Elise McLeod

Elise is a Paris based Australian film and theatre director who holds a degree in film making from the University of Paris VIII. She has directed several short films, including “Love, lies and the internet” & “Geisha.

Elise moved to Paris to study film making in 1997. She then went on to become an assistant director on feature films. Learning the in and outs of the film production. Being she wanted to direct, Elise believed it was important to understand the actor’s process in order to be a good director, she took acting classes at Bilingual acting workhop, where she got asked to direct a play. She adapted a famous French cartoon book “the Rabbi’s cat” by Joann Sfar. The play was a great success and played in Paris, France and Montreal for two years. Thus began Elise’s career as a stage director. She has directed numerous plays to her credit, most recently “ Kiss DB ou L’histoire d’une mort sans fin” “ Revoir Amelie” and “Toutes Coupables” at the reknowned Paris Théâtre Gymnase.

Simultaneously Elise became known as a private coach for actors. Her first client was Audrey Dana who she coached for Phillipe Loiret’s “Welcome” And Claude Lelouch’s “Roman de Gare’. Audrey was nominated for 2 cesars for these films that Elise coached her on. She also won Romy Schreider prize winner. Amongst the actors Elise has coached is Eriq Ebounay, known for “Disgrace” and “Three days to kill”, Ann Sophie Franck known for “Inglorious Bastards”, Sabine Crossen for “Hitman”, Anne Charrier known for “Maison Close” amongst others.

When in 2007 she went on direct commercials, clips, web series and short films, amongst them Deuxieme Sexe and Rouelibre.