Shooting People’s New Shoots: Actors Awards is opening on May the 1st ✨ New Shoots is a yearly award programme that celebrates, supports, and spotlights creatives working in film. The winner and runners-up of the Actors Awards will receive mentorship from world-renowned casting director Des Hamilton, Spotlight memberships, Mubi subscriptions, kit, and cash prizes 💸

“It was amazing meeting with Des Hamilton Casting through SP’s New Shoots: Actors Awards 2024. It’s the Hard Working Ethics, Discipline and Committing to the Role that makes all the difference for an actor.”

Jason Hall, Actor, New Shoots Runner-Up 2023

Nine shortlisted actors will take away other prizes, support, and spotlighting to SP’s community of filmmakers. Entry is super simple, you don’t need to audition or submit a showreel – we want to hear about your dedication to the craft over the amount of experience you have. To enter, you’ll just need to be a Shooting People member and answer a couple of simple questions about your experiences as a performer.

Thinking of entering the New Shoots: Actors Awards? Here’s some advice on the performing arts industry from actors who entered last year…

The best thing about being an actor is other actors. I think we need to recognise each other more and lift each other up wherever we can- and not view each other as competitors.

Elinor Shooting People Actor Member

There is so much advice out there for actors, so much that I don’t feel I can share anything new or revelatory. However, something that has served me particularly well is having the confidence to take less advice. A lot of thriving and incredibly successful people make it up as they go along and are much closer to you than you might think. Absolutely listen to their words, but make sure you’re up and doing something with that advice the next day.

Bradley Shooting People Actor Member

If you are emerging  in any sense of the word  you have to fight for your right to be an artist  I’d encourage you to create your own work, especially if it’s political, because due to the cuts happening within the arts sector your very existence in this is industry is political

Chloe Shooting People Actor Member, Actors Award runner-up 2022

Shooting People was a great introduction into the film world for me! Like-minded people, with links to resources, good advice and a network. It’s a great way to meet potential collaborators, cast and crew,

Alice Lowe – SP alumni, actor and writer/director ‘Prevenge’, ‘Sightseers’

When it comes to UK filmmakers, it often seems like there’s an endless pool of jobs boards and it’s impossible to know where to start. You’ve got everything from Indeed, to Facebook Groups to independent websites, so here’s a little bit about why we think Shooting Peoples cast and crew board is one of the best.

IT’S AFFORDABLE

Being a filmmaker is expensive enough, so we don’t think you should fork out 100s of pounds just to seek out work. At SP, we’ve kept our annual membership prices the same for over 10 years – but right now it’s EVEN cheaper.

We’re currently offering 50% off SP membership until the 31st of January 2024 so if you’re looking to join our community, there’s no better time than now.

JOIN THE SP COMMUNITY FOR 50% OFF

FILMMAKER-ORIENTATED SEARCH

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Have you ever tried searching LinkedIn for Producer roles? You’ll quickly find that / a lot / of different industries have “producers” and seemingly after all this time, the search on major job platforms for film is still rocky at best. At SP, almost every project/company is going to be film-related and you can filter your search by department or role, as well as region. Gone are the days of endlessly scrubbing, we’ve made it easy to find roles which genuinely apply to you.

PEER-TO-PEER POWER

When you apply to roles on SP, you’re not just pinging your application into an ether ready to be screened by robots and auto-dejected, there are real people behind it and most of the time, you’ll be surprised by how willing other filmmakers are to go the extra length to get passionate collaborators on board. We’ve got that extra personal touch, and we’ve even made it easy for members to flag when positions are filled so your time isn’t wasted.

IT’S NOT ALL FULL-TIME

Barely anyone working in film can afford the luxury of making it their full-time gig, and even those who full-time freelance aren’t necessarily looking to get tied down working for companies. At SP, we’ve got a huge diversity of roles, ranging from short-term collaborative roles to long stints on high-end productions. No matter what your schedule looks like, there’s going to be something out there which can work around what you’ve already got on.

DIVERSE PRODUCTION TYPES

Commercials pay the bills, but most filmmakers will have a niche they’re searching for. At SP, you’ll find a bit of everything, from documentaries to music videos, to funded shorts to collaborative filmmaking challenges – you’re bound to find a project which will spark genuine passion.

