Monday 28 February 2011

Paul Williams and 'The Furred Man'

A while ago I was lucky enough to catch Paul William’s multi-award winning horror comedy ‘The Furred Man’ and was mightily impressed. It has a refreshingly original and very funny premise and with a confident visual style, excellent production design, acting and special effects I’m not surprised it’s done so well at a number of festivals. I recently had a chat with Paul Williams about the film.

How did you get started in filmmaking?
I’ve always loved film. I can still remember queuing outside the cinema to see ET – running down the aisle to grab an ice cream during the interval. I think the ’80s, when I grew up, were a golden time for film. I was inspired, I wanted to create those worlds too. I always had this burning passion in the back of my brain to make films and luckily when I first got behind the camera at the tender age of 15, technology was becoming cheaper and you could actually do it. Of course it’s nothing like we have now – I shot on Hi-8 tapes and edited on a VHS attached to another VHS, but this reminded me of what is was like to be a kid – creating something out of nothing and letting your imagination run wild. I have my art teacher, Mr Denham, in school to thank for setting me off down the path I’m still travelling. He let me make films as GCSE art projects – gave me the freedom to do what I wanted. So with a cheap camera and some gullible friends I started to make films.
So what is ‘The Furred Man’ about?
It’s literally about a furred man – a man dressed up in a furry costume. This man is Max Naughton and he’s being questioned about two grisly murders that have happened on his campsite. His costume is covered in blood, he was found unconscious by the bodies and the first words he uttered when he came too was “It’s my fault! Oh god I killed them!” But Max swears he’s innocent – swears he can explain…

How did the idea come about?
‘The Furred Man’ is ultimately about consequence. I always hate in horror films when our plucky hero is faced with a horde of vampires/werewolves/zombies and stakes/shots/beheads said vampires/werewolves/zombies and is left with a pile of human corpses. The audience cheer and the credits roll. But hang on. The town our hero just saved is now littered with dead bodies. What is our hero going to say to the police when they arrive? “You don’t understand officer, these people where vampires/werewolves/zombies just minutes ago!” I don’t think that would stand up in court. So I took this idea, started at the end, and worked my way backwards. This is how ‘The Furred Man’ came about.

Describe your writing process?
I’m not much of a planner when it comes to the script. I like to see where the story and characters take me. I usually obsess about an idea for months, jointing down notes in a little black book I take with me everywhere. This book becomes my bible when I start writing the script – referring back to it for ideas and lines of dialogue. But I always feel that my writing I very organic. I like writing myself into corners because it really makes you think ‘OK, how would this character react to this moment?’ I then feel like the story has a life of its own and is almost writing itself. That sounds weird, like I’m channelling some muse. I just think and think and think about an idea until I just need to get it out of my head and onto paper, and once the story starts it hopefully flows out. Sometime good, sometime bad – but that’s where the second draft comes in.

How do you prepare to direct a film?
‘Story is king’ is the mantra we have here at Evil Hypnotist Productions (EHP). We redraft and redraft and redraft until the script is perfect, because if that isn’t right then the films going to fail before you’ve even started. It’s one of the luxuries of being a writer/director that as the director I can demand the writer does as many drafts as I want. I also bring on the EHP family early on to help me mould the film. My producer and composer Paul Terry (PT) is always there from the first seed of an idea and he helps guide my crazy ideas into a workable script. It’s very important to surround yourself with people you trust deeply, people that are not afraid of telling you when something is shit, or not working. ‘Yes’ men get you nowhere. ‘Yes’ men get you ‘Episode I: The Phantom Menace’.

What format was the film shot on and was this a creative or financial choice?
We shot ‘The Furred Man’ on HDV. This was our first film on HD. We knew we wanted to shoot on a high definition format, but were unsure as to which one to go for. Our first AD and technical guru Henrik Kolind guided us through this minefield and we settled on HDV because it was close to what we were used to filming on (DV) and fitted our limited budget.

What was its budget and how did you raise the finance?
The budget was very small and completely self-financed and came in at around £5,000. Before starting on ‘The Furred Man’ we’d spent a good year and a half trying to raise finance for our second feature project. With that film put on the backburner PT and I decided to switch focus for a year to a smaller project we could turn around ourselves. We knew we wanted it to be more challenging than our previous projects in as far as adding special effects and action – we wanted the short to be a calling card for everything EHP could do.


