Lisa Rose Snow
Current Position: Film and Television Writer-Director, Directors Guild of Canada: Ontario Directors Caucus Representative
“This industry can be challenging, so you need an element of stubborn resiliency because if you just keep going, you will succeed. The only way you can fail is if you quit.”
COFFEE #12
It was my first time meeting Lisa Rose when we sat down for this virtual coffee. While meeting new faces and making new connections can be seen as scary, Lisa Rose’s enthusiasm and positive energy made the experience all the more welcoming. I always feel so lucky to have these opportunities to learn more from leaders in the media industry. When connecting with Lisa Rose we spoke about her journey in this industry but most importantly the impact you make on others in it. When facing the various ups and downs, it’s always better to do so with a community of people to help you along the way.
Lisa Rose Snow is an award-winning writer and director for film and television. Yet, she feels that doesn’t often encompass it all. She sometimes refers to herself as “an artistic warrior” for a creative person in this industry often wears many hats and faces many challenges along the way. She began her journey in the film industry at a young age because she wanted to be an actor. Back in high school she got an agent and did her fair share of extra work. Lisa Rose shared with me, “Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be an actor. I think I always wanted to be in the entertainment industry but when I was young I certainly didn’t see many women directors. I didn’t see myself reflected in that.” She continued to follow her passion and studied acting and theatre at university. While there, she learned about directing and writing, yet she never thought that would be the career for her. Lisa Rose had her sights set on acting. After university, she spent some time producing in the theatre world and later completed a Performance Creation Lab with Alberta’s One Yellow Rabbit Theatre. Lisa Rose shared with me, “afterwards the writing mentor of the program was like, you know you’re a writer, right? And I was like, well I don’t know, and they said, no, you really are.” Lisa Rose went back to Nova Scotia to find there was an open spot in an upcoming theatre festival. The problem was, she and her friends didn’t have a play. Lisa Rose took it upon herself to word vomit out a short play and to her surprise, her friends loved it. It did exceptionally well at this festival and won a Fringe Hit Award. The play later got picked up by another festival to expand it.
Lisa Rose had been working in theatre for a few years when another friend shared they were applying for a new opportunity. It was a film program where they would choose certain applicants and their ideas to move forward and support them in creating a short film. Her friend needed a script and Lisa Rose, still not thinking much of her talent, agreed to write one for them.
Lisa Rose shared with me, “I wrote it, not thinking much of it because I didn’t see myself as a writer. When I showed them, my friend was like, this sounds amazing. If they got into the program then I’d get into the program as well because it was a producing, writing and directing program. We brought in another director to direct this but after a series of events, we ended up having to let him go. So I wrote and directed my first short film called, Two Penny Road Kill. All of a sudden I found myself on a film set as a director. The short was really well received and played in festivals all over the world which launched me into an unexpected and very welcoming writer-director film career.”
Lisa Rose found her way to a successful writing-directing career through her effort to help friends and others. She wanted to help them achieve their dreams alongside her own. The fact that Lisa Rose originally wrote these scripts without any expectations allowed her to access the creative side of her brain that was free from judgement. Where there is no judgment, creativity flows. Judgment is often the biggest wall that blocks us from continuing to move forward. Lisa Rose shared with me, “I had this deep burning desire to be an actor but I knew if I also wanted to write I could get clouded by my own desires. So, I purposely wrote stories I couldn’t act in. I focused on being a good writer and not just writing myself a cool part that I could play. I have yet to ever write a film for myself to act in but maybe I will someday.”
Of all the hats Lisa Rose has worn in this industry when directing she feels like the most grounded, authentic version of herself. Lisa Rose feels so fortunate that her winding path has led her to a career she can flourish and grow in. While the wins in this industry are often celebrated loudly and proudly, what we rarely see celebrated online or with others are the losses. Lisa Rose and I spoke about the tough side of this industry that is rooted in rejection. As much as we hope to believe that rejection is something that gets easier as you become more established in this industry, it is something even the greatest stars experience all the time. It can be extremely difficult to get your foot in the door, especially as a new graduate with resumes that need beefing up. Lisa Rose shared with me a tip for interviews that will help others look past the words on your resume. She said to say, “Look, I understand that on paper I may not the right choice, but if you give me this job I will prove to you that I am the exact right person to do it.” Then one day you’re going to have someone that says, okay, I believe you. It is about connecting with the people that are going to take chances. Lisa Rose said, “I feel like the people I want to work with are going to be brave and take those chances with me. You also need someone willing to fight for you as hard as you would. It only takes that one person to say, yes.”
