The Directors’ Take Podcast

This is episode 34 and the FINAL EPISODE in our second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad do a round up of their 2024 highlights, lowlights and their favourite episodes from the second season of the podcast, before throwing out some optimistic feels for the year ahead.  It's been a tough year, but we are here to bring you some positivity for 2025 with a little help from our friends and guests of past episodes.  Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nugget of the week   Marcus: The Telepathy Tapes by Ky Dickens Oz: The Actors Guide to Success by Michaela Longden   Our Favourite Episodes of Season 2 Marcus:  Episode 1 - How I Directed Baby Reindeer with Weronika Tofilska Episode 17 - Demystifying VFX with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice's Angus Bickerton   Episode 8 - Showrunning BBC's Domino Day with Lauren Sequeira    Episode 19 - Demystifying the road to BAFTAs & Oscars with Flair PR's Catherine Lyn Scott   Episode 31 - How we created EMILIA PÉREZ with Jacques Audiard & Thomas Bidegain   Oz: Episode 1 - How I Directed Baby Reindeer with Weronika Tofilska Episode 15 & 16 - The Journey to Directing PRESUMED INNOCENT with Greg Yaitanes Episode 9 - How I Directed HOUSE OF THE DRAGON with Clare Kilner Episode 13 & 14 - The Journey to Directing SUPACELL with Sebastian Thiel Episode 6 - Is Perfectionism Killing Your Creativity? With Dr. Thomas Curran   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 33 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Director Jim O'Hanlon, whose directorial work has been nominated for BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Emmy's. Jim began his career working in continuing Drama on Coronation Street and has since gone on to direct Inside Number 9, 100 Streets with Idris Elba, Netflix's The Punisher, Catastrophe with Sharon Horgan & Rob Delaney and also on Apple TV's hit show Trying.    Jim is a fountain of knowledge and in this episode we get right down into his process of what being a working director is to him. This chat includes: -What is directing? -How did you begin your career and enter the industry?  -What is tone? -How do you pick projects?  -How does he work between mediums and genres? -What is his directing playbook after getting hired?  -What is your approach to blocking?  -How do you communicate and work with actors of varying levels of experience?    Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nugget of the week Jim: The Holdovers Directed by Alexander Payne - Directors UK Podcast Marcus: Raging Bull Directed by Martin Scorsese Oz: Oz was inspired by a recent conversation we had with students at Oxford University.   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Jim O'Hanlon: Twitter (X) & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 32 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by the Director of the National Film & Television School, Dr. Jon Wardle. In this episode we demystify exactly what the NFTS is to give you all of the information necessary to understand how it can fit into your pathway into the industry.    This episode covers:   -What is the NFTS?  -What is the NFTS' mission statement?  -Is the NFTS the only way for someone to get into the industry nowadays?  -What are the challenges faced by those attending and graduates?  -The responsibility they have in an ever shifting industry.  -We discuss listener questions and recent controversies.   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nugget of the week Jon: The World of Tim Burton at The Design Museum Marcus: Steve McQueen interviewed by Danny Leigh | BFI London Film Festival Screen Talk 2024 Oz: GNX by Kendrick Lamar   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Jon Wardle: Twitter (X)  The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 31 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's special episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined in conversation by legendary French Director Jacques Audiard (A Prophet, Rust and Bone) and his long-time Writer and Artistic collaborator Thomas Bidegain to discuss their latest project in partnership with Netflix, the musical crime comedy film EMILIA PÉREZ. This live conversation which was conducted as part of a NFTS masterclass covers the following:   -What is Directing?  -How did they have to adjust their process to create a musical?  -How did the casting process shape the journey of creating the story?  -What is your relationship with tone and genre during the writing process?  -What was the learning curve like in creating the musical sequences?  -How did you go about creating the world in a very intentional way to marry the use of a soundstage and real world locations?  -Audience questions. Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. The NFTS run a range of Masterclasses such as this one you can listen to today, with filmmakers from all across departments and the filmmaking spectrum. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 30 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by High-End TV Director Marc Jobst for the second part of our conversation. Marc began his career working in continuing drama on Casualty and Eastenders before working his way up to creating exceptional work on Hannibal, Daredevil, The Witcher and most recently as the lead director on the hit Netflix show One Piece. This conversation covers the following:   -What's the first thing you do after being hired on a job? -The importance of casting.  -Remaining flexible with your plans to adapt to different actors methods. -The use of camera plans. -How schedule minded do you need to be as a director?  -How do you honour beloved IP when working in HETV. -What is Marc's approach to action?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Nugget of the Week Marcus: Script Apart - Andrew Haigh All of us Strangers Oz: Marc Jobst's Blog Marc: This Cultural Life - Interview with Alejandro Iñárritu   Socials Marc Jobst: Twitter (X) & Instargam The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 29 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by High-End TV Director Marc Jobst. Marc began his career working in continuing drama on Casualty and Eastenders before working his way up to creating exceptional work on Hannibal, Daredevil, The Witcher and most recently as the lead director on the hit Netflix show One Piece.   This conversation covers the following:   -How did you become a director? -What does collaboration mean to you?  -What were the big obstacles you faced in working in High-End TV?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Marc Jobst: Twitter (X) & Instargam The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 28 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Award winning  actor, writer and director Charlotte Hamblin. This conversation was recorded at the Norwich Film Festival 2024.   In this chat we cover:- The importance of preparation in development Developing an idea Preparation Meets Improvisation: Rehearsals and Blocking Navigating vulnerability. The creative grind of development. Problem-Solving on Set: From Challenges to Creativity Moments of Magic: When Everything Clicks The Development Process: Polishing the Diamond Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nugget of the Week Charlotte - Song by Tom Rassmussen - There's a lot to be happy about https://open.spotify.com/track/3dG4ESSkfeytc0DH7cJOsg?si=e71d9e408e604136 Oz is a lyric from the song Eye of the Tiger :  https://youtu.be/btPJPFnesV4?si=MokAVPDr1Q1b8Tk3   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Charlotte Hamblin: Profile& Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz:  Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com  

This is episode 27 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad take you behind the scenes of their short films, Space Plug and Opening Up.  Recorded in June 2023, the episode gives you their fresh thoughts on the wins and challenges of production one week after they wrapped on set.  This conversation covers:  - We break down the lessons learned, the challenges faced, and what it takes to bridge the gap between short films and long-form projects. Expect insights on: - Applying what we learned on House of the Dragon to the challenges we faced - Tackling the sci-fi spectacle of Space Plug while balancing visual storytelling and technical hurdles. - How Oz pivoted Opening Up from the north to London.  - Last-minute location changes & Police on set. - Managing technical complexity and tight schedules on a limited budget. - Thoughts and conclusions before going into production Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL.   We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com  

This is episode 26 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by BAFTA winning producer Chris Hees, who works across both animation and live-action.  This conversation was recorded at the Spirit of Independence Film Festival in Sheffield alongside a bunch of other industry talks, as we aim to demystify producers. In this chat we cover:-   -What is producing? -What opportunities did a BAFTA win and an Oscar nomination bring? -How have you sustained yourself whilst pursuing a producing career?  -How does he choose the stories that he works on?  -What short-sighted decisions do directors make when working with producers? -What are the key challenges in going from shorts to longform?    Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Chris Hees: Website & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 25 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast.   In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad discuss the process of giving and receiving notes as a Writer & Director. We were joined in this conversation by Venetia Hawkes, who is the author of the book We Have Some Notes… The Insider's Guide to Notes, Script Editing and Development. This book is an excellent resource and features chapter interviews from some of the finest Writers & Directors in the UK such as Edgar Wright, Lynne Ramsay, Russell T Davies, Sally Wainwright and many, many more.    So as ever we get right into it to help demystify the notes process for you all! This conversation covers:   -What inspired her to write this book? -What did she discover about the notes process that went against her expectations?  -What are the do's and don'ts when giving and receiving notes?  -How should you deliver notes? -What makes a bad note? -How specific should notes be?  -How do you navigate communicating and dealing with notes around tone? -When are notes not useful?  -The notes process for women and people from a global majority. -How did her research inform her own writing process when putting the book together?