- Embracing Imperfection with Mark Jenkin
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
57m | May 4, 2023 - How I Got My Short Film Funded by a Charity with George Magner
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
1h 5m | Apr 10, 2023 - Fish and Chips with Casting Director Andrea Clark
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
A big thank you to Thomas Benjamin Cooper for the music on this podcast!
Instagram: @shortfilmsbigquestions @ieuancoombs @w.liney
55m | Mar 28, 2023 - Experimental vs. Narrative Filmmaking with Riffy Ahmed
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 also talk to her about her experience second unit directing on Top Boy, her attitude towards representation, 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.
1h 0m | Mar 11, 2023 - Access with Amos Eretusi
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/
1h 10m | Oct 18, 2022 - Keeping the Balance with Hansel Rodrigues
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 King 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/
55m | Sep 28, 2022 - From Shorts to TV with Rosemary Baker
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
1h 25m | Sep 12, 2022 - Seeing the Light with Wouter Verheul
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/
1h 33m | Jul 19, 2022 - The Long Game with Alexandre Do
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
1h 9m | Jun 7, 2022 - Making the Jump from Shorts to Features with David Roberts
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
1h 6m | May 9, 2022 - How do I approach sound? Feat. Ollie Campbell
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:
40m | Sep 27, 2021 - How do I edit this thing?
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)
42m | Jul 19, 2021 - How do I get great performances?
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).
45m | Jun 13, 2021 - The Cinematographer Episode
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"
47m | May 22, 2021 - The Producer 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:
24m | May 15, 2021 - What should I write about?
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
36m | May 4, 2021 - Why make a short film?
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)
21m | May 4, 2021 - Who are these guys?
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...
Find out more about Ieuan Coombs...
Music
4m | May 4, 2021