MODERATION

Your greatest allies are almost always going to be your fellow filmmakers so having a community-sourced jobs board can be amazing. Unfortunately, there’s always going to be some bad eggs and when it comes to jumping on a new project, having transparency on what you’re getting into is key. That’s why at SP we have in-house moderators who are all filmmakers too, we know what you need to know and every role on SP will have by-passed a mod check to make sure any neccessary info is available and that pay rates are fair/transparent.

For collaborative roles (often unpaid or with token fees attached), we require members to explain if their project is insured, as well as why they are offering the role as expenses only. We’ll always allow passion projects at SP, but we’re not here for exploitation.

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ACTORS ARE WELCOME TOO

Finding castings is a whole different ball game to crew roles, so we’ll be hosting another blog soon about why we think our casting board is pretty brilliant, but as a jobs seeker, you don’t need to niche yourself down as an actor OR filmmaker – we know so many of us wear a million different hats and any role in film is welcome at SP.

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WANT IN?

SP membership is now 50% off until the 31st of January 2024. Join our community to find your next role, come on, let’s make film.

It’s that time of year again, from setting new years resolutions to scoring some steals in the sales, January is a big time for filmmakers. To make it easier for you, we’ve collated a list of the some of best discounts and reductions for kit, career development and more.

Level Up and Network

Shooting People: 50% off Annual Membership

So we may be biased, but it is also going to be the cheapest one on this list – Shooting People’s Annual Membership plan is 50% off until the 29th of December.

SP is the UK’s largest thriving UK independent filmmakers network. We’ve got one goal, connect more filmmakers to get projects made. From our film funding database to our cast and crew jobs board – we’ve got everything you need to start your own project or jump on a new production.

Get Deal (save 50%): Join the SP community for just £19.95. | OFFER ENDS 31st JAN

Camera Gear

Park Cameras: Save on used cameras and accessories.

Park Cameras offers used cameras, lenses and more for a fraction of the price, all coming with assurance that they’ve been checked to be in good working condition, with a 6 month warranty. It’s tons more reliable than eBay, all while still snagging those savings.

Get Deal: Save on selected used cameras and kit.

GoPro Hero 12: Save £60

The GoPro Hero 12 is a fantastic tool for filmmakers looking to capture stunning footage on the go. With its high-quality 4K video capabilities and advanced stabilization features, it’s perfect for shooting dynamic scenes and action sequences. The compact design makes it easy to incorporate into your filmmaking toolkit, whether you’re shooting a documentary, a web series, or a short film. Plus, the user-friendly interface and versatile mounting options make it a breeze to use in any filming situation.

Get Deal: Get a GoPro Hero 12 for £339.99 (saves £60).

Movo iVlogger: Get 18% off iPhone Filmmaking Kit

Looking for an all-in setup which won’t break the bank? Shooting on your iPhone is a great way to get started with filming cinematic footage. The Movo iVlogger has all the basics, nothing more, nothing less, including a tripod, mic and light.

Get Deal: Get the Movo iVlogger for just £97.95 on Amazon

Audio Equipment

Rode Wireless Go II Single Microphone

Quality sound recording and a lightweight, ultra compact design makes this extremely nifty microphone system ideal for filmmaking, interviewing, reporting and any other social content creation. It’s also got universal compatibility with cameras, mobile devices and computers and is very easy to get working. A real game-changer for anyone who wants top-notch sound without the fuss.

Get Deal: Get a Rode Wireless Go II Single Microphone for £199 (save £20)

Editing Software

Vegas Pro Edit: Save £358 on perpetual licenses

Any editors out there sick of getting caught up with monthly subscription bills? Sony Vegas Edit offers a comprehensive editing package, without all the rolling subscriptions. It’s known for its user-friendly interface, making it easy for filmmakers to jump in and start editing without a steep learning curve. It also offers a wide range of features, from advanced color grading and audio editing to special effects and compositing tools. This New Years, you can get the whole package (and some freebie add-ons) for just £199.