Describe the casting process?
EHP has been making films now for nearly 11 years and the best thing about that is the relationships you form from project to project. I wrote the part of Max for the actor Daniel Carter-Hope. He’s been involved with EHP since our low budget feature ‘The Wake’. That was more of a dramatic role and Dan is very much a comedy actor so I wanted to do his talents justice by writing him a comedy role. Plus, I got to throw him around the set a lot during the action sequences which was highly rewarding. The two police officers are played by Chris Courtenay and Martin Durrant. Chris is another EHP regular and an amazing actor – he always morphs into whatever role we throw at him, be it a love sick dentist or a serial killer obsessed tour guide. Martin was recommended by Chris, whom had worked with before, and after a meeting him for a coffee I thought he was perfect for the role of Landon. The most important role of Arlene was harder to find. Originally, we wanted an older woman, someone in their 50s. Most of the cast was in place but we still hadn’t found our Arlene. We went to a comedy night of Strong & Wrong (a comedy act starring our lead Dan). After the performance we were having a drink with Dan in the pub and this little woman came up behind Dan and gave him a congratulatory squeeze. In that moment I saw Arlene – this little woman was perfect – and looked great next to Dan. Once she was gone I asked Dan is she happened to be an actress and to our luck she was! Her name was Bronya Deustch and we arranged a meeting and the rest is history.

Are you a director who likes to rehearse a lot before shooting?
Vital. Filmmaking is all about planning. You don’t want to turn up on set with the actors and the crew not knowing what the hell they’re supposed to be doing. Plus rehearsals are a great time to redraft. Actors breathe life into these characters you’ve only heard in your head. You start to change certain words to better suit the actor interpretation of the character. You block out movement. You get to see you film acted out in front of you. When you’re on set you are up against the clock, madly trying to get as much quality work in the can as possible. When you’re in the rehearsal room you have the time to try different things and find the best way to tell the story.

What approaches do you employ when working with actors?
Telling them to stick to the script! No, I think you have to be there as a guide, a sign on the path making sure they head in the right direction, but not there as a big road block saying ‘DO IT MY WAY OUR ELSE!’ The thing I love about filmmaking is that it’s a collaborative art form. Everyone will have an idea on how best to tell the story – it is my job as the director to act as a filter for those ideas. Some we’ll use, some we won’t, but they’ll all make the film better.

Did you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?
For ‘The Furred Man’ yes. Like rehearsals, storyboards are a cheap way of seeing your film. The great thing about storyboards is that you start to get a feeling of pace and style. And from the boards you can start to plan what equipment you’ll need on each day. Plus we had the added stress of special effects – we knew these shots would have to be planned out meticulously and I think the final result of all this planning really shows on screen.

How and why did you decide on the visual style you employed for your film?
Two words: Eugen Gritschneder. Eugen is my director of photography and another vital part of the EHP family. One of the main ideas PT and I came up with during pre-production was the idea of the circle of light in the interrogation room. They’d be a pool of light in the middle of the room were the table and characters would sit and then the light would fade out into almost black at the edges of the room. This worked for the mood of the short and also the budget, hiding the limitations of our location. We came up with the idea, but Eugen made it actually happen and made it look beautiful. We have worked with Eugen since ‘The Wake’ and I can’t imagine working with another DP.

How long was the shoot?
We shot for six days – each day being roughly 12 hours.

Paul Williams
Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?
All of it! From the moment PT and I came up with the title and turned to each other and said ‘we have to make this film’, to the last bits of the mix. We were lucky enough with this project to have a full post-production schedule, something we’d done ourselves on previous projects. We worked with an amazing sound team Cristina Aragón, Michael Koderisch and Ben Fewster who did all the foley, editing and mixing on the film. This just adds that extra sheen of professionalism to the project. Also working with the amazing effects wizard Jon Moore in creating the incredible ‘beast’ in the film. You’ve got to love every bit, because when you start writing you’re looking at a couple of years of your life spent making the film a reality.

What lessons, if any, did you learn?
This has been the best experience making a film I’ve had so far and we will never go back to trying to do everything ourselves. And the lesson you always learn is to give yourself more time – which you never have!

