-producer/script polish), both aspirational and female-driven. Those projects led to a blind script deal at Fox Television Studios with former President David Madden where I developed and wrote two 1/2-hour and two 1-hour pilot scripts. That deal resulted in a pilot order for a primetime animated 1/2-hour, “Surviving Hawking” starring Bryan Cranston and gave me the opportunity to take advantage of my multi-hyphenate “writer/producer/director” once again.
Although I loved working on each one of those projects, the last few have been the most satisfying to date. “Women Who Wrote the Way” and “Breaking Good”, two short documentaries I wrote, produced and directed, are inspirational looks at some of the finest female trailblazers in the writing community along with some of the most profound highlights of their journey towards success. Each career successfully dispels any misconceptions surrounding female writers of all kinds – black, Latina, gay (and yes, even blonde). “Women Who Wrote the Way” screened to a receptive and grateful audience at the WGA Theater for Women’s History Month 2017, as did “Breaking Good” in 2018. Glorious.
Then, there is my first short film, “My Mom and The Girl”, starring Valerie Harper in which I added one more credit to my multi-hyphenate by writing, producing, directing and acting in a film. This labor of love ironically called a “joyous” look at Alzheimer’s, has been resonating with audiences all over the world. Since its premiere at LA Shorts Fest in 2016, MMATG has screened at a large number of top-tier festivals (Cannes, Cleveland, Cinequest, Rhode Island, Edmonton, Palm Springs, Atlanta, La Femme, Sedona and more), garnered dozens of awards and nominations, and ultimately secured a spot on the 2018 Oscar Qualified list. Am I proud? Sure I am.
But the most rewarding part of this journey has been the countless hugs and tears I have shared with complete strangers who have been moved to a better place by my story. I am extremely proud to announce that My Mom and The Girl is now available to stream and/or purchase on ShortsTV, iTunes, and Google Plus.
At the end of the day, talent is subjective. What isn’t – is passion. I believe our passion and the joy we get working alongside others within the creative community is ultimately the thing that sets our work apart. At the moment, I am so excited about the script I am currently adapting from a popular novel, PLAIN JANE. It’s a story that touches on a modern moral dilemma that will surely resonate with Gen X and Millenial woman and couples alike.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://gogirlmedia.com
- Phone: 310-472-8910
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susiesingercarter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susie.s.carter.7?ref=profile
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoGrlMediaSusie
- Other: https://www.imdb.me/susiesingercarter
Image Credit:
Tabrina Hobson; Don Priess
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