Get Deal: Get Vegas Pro Edit perpetual license for £199

Find Inspiration

MUBI: Get 90 Days Free

Ranging from independent short films to archival undiscovered gems, MUBI has a catalogue of excelling international cinema.

Get Deal: Get 90 Days Free Mubi Subscription

That time of year has come… Boxing Day Sales are live and hopefully, you’ve got some pocket money burning a hole in your pocket to invest in filmmaking gear because we’ve rounded up the best Boxing Day sale steals.

Level Up and Network

Shooting People: 50% off Annual Membership

So we may be biased, but it is also going to be the cheapest one on this list – Shooting People’s Annual Membership plan is 50% off until the 29th of December.

SP is the UK’s largest thriving UK independent filmmakers network. We’ve got one goal, connect more filmmakers to get projects made. From our film funding database to our cast and crew jobs board – we’ve got everything you need to start your own project or jump on a new production.

Get Deal (save 50%): Join the SP community for just £19.95.

Camera Gear

3 Legged Thing: 50% off selected ex-demo tripods and accessories.

3 Legged Thing are a UK-based company providing high quality, affordable tripods for all situations. We particularly love their Mike tripod, it’s extremely versatile, offering everything from a max height of 1.48m, to table-top mini to monopod conversions. All coming with an ultra-smooth cine-head with a multitude of attachment points.

Get Deal: Get 50% off selected tripods and accessories.

Park Cameras: Save on used cameras and accessories.

Park Cameras offers used cameras, lenses and more for a fraction of the price, all coming with assurance that they’ve been checked to be in good working condition, with a 6 month warranty. It’s tons more reliable than eBay, all while still snagging those savings.

Get Deal: Save on selected used cameras and kit.

GoPro Hero 12: Save £60

The GoPro Hero 12 is a fantastic tool for filmmakers looking to capture stunning footage on the go. With its high-quality 4K video capabilities and advanced stabilization features, it’s perfect for shooting dynamic scenes and action sequences. The compact design makes it easy to incorporate into your filmmaking toolkit, whether you’re shooting a documentary, a web series, or a short film. Plus, the user-friendly interface and versatile mounting options make it a breeze to use in any filming situation.

Get Deal: Get a GoPro Hero 12 for £339.99 (saves £60).

Movo iVlogger: Get 18% off iPhone Filmmaking Kit

Looking for an all-in setup which won’t break the bank? Shooting on your iPhone is a great way to get started with filming cinematic footage. The Movo iVlogger has all the basics, nothing more, nothing less, including a tripod, mic and light.

Get Deal: Get the Movo iVlogger for just £97.95 on Amazon

Audio Equipment

Rode Wireless Go II Single Microphone

Quality sound recording and a lightweight, ultra compact design makes this extremely nifty microphone system ideal for filmmaking, interviewing, reporting and any other social content creation. It’s also got universal compatibility with cameras, mobile devices and computers and is very easy to get working. A real game-changer for anyone who wants top-notch sound without the fuss.

Get Deal: Get a Rode Wireless Go II Single Microphone for £199 (save £20)

Editing Software

Vegas Pro Edit: Save £358 on perpetual licenses

Any editors out there sick of getting caught up with monthly subscription bills? Sony Vegas Edit offers a comprehensive editing package, without all the rolling subscriptions. It’s known for its user-friendly interface, making it easy for filmmakers to jump in and start editing without a steep learning curve. It also offers a wide range of features, from advanced color grading and audio editing to special effects and compositing tools. This holiday season, you can get the whole package (and some freebie add-ons) for just £199.

Get Deal: Get Vegas Pro Edit perpetual license for £199

Find Inspiration

MUBI: Get 90 Days Free

Ranging from independent short films to archival undiscovered gems, MUBI has a catalogue of excelling international cinema.

Get Deal: Get 90 Days Free Mubi Subscription

The runners-up of this year’s New Shoots Actors Awards are the fantastic performers: Elinor Coleman, Tiggy Bayley, and Jason Hall. They will receive mentorship from Des Hamilton Casting (Jojo Rabbit, This is England, High Life), free Spotlight memberships, a cash prize, and more to support their careers as performers. The overall winner of the New Shoots Actors Awards will be announced later this year. If you’re casting a project this summer, make sure you look into these tremendously talented actors.