Where has the film been screened so far?
The biggest reward for all the time and effort the 24 people who helped make this film is how it is now being received. To date we have been accepted into 12 international film festivals and won 2 awards – and we’re not even half way through our festival campaign.

Future plans for the film?
More festival and more screenings. We want this film to be seen, and the festival circuit has an annual turnover, so we will continue to send the film out to festivals till late 2011 and then look at DVD release and making it available online.

What’s next for you?
As I’ve said one of the reasons for making ‘The Furred Man’ was to act as a calling card for what we at EHP can do. We can handle story. We can handle special effects. We can handle action. We can handle Daniel Carter-Hope. Off the back of the success of the film we want to get a financed feature project off the ground. I’m in the middle of one of the best parts now which is writing the first draft. The ideas are flowing and this one, like ‘The Furred Man’, will have teeth…

Thursday 17 February 2011

Guiding Lights

If you haven't already heard applications are once again open for the Guiding Lights mentoring scheme. This is what the organisers posted on shootingpeople today:

"Guiding Lights, the UK film industry's leading mentoring programme, is now open for applications. We're delighted to be running the scheme for a fourth time and are looking for twelve writers, directors and producers who would benefit from the support of a high-level industry mentor to help them move to the next level in their careers. Previous mentors include Danny Boyle, Sam Mendes, Barbara Broccoli, Alex Garland, Kenneth Branagh, Alison Owen and Kevin Macdonald.

The deadline for applications is 2pm Friday 11th March.

We are pro-actively seeking applications from all sections of the community across the UK so it would be fantastic if you could please help disseminate this information to anyone you think might be suitable and would benefit from this type of high-level professional development support.

Further information about Guiding Lights, including previous participant case studies and FAQs can be found at www.guiding-lights.org.uk

Interested candidates already familiar with Guiding Lights should be aware that a number of changes have been made to the scheme. Details of these are contained in the guidelines on the Guiding Lights website. "

Tuesday 15 February 2011

'Vincent' and Mazin Power

If you haven’t seen ‘Vincent’ yet, which is directed by Mazin Power and written by Arivind Abraham, then, quite simply, you are missing out. With a simple yet very inventive premise ‘Vincent’ is an original take on the time travel film that is a pleasure to watch. With a touching and funny script that is skilfully directed and wonderfully cast I urge you to try and catch the film when you can.



I was lucky enough to have some words with director Mazin Power.

How did you get started in filmmaking?
I got started, like most people of my generation, because my parents
bought a camcorder. I used to make stop-motion films using in-camera
editing. It was great fun.
 

When I was older, iMovie came out, which completely changed the way I made
movies- but again, it was only fun, I never actually saw it as a career.

That changed completely when I was 21 years old, living in Austria- my
friend was in a band at the time and, just for fun, we made a music video.
I really had no idea what I was doing, but we had a great time shooting
an extremely silly music promo. Then, suddenly, his band was picked up by
SonyBMG, and they released the song on a major label. They bought the
rights to my video, and put it all over television. Pretty soon, the song
hit #1 in the charts.

It was bizarre- I saw 12 year old girls in the street singing the song.
And I had made the video for it. That's when I knew it could be a job.

So what is 'Vincent' about?
Vincent is about a man who has been living behind a church for five years.
He says he's a time traveller from 2079, and that he's stuck in our time,
because his time machine broke. All he wants is to get back home to his
family.


What themes does it explore?
Vincent is about what it means to be homeless... Not necessarily to be
living on the street, but to live without a place you feel at home. Many
people have been there at some point in their lives, where they don't feel
they have a home. It's also about hope, in the face of extremely tall
odds, that everything is still going to be ok. Almost a blind faith in
positive outcomes, if you will. I think there's something extremely
courageous about people who have that kind of outlook.

Mazin Power
How did the idea come about?
This is really silly but- I wrote to Arivind (the writer), asking him if
he wanted to write a script that was 1) five minutes long 2) featured one
actor and 3) featured only one location (this was later changed).

He shot me a script back two days later. It was brilliant, and though I
did add a few scenes to it, the core script didn't actually change very
much from draft 1.

Describe your writing process?
I like to write characters, and then put them in challenging situations to
see how they hold up. So the first thing I do is really get to know the
characters, to really understand how they would react in any situation you
put them in. This was especially the case on Vincent, where I did
additional writing- I had to make sure I did justice to Arivind's
character.

