Lizzy Bailey has brought her ability to create powerful emotion to Ardmona, her passion for humour to Solo, her talent for characterisation to Marriage Equality and her unique way of seeing the world to her short film, Lil, “a comedic look at what happens when you realise your father is a jerk”. Bailey is not just a well-rounded director, she is a well-rounded director whose work has a striking note of difference. 13CO has snapped up this flourishing director, signing her a few weeks ago. 13CO executive producer, Charity Downing and Bailey spoke to The Stable about what makes Lizzy tick.
The Stable: Charity, what drew 13CO to sign Lizzy Bailey?
Charity Downing: Lizzy’s love of all things film and TV aligns with the 13CO philosophy of passion for what we do – making memorable films.
TS: Lizzy, what are the most important elements to you in filmmaking?
Lizzy Bailey: I love every single element in filmmaking but I’d have to say the most important ones to me would be story, performance and visual style. There’s nothing like a good story – something that sweeps you up and transports you to another world; whether it’s a familiar one or a new one. Story is such a powerful tool for inspiring people, moving them, educating them, helping people feel seen or simply entertaining them. Preferably all of the above.
The people who inhabit this world are essentially the ones that create it so I love to dig deep into their thought process; what motivates them and makes them tick. Delving into their complexities and looking for those elements that make them relatable and human, yet unique in their own way is so fascinating.
A great performance from an actor really excites me. I acted as a kid and my passion for this art form has never died. I’m still blown away by Olivia Coleman in The Favourite. She perfectly encapsulated humour and tragedy. You were simultaneously amused by her, pitied her and despised her. She was such a wonderful complex character that was incredibly well written, well directed and well performed. I was totally in awe with her in this film and love working with actors to try to get performances and nuanced and multifaceted as this.
Meanwhile visual style is also of a lot of interest to me. The camera is such a powerful way to tell the story visually so I love working closely with the DOP to see how we can create something evocative and emotive, visually conjuring the emotions of the story and characters. Sometimes simply creating something that is visually interesting and beautiful, like an artwork, also brings me a lot of joy. I adore the Peter Greenaway film, A Zed and Two Naughts, because it is incredibly visually arresting and creates such a mood. The story barely makes any sense and you have no idea what’s going on but, man, is it a lot of fun to watch anyway.
TS: Charity, what are the most striking/valuable characteristics of Lizzy’s work?
CD: How many would you like me to list? An amazingly clever female director who is being recognised by the industry for her film making prowess. A director who confidently draws out comedic talent performances to drive her story telling. A filmmaker who is so passionate about making every opportunity work towards her goal of being a standout director.
TS: Lizzy, what are the stories behind your favourite work?
LB: One of my favourite works recently would have to be the music video I shot for Cong Josie. It was so much fun coming up with visuals that worked with the music that evoked Twin Peaks when I listened to it. I could see the band singing this song in the local tavern that the cast frequent in the show. Music videos are always a lot of fun. I love listening to the music and dreaming up the visuals that go along with it. It’s a very different way of creating from sitting down with a blank screen. You have another creative element to guide you. The main band member, Nic, and I both have a big love of ‘80s films and music videos and enjoyed spending a lot of time sending visual references back and forth for months. The idea continued to grow and evolve until we ended up with a surreal dreamscape filled with rotting fruit, lizards, snakes and snails. It was great to bring this strange world to life, I can’t wait to do another one.
TS: Charity, what does 13CO consider to be Bailey’s best work and why?
CD: That’s hard to answer. Best? Or my favourite? Lizzy’s comedic timing in the Solo campaign are a credit to her dedication for making comedic connections through visual performances. Lizzy’s stunning visual journey in the Ardmona TVC gives light to her respect of the film making process and how it can bring emotion to the film narrative. Lizzy’s short film, Lil, gives us a really clear insight into her passion for getting real and true performances from her talent to enlist a reaction from her audience. Lizzy has an ability to track her skills to the project she is working on, bringing her talent to each film in a new and passionate way. Her latest work, a music video for Cong Josie’s Persephone, is a visual journey that shows another talent that Lizzy has to combine her stunning talent performances with an art directors visual feast.
TS: Lizzy, what would be your dream commercial?
LB: My dream commercial would be something that has a great story behind it and preferably some humorous moments along with warm ones. Something that also allows for beautiful or interesting visuals so I can push the boundaries visually and create something evocative and engaging. I love some of Google’s or Apple’s campaigns, they have some really sweet stories and heartwarming, fun moments in them. I also really love some of the commercials that come out of New Zealand like the Ghost Chips or the Spark Father’s Day campaign – they’re funny and sweet stories that you can really connect with.
TS: Lizzy, what advice might you give your 16- year-old self?
LB: I would tell 16-year-old me to not be afraid to make mistakes and to believe in yourself. Making things can be scary. Putting any kind of artwork, whether it be a film, a song or a painting out into the world is scary and my fear of failure and lack of confidence held me back for a while. Eventually, I realised that continually creating with no fear is the best way to learn and grow as a creative person.