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nugget of the Week Venetia: Climate spring - Organisation - Climate Spring harnesses the storytelling power of the screen to shift how society perceives and responds to the climate crisis. Oz: We Have Some Notes… by Venetia Hawkes Marcus: Ancient Apocalypse: The Americas    Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Venetia Hawkes: Twitter (X) & Instagram  The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 24 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad get candid about directing actors and building trust on set. From early mistakes to big lessons, they share stories about casting, blocking, and working with actors to elevate on-screen moments. Drawing on experiences from their respective works, they break down the craft of guiding performance. This episode covers: First experiences directing actors The role of blocking and “business” on set The impact of blocking and micro-blocking How to collaborate through trust and clarity Lessons learned from working with experienced actor What they learnt from watching other directors Effective casting and rehearsals Adapting to surprises on the day Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nugget of the Week   Oz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QU9qZgodWw&ab_channel=FilmCourage Judith Weston Marcus: Life    Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Instagram (Oz is off Twitter)   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com  

This is episode 23 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Jess Hong a New Zealand actor who since graduating from Drama School landed the lead role in Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss Game of Thrones follow up, the Multi-Emmy award nominated show 3 BODY PROBLEM, which was also created by Alexander Woo. In this episode we break down her early journey, successes and learnings in order to help demystify what the actor and director relationship can look like. This conversation covers:   -What is acting?  -How did you get into acting in the first place? -How did you land the job on 3 Body Problem? -How did you begin to prepare for the job of a life time? -How do you embody a character that is distant from yourself?  -How did the individual directors approach Director's Rehearsals? -How do you like receiving notes from Directors? -How do you create trust between yourself and collaborators on set?  -How do you navigate working on such a large production? -What does the future look like for you?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL.   We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake  Nugget of the Week   Jess: Make more good memories with family and friends. That's what people will remember. Marcus: The Hitchcock and Truffaut interviews Oz: The Making of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Jess Hong: Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com  

This is episode 22 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Adam Pearson who is an actor and star of the new A24 feature film, A Different Man alongside Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World) and is written & directed by Aaron Schimberg. Adam got his first acting break in Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin starring Scarlett Johansson and he has used his platform to become an award-winning disability rights campaigner, public figure and presenter.    This chat covers:   -What is acting?  -How he ended up working on Under the Skin. -What was his first experience like on a film set? -How did he end up being cast in A Different Man?  -What did he learn from his A-List Co-Stars?  -How he felt seen by this film's narrative. -How confidence plays a part in acting.  -Learning to manage a disability and access in the industry.   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nugget of the Week Adam: Four Favourites with Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson, and Aaron Schimberg (A Different Man) Oz: Nobody wants to buy this Abadoned $10.5million Mansion - Luxury Cars inside!!!   Marcus: In Proximity | Jordan Peele and Ryan Coogler on Genre, Fear and Filmmaking    Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Adam Pearson: Twitter (X) & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 21 in our second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Paul Davies, the legendary Sound Designer who is best known for being one of Director Lynne Ramsay's closest collaborators, with their relationship spanning all the way back to her first feature film, Ratcatcher. He is exceptional in his own right however and his unique style has landed him work with directors such as Stephen Frears, Yann Demange, Rose Glass, Steve McQueen and Guillermo Del Toro amongst countless others.  Sound is as important if not more so than the image itself, so we are super excited to bring you a conversation with one of the absolute best in the business. This conversation covers:   -What is Sound Design? -What was his journey into the industry like?  -The importance of mentors?  -How did he come to meet Lynne Ramsay and build that relationship?  -Why do people keep coming back to him?  -How to sync up the process between sound and the edit?  -How does he approach character and perspective with sound?  -What are the mistakes that directors make when working with sound designers?    Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Paul's Bio With a background in music recording and composition, Paul Davies graduated from the sound department at the National Film and Television School (UK) in 1993. After graduation Paul worked as a freelance sound record recordist, sound editor and re-recording mixer on a variety of feature, broadcast, and corporate projects. In 1995 Paul joined the sound post production company VideoSonics as a sound editor, rising to become head of the sound editorial department. Whilst with VideoSonics Paul continued to hone his craft on a large range of feature film and television dramas. In 2000 Paul left VideoSonics to become a freelance supervising sound editor and Sound Designer and continues to work in these roles to this day. Notable directors he has with with include Stephen Frears, John Hillcoat, Lynne Ramsay, Guillermo Del Toro, Steve McQueen, Hideo Nakata, Rose Glass, Bart Layton, Anton Corijn, Saul Dibb, Julian Jarrold, Nick Broomfield and Julien Temple amongst many others, on films such as The Queen, Kinky Boots, You Were Never Really HEre, American Animals, Hunger, Mrs HEnderson Presents, The American, The Proposition, We need to Talk about Kevin, Saint Maud and Mogul Mowgli.    