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ELINOR COLEMAN

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TIGGY BAYLEY

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JASON HALL

The New Shoots Awards is an annual award programme from Shooting People that celebrates, supports and spotlights creatives working in film, both in front of and behind the camera. Every year we see hundreds of brilliant entries to the New Shoots Actors Awards from performers who amaze us. We’re going to be announcing the runners-up of the 2023 awards in the next coming weeks. Before then, make sure you take a look at the fantastic 12 shortlisted performers. If you’re casting a project or are looking for collaborators, reach out to them over Shooting People.

The New Shoots Actors Awards – Shortlist 2023

‘Another Presence’, the winning short film of the 2022 New Shoots: Filmmakers Awards, is a captivating animated short documentary that delves into the unique and often curious experiences of individuals living with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), the third most common form of dementia in the UK. Through the testimonies of those directly affected by DLB, the film takes viewers on a profound journey into the surreal world of this multi-sensory condition.

When selecting the overall winner, we welcomed Wendy Mitchell as a judge, in which she commented “Simon’s artistic vision for the film means it’s the opposite of a dry medical film, instead immersing the viewer in the visual hallucinations – both playful and disturbing – of people living with this condition. The narration from DLB patients and their loved ones pairs beautifully with Simon’s dreamlike, fluid animations. ‘Another Presence’ truly takes the audience into another realm.“

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Simon, who shared insights into his creative process, collaboration with charities and medical research centers, and his excitement about the Nikon Z 9 camera.

Finding Balance: Audience, Income, and Experimentation:

Simon acknowledges the difficulties of balancing the need for an audience and income with the desire to experiment: “It’s almost as if animation isn’t an industry in itself, more a way of producing moving images that plug into other fields.” 

While he has been fortunate to tap into corporate and commercial work in fields like advertising and television, Simon recognizes that freelancing comes with challenges. He explains, “Many jobs happen in a short space of time, then nothing at all for the following months. And more often than not, the commercial work pays significantly more than the independent work.” To overcome these challenges, Simon believes it’s important to find innovative ways to fund creative projects and allow oneself the time to immerse and enjoy them.

Concept First, Then Technique:

For Simon, every project begins with a concept. He shares “Even if I have a story or visual idea that I like, I try to step back and analyze why that idea appeals to me – what concepts are involved that I can expand into a broader film idea.” 

This approach allows him to delve deeper into the underlying themes and ideas that make a project compelling. While working on documentary projects like ‘Another Presence’ Simon remained open-minded during participant interviews, recognizing the importance of incorporating their perspectives. He adds, “It’s obviously really important to let the participants and the institutions I work with have input on the story. But still, at every stage of the project, I’m trying to lean on the conceptual ideas that are present in each project.“

The Nikon Z 9, A Game Changer:

As the overall winner of the 2022 New Shoots: Filmmakers Awards, Simon recieved a Nikon Z9. As an animation director, Simon expresses shares his perspective having primarily worked with video and rotoscoping, saying, “Having my own camera is a real game changer.” He adds “The Z9’s ability to take high-quality stills as well as video is perfect for animation production. It means I can be more flexible when experimenting with ideas and takes away some of the stress of planning film shoots. It’s expanded my toolset and I’m really looking forward to having it with me on my next documentary project.“

Collaboration with Charities and Medical Research Centers:

‘Another Presence’ was part funded by the Alzheimers Research UK Inspire Fund and during our chat, he expressed his gratitude for collaborating with amazing organizations dedicated to developing knowledge and support for people with dementia: “The scientists I’ve collaborated with have a level of expertise in their fields that I couldn’t come close to achieving. So, in that sense, I’m sort of a translator both for the scientists and the participants who live with Dementia.” 

