Short Films, Big Questions: Recent Episodes
Ieuan Coombs, Will Liney
In each episode, filmmakers Will Liney and Ieuan Coombs focus on finding answers to the big questions in short filmmaking. They do so by discussing their own experiences making short films as well as prior research into the industry. Delving into the mistakes they have made, and what they wish they knew before starting out on their own short film journeys, they hope to find the answers so you don’t have to. A big thank you to Thomas Benjamin Cooper for the music on this podcast!
MarBelle co-founded the platform Directors Notes in 2006 as a way to make filmmaking more accessible by sharing useful knowledge on how to make films. Sixteen years later, Directors Notes has become the home for thousands of short films looking to premiere online, featuring filmmakers like Mark Jenkin, Rob Savage & Ben Wheatley. As a bit of recent news, DN has just partnered with BIFA’s The Douglas Hickox Award sponsored by BBC Film.
MarBelle is also a programmer and advisory board member at Aesthetica Short Film Festival, a voter for the British Independent Film Awards, and jury member and panelist for events such as The Shark Awards, Bolton Film Festival, Berlin Commercial, The Shiny Awards and Paris International Film Festival.
In this episode, as always, we cover a lot of ground. MarBelle talks about how important it is to build an audience from the ground up, not only through festivals but online outlets and your own social media channels. He tells us about the creation of Directors Notes, how they started and how they have continued to this day. We get into the weeds of what DN are looking for with their features as well as what it is like being an entrepreneur in this niche space.
Directors Notes - Website
SOCIAL MEDIA
Directors Notes: Instagram
Ieuan: Instagram
Will: Instagram
In this episode, we speak with actor Amit Shah, well known for his outstanding performances in TV, film, and theatre.
Amit's TV credits include Happy Valley (for which he was nominated for the BAFTA Best Supporting Actor award), Crashing, Mr Bates vs the Post Office and The Witcher. His feature film work includes roles in The Infidel, Final Score, and The Courier. On stage, Amit has appeared in productions at the National Theatre, the Royal Court, and the Donmar Warehouse.
Amit has acted in many short films, including a trilogy of shorts from director Sam Baron, who we recently had on the podcast.
We focus on his performances in the short films A Quiet Carriage and Tall, Dark and Handsome, as well as his dynamic with Sam Baron. We also talk more generally about his acting process, as well as how he specifically approached Happy Valley and Mr Bates vs. the Post Office. All of this, and as always, much more.
LINKS TO AMIT’S WORK:
SHORT FILMS:
A Quiet Carriage
Tall, Dark and Handsome
Big Ears
The Orgy
TV:
Happy Valley Trailer
Watch via BBCiPlayer
Mr Bates vs. The Post Office Trailer
Watch via ITVX
Amit's IMDB Page
Sam Baron's episode (where he discusses his and Amit’s collaboration):
SOCIAL MEDIA
Amit: Instagram
Ieuan: Instagram
Will: Instagram
Philip Shelley is a script editor, producer, and the head of several screenwriting courses, including the Channel 4 Scriptwriting course.
Philip began his career as a freelance script reader/consultant, working for numerous companies including the BBC, Granada TV, Thames TV, the First Film Foundation, Channel 4 Film, Paramount Pictures, and Paines Plough Theatre Company. He later transitioned to a development script editor role at Granada TV Drama and then at LWT Drama.
This is the first time we've had a script editor on the show, and it was fascinating to learn more about this crucial role in film and TV. We also explore Philip's process with writers on the Channel 4 writing course, dive into topics such as structure, writing characters, what to write to get your foot in the door, and why you should write what you want to write rather than what you think the market wants.
You can find out more about Phillip's work via these links:
https://script-consultant.co.uk/
https://careers.channel4.com/4skills/talent-schemes/4screenwriting
Phillip - Twitter
Ieuan - Instagram
Will - Instagram
Short Films Big Questions - Instagram
Cinematographer Stuart Harris has shot over 4000 commercials, several feature films and loads of renowned Pink Floyd music videos with director Storm Thorgerson. Stuart now heads up the Directing Commercials course at the NFTS and co-heads its Cinematography course. He is an Honorary Full Member of the British Society of Cinematographers (only the third person to ever receive this!)
