Elwen Rowlands
Encyclopedia
Elwen Rowlands is a British
television
script editor
. Born in Wales
, after finishing school she lived for a time in New York City
, where after briefly working as a waitress she gained a job as a receptionist at a television post-production
company. During her work breaks she would sit in with the company's editors, becoming fascinated with the editing process and how it brought the stories together.
After returning to the UK she attended University, and after graduating gained a job as a production assistant
. She then worked as a researcher on the Channel 4
documentary McLibel (1998), before moving across to work in the station's acquisitions department, which bought-in American
programmes such as ER
and Angel
. There her job was to screen the episodes to ensure they complied with the guidelines of the British commercial television regulator, the Independent Television Commission
.
Deciding she wanted to become closer to the production side of television, she moved to the Channel 4 drama department, where she became a script reader. She then briefly worked for the channel's film production arm, FilmFour, as a development assistant. In 2002 she moved to BBC Wales
to become a script editor, gaining credits on various productions, including First Degree
, and an adaptation of the classic children's novel Carrie's War
, shown on BBC One
on New Year's Day 2004.
Later in 2004, she started work as one of the two script editors of the first season of the revived science-fiction series Doctor Who
. She left the programme after the conclusion of the successful first series to script edit a new science-fiction/crime drama called Life on Mars
, produced independently by Kudos Film & Television
for BBC Wales. This latter production began transmission on BBC One in January 2006.
Rowlands has also worked as a television producer
, producing the fifteen-minute short Cake for the Brief Encounters strand on BBC One, shown in May 2006. This production was written by her fellow Doctor Who script editor Helen Raynor
. Later in 2006 Rowlands produced an adaptation of Jean Rhys
's novel Wide Sargasso Sea
for digital television
station BBC Four
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
script editor
Script editor
A script editor is a member of the production team of scripted television programmes, usually dramas and comedies. The script editor has many responsibilities including finding new script writers, developing storyline and series ideas with writers, ensuring that scripts are suitable for production...
. Born in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, after finishing school she lived for a time in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where after briefly working as a waitress she gained a job as a receptionist at a television post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
company. During her work breaks she would sit in with the company's editors, becoming fascinated with the editing process and how it brought the stories together.
After returning to the UK she attended University, and after graduating gained a job as a production assistant
Production assistant
A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production...
. She then worked as a researcher on the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary McLibel (1998), before moving across to work in the station's acquisitions department, which bought-in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
programmes such as ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
and Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
. There her job was to screen the episodes to ensure they complied with the guidelines of the British commercial television regulator, the Independent Television Commission
Independent Television Commission
The Independent Television Commission licensed and regulated commercial television services in the United Kingdom between 1 January 1991 and 28 December 2003....
.
Deciding she wanted to become closer to the production side of television, she moved to the Channel 4 drama department, where she became a script reader. She then briefly worked for the channel's film production arm, FilmFour, as a development assistant. In 2002 she moved to BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
to become a script editor, gaining credits on various productions, including First Degree
First Degree
First Degree was a 9 part drama series made by BBC Wales which aired in 2002. The series followed the lives, trials and tribulations of students in the fictional Bay College, one of several hi-tech media schools owned and run by an enigmatic entrepreneur based in Sacramento, California known only...
, and an adaptation of the classic children's novel Carrie's War
Carrie's War
Carrie's War is a 1973 children's novel by Nina Bawden, set during the Second World War and following two evacuees, Carrie and her younger brother Nick. It is a common fixture in secondary schools.-Plot:...
, shown on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on New Year's Day 2004.
Later in 2004, she started work as one of the two script editors of the first season of the revived science-fiction series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. She left the programme after the conclusion of the successful first series to script edit a new science-fiction/crime drama called Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
, produced independently by Kudos Film & Television
Kudos (production company)
Kudos Film and Television is a British independent film and television production company. It has produced television series for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and its productions include Spooks , Hustle, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard and M.I. High...
for BBC Wales. This latter production began transmission on BBC One in January 2006.
Rowlands has also worked as a television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, producing the fifteen-minute short Cake for the Brief Encounters strand on BBC One, shown in May 2006. This production was written by her fellow Doctor Who script editor Helen Raynor
Helen Raynor
Helen Raynor is a British television and theatre writer and script editor. From 2004 until 2007 she was one of the script editors of the revived version of the BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who, working on its first three series...
. Later in 2006 Rowlands produced an adaptation of Jean Rhys
Jean Rhys
Jean Rhys , born Ella Gwendolen Rees Williams, was a mid 20th-century novelist from Dominica. Educated from the age of 16 in Great Britain, she is best known for her novel Wide Sargasso Sea , written as a "prequel" to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.-Early life:Rhys was born in Roseau, Dominica...
's novel Wide Sargasso Sea
Wide Sargasso Sea (TV)
Wide Sargasso Sea is a British television adaptation of Jean Rhys's 1966 novel of the same name.Produced by Kudos Film & Television for BBC Wales, the one-off 90-minute drama was first broadcast on digital television channel BBC Four on October 9, 2006...
for digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
station BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
.
External links
- Elwen Rowlands at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
.