Working with charities and medical research centres “… means that there are certain boundaries as to what I’m able to include in the films, but as I say, I’ve been lucky to work with institutions and people who believed in me.“

Challenges and Lessons:

One huge aspect of SP is how willing people are to share lessons learned from challenges they’ve overcome in the filmmaking process – reflecting ever-present discussion about financial hurdles, Simon says “The danger of burnout is ever present, especially for animators. It’s really important to put your physical and mental health first and set boundaries for how much you’re willing to give to projects.” He has more valuable advice: “Listen to what your film tutors probably said over and over again… plan plan plan. Keep planning, plan better, and plan more effectively.“

Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers:

Drawing from his own experiences, Simon emphasizes the significance of building and developing projects to allow for enjoyment. Simon explains, “Film projects, and animation in particular, can be all-consuming. And when you’re balancing work and life, it’s easy to forget why you chose to pursue filmmaking in the first place.” 

He encourages filmmakers to identify challenges and either find better approaches to overcome them or view them as enjoyable challenges rather than barriers.

What’s Next?

Looking to the future, Simon reveals he’s working on a third film focusing on people with atypical forms of dementia, specifically dementia aphasia and individuals experiencing language impairment.

The 2023 New Shoots: Filmmakers Awards are open now until 31st of July 2023 – so if you’re interested in submitting your short film, head here.

You can find out more info about ‘Another Presence’ on the official website here.

Exciting news incoming SP’ers – The New Shoots: Actors Awards is back for 2023 and better than ever.

Since the start of SP back in 1998, actors have been an integral (and under-appreciated by the industry) part of our filmmaking community. Actors already have it tough with having to prepare auditions for every job… So, just like last year, we’ve made it as simple as possible to enter the New Shoots: Actors Awards. To enter, all you have to do is answer 4 quick questions.

Our next round will be opening soon in March. We’ll be announcing it in the bulletins and newsletter – so if you’re not already, do make sure to subscribe to keep in the loop.

WINNER’S PRIZES

– Mentorship from casting director Des Hamilton (Jojo Rabbit, This is England, High Life)

– £300 cash prize

– Zoom H6 Recorder

– Shure AONIC 40 wireless headphones

– 1 year of Spotlight membership

– 1 license for Final Draft 12

– 1 year of MUBI subscription

– Additional 1 year of Shooting People membership

– Spotlighting to Shooting People’s filmmaking community

RUNNER’S UP (x2) PRIZES

– Mentorship from Des Hamilton

– £100 cash prize

– Shure AONIC 40 wireless headphones

– 1 year of Spotlight membership

– Additional 1 year of Shooting People membership

– Spotlighting to Shooting People’s filmmaking community

SHORTLISTED ACTORS (x9) PRIZES

– Additional 1 year of Shooting People membership

– Spotlighting to Shooting People’s filmmaking community

You can check out last year’s New Shoots Awards here.

In the meantime, if you’re an aspiring actor, tune into this SP Masterclass on: ‘The Craft of Acting’ with the acclaimed actor Erin Doherty (The Crown, Chloe) and BAFTA-nominated director Virginia Gilbert (A Long Way from Home).

In this talk, Erin and Virginia discussed rehearsals, working in theatre and film, knowing whether a character is a good fit for you from a script treatment, research processes and more.

Last night, we had the pleasure of welcoming the director/producer duo of the groundbreaking documentary ‘All That Breathes’, Shaunak Sen and Teddy Leifer, for our third New Shoots event of 2022 “How To Make An Award-winning Documentary”. ‘All That Breathes’ is set to hit UK cinemas on the 14th of October. Check here to see where you can find a screening.

You can watch the recording of the event below.

ABOUT SHAUNAK AND TEDDY

Shaunak Sen is a filmmaker and film scholar based in New Delhi, India. Cities of Sleep (2016), his first feature-length documentary, was shown at various major international film festivals (including DOK Leipzig, DMZ Docs and the Taiwan International Documentary Festival, among others) and won 6 international awards. Shaunak received the IDFA Bertha Fund (2019), the Sundance Documentary Grant (2019), the Catapult Film Fund (2020), the Charles Wallace Grant, the Sarai CSDS Digital Media fellowship (2014), and the Films Division of India fellowship (2013). He was also a visiting scholar at Cambridge University (2018) and has published academic articles in Bioscope, Widescreen and other journals.