The second step then is to work out the plot structure. What's important
to me is to always be raising the stakes- to make the character's journey
more and more challenging. People don't generally like to see a character
have an easy time- it bores them.

That doesn't mean they should be sad characters of course- I think Vincent
is so interesting precisely because of the unusual way he reacts to his
situation.

How do you prepare to direct a film?
Preparation is everything to me.

I like to have lots of meetings with key crew members, to really make sure
everyone is on the same page, telling the same story.

But probably the most important thing about preparing a film is hiring the
right crew.

I put a lot of trust in my crew- but I also expect them to carry a lot of
responsibility. I like to arrive on set and let everyone do their thing.
I really appreciated the relationship I had with my DoP, for example,
because I barely had to talk to him. He would (very quickly) frame up, and
then ask me if it worked. 95% of the time it was great, and so we could
just get on with shooting.

That kind of work is only possible with people who are damn good at what
they do- its extremely liberating, and I would urge all filmmakers out
there to find the best damn crew they can get, and not to work with just
their friends.

It leads to a kind of military precision on set, which in turn infects the
set with a high level of energy.



What format was the film shot on and was this a creative or financial
choice?

We shot Super16mm film- and it was both a creative and financial choice.

I'm one of the few filmmakers who don't believe that the so-called digital
revolution has actually resulted in bringing down the cost of production.
Yes, the RED camera looks good, but it'll cost you just as much to use as
celluloid, since you need the extra processing time in post-production.
And things like the Canon 5D, while decent, still have a very 'video'
look, and aren't actually great quality as they work on heavily compressed
codecs.

On the flipside, I think nothing looks better than celluloid- it's just
completely believable. And yes, though it's expensive, it also attracts
talent to your project, who would otherwise not come on board. We got the
entire post-production workflow for Vincent done at a major London
facility, including the Edit, Dubbing Mix, and Color Grade... for free.
Why? Because they liked the fact that it was shot on celluloid (and a good
film). That's thousands of pounds worth of in-kind support.

What was its budget and how did you raise the finance?
Vincent was made for 3 grand. We got a lot of great deals on equipment,
and the whole crew worked for free, but there are just some costs that you
can't avoid.

The money was raised by me- I knew nobody was going to give me money to
make a film, because I didn't have a proven track record. Still, I knew I
could do it... so I worked a crappy, but well paid job, and saved up.

It was totally worth it, but it's definitely the first and last film that
I will ever fund out of pocket.

Describe the casting process.

We saw about 25 actors- Bill Thomas was the immediate standout. Watching
the rehearsals back in the evening, I immediately saw something very
different in him. He had memorised his lines, and was really getting into
them, instead of reading them back. It wasn't a tough decision.

Are you a director who likes to rehearse a lot before shooting?
I like to rehearse, but not too much. What's important is that the actor
understands where the character is from, and where they want to be going.

Everything the actor does should be based on those two things.

What approaches do you employ when working with actors?
I like every single line, and every action, to have one active emotion
behind it. Actors do their best work when they do one thing at a time,
and are focusing their energy outwards. Saying to an actor "right now you
are sad because of X, but also happy because of Y" will end up in a
muddled performance. Do one thing at a time, and do it well.

And whatever you do, always keep your actors outwardly focused- so that
they projecting their emotion onto other actors, and not keeping it to
themselves.

Did you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?
Yes, very thoroughly.

I storyboard in excruciating detail. This is especially important on a
film like Vincent, where we had 40 minutes of Super16mm stock- on a 6.5
minute film, that's a shooting ratio of 6:1 - not a lot, to be sure.

It changed quite a bit once we got on set- but simply having that
storyboard can help you understand what each shot is supposed to be about,
and so that when you do change things, you don't change the meaning you
were originally after.


How and why did you decide on the visual style you employed for your film?

It grew through discussions with the crew. Crucially, I knew I wanted the
film to feel bright and positive. The most important people involved in
that process were the DoP, production designer, and Bill Thomas (Vincent).

In the original script, Vincent was sitting on a bench beside the river-
we realised early on that this would make for a very boring film, so we
ended up changing his location, so that it became more an expression of
his character.
 


How long was the shoot?
Two days. The first day we shot the bench, and the second day we shot the
street scenes.

Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?
Definitely the shoot.

