Charlotte Dwan of Intermission Film on Beartown, Reservoir Dogs, and the Industry's Global Reach

Charlotte Dwan is the senior creative producer at Intermission Film. Since joining the team in 2015, she has worked on a range of award-winning trailers and campaigns for both independent and studio clients from around the world. Most recently, Charlotte has worked across Lionsgate’s Ammonite, Studiocanal’s Supernova, and HBO’s We Are Who We Are. 

We spoke with Charlotte for our Backstory series, where we chat with folks in the entertainment industry about their creative inspirations and more.

Charlotte, tell us…

Where you were born, and where you live now.

The short version: I’m a born-and-bred Londoner!

Your first job in the industry.

It feels like a long time ago now! Tangentially, I first worked as an intern for a casting agency. I was right in the center of Soho and spent all day reading scripts, searching through IMDb, and gaining brilliant insight into the industry as a whole. I remember sitting in on a casting session and being asked to read sides with the actors—two weeks later, I ran a casting session completely solo. It was thrilling at the time! 

A breakthrough moment in your career.

It’s difficult to pinpoint one specific moment, but deciding to move to Intermission Film was certainly a turning point for me. I’ve always worked for small companies, and Intermission had such a strong identity—even in the very early days!—that it stood out as being a great place to work with real business potential. Since joining in 2015, I’ve been able to see the company—and my colleagues—grow from strength to strength, and that’s been a real pleasure to be a part of.

Three movies you couldn’t do without.

Now this question is almost impossible to answer! Given everything of late, I have to go with movies that bring me a sense of comfort. These aren’t necessarily my favorite films, but they are the ones I’ll watch again and again, no matter the circumstance.

Casablanca for the nostalgia and because it reminds me I’m a romantic at heart. 

V for Vendetta totally blew my mind when I first watched it as a young teenager, and I’ve watched it countless times since. It’s brilliantly written and, thematically, it’s timeless in a lot of ways.

Finally, as a theater lover, Moulin Rouge just brings me joy! It’s dramatic and sexy, heartbreaking yet witty, and has a fantastical aesthetic. Baz Luhrmann is a brilliant world-builder, and this movie takes me on a journey each time I watch it.  

Your favorite movie quote.

Please can I pick a scene instead of a quote?! If so, it would be Mr. Blonde’s infamous dance scene in Reservoir Dogs. “Stuck in the Middle With You” is one of my favorite songs, and this scene, when I first watched it far too young, gives it a somewhat literal spin that has always stayed with me!

If you twisted my arm for a quote, it would have to be: “You can’t handle the truth!”

Your favorite movie trailer or poster.

I admire a lot of trailers, so this is very difficult … I do love The Handmaiden teaser; it’s stylish, enigmatic, dynamic and tense. The music and sound design perfectly position the movie as a modern and nuanced psychological thriller. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies, from one of my all-time favorite directors, and this teaser does it justice.

On the poster font, I have to go classic. It would either be Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark or Pulp Fiction. If pushed, I’d choose Pulp Fiction. It’s confident, sexy and iconic. Mia Wallace also happens to be my Halloween costume of choice!

A classic TV show and a recent TV show that you loved.

I loved Bewitched growing up, but if I was stranded on a desert island, I’d ultimately choose Friends as the classic TV show to keep me company.

More recently, Chernobyl was a standout limited series in my opinion and HBO have been delivering the goods ever since! I also have a lot of love for Breaking Bad, Orange Is the New Black and Euphoria.

A recent project you’re proud of.

I recently worked across the print campaign for Beartown with HBO Nordic. From early sketches through to 15-foot billboards, we worked across the teaser poster, main key art, character posters and a variety of format adapts. We were also referred to design the new book cover, which beautifully tied the title’s aesthetic together.

A specific highlight for our team was directing a special shoot that had been organized across three countries … during a pandemic! With the help of a talented photographer, astute client and patient actors, we captured some brilliant stills that allowed us to create the highest-quality campaign possible.

The team at HBO Nordic were collaborative, creative and overall, absolutely ace to work with!

Someone else’s project that you admired recently.

The La Haine re-release trailer that Hello Mozart cut for the BFI was bold and brilliant. I could watch that trailer (and film) over and over again! On a larger campaign level, I think HBO did a brilliant job on The Undoing and I loved the campaign for Joker.

One thing about how entertainment marketing is evolving that you’re excited about.

There is a lot to be excited about! Personally, I love that the industry is increasingly global. With more international markets, content and reach than ever before, we’re seeing exciting new stories being told and, in turn, reaching a wider and more diverse audience. It’s also been encouraging to see how social media marketing has developed over the last few years, and I think there is still a lot to explore in this space. Socials are such a brilliant way of creating bespoke content to engage new audiences, and this really motivates me to create standout, unique campaigns. 

What would you be doing if you weren’t in entertainment marketing.

As someone with a fairly eclectic mix of interests, I think I’d be a financial trader or an art dealer in a parallel universe—likely because I work well under pressure!