In addition to his work in sound production, Paul is a regular visiting tutor at the National Film and Television School in the UK The Baltic Film School in Estonia and the IFS in Cologne. Paul has also held Sound Design workshops at the School of sound, BAFTA, CPH Dox Festival-Denmark and The Sound of Story in Brighton UK. Paul is a voting member of BAFTA and AMPAS and a past chair of AMPS the UK's film and television sound craft guild. Paul has received nominations from BAFTA and The Royal Television Society for his sound design work in 2018, and won a BIFA for his Sound Design in You Were Never Really Here.    Nugget of the week   Paul: Beth Gibbons - Portishead lead singer & the strength of performance. Oz: Godzilla Minus One Marcus: How Liquid Death's Founder Started a $700million Water Brand | Found Effect   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Paul Davies: Twitter (X) & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 20 in our second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Nichola Wong, a Writer and Director who has successfully navigated her way from making short films to directing over 20 episodes of the continuing drama Hollyoaks.  The transition from shorts to TV is one of the most challenging leaps to make as a filmmaker and continuing drama's often come with a very systemic approach to delivering a constant stream of episodes for their audiences, so we brought on Nichola to break that process down for you all.  This chat covers:    -What is directing? -How and why did she want to be a filmmaker? -How did she break into the industry?  -Gaining and losing an agent. -How did she get her first break in TV?  -What were the challenges she came up against in directing continuing drama?  -How have mentors helped her career so far?  -How has that helped her career going forward?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nichola's Bio Nichola is an award-winning Writer-Director, Sundance Fellow, BFI NETWORK x BAFTA Crew listed Director, and a graduate of the prestigious NFTS Directors Workshop, supported by Walt Disney. Her 1st TV pilot won All3 Media's New Drama Script award at Edinburgh TV Festival and was one of eight out of 3000+ projects to be selected for the Sundance Episodic Lab. Her short films have screened at film festivals all around the world, as well as on Hulu, US broadcast TV (FX, Freeform) and Film 4/All4.  She is currently developing various TV ideas and her 1st feature film with Ardimages. She has been mentored by Hong Khaou, Nick Rowland, Claire Tailyour and Tessa Hoffe.   She also directs the 2nd unit on high-end TV shows, as well as directing over 20+ episodes of the continuing drama Hollyoaks.   Nugget of the week   Nichola: Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Hague Oz: Song Exploder Marcus: 6 days to air: The Making of South Park   Nichola's Films https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssb7wRrdMOc   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Nichola Wong: Twitter (X) & Website The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 19 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Catherine Lyn Scott from London Flair PR, who specialise in running BAFTA and Oscar award campaigns for short films. Catherine has helped her clients gain 32 Oscar nominations including 6 wins with films such as An Irish Goodbye (2023), The Long Goodbye (2022) starring Riz Ahmed and The Silent Child (2018). She was also attached to the most recent BAFTA nominated short Yellow and the eventual BAFTA winner Jellyfish and Lobster. She is a master in her field and so we brought her on for a chat to help demystify the process of tackling awards season and to offer you all some very practical tips on how to up your own PR game.    This chat includes:-   -What is PR? -What attracts her to a project?  -What does she look for in the filmmakers she represents?  -Is there a formula?  -How do you make the most out of a film festival run? -What practical tips can you give to help people with their own campaigns? -What mistakes do filmmakers make?  -Do you need social media?  -How do you build a personal brand?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nuggets of the week   Catherine: The Academy giving its own section to Short Films.   Oz: Fasting as a means to appreciate our fortune. Marcus: DUNE part Two Q&A w/ Denis Villeneuve and Steven Spielberg   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials London Flair PR: Twitter (X), Facebook & Instagram Catherine: Twitter (X), Facebook & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 18 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Andy Harrower who is the CEO of DIRECTORS UK, who help amplify the collective voice of working directors in the UK in tackling the multitude of issues that they might face. The TV & Film industry has undergone massive amounts of change over the last decade and beyond, so we wanted to get Directors UK's perspective on the challenges faced by its 8,000 strong membership of Directors and by the wider industry too.  In this chat we cover:-   -What is Directors UK and what do you represent?  -So are you or are you not a union? -Why was it founded in the first place?  -How are residuals collected?  -How disruptive has streaming been for working Directors and the industry over the last ten years and what other issues have come to light outside of residuals? -The issue of late scripts and the subsequent mental health impacts.  -How sustainable is the UK industry for Directors at the moment? -The lack of joined up thinking around Talent Development in the UK. -Talent Development within Directors UK. -What other issues are in the crosshairs for Directors UK to attack?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nuggets of the week   Oz: Murder on the Orient Express - Tour Marcus: Selling Sunset - Season 8    Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Directors UK: Twitter (X), Facebook & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 17 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by legendary VFX Supervisor Angus Bickerton, whose career has stretched over 40 years and landed him jobs on films such as Lost in Space, Tim Burton's - Dark Shadows & Batman (1989), Kingsman Gold Circle, Rocketman, HBO's House of the Dragon and most recently on Tim Burtons sequel to his 80s hit BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE starring Michael Keaton.   This chat includes: How does a VFX supervisor collaborate with the director to bring a vision to life on film and TV? The role of pre-vis in VFX workflows on projects? How can a VFX supervisor balance creative freedom with tight budget constraints? Working with different creative approaches - Tim Burton, Matthew Vaughn, Miguel Sapochnik. What makes the volume and blue screen techniques different for actors and crew? How do VFX artists adapt to changes on set and in post production? Crafting iconic sequences like the Batwing shot in Batman (1989) and dragon chases in House of the Dragon. The VFX of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. How can directors be better equipped for VFX on their projects? Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake  Nuggets of the week   Marcus: Jim Cummings The Beta Test documentary https://x.com/jimmycthatsme/status/1797659509172654512?s=46    Oz: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/   Angus: Mach Loop in Wales - Military Aircraft fly low through the valleys,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyszRvOOVmg   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz:Instagram  If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is episode 16 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by legendary TV Director Greg Yaitanes, whose career has stretched over 30 years and landed him jobs on shows such as House M.D., Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Prison Break, Banshee, House of the Dragon and most recently on Apple TV's most watched Drama of all time, PRESUMED INNOCENT starring Jake Gyllenhaal. In Part 2 we go in-depth to explore his time directing the exceptional cast and crew on Presumed Innocent. This chat includes:   -How did you come to direct 5 episodes on Presumed Innocent? -Do you tailor the way you communicate with actors based on their experience? -How did you go about elevating the material from the script?  -How did you craft the visual language and did that allow you to be more free with the actors?  -How did you go about creating the texture of the world?  -How do you navigate Writer, Producer and sometimes Actor notes? -What does he see the future of filmmaking as?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nuggets of the week   Greg: What you take for granted, someone else is praying for. Oz: https://medium.com/@gregyaitanes Marcus: The Mythical Production of Prometheus by Frame Voyager   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Greg Yaitanes: Twitter (X) & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com  

This is episode 15 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by legendary Emmy winning TV Director Greg Yaitanes, whose career has stretched over 30 years and landed him jobs on shows such as House M.D., Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Prison Break, Banshee, House of the Dragon and most recently on Apple TV's most watched Drama of all time, PRESUMED INNOCENT starring Jake Gyllenhaal. In Part 1 we cover his journey of directing over 200 hours of TV and unpick the nuggets of information he gained along the way. This chat includes:   -What is directing?  -Why did he become a director?  -Why does he prefer to work on Season 1 of a show, rather than something already established?  -His experience of directing on Lost. -Building a relationship with producers such as JJ.. Abrams. -How he approaches interviews.  -What does he look for when hiring directors?  -What did he learn whilst directing on House of the Dragon?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Nuggets of the week   Greg: What you take for granted, someone else is praying for. Oz: https://medium.com/@gregyaitanes Marcus: The Mythical Production of Prometheus by Frame Voyager   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Greg Yaitanes: Twitter (X) & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