It was extremely positive, very well organised, and the crew was
fantastic. We finished early on both days, and even had some footage left
at the end to play around with- some of which actually did end up in the
film.

This is, I think, because we were all so well prepared. I think that the
Vincent shoot is probably one of the best moments of my life.

What lessons, if any, did you learn?
I learned that I could make a good film- I didn't know that before. I
thought I could, but I hadn't proved it yet. Now I know.

I also learned that the MOST important thing in your film is having a good
script, with good actors. If one of those elements is missing you're
dead. Vincent has both those things- having made this film definitely
proved it to me.

Where has the film been screened so far?
We had a private screening at BAFTA, and an invitation screening at Sunday
Screenings. But there haven't been any actual public or festival
screenings yet.

Future plans for the film?
The film was made as a calling card- though I might also turn it into a
feature at some point down the line. Right now, I just want to enjoy
giving it a run around the festivals. I hope it does well.
 

What’s next for you?
I'm working on three feature scripts right now- one of which is aimed
squarely at a mainstream audience. I'm really enjoying the writing process
on that one. I'll be announcing more on that as work progresses.

I'm also working on a new project with Arivind Abraham, who was created an
episodic series of video games for the mobile apps platform- they rely
quite heavily on video content, and I'm directing one of the episodes.
It's a very cool project, very different. The best part is that it's
Sci-Fi, which means special effects, and action scenes- something I've
never done.

Thursday 10 February 2011

Matthew Jure

At a screening of 'The Killers' last night it was a pleasure to have a nice catch up with the talented Matthew Jure. Matt played one of the leads in the film and will also shortly be seen in my new short film 'The Man Who Stopped'. Keeping busy as ever it was great to hear Matthew is currently starring in the new yell.com advert which is an update of the JR Hartley ads from twenty or so years ago. Instead of a book though the search this time is on for a record made in the early nineties. Anyway, without advertising yell.com too much, go and have a look as Matt is, as ever, really good in it.

Matthew Jure in 'The Killers'

Friday 4 February 2011

John August

As a writer, I've been reading John August's blog for a while now and I think it's worth a mention here as it is such an interesting read. It contains a vast wealth of information, advice and top tips from the writer of 'Big Fish' and 'The Nines' and my favourite 'Go'.  It really is worth a look,  from his 'scriptcasts' with advice on how to write better scene descriptions and how to write better dialogue to his library of pdfs of the various projects he's written over the years. And this is just scratching the surface as there really is so much there. So if you're a writer or just interested in the craft of writing go take a look.


John August


Tuesday 1 February 2011

John Michell and Rupert Raby and 'Barry'

I’d like to draw your attention to a brilliant short film I saw a little while ago. It’s called ‘Barry’ and was directed by John Michell and written by Rupert Raby. It is the story of a seven-year-old girl and her relationship with her best friend, Barry, her rabbit. This short is one of my favourites and I’d like to sing its praises for a variety of reasons. It’s touching, thought provoking, beautifully shot, exquisitely well acted, deftly directed and brilliantly written. I saw it when it was screened at the Antelope Sunday Screenings and the reaction from the audience was immense and overwhelming. Everyone knew they had just watched something special.


John Michell and Grace Smith

As part of my remit and ambition to big up my fellow filmmakers I saw it as my duty to have some words with the director and writer about this gem of a film.

How did you get started in filmmaking?
John: At nine I saw Jurassic Park and knew I wanted to direct. At 22 I'd had enough of testing this desire and gave up economics to start working in film & TV in the camera department. I was very fortunate and two years later the person who trained me up shot 'Barry'.

Rupert: I had a bash at writing when I lost my job in 2001. It's something I'd always wanted to try and when I got the opportunity, went for it.

So what is 'Barry' about?
John: A young girl trying to cope with her situation. She actually does so very maturely, even if it is wrapped up in a child's imagination. But it's this that makes the short so endearing, accessible and emotive.

What themes does it explore?
John: Friendship, loss, childhood, loneliness, happiness.

How did the idea come about?
Rupert: I was trying to find an idea that would be visually interesting, emotive and surprising. I'm very interested in kids and their viewpoint on life and this is something I was keen to explore.

John: In terms of the production, myself and Faye had shot a short for Straight8 and felt we could apply the diligence to shooting on 35mm. It coincided with a looming competition deadline, which gave us something to aim for, and having felt good after the Straight8 shoot Faye approached her fellow Guiding Lights mentees. Fortunately, Rupert took the bait and the ball rolled from there.