Stuart started his career in the camera department on Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. We go into detail about his experience on this legendary production and what it was like to work on a Kubrick film. We delve into the weeds of the commercial 'The Deficit Trials' which Stuart shot for Ridley Scott as well as Pink Floyd's music video for 'High Hopes' which Stuart shot for Storm Thorgerson.
We highly recommend you watch both of these (linked below) before listening to the episode.
More generally we speak about self confidence as a director, being persistent and the importance of shooting as much as you can. Stuart has such an inspiring take on the industry and the filmmaking process. We can't wait for you to give it a listen!
You can find 'The Deficit Trials' and 'High Hopes' alongside some of Stuart's other cinematography work on his website, linked below.
The Deficit Trials
High Hopes
http://stuartharris.co.uk/
Will - Instagram
Ieuan - Instagram
Short Films Big Questions - Instagram
Grant is a writer and director with a passion for telling upbeat stories about disability and care.
His award-winning shorts have screened at BAFTA, BFI and festivals worldwide. He’s directed LGBTQ+ series ‘Flatshare’, web series #Reality, award-winning short ‘Emigrant’ and his latest film ‘Ecstasy’ is a heartfelt adventure about a disabled father and son’s attempt to buy drugs so the Dad can dance with his wife... one last time.
It is this short ‘Ecstasy’ which we specifically focus on in this episode. We dig deep into every aspect of Grant’s process from the two kickstarter campaigns he and his team ran in order to get the project off the ground, working with production designer Elena Muntoni and his DOP Hamish Anderson, his in depth shot lists to get the crew all on the same page, his choice of music and working with the actors to do his Dad justice and create an authentic portrayal of Parkinsons.
We have linked Ecstasy below. In order to get the most out of this episode we highly recommend you watch the short first before tuning in.
Watch the short film Ecstasy here:
https://directorsnotes.com/2023/05/16/grant-taylor-ecstasy/
Shot List:
https://vimeo.com/439519137/c49657403a
Crowdfunding Campaign:
https://vimeo.com/granttaylor27/download/371501358/50a04e4840
Social Media:
Grant: Instagram
Short Films, Big Questions: Instagram
Will: Instagram
Ieuan: Instagram
Charlotte Hamblin is a British actor, director and writer based in London.
She trained at RADA on the Foundation Course and studied English, Drama with Education at Cambridge University.
Charlotte's acting theatre credits include 'Strings' (Royal Court Upstairs) and 'Miss Julie' (Jermyn Street Theatre).
Her acting TV credits Includes 'The Alienist': Series 2 (Netflix), 'McMafia' (BBC1), 'Downton Abbey' (ITV1), and her film credits include 'Operation Mincemeat' (Archery Pictures).
She's also performed in various well received short films, including 'Cubicle' directed by Chloë Wicks, and 'Extinction' directed by Jack Cooper Stimpson.
Charlotte has also been working as a professional screenwriter for the last six years.
Her TV writing credits include writing an episode of ‘Hanna’ (NBC Universal/Working Title for Amazon prime), and participating in the writers room for black comedy series Personal Assistance.
As a director Charlotte’s debut short film 'Everybody dies sometimes…' won Best British Short at the British Short Film Awards, and was an official selection at Tribeca film festival.
It’s recently been released online on Omeleto, and Directors Notes.
We speak about working with name talent, her festival journey with ‘Everybody Dies Sometimes…,’ how she approaches visuals, her writing process, and much more.
Links to Charlotte’s work:
Everybody Dies Sometimes…
https://directorsnotes.com/2024/03/16/charlotte-hamblin-everybody-dies-sometimes/
Cubicle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3paYPdpj9Y
Extinction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD24LntwRow
Hanna, episode 6, season 2 (accessed with an Amazon Prime subscription):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hanna-Season-2/dp/B08BXPKS8D
Charlotte’s favourite short film:
Shadow Brother Sunday (trailer):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCum3x7OIzA
Social Media:
Charlotte: Twitter & Instagram
Short Films, Big Questions: Instagram
Ieuan: Instagram
Will: Instagram
A departure from the norm for us here at Short Films, Big Questions…
In this episode, filmmaker Sam Baron helps us workshop two of our short film ideas. He guides us through his process of breaking down an idea, interrogating character motivation, and examining what we can personally bring as filmmakers to the story. The approach Sam takes can be applied to all short films, as well as fiction generally. As such, we feel the episode will be valuable to anyone in the midst of writing a narrative project.