This is Episode 14 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Sebastian Thiel for the second part of their conversation on how he directed three episodes of the global number one Netflix show, SUPACELL. Sebastian is also a writer, producer and all-round creative, so we brought him on to talk us through his journey toward Directing the phenomenon that is SUPACELL.   This conversation covers the following… -The jump to lead directing on Riches. -How did he get the job on SUPACELL? -What was his first day like? -How did you find it working with VFX and Stunts for the first time? -What sequences did he change from Script to Screen?  -What is he most proud of looking back? -What does the future look like for him now?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL. We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Biography Sebastian Thiel is a director, writer, producer. Born in Zambia and raised in North-West London,    He started his own production company, Upshot Entertainment, at the age of 17 and made his 2014 TV debut on London Live with his documentary Trap Town which he created, wrote and directed.    His first drama Just A Couple began life as a YouTube series before being picked up by Big Talk Productions for BBC Three.   Sebastian went on to direct the International Emmy-nominated BBC Three comedy Dreaming Whilst Black, and the recent hit ITVX and Amazon Prime drama Riches.     Most recently, Sebastian directed Rapman's SUPACELL, the number 1 superhero drama show in London for Netflix.   Sebastian continues to produce content through Upshot Entertainment, a subset of which produces professional and dynamic showreels, under Upshot Reels, for some of Britain's greatest talent including Letitia Wright (Black Panther, Small Axe).   He is also the founder of Dope Black Art, which is dedicated to championing black culture through visual art. Nuggets of the week   OZ:Jean-Michel Basquiat -  id     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G9pnE0bnfE   Marcus: Shiro's Story - https://youtu.be/H_6ZJrg-E3Q?si=dnk8dmSHiTsn8KvE  And also Just A Couple https://youtu.be/E_jATst-xtk?si=oz_uFxa5bm2DnMdp   Sebastian: UPSHOT Reels Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Sebastian: Twitter (X) & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com   .

PODBEAN COPY This is Episode 13 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Sebastian Thiel, who is one of the directors on Netflix's global number one show, SUPACELL. Sebastian is also a writer, producer and all-round creative, so we brought him on to talk us through his journey toward Directing the phenomenon that is SUPACELL.     This conversation covers the following…   -What is directing? -How did he come into storytelling?  -The story of how he made his first projects and web series.  -The jump between making films as a self-starter to working within the TV system.  -A discussion on development hell and getting the first directing gig. -How to direct comedy.   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL.   We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake      Biography Sebastian Thiel is a director, writer, producer. Born in Zambia and raised in North-West London,    He started his own production company, Upshot Entertainment, at the age of 17 and made his  2014 TV debut on London Live with his documentary Trap Town which he created, wrote and directed.    His first drama Just A Couple began life as a YouTube series before being picked up by Big Talk Productions for BBC Three.   Sebastian went on to direct the International Emmy-nominated BBC Three comedy Dreaming Whilst Black, and the recent hit ITVX and Amazon Prime drama Riches.     Most recently, Sebastian directed Rapman's Supacell, the number 1 superhero drama show in London for Netflix.   Sebastian continues to produce content through Upshot Entertainment, a subset of which produces professional and dynamic showreels, under Upshot Reels, for some of Britain's greatest talent including Letitia Wright (Black Panther, Small Axe).   He is also the founder of Dope Black Art, which is dedicated to championing black culture through visual art.   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com  

This is Episode 12 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Brian Gilbert, a BAFTA and Oscar Nominated Director and one of the lead tutors at the National Film and Television School, who specialises in the art of performance and working with actors.  This is the second part in our conversation with Brian, as we break down the fundamentals of working with actors and how you shape their performances for screen.  PART 2 covers…   -How do you create motivated blocking in a scene? -How should you use rehearsal time with actors? -Having helped develop some of the best filmmaking talent in the UK, has he seen any similarities between them? -Brian talks us through how he met Stanley Kubrick on the set of 2001.   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is THE NATIONAL FILM and TELEVISION SCHOOL.   We've also partnered with SCRIPTATION to offer our listeners an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on their software, which you can find on the link below…  http://scriptation.com/thedirectorstake    Biography   Brian Gilbert started out his career as a child actor, appearing several times on Australian television before earning a scholarship to read English Literature at Oxford University, where he began directing plays. After this he travelled for a while as an actor, before being accepted into the National Film and Television School where his graduation film, THE DEVOTEE won several awards and got him industry attention. From here he went on to make several feature films such as Sharma and Beyond, The Frog Prince, Vice Versa, Not without my Daughter, Tom and Viv which starred Willem Dafoe and Miranda Richardson and picked up two Oscar and two BAFTA nominations before making WILDE. A Biopic on Oscar Wilde starring Stephen Fry and Jude Law amongst others.   