When asking Lisa Rose about the types of stories that inspire her, she shared she loves, “anything big-hearted and things that smash stereotypes, all while celebrating the underdog.” Yet, when it comes down to it, she is most inspired by stories of hope. The world in which we live and create can be hard. So Lisa Rose feels, “it’s important for people right now and their mental health to watch stories that leave them feeling hopeful.” A lot of Lisa Rose’s past work reflects this feeling of big-hearted hope, leaving her audiences with the trust that while things may be difficult, they will all work out in the end.
This is why Lisa Rose found it difficult to decide which project she was most proud of. She shared with me, “each time I start a new one, I love it the most. All my projects are like children to me, I love them all. They all have their triumphs and challenges.” Yet, when it came down to it, she said she has a strong appreciation for Under The Christmas Tree, the latest film she directed. It was the largest project with the biggest budget she had ever worked on and described it as, “a big leap” for herself.
She shared with me, “It was Lifetime’s first lesbian Christmas movie and I felt this level of responsibility to the story. What I didn’t want to do was to put one girl in a pair of pants and one girl in a skirt and be like, there’s your lesbian movie! I wanted it to have nuance and feel authentic to a broad range of queer representations. Once we had our cast we wanted to lean into who they were as artists. We leaned into what they wanted to bring to their characters, who they were as queer women and what parts of themselves they felt comfortable sharing.”
As a member of the queer community herself, Lisa Rose felt honoured to be making this milestone movie for a company such as Lifetime. Coming into a leadership position on a project this large, Lisa Rose did not want to lose the values she intends to imbed in all her work, to lead with kindness and compassion. She shared, “I want people on my sets to feel like they have a voice, regardless of their position. Whether it’s a Production Assistant or the 2nd Assistant Director. I want them to know that they matter. Everyone is an important piece of the puzzle.” Lisa Rose creates an environment where she and her team can flourish because “filmmaking is community.” A community of passionate creatives coming together to make something that will not only entertain audiences but impact them as well. She shared with me, “When you put the good vibes into the preparation and production you can feel it in the finished product.” Especially when working on a queer movie, your team is a group of trusted allies, that feel they are there to make a difference.
Lisa Rose described the premiere of this film as, “such a magical experience. I had a father tweet to me saying, my daughter has never seen herself like that on television before, thank you so much for giving her that gift. I’m sure there are lots of times with work I’ve done in the past that have had people resonate with it. Yet, I hadn’t received the feedback in the same way. With this project, I have been getting feedback from people feeling seen and celebrated, especially in this mainstream Christmas movie genre.”
When asking Lisa Rose if there was anything she would do differently she shared with me, “it is best to not live with any regrets because everything is so much a learning opportunity.” By letting go of what was supposed to be, you can put everything you have and your focus into future projects. When I asked Lisa Rose about the main piece of advice she could give me, she said the main thing is to meditate. She explained, “it’s about the practice of clearing your mind. Becoming present is letting go of that control and the desire of wanting to know the future. The practice of being and cutting out the noise is essential for life but also as an artist, in every form. You can spend forever obsessing over your career and your path and past mistakes.” Working on your sense of self-worth and self-love through meditation will help you believe in your ability to create something great. It is an authentic place to grow from and it’s already inside of you.
I would like to thank you Lisa Rose for taking the time to open the gates of knowledge in this ever-growing industry and sharing with me the truth behind what it means to be a creative leader. When you’re on set you can just make the film or you can create an environment where people can flourish. It’s not just your job, it is always an opportunity to create a community to explore new avenues that haven’t been explored before. Art rooted is in beauty, love and care. Often when being a member of this industry your job becomes your life, so why not create the most exciting life? I will now leave you with the final quote Lisa Rose shared with me when asking her, what keeps you passionate?
“I am inspired by creating in general. I watch a lot of content, and I think for a long time I was like, maybe I shouldn’t watch so much tv, but it’s my job. Lots of people make content and a lot of the time I watch appreciating the skill behind it. Yet, what makes me feel amazing is when I watch something and I get lost in it and I forget that I am also a creator. When a film or television show is so good you get sucked into this world and lose all sense of knowing how it’s done, just loving the journey you’re on, that’s what feels inspiring.”
Lisa Rose Headshot by Cooked Photography.