A bit of background about Sam: He is a writer, director and actor. In 2014, he won the coveted Academy's Nicholl Fellowship for his script, The Science of Love, kicking off an impressive career as a screenwriter. He’s written for TV shows including the BBC’s “Chloe” and Netflix’s “Lockwood & Co”, as well as developing his own originals with Sky Comedy, Netflix and the BBC.
Sam has written and directed many short films that have played at festivals worldwide. He has recently completed a trilogy of short films starring Amit Shah and is now busy developing one of these, "The Orgy," as a TV series with Sony Pictures. Sam also teaches on the NFTS short filmmaking course.
You can find links to Sam's trilogy of short films in full below, including his most recent, "Tall Dark and Handsome."
We’d recommend listening to part 1 of our conversation, ‘Making your Short Film Personal with Sam Baron’, to get more insight into his work and process.
Links to Sam’s work:
Tall, Dark and Handsome: https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2024/02/01/tall-dark-and-handsome/
Big Ears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RWeJTVXWqM
The Orgy: https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2021/06/07/the-orgy/
Sam’s speech accepting the Academy's Nicholl Fellowship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYr3u_SA2Rg
Website: https://www.sambaron.com/
Social Media:
Sam: Instagram and Twitter
Short Films, Big Questions: Instagram
Ieuan: Instagram
Will: Instagram
Sam Baron is a writer, director and actor. In 2014, Sam won the coveted Academy's Nicholl Fellowship for his script, The Science of Love, kicking off an impressive career as a screenwriter. He’s written for TV shows including the BBC’s “Chloe” and Netflix’s “Lockwood & Co”, as well as developing his own originals with Sky Comedy, Netflix and the BBC.
However, our main focal point in our conversation is about Sam's amazing short films. Specifically, a trilogy of shorts he's written and directed starring Amit Shah. He is currently busy developing one of these, "The Orgy" as a TV series with Sony Pictures.
We talk about Sam's process with actors, his approach to visuals, the value of making his short films personal, zero budget features and much more.
You can find links to Sam's trilogy of short films in full below, including his most recent, which just premiered on Short of the Week, "Tall Dark and Handsome." We encourage you to watch these to get the most out of our conversation, as we spend a lot of time discussing Sam's specific process within these projects.
This is part 1 of our conversation with Sam. In part 2, we are fortunate enough to have Sam helping us workshop our short film ideas. Stay tuned for this episode!
Links to Sam’s work:
Tall, Dark and Handsome: https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2024/02/01/tall-dark-and-handsome/
Big Ears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RWeJTVXWqM
The Orgy: https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2021/06/07/the-orgy/
Sam’s speech accepting the Academy's Nicholl Fellowship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYr3u_SA2Rg
Website: https://www.sambaron.com/
Sam’s favourite short film (accessed via a subscription to Mubi): https://mubi.com/en/gb/films/wasp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baronifish?igsh=MXN2amRjcGFkaGdlcw==
Follow us on instagram @shortfilmsbigquestions to get more content about all things short films, and the amazing guests we have on!
Gregg Chilingirian, also known by his stage name Gregg Chillin, is a writer, director and actor.
He recently directed and lead performed in the short film, George. It's achieved much success on the film festival circuit, with official selections at Bolton International Film Festival, Kerry International Film Festival and the Hollyshorts Festival.
A lot of what we discuss is specifically about this film, and how to effectively both direct and act in a project. So if you're interested in balancing those two disciplines, this episode is absolutely for you.
Gregg has had a successful acting career, appearing in many television shows over the years, including leads in Da Vinci's Demons, Being Human, Inside Men, A Discovery of Witches and The Wheel of Time. He made his stage debut at the Royal National Theatre playing Mark in Dennis Kelly's DNA in 2008.
As well as both directing and acting in a project, we spoke about shooting on film, achieving an abrupt tonal shifts on screen, the directing lessons he's learnt as an actor, as well as another upcoming short film project.
To watch George, which we encourage you to, please get in touch via email to ieuancoombs@gmail.com, with GEORGE SCREENING LINK, in the subject box, and we'll send over a private link.
