He's a man who doesn't like having his picture taken. Seven weeks into the job of running Elstree Studios, Jeremy Pelzer appears bashful as he gears up for his first newspaper interview.

He steers the photographer away from the studios' front sign, as "new ones are going to be put up in the next few weeks".

This statement in itself marks the beginning of a new era at the Shenley Road site. It suggests a line has been drawn under the departures in the past year of chief executive Eden Lee, director Neville Reid and director of productions, Julie Wicks.

Searching for information about Mr Pelzer on the internet before our interview, I am not able to find many details - just a short blurb on the man who has become Hertsmere Borough Council's "leisure and cultural services consultant" at the studios.

The facts are, Mr Pelzer is in his "mid-30s", was born in Watford and raised in St Albans, where he now lives.

This essentially makes him "a local boy" but he refuses to divulge any further personal information, saying: "Age and family circumstances are a bit irrelevant. At the end of the day I am just effectively managing a business. Do the readers really want to know how old the bank manager is across the road?"

Mr Pelzer obviously prefers to talk business, so I ask him how he felt on his arrival at the studios in March and he instantly says: "Infamous before my time."

He is referring to comments made on the Borehamwood & Elstree Times' website that allege his departure from his previous job, at Ealing Studios, in west London, may have been less than amicable.

The reason he left after five and a half years as studio director was, he says, because "it was time for a fresh challenge".

The task for his time at Elstree is to provide "results" during an initial six-month contract, for which he will earn about £40,000.

He says: "The very nature of my career is freelancing and short-term. I had not entered into the board of Elstree at the point at which I resigned from Ealing. I approached the council formally, with the freedom to do so.

"Six months is enough time to steer and propose a number of different alternative options. We've got a fantastic team, all of which are remarkably competent and good in their own individual areas.

"We've got very good, firm support from the board, which is obviously made up of local councillors. All of the board at the council and the team on the ground are very savvy, competent, confident and well-informed."

In April last year, the council began a new contract to run the studios for three years.

Apart from two board meetings with the authority since his arrival, Mr Pelzer says he meets weekly with acting chief executive Sajida Bijle and they talk on the phone "once or twice a week".

He adds: "I suppose I am reasonably heavily engaged with the council but no more than we would expect to be engaged with any board in any commercial enterprise.

"I can understand the political nature of the ownership, but I don't think it's fair, nor right, that the studios are focused on in a political way. The studios should be focused upon as a great flagship and as a very unique business in the area that can be beneficial to all."

After working for film studios with private shareholders, he believes the council is "extremely well-placed to run the studios".

Mr Pelzer says: "Both private shareholders and plcs are only interested in their share prices. The local authority is here to safeguard the heritage of one of the historical monuments of Borehamwood that was, and is still to some degree, a television and film town.

"At one point during the Seventies, I suspect every single household had somebody who either worked in, or knew someone in, the business. I think that's a massive play in favour of safeguarding the studios, which is what the local authority has effectively been doing since it took it back in 1996.

"The council's intentions are wholly honourable and it is competent and wise to what the business is about."

When asked about the future of filming at the studios, Mr Pelzer said there has "been a very nice balance" between feature films and television which will continue.

He rules out an end to recording TV shows at the studios, and says: "The fact that you've got a balance between television production and feature production is very wholesome for the business moving forward. In recent years there has been a very nice balance alongside the television, including films such as 1408, The Other Boleyn Girl and, recently, Son of Rambow.

"Big Brother is here for another two and a half years. It's here and it's here to stay. We are in ongoing conversations with ITV and Celador with regards to Dancing on Ice, which did extraordinarily well in its last series. So I think the balance of film and television is crucial."

He adds: "You have to look at the studios on an international level as well as just a local and national level. They are extremely well known and synonymous with immense talent. I don't think anyone should ever lose sight of that."