Teddy Leifer founded Rise Films in 2006. Its award-winning productions include The Invisible War (Oscar® nominee and Emmy® winner), The Interrupters (Emmy® winner), Icarus (Oscar® winner), Knuckle (Sundance world premiere), Dreamcatcher (Sundance winner), We Are Together (Tribeca winner), Rough Aunties (Sundance winner), The Human Factor (Telluride world premiere), Mayor (Peabody winner) and The Art of Political Murder (executive produced by George Clooney).

Teddy’s latest feature, All That Breathes directed by Shaunak Sen is the only film ever to have won both the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Cannes Film Festival – where the film premiered in 2022. His other recent productions include George Carlin’s American Dream, a two-part documentary for HBO directed by Judd Apatow, which just received five Emmy nominations and Once Upon A Time In Londongrad, a timely political about 14 mysterious UK deaths with alleged Russia links.

Teddy was recently listed in the 100 most innovative and influential people in British creative and media industries; by the Guardian newspaper. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America and BAFTA.

ON THE ORIGINS OF “ALL THAT BREATHES”

All That Breathes is a beautifully poetic, observational documentary exploring the environmental landscape of a polluted Delhi, through the lens of two muslim brothers working to rescue injured birds in the city. When asked about his ideation process, Shaunak responded “I was only sure that I didn’t want to make a nature doc… or a political film.. I had this vague texture in my head.. We had the triangulation of bird, man and air. Over time what emerged was the relationship of these 2 brothers and the black kite, which served as a lens to think about … the poetry of the apocalyptic nature of Delhi.”

RISE FILMS AND “ALL THAT BREATHES”

Producer Teddy Leifer and his production company, Rise Films, took a gamble after hearing Shaunak’s pitch as someone who’d only directed one other film prior to ‘All That Breathes’. Talking on what urged Teddy to take on ‘All That Breathes’, Teddy commented “What stood out to me about meeting Shaunak was the extent to which he really had a complete vision for the film… and he was able to talk about it with a high degree of fluency.”

ON THE CINEMATIC APPROACH OF ‘ALL THAT BREATHES’:

Unlike the classic narrator-led documentarys we see televised daily, All That Breathes takes a step back, with the camera following the brothers and their experience, allowing the story to unfold for itself. Watching the film, it becomes apparent that artistic cinematography was going to integral to Shaunak’s approach. Shaunak explained “I knew I wanted to use the tools of fiction to tell a non-fiction story… I knew I wanted to use cranes, tracks and really slow langorous moments… I really wanted to do something that felt aesthetically gratifying and beautiful.”

Finding a great cinematographer was key, as Shaunak later elaborated “It took long, painful Zoom conversations before I was able to convince (DoP Ben Bernhard) to come to India. Find the DoP who you think is just right, and not the DoP who is a friend”.

ON FINDING THE RIGHT TEAM:

Continuining on from Shaunak’s advice on favouring compatibility in production over your personal relationships: “There were no egos in the way. We were all thinking about how can we make this thing as good as it can possibly be. It’s not always that way… If we can just have an honest conversation about the film and how to make it as good as possible, we’re on safe ground.”

ON SOUND DESIGN:

‘All That Breathes” approach to sound is minimalistic, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the pitter patter of the animals, the low hum of the city and the candid conversations we get to witness. Shaunak iterated his distaste for composition in some films “I usually hate music that consolidates the emotions of the visual. If the two work together it’s usually not very interesting”. Instead, Shaunak dialed in on the diegetic elements: “The sound of skin and clothes rustling…is really important if you want to feel close to camera. For distance, remove this: (sound design) immediately accentuates what the focal length is doing”.

ADVICE TO OTHER DOCUMENTARY DIRECTORS:

If you’re reading this as a documentary director, you sure as anything should watch the whole video, hell, if any of you are thinking of making a documentary, there’s so many things I can’t include in a brief write-up of the highlights.

Fundamentally, Shaunak’s nugget of advice was “Be open to the stuff that’s happening outside the frame of the camera and inside you, because everything is entangled.”

Whereas Teddy echoed “Recognise that time is your commodity. Try to spend it on things that are precious to you, and meaningful. Whether things go right or wrong, it’s time well spent. Never forget the element of luck, and if you don’t have it… sometimes it just doesn’t go your way and that’s ok”.

If you’re looking to join a production or start your own, become a member of the SP community.