Links:
The George Short Film Trailer:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs6rJsoOrtO/?hl=en
Gregg's IMDB page:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1209486/
The George Short Film Instagram Page:
https://www.instagram.com/george_slickfilms/?hl=en
Gregg's favourite short film (accessed with a MUBI subscription):
https://mubi.com/en/gb/films/an-avocado-pit
In this episode we have the pleasure of speaking to the co- founder of the prestigious London Short Film Festival, Phillip Ilson.
Phillip co-founded LSFF with Kate Taylor in 2003 under its original moniker Halloween Short Film Festival, following ten years of running its predecessor The Halloween Society.
Phillip is also a vastly experienced short film programmer. He’s currently the Short Film Programmer for @BFI London Film Festival and has previously programmed for East End Film Festival, Cork Film Festival, Branchage Festival, Latitude and Curzon Soho.
In short (pun intended), there's not much Phillip Ilson doesn't know about short films.
We talk about all sorts, including his journey with LSFF, what filmmakers have to gain from submitting to a festival, what makes a short film stand out, how the festival runs its selection process, as well as the process by which they come up with their film strands.
This was a fresh perspective for us (we haven't interviewed a festival founder before), and it was fascinating for us to get this insight. We've spoken before on the podcast about how we absolutely love LSFF, and were blown away when we went last January.
Links:
You can find out more about LSFF here:
https://shortfilms.org.uk/about/
Some of Phillip's favourite short films:
Wasp- dir. Andrea Arnold (watch with Mubi)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.c37439e8-7d54-449d-a0ed-4fa4e9639316?autoplay=0&ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb
Smart Alec (Andrew Kotting) http://www.andrewkotting.com/ak%20web/smartalexvideo.html
In this episode we chat to Elena Muntoni.
Elena is an incredibly talented and accomplished production designer.
Some of her credits include the BAFTA nominated short film, ‘Standby,’ music promos for artists like Mumford and Sons, Arlo Parks and Dave, as well as commercials for brands like Yamaha, Samsung and Asics.
Recently, Elena was the production designer on the feature film, “Scrapper” the debut from director, Charlotte Regan starring Harris Dickinson and Lola Campbell.
We talk about how she dissects a script when she first receives it, what she talks about in her meetings with her director, as well as how she works with her team. We delve into why you may need a production designer for your film and we also touch on her love of excel spreadsheets!
Here is the link to the short film ‘Standby’: https://vimeo.com/207630463
Here is the trailer for ‘Scrapper’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcEY8_9n2U8
You can find out more about her work here:https://www.elenamuntoni.com/
In this episode we speak with Joe Beverley. Joe is one part of the commercial and narrative directorial duo, ‘That Jam’.
Joe talks us through his process working on big budget commercials which have allowed him and his directing partner, Sam, to explore genre and cement their unique style. They’ve made heist films for Cadburys, filmed car chases and flying cars as well as blown up entire film sets. We speak about how he balances his work on commercials with his work on short films as well as dive into the world of VFX (which is new ground for us on the show.)
His short film, ‘This Is English’ was accepted all over the UK into festivals like Crystal Palace International Film Festival, London Short Film Festival and Aesthetica.
You can check it out here: https://vimeo.com/408869149
Joe also speaks about buying the rights to a book of short stories which he and his creative partner, Sam are turning into a short film anthology.
You can find the teaser for the first film they've made based on this here:
Find out more about Joe, and 'That Jam' here:
https://www.thatjam.co.uk/
Here are links to the two commercials we reference most:
Cadburys: https://www.thatjam.co.uk/creme-egg-the-last-delivery
Superbet: https://www.thatjam.co.uk/superbet-gosuper
In this episode we speak with film director, Richard Raymond.
We focus on his journey from directing the feature film ‘Desert Dancer’ which starred Freida Pinto and was distributed by Relativity to directing the short film “Souls of Totality” - the only film ever to have been shot during a solar eclipse!
‘Souls’ won Best Short Film at Raindance in 2018, the Grand Jury prize at Hollyshorts, had a special mention at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and was selected for Tribeca Film Festival. Online it’s everywhere from platforms like ‘DUST’ to ‘Alter’ and ‘Omeleto,’ and has had millions of views.
