Today we’d like to introduce you to Susie Singer Carter.
Susie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started in journalism and radio and fairly quickly realized working alone was not for me. I made a sharp left and segued into acting and eventually writing projects – initially for me. Did a decade of improvisation with Lembeck’s and The Groundings and made the realization that although I love acting, I hate the business of it. Consequently, I decided to focus my efforts on writing.
Like most creatives, I clocked in a daunting amount of hours of sweat equity before achieving what I equate as my “official start”: a contract and paychecks. I was hired to write and produce 26 episodes of a tween competition show, DANCE REVOLUTION, and 13 episodes of a tween sitcom, CAKE for CBS Saturday morning. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. Working on two shows in different formats (reality and scripted) at the same time was literally a crash course in TV production. Because CBS’s budget was minimal, I wore a lot of hats which gave me hands-on experience that would have normally taken me years to get. Personally, I learned that I actually work best under pressure, and I discovered I loved directing. I wore a permanent smile every day.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Hahahaha! Has anyone answered yes to this question? If so, (in my best Valley Accent), “Mmm…whatevs.” 🙂 Seriously, the one thing I. have learned to count on is not to count on anything. Behind every success (aka – sale/job), lay dozens (and dozens) of failures (aka passes and rejections). Eventually, you learn to compartmentalize failures and your talent, which are not the same thing by a long shot! I repeat… THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING!
With that in mind, I will unabashedly say that the struggle is incredibly real. Besides the obligatory passes, I have entered into amazing deals that for one reason or another tanked. I’ve had pilot script deals that didn’t go, produced pilots with A-list actors at top studios that never found a home, and was even contracted to write the sequel of a movie I had just completed (let’s say BRATZ), only to discover my credit had been thrown into arbitration with the WGA and although I wrote every word of the final shooting draft and my name was on all the posters, I lost the credit and, consequently, the sequel. When that happens, it absolutely sucks. But onward and upward. The rewards undoubtedly make up for the losses!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The name of my company is Go Girl Media. I think that kind of sums up my brand! I’ve always been passionate about female-driven stories. I think the most powerful stories come from what we know; what we have experienced. The nuance and details are what resonate with your audience. I have to say I am most proud of my Oscar QualiFed short Film, My Mom and The Girl. It’s true story based on my mother, Norma, who had Alzheimer’s. My mission was to change the conversations about Alzheimer’s from negative to positive and remove some of the stigma associated with it. The film had and continues to have an amazing effect on audiences around the world, and me. Not only did it established me as a director, it was the catalyst for launching my podcast, Love Conquers Alz, which received Best Podcast 2020 from the New Media Film Festival.
It has also given me a platform to continue advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves. After interviewing the Assistant Attorney General, Rick Mountcastle (portrayed in the Hulu miniseries “Dopesick” by Peter Sarsgaard), on my podcast about a federal investigation he led that dealt with Nursing Home Fraud, we decided to produce a documentary an important documentary film called “No Country for Old People, ” a cautionary tale in which I hope to expose a dangerous façade of stability and safety held tightly by Long Term Care (LTC) nursing facilities. A pretense propagated by an insidious system that subscribes to the notion that honesty is far less profitable than dishonesty and cavalierly regards human beings as commodities. I know the problem first-hand as my mother passed away this past July from neglect and abuse. We hope to have the film ready for release early next year.
On a more positive note, I am also so proud of a narrative comedy/horror podcast I co-wrote, co-produced, co-directed, and acted in called “I Love Lucifer”; Two B Movie Stars who fight Movie Monsters by Day and REAL Monsters By Night. We started the project during the lockdown and produced a full season – 10 episodes – with 39 actors in total. We were nominated for 7 Audio Verse Awards, and we were just picked up by Realm for distribution. The podcast stars Adam Levy (Netflix’s The Witcher/ HBO’s Industry) as the narrator and the father of the Queen B Scream Queen, Tanya, played by DawnMarie Ferrara, and (spoiler alert!) her rival, the ingenue, Holly, played by yours truly!
I am also excited about an adaptation I recently completed titled “RUN” based on the popular book, “Plain Jane” written by Barrie Levitt Knee. Barrie and I are producing the film and am also attached to direct. We have fantastic attachments which I can’t announce just yet but stay tuned!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I’m not going to lie, being a member of the female community and telling ours stories has been my greatest challenge to date. It is getting better… but it’s not yet great. The way to overcome challenges is to simply persevere. What other choice do we have? If you’re bold…be bolder. If one door shuts… go through a different one. There’s always a way. Unless you quit.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gogirlmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susiesingercarter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susie.s.carter.7
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoGrlMediaSusie
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Susiesingercarter
- Other: Love Conquers Alz: https://loveconquersalz.buzzsprout.com I LOVE LUCIFER:https://linktr.ee/iloveluciferthepodcast