Describe your writing process?
Rupert: I generally start with a nugget of an idea and build the story around it. In Barry's case I imagined a girl who had an unusual best friend and it grew from there.

John: My approach is to try to work with the writer rather than physically do the writing. It's the same for working with every HoD: I try to be like a front-seat passenger in a car, that's helps navigate/suggest a route but doesn't lean over to take the wheel.



How do you prepare to direct a film?
John: Go through the story from the characters' eyes; know the arcs; know as much as possible about each craft; have alternative plans for the worst case scenario; know the edit, shot list, shot order, musical accompaniment... Overall, ensure two things: that everyone's singing from the same hymn sheet, and that you get more sleep than the actors.

What format was the film shot on and was this a creative or financial choice?
John: We shot on 35mm for both reasons to be honest: the texture of 35mm intrinsically suited the tone of the narrative, and Faye - our excellent DP - argued long and hard that it could be as cost effective to shoot on 35mm as on HD. She was right, though we secured a lot of favours - stock for free etc - on the strength of the script. I'd also argue that 35mm does bring a cost saving through attracting a calibre of crew that wouldn't necessary be prepared to work on HD.

What was its budget and how did you raise the finance?
John: Christine Hartland and Julian Bird were exceptional here, and managed to raise the entire budget through private investors.

Describe the casting process?
John: We went to a few young actors schools and also ploughed our pasts for kid actors we'd worked with. In the end we found Grace at the Young Actor's Theatre. Everyone reminisces about having that feeling or simply knowing when you've found your actor, but it's true. Even her head shot had the spark we needed. Joe Tucker came on board after Juliet Gallagher, a casting director of quite a few very good shorts, kindly gave us some recommendations.

Are you a director who likes to rehearse a lot before shooting?
John: Absolutely. I've heard both arguments in regard to rehearsing, but in my opinion the important thing is not to over-rehearse. I always try to rehearse at about 75% to coin an acting phrase, but even if the actor's reluctant to rehearse it's beneficial to highlight what areas will be difficult and to build up a rapport with the actor. Thinking about it too, I've done two shoots where we didn't rehearse and a common thread through them all was how difficult the shoot became.



What approaches do you employ when working with actors?
John: I feel you can't adopt one single approach. I recently shot something where it was necessary to side-coach the actors. It is important to remember that directing is asking rather than telling, and that the role's primary function is to be there for the actors first and foremost.

Did you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?
John: Yes.

How and why did you decide on the visual style you employed for your film?
John: Everything derives from the script, always. Myself and Faye spoke in depth about the aesthetics, in fact we shared a 'production office'. With 'Barry', I felt like there was a three-part visual structure: reality/leaving her life, the safety of her world, and the static of home. The last part came from knowing that it's impossible to fully understand a situation like that; all we can do is respectfully stand back and be there if we're needed. Her safety derived from the visual culture that children would probably experience today, and the first part from wanting to catch up with her and her life or story. I.e. she's addressing us, filling us in, she draws us in on her own terms. It felt documentary-esque to me.

How long was the shoot?
John: It was a two-day shoot.

Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?
John: I honestly can't think of one experience that surpassed the others, it was a gem of a shoot and entirely enjoyable. Bar Rupert suggesting that we change Barry to a sea-horse the day before the shoot. Turned out he was joking. Funny, Rupert.



What lessons, if any, did you learn?
John: Learnt plenty of lessons, from the value of collaborating and correctly choosing who you work with to trusting your instincts and sticking to them.

Where has the film been screened so far?
John: BSC's New Talent Night, Foyle, London Short Film Fest. We're waiting to hear from a few others.

Future plans for the film?
John: Further festivals.

What’s next for you?
John: Find a producer for the next short by the Barry team; it's the missing piece of the puzzle. Our producer, Casey, was so good we lost her to the NFTS. I'd like to do one more short before focusing on a feature. I've just been signed up to an ad agency but I'd also like to find a literary agent.

Rupert: I love to write but I also started directing last year and loved it. I've got two shorts under my belt and am developing a feature follwing young people growing up in Deptford - it's a comedy drama with an Olympic theme. It's ambitious but hopefully we can pull it off.