Richard also takes us through why he went back into short films, the planning involved in shooting a film during an actual solar eclipse, how he gets his work funded and his methods for making sure his work is seen by the right people.
We really encourage you to watch ‘Souls Of Totality’ before listening. You can watch it here on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/295048498
We also delve into the brilliant “A Million Eyes,’ his latest short film. You can watch that here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unyb8wu4FDo
And here is the trailer for Desert Dancer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzCdDC3e0AE
We hope you enjoy this one as much as we did!
For this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking to Alexander Jeremy. AJ is a filmmaker, actor and improviser.
He’s recently wrapped post production on a film called The Spaceman, starring none other than Woody Norman (C’mon C’mon, Poldark), Colin Farrell (Banshees of Inesherrin, The Lobster), and Amanda Abingdon (Sherlock, Mr Selfridge).
Our conversation has two main themes to it: first, how he made The Spaceman and specifically, how he amassed such a star studded cast for the project. Secondly, his comedy improv group, Shoot from the Hip, and how they’ve built an audience for themselves.
As of writing this, they have 186,000 followers on instagram and 1.2 million followers on TikTok. We have a great conversation about how we, as filmmakers, can apply the lessons AJ’s learnt, and as a consequence, gain more power as creatives.
AJ is incredibly candid about the life of a filmmaker- we massively appreciated this and feel like there’s so much to learn from what he has to say.
You can find out more about him via the links below:
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@atjeremy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atjeremy/?hl=en
Shoot from the Hip’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shootimpro/?hl=en
AJ’s favourite short films:
https://www.nowness.asia/picks/red-feng-yu-chao
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs1xPBIfOS4
In this episode we speak with Chris Overton. Chris is an Oscar winning director. He won the Academy Award for his short live action film ‘The Silent Child’ which he made with his wife, Rachel Shenton.
Chris shares everything from starting life in the industry as an actor in Joel Schumacher and Roman Polanski films to his journey making The Silent Child. He goes into detail about the road to the Oscars, what happens after you win an Oscar. We also get into how he set up his company Slick Films and how he distributes and makes money back on his shorts.
This is a truly inspiring one and we are so grateful to Chris for taking the time to speak with us.
Here are some links to his work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GbxFIVQv8c (The Silent Child - Oscar Winner)
https://slickfilms.co.uk/leader/ (Short Film shot on a phone)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3C5zbjjWTE (Chris' favourite short film)
In this episode Will and Ieuan had the pleasure of speaking with Owain Astles; a neurodivergent director and 1st AD based in Bristol & London. Owain’s work focuses on social impact, participatory filmmaking and visual activism, and spans narrative, documentary and commercial.
We talk all about how Owain makes docu-dramas, his work as a first AD, his time spent teaching prison inmates how to make films and his experience so far on the BFI Network’s Shorts2Features programme.
Here are some links to Owain’s work:
https://www.owainastles.com/work/sleeping-rough
https://www.owainastles.com/work/thehardestfight
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09j7fdm/new-creatives-to-my-younger-self
In this episode, we have a conversation with the visionary filmmaker that is Mark Jenkin.
Mark Kermode referred to his debut feature film, Bait (2019) as a "genuine modern masterpiece, which establishes Jenkin as one of the most arresting and intriguing British film-makers of his generation.”
The film premiered at Berlinale, and won him the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
His unique style and methods make for strikingly powerful short films. Some of our favourites are David Bowie is Dead, Dear Marianne, and Hard Cracked the Wind (all available on BFI Player.) He’s also made music videos for the likes of Thom Yorke’s new project The Smile and Bicep.
Mark’s most recent film is Enys Men, a mind-bending Cornish folk horror set on an island off the Cornish coast. It is released on Blu-ray & DVD (Dual Format Edition) and on BFI Player on 8 May.
We talk about a range of topics, including his process, his opinions on shorts, his history with them, and of course the brilliant Enys Men.
This was truly a very special episode for us. We walked away from it with our minds blown, inspired and excited about the possibilities of filmmaking. Mark is an innovator, and one to keep a close eye on. He’s also a lovely guy!
