Our Friday column asks our members about their favorite tool, software, article of clothing, shoes on set, favorite scriptwriting software, etc.
Sarah Barker – Producer, Author and Astrophysicist
By Katie Chambers
NYWIFT Member Sarah Barker is an accomplished and passionate producer with a decade of experience turning ambitious ideas into award-winning television and live events. Oh, and she also happens to be an astrophysicist!
Yes, that’s right: she is an astrophysicist, science communicator, and science-advocate, committed to enthusing people about learning. Sarah does this by creating engaging factual television, and enthralling live events.
She is currently Supervising Producer for an Earth Day special for National Geographic. Other TV credits include Yellowstone Live, Earth Live, and Live from Space (all National Geographic), and American Spring Live (PBS Nature).
Her first book, 50 Things to See in the Sky was published in 2019 by Princeton Architectural Press.
Sarah shared with us what she keeps in her toolkit, here on Earth…
Sarah Barker on set in Yellowstone.
What is the one thing you can’t live without during production?
My fanny pack! I have everything in there. Pens, phone charging brick, batteries, media, sunscreen, Advil, snacks… that thing stays on me at all times! [Editor’s Note: note the fanny pack in use in the featured photo above of Sarah and the helicopter!]
What do you eat on set?
I try to eat healthy, nutritious meals but to be honest I’m mainly powered by coffee and sugar – both of which I avoid when not on shoot so they can be my ’secret weapon’ when I am on shoot!
What do you do to help de-stress?
I’ve been practicing yoga for half my life and running for even longer. I try to do both at least a couple of times a week, and make even more of an effort to do so while on the road. I’ve also got a good stack of breathing exercises. I find these are particularly useful for live TV… which can be even more stressful…
This pile of brown bags = one ton of explosives. Sarah is pictured on the set on a show about the Manhattan Project.
You’re not only a director/producer/writer but also an astrophysicist (!!!). What does an astrophysicist keep in her toolkit? We can’t even imagine!
Ha! Binoculars! For example, when I worked on Yellowstone Live for National Geographic, I used my binoculars for looking at wildlife during the day, and Jupiter’s moons at night.
What words do you live by?
“It’s only telly.” This was the mantra of my boss at my first job in television, a marvelous and talented woman named Nicky Huggett. It helps to keep all the production madness in perspective.
Learn more about Sarah Barker on her website: www.sarahbarkertv.com
And follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @sbarkstar
Katie Chambers
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Nicole Palermo
Welcome to NYWIFT, Nicole Palermo! Based in New York, Nicole Palermo is a producer and production manager experienced in both narrative and documentary filmmaking. After studying acting in college, she and friends launched a four-episode web series and founded their production company, Talking Back Pictures. She fell in love with producing and transitioned to full-time production in 2019, moving to documentaries with Apple TV+’s The Super Models in 2021. Known for her work in the five-time Emmy Award-winning Jim Henson: Idea Man, her documentary work emphasizes flexibility in storytelling, while her narrative projects, including Seoul Swith and Pen, Again, showcase her abilities working on meticulously executed films. This fall, she is producing the short film The Daughter by Mary Ann Anane.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Leslie Cunningham
Everyone please take a moment to welcome our new NYWIFT Member, Leslie Cunningham! Leslie is a director, writer, and producer with experience spanning documentary, branded, podcast, narrative, and digital video. She is a Supervising Producer and Head of Branded Content at the NYC-based creative agency Diagonal Media. She approaches storytelling as a writer first, understanding the central “why” of a story to unveil the universal truths that create compelling and authentic narratives. She was recently featured as a panelist at the NYWIFT FinanceHER Institute at The New School in September 2024, discussing all things branded content.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Nicole Paré Ein
The NYWIFT community is happy to welcome Nicole Paré Ein! With 25+ years in the entertainment industry, she got her start working alongside Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City and Ed Harris in the critically acclaimed film Pollock. Since 2005, she has explored various roles at Avalanche Creative Services where she is currently helping lead as the Vice President of Operations. In this interview we discuss her longevity at the company, the importance of resourcefulness, and the memorable moment when she was stuck inside an elevator with an iconic television actress!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member Gabrielle Schonder
A warm welcome to new NYWIFT member Gabrielle Schonder! Gabrielle is a multi- Emmy Award-winning documentary director who has covered politics, national security, and foreign policy for over a decade at 60 Minutes and FRONTLINE about insider trading by members of Congress led to the passage of The STOCK Act. She had her directorial debut in 2020 with NRA: Under Fire and was a member of the FRONTLINE team that covered the insurrection on January 6th in America After 9/11. Gabrielle is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America, East, and a 2022 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. We asked Gabrielle to tell us more about what it’s like to work as a journalist, producer, and director for some of the most respected news programs in the country.
READ MORE
Comments are closed