- Name: Allie Elwell
- Age: 28
- Current location: Prague, Czech Republic
- Home town: Toronto, Canada
- Education: Bachelor of Journalism
- Current position: Freelance Unit Publicist and Content Producer
- Bio: Allie Elwell began her career as a broadcast journalist and producer for CBC News. She has worked as a publicist for the entertainment and television industry for the past 4 years, working on large scale productions for British and American producers. Her credits include Penny Dreadful for Showtime, The Crown for Netflix, and she's currently working on Britania, a large period drama for Sky TV and Amazon, shooting in the Czech Republic.
- Years in the field: 4
- Countries I've worked in: Canada, UK, Belgium, Ireland, Czech Republic, Rwanda
- Sector / subsectors: Media and Communications, PR and Publicity
- Areas of expertise: Strategic planning, asset management, event planning, producing press kit/social/behind-the-scenes content, managing photo shoots, media training, writing press materials, organising set visits, and being able to stay alive in the freezing cold for 12 hours.
- Country: Czech Republic
- Region: Europe
- Sector: Communications
- Degree subject: Journalism
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Can you tell us who you are, and what a unit publicist actually does?
Filming behind-the-scenes stunts, meeting international journalists, and interviewing actors - it's all in a week's work!
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How did you get to where you are? Tell us about your career path.
Find out what Allie saw inside of an old warehouse that convinced her she had to put journalism on the back burner and pursue a new career path.
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Did your degree and experience in journalism help you with your current role?
Allie describes how her previous experience helps set her apart from her competition.
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"Speak American"? What do you mean by that?
Allie tells us how being Canadian helps her act as mediator in discussions between American and British colleagues.
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Tell us more about those language differences. Are they a challenge professionally?
Allie tells us why you should be offended if a British person says your idea is "interesting" - and how things can get lost in translation in a cross-cultural environment.
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What do you like most about working abroad?
Allie tells what she loves most about working abroad…the hardcore street cred. Juggling professional responsibilties while learning how to put gas into your new Czech car equals feeling like a badass - and learning a lot about yourself in the process.
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What traits or skills do you think are needed to succeed in entertainment publicity?
Find out why being able to "go rock and roll" is one of the skills needed to succeed in television publicity.
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Is education or a degree necessary for this line of work?
Two steps to success: a degree, and a shameless self-promotion.
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You mention talking to people, and networking, but can you give us some practical tips about how to actually do that?
Find out how almost lighting her head on fire helps Allie break the ice and start conversations.
Tags: networking -
What's the biggest lesson you've learned so far?
Allie breaks down the art of asking for things.
Tags: communications -
What's the biggest mistake you see people make in publicity?Find out why doing nothing is sometimes the best decision you can make.
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Any tips for what to do or say in an interview?
Allie tells us her #1 tip for interviews and what she looks for when she's hiring new employees.
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Beyond the workplace, what are your tips for living abroad?
We're talking about credit cards, TransferWise, and loneliness.
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What's the biggest challenge you've faced working abroad?
Visa, visa, visa. Allie gives us the lowdown and some tips.