A massive thank you to the great London Short Film Festival, who were instrumental in setting this conversation up. Please find the link to their website here:
You can find out more about Mark here:
https://www.instagram.com/mark\_jenkin/?hl=en
Mark's favourite short films:
Jaunt- Dir. Andrew Kotting
https://vimeo.com/55220005
World Of Glory- Dir. Roy Anderson
https://vimeo.com/2867971
In this episode we sit down with George Magner to speak about his journey as a filmmaker and his latest short film, 'Fall Better'. We go into all sorts of topics in this episode, from his decision to shoot on film to how George pitched his short film to charities in order to secure funding. He goes through the long pitching process and the hustle required of both him and his producers to bring his very personal project to life.
His previous short films 'Cost of Bronze' and 'Skipping Lunch' (links below) both qualified for Underwire Festival with Cost of Bronze also winning Best Short Film at the Venice Fine Arts Film Festival.
George is also the co-founder of 'Mountain Way' which specialises in producing films for charity and arts organisations. Previous clients include the Royal Opera House, the Barbican Centre, Humane Society International and the National Children’s Bureau.
Will and George met at a BAFTA Guru event back in 2018 and have kept the relationship alive since then, providing feedback on each others work and bumping into each other at festivals and networking events. It was great to catch up!
Here are some links to his work:
georgemagner.com/fallbettershort
georgemagner.com/the-cost-of-bronze
georgemagner.com/skipping-lunch
georgemagner.com/derek-jarman-my-gardens-boundaries-are-the-horizon
In this episode we speak to renowned casting director Andrea Clarke.
Prior to setting up her own company Andrea co- cast many acclaimed feature films, including Dog Soldiers, Keeping Mum and The Thief Lord, which starred a young George MacKay and Aaron Taylor Johnson.
As an associate casting director, she collaborated on the casting of blockbusters such as Hellboy, Blade II and Hidalgo.
Since founding her own company in 2006, Andrea has worked on award winning feature films, commercials and short films. She also casts a variety of other projects including video games, corporate films, and new media content.
We talk about why you should consider using a casting director on your short film, thinking outside the box when casting, the benefits of in person vs. self tape auditions, and much more!
You can find Andrea's website here:
https://www.aclarkcasting.com/
Andrea's favourite short film:
https://www.paulcampion.com/portfolio/the-naughty-list
In this episode we had the pleasure of speaking with Riffy Ahmed, an award-winning Film Director, Writer, and Visual Artist based in London.
Riffy trained as a visual artist at Central Saint Martins, and graduated with a masters in Directing fiction at NFTS with a full scholarship from Channel 4. Riffy loves to tell stories about ‘unlikely heroes’ we don’t always see on the big screen at turning points in their lives, particularly framed around women and diaspora identities. She is currently finishing her coming of age short THE CALL, supported by the BFI Network.
We spoke to Riffy about her work on experimental short films and narrative fiction work. We go into detail on how she got her agent, her second unit directing work and how to persist in this challenging industry.
Please find the link to her experimental short film, Afloat, here:
https://vimeo.com/riffy?embedded=false&source=owner\_name&owner=5278135
You can also find details and trailers for her other work here:
http://www.riffy.com/work
Full length links available on request. Send via instagram to @shortfilmsbigquestions.
In this episode we interview the inspiring Amos Eretusi. Amos is the founder of The Kusp, an organisation that facilitates accessibility into the film and fashion industries for people from underrepresented backgrounds. They recently partnered with Somesuch and have been running some awesome talks with directors such as Oscar winning Aneil Karia.
It was fascinating to speak with Amos about his past business endeavours and how they’ve ultimately led him to The Kusp. We spoke about representation, networking for introverts, how best to brand yourself as a creative and much more. There are tonnes of golden nuggets of information in the episode and it was a joy to spend an hour with Amos. This is a great one for anyone who’s frustrated with how difficult it can be to break into the film industry.
We have linked The Kusp below:
https://www.thekusp.co.uk/
Today on the podcast, we’re lucky enough to be in Hansel Rodrigues’ office to ask him all sorts of questions. Hansel has directed several short films to great acclaim, including Horseplay (Cannes Film Festival), and The Messenger (Norwich Film Festival). He’s just had a large, award winning production company come on board for his latest documentary project, ‘King Putt,’ the story of the current king of British crazy golf, and his bid to defend his world title.