LUCKY BREAK, directed by SP member John Addis, was nominated for the BAFTA for best short film, and selected as the overall New Shoots winning film in 2021. We caught up with John to chat about his experience of creating this award-winning film, and what he has been up to since.

‘Lucky Break’ synopsis: Uloaku works the graveyard shift at a remote service station and is bored out of her mind. Fortunately a chance encounter with a suspicious stranger will soon fix that.

John Addis has worked in the film industry for over 10 years, predominantly as an Editor in features and a Writer/Director on micro budget short films, music promos and other commercial work. His interview is a candid take on challenges faced in the writing and shooting process – most of you will relate to how dealing with unexpected glitches might make for a better film.

John speaks about how ‘Lucky Break’ was written to be something self contained and achievable on a low budget. “I’d written a comedy feature which was going nowhere (because it was overblown and not very good) so I knew I needed to write something simpler and shorter,” says John. “By constraining myself to one location and a few characters it actually made the writing process a lot more fun.”  Because the film is so contained it’s all about the performances. The casting definitely made the film, with on-screen talent being Jessye Romeo, Steve Oram and Diana Weston.

“If we hadn’t got the right cast it would have all been for nothing so I’m forever grateful to them for being so willing to work on it,” says John.

On SP, some of the most useful discussions come from people sharing experiences of things that didn’t work out on a film or a big challenge they had to overcome. Interestingly, the biggest challenges on ‘Lucky Break’ came after the film was shot. “We shot the whole thing in two days then I went back to my day job for a week and detached from it for a bit. When I came to start editing I realised the middle section didn’t work and I was devastated.” In the original script Steve Oram’s character disappears and we stay with Jessye as Diana keeps berating her. “In the edit I found it sapped all the energy out of it. It was nothing to do with the performances, it just wasn’t fun anymore,” he explains.

They made it work with a swift reshoot in the toilets at the company John worked for at the time. This goes to show how being adaptable is a key part of the creative process, and it really doesn’t finish once you’ve shot the film (although it’s certainly a big ‘phew’ moment).

John’s background is actually in editing, and he did admit that he is no stranger to imposter syndrome when it comes to directing. His way around this is extensive prep. “By storyboarding then shooting little tests on phones I try to work out ahead of time what works and what doesn’t so we can go into the shoot with a clear idea of exactly what we need,” he says.

However, John’s experience in post-production and his editing skills are proving to be a real asset to his directing. “When it comes to editing, I’ve always edited the films I directed so I actually think I’d struggle more if I didn’t.” Whilst the ‘we’ll fix it in post’ attitude can just be a way of delaying your problems and adding more work in the future, editing is also your chance to salvage all those things you got wrong on the shoot. “I know people say it’s a bad idea to edit films you’ve directed because you can’t detach from the logistics of the shoot and I think they are right,” John explains. “I guess I just fell into it because of my background but I’d love to try working with an editor.”

Ultimately, ‘Lucky Break’ was made as a result of rejection (and John’s strategic approach to writing the screenplay with the budget in mind). “My first draft of ‘Lucky Break’ got included in the BFI Network short film fund but ultimately wasn’t selected for funding. This was a massive blow to my confidence but by that stage I’d already worked on it for a while,” he says. In the end John was able to fund the film himself because he’d intentionally designed it to be achievable on a low budget.

“It was obviously a gamble but at the time I just really needed to go out and film something! Knockbacks are inevitable. I know it’s easy to say, but if you really want to make something you have to keep going.”

A little bonus from John about what’s coming up for him: “I’m really excited to use the Nikon Z 6II movie kit. The thing I like most about it is how portable it is. I’m currently prepping for another directing job which will require lots of shooting on city streets at night so the camera and accessories [that John won as the overall 2021 winner of NS: Filmmakers] are perfect for this. If we were using a bulkier setup we’d really struggle to get through it but the Nikon Z 6II was made for this kind of location shooting and the thing I like most about it is how portable it is.”

John won the Z 6II Essential Movie Kit. This year’s overall winner will win the all new Z 9 camera body plus memory card, valued at over £5000.

SUBMIT YOUR SHORT TODAY.