Alongside directing, Hansel is a freelance editor. He has edited everything from documentaries to commercials for brands like Mercedes and PlayStation.
Hansel shares the questions he asks himself before taking on a short film, as well as valuable insight into how he pitched Mini Putt to production companies, and much more!
Sit back, you’re in for a treat...
We recommend you check out the links below:
Concept trailer for King Putt: https://vimeo.com/699052154/683e4505d5
Short film- Horseplay: https://vimeo.com/345744622
Short film- The Messenger: https://vimeo.com/363148307
Hansel’s website: https://www.hanselrodrigues.com/
The Kusp: https://www.thekusp.co.uk/
In todays episode we speak to the incredibly talented Rose Baker! We cannot explain how excited we are about this one. We met Rose at Aesthetica Film Festival in York last year where Rose was screening her latest short film “Lesbian” which was commissioned by Random Acts and made in collaboration with the poet Lisa Luxx. It was also an official selection for the Iris Prize (world's biggest LGBTQ film prize) as well as Broadcast Digislast and the RTS Cymru awards this year. She has also directed TV documentaries, her latest being 'How to make it on Only Fans' for Channel 4.
Rose is an absolute delight to listen to. We go into depth about everything from pitching to her process working on ‘Lesbian’ to self shooting and how she got the opportunity to direct TV documentaries for Channel 4 and BBC Three!
‘You can check out Lesbian’ here: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/random-acts-lesbian/on-demand/71306-001
‘Hayley goes naked’ here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09rxbg0/hayley-goes-series-3-2-naked
‘How to make it on only fans’ here: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/how-to-make-it-on-onlyfans
Rose's pitch for Random Acts can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZtIU8kLGUc
Today’s episode is a fun one. Get ready for Wouter Verheul and all of his energy. Wouter is an amazing Director of Photography who worked with Will on a commercial back in December. Wouter has shot everything from music videos to documentaries, short films and commercials.
He details his journey so far, from living and partying in Mexico to working his way up to being a successful cinematographer in the Netherlands, before making the decision to move to the UK.
We talk about how he works with directors on projects of all budget levels, why he chooses to work on a project and what it takes to make it as a cinematographer and filmmaker.
Here are links to Wouter's work that we discuss in this episode:
Disgraced: https://vimeo.com/333621668 (with english subs)
Worthy Music Video: https://vimeo.com/284136734
The Ritual (Commercial Wouter and Will worked on together): https://vimeo.com/667366166
Commercial and Music Video Reel: https://vimeo.com/631242192
The Dinner After: https://www.wouterverheul.nl/project/the-dinner-after/ (viewing on request - send via instagram to '@will.liney' or '@ieuancoombs' we will then see if Wouter and the director will share a private link)
Wouter's Instagram: @wouterverheuldp
We explain a lot of the film role terms in this episode but if there’s any term you’re uncertain about, here’s a helpful glossary of film roles to refer to: https://www.freelancevideocollective.com/filmmaker-resources/film-crew-glossary/
In today’s episode we speak to the super talented Alexandre Do. Alex has made some incredible short films. His latest short, Aniccam, premiered on Nowness, and was subsequently selected by the prestigious online outlets 1.4, Shots.net and Ibbo.
We delve deep into his process and what it really takes to make a short film. He is very candid about his experiences so far and does not shy away from the lows that filmmaking can bring. He also shares his inspiring journey as a filmmaker which has taken him from graduating art school to working at Reuters, funding his own short films in London and into the jungles of Cambodia.
Here are links to the work that we talk about in the podcast. We would recommend that you watch them before listening to the podcast. In particular we would recommend that you watch Aniccam as we spend a great deal of time discussing that.
A Monster: https://www.alexandredo.com/a-monster
Aniccam: https://www.alexandredo.com/aniccam
Shea Creams: https://www.alexandredo.com/shea-creams
And here are the music videos he has made:
GLIMMER OF GOLD - https://www.alexandredo.com/glimmer-of-gold
HARM - https://www.alexandredo.com/harm
FLOATING - https://www.alexandredo.com/zha-floating
In this episode, Ieuan and Will welcome feature film director David Roberts to the podcast!
We cover lots. His background in producing commercials (over 1000), his experiences and opinions on short films, and the way he and his team secured funding for their feature film.
Dave gives specific, actionable and inspiring advice. His knowledge of filmmaking is impressive, and the podcast is well worth a listen for anyone who wants to learn more about an industry that can often be confusing and intimidating.
Ieuan recently worked with Dave, as an actor, in the feature film, "Older Gods." https://wagyufilms.com/older-gods
Find out more about Dave and his projects at the below links:
Wagyu films instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wagyufilmsofficial/?hl=en-gb
Wagyu films youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WAGYUFILMS/videos
From Dream to Silver Screen Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/41mF02Ebnk68h3YovDS2gF?si=f11bae34529c48b8
How to get your Film Funded Podcast (referred to in conversation): https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uS4RvOFMzFC73uwVBbR2J?si=234fcd4f83a7402e
In this episode, for the first time ever, Ieuan and Will welcome their first guest to Short Films, Big Questions!
Ollie Campbell is a professional sound designer. He sound designed both Ieuan and Will's latest short films. You can find out more information about him via his website here.
He's currently working on a video game project, called The House of Ashes (more information about that here).
They cover Ollie's background, the way he likes to work with directors, the resources that he has found helpful, and what both Ieuan and Will wished they did differently in the sound design process on their short films.
Resources mentioned:
Randy Thom's Sound Design Blog
Ieuan and Will are back and they are back with a bang!
This week they talk about editing. They discuss how they got into editing themselves, as well as how important it is for a director to have an understanding of the editing process. They talk about rhythm, pace, cutting for emotion, and the resources they have found helpful!
Resources Mentioned:
Peter Mckinnon’s YouTube channel
Walter Murch: ‘In the Blink of an Eye’
Lee Smith episode- Team Deakins podcast
Adobe Premiere Pro (editing software)
Tentacle (audio syncing software)
DaVinci (editing and grading software)
After a brief interlude, Will and Ieuan are back with another episode!
They discuss the components that make great acting performances and how you can foster an environment as a director that enables them.
They tackle casting, rehearsal process, on set direction, and what to do if it all goes wrong!
Resources mentioned:
"How to tell good acting from bad acting" (the article referred to at the beginning).
Mark Duplass' Keynote Speech at Sundance
Mandy
Spotlight
Directing Actors- Judith Weston
Ieuan and Will sit down to tackle another question that's too big to fit in the title box:
"What should I look for in a cinematographer, and what kind of relationship should we have?"
The talk about their relationships with cinematographers on short films, including process, mistakes, and how to find that all important collaborator. They also discuss what cinematographers tend to want from a director, and how they’ve dealt with disagreements on set.
Resources Mentioned:
Team Deakins Podcast "Dick Pope and Mike Leigh episode"
Will and Ieuan tackle a question so big that it can't fit in the title box!
"What should I look for in a producer and what kind of relationship should we have?"
They start off by talking about how a film producer’s duties can be difficult to define and varies from production to production. They also discuss their own personal experiences with producers, the ways in which a film director can find a producer and recommendations for that all important relationship.
They do not touch on what a producer can bring to the table in terms of funding, as they plan to discuss "funding" in its own episode later on.
Resources mentioned:
Shooting People
The Dots
Bafta Crew
Ieuan and Will talk about their own writing processes, including what has helped and hindered them. They compare their processes to other filmmakers. They also discuss “having something to say” in short films vs. making short films purely for entertainment, and how both tend to perform at film festivals.
Resources mentioned:
Podcasts:
Team Deakins
The Moment with Brian Koppelman
Books:
Screenplay- Syd Field
Into The Woods- John Yorke
Making it Big in Shorts- Kim Adelman
On Writing- Stephen King
Making Movies- Sidney Lumet
The War of Art- Steven Pressfield
Ieuan and Will discuss the reasons why people make short films. They cover the importance of short filmmaking as a learning experience, how it enables filmmakers to find their voice, and what the terms “proof of concept” and “calling card” mean.
Resources mentioned:
@Jimcummings (Director of Thunder Road)
Your hosts, filmmakers Will Liney and Ieuan Coombs, introduce themselves and outline what they want to achieve through the podcast.
Find out more about Will Liney...
Website
In the Shadow of Giants
Find out more about Ieuan Coombs...
The Dots
Music
Thomas Benjamin Cooper