In 2004 he began working at the National Film and Television School and became a key figure there as it went on to establish itself as one of the top 15 film schools in the world as said by The Hollywood Reporter. As a lead tutor he has overseen the development of some of the UKs most exciting filmmaking talent such as Nick Rowland, Mahalia Belo and Rose Glass, and he specialises in the art of performance on screen.   NUGGET Marcus: A Quote from Stanley Kubrick taken from the book The Film Director as Superstar by Joseph Gelmis.   ‘A director is a kind of idea and taste machine; a movie is a series of creative and technical decisions, and it's the director's job to make the right decisions as frequently as possible. Shooting a movie is the worst milieu for creative work ever devised by man. It is a noisy, physical apparatus; it is difficult to concentrate - and you have to do it from 8:30 to 6:30, five days a week. It's not an environment an artist would ever choose to work in. The only advantage it has is that you must do it, and you can't procrastinate'.   Oz: Shot Designer App   Brian: The Homecoming (theatre) directed by Matthew Dunster and starring Jared Harris, Joe Cole and Lisa Diveney.   Emily Dickinson Poem - The Brain -  is wider than the Sky   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

This is Episode 11 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined by Brian Gilbert, a BAFTA and Oscar Nominated Director and one of the lead tutors at the National Film and Television School, who specialises in the art of performance and working with actors.  Your ability to draw performances from actors is at the heart of the directors' job, so we brought on an absolute expert in Brian Gilbert to break that all down for you all.  PART 1 covers…   -How did he get into filmmaking as a practice? -How did he get his first break as a working director?  -How does he work with high profile actors? -How should you communicate with actors? -How can you change the energy of a performance?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School.   Biography   Brian Gilbert started out his career as a child actor, appearing several times on Australian television before earning a scholarship to read English Literature at Oxford University, where he began directing plays. After this he travelled for a while as an actor, before being accepted into the National Film and Television School where his graduation film, THE DEVOTEE won several awards and got him industry attention. From here he went on to make several feature films such as Sharma and Beyond, The Frog Prince, Vice Versa, Not without my Daughter, Tom and Viv which starred Willem Dafoe and Miranda Richardson and picked up two Oscar and two BAFTA nominations before making WILDE. A Biopic on Oscar Wilde starring Stephen Fry and Jude Law amongst others.   In 2004 he began working at the National Film and Television School and became a key figure there as it went on to establish itself as one of the top 15 film schools in the world as said by The Hollywood Reporter. As a lead tutor he has overseen the development of some of the UKs most exciting filmmaking talent such as Nick Rowland, Mahalia Belo and Rose Glass, and he specialises in the art of performance on screen.   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com

Episode 10 of The Directors Take Podcast is AVAILABLE NOW on all major platforms. In this week's episode your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by absolutely no-one, as they break down how they became Writer/Directors… With a special emphasis on the writer part. Writing is one of the first skills we learn as humans and writing stories is a craft that can be learnt just like any other… So we will tell you how we did it. This chat covers:   -How did we both start writing?  -How do you select which ideas to pursue?  -How do you get through a first draft?  -What are the rules you try to stick to whilst writing, if at all? Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School.   Nuggets of the week Pandemonium, Inc. (Website/Resource) Scriptnotes (Podcast) The Screenwriting Life (Podcast) The Annual Blacklist (Script Archive) The Annual Oscar Nominee Scripts (Script Archive) BBC Writers Script Library (Script Archive) Lessons from the screenplay (YouTube Channel) Teach yourself screenwriting by Ray Frensham (Book)   Into the Woods by John Yorke (Book)   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

This is Episode 9 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast… and we've hit a very special milestone as this is our 50th Episode overall! To mark this special occasion your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by one of the directors of HBO's HOUSE OF THE DRAGON and our mentor Clare Kilner. She is an exceptional filmmaker whose craft has allowed her to direct shows such as Pennyworth, The Alienist, Snowpiercer, Gen V and the other recent smash hit show, FALLOUT.  Clare is working at the absolute pinnacle of the High-End TV game right now and as ever we break down her journey and process for you all to enjoy. This chat covers…   -What is directing? -What made her want to become a storyteller? -How did she learn to work with actors?  -How does she break down a script? -How do you enter a show with such a distinct world?  -How she plans her shots and blocking from within locations. -Her process in working out blocking with the actors. -What ideas she brings to the table in order to elevate it from the script. -Her approach to creating a coherent visual language.  -How she works with writers and execs on set.  -Her approach to the editing process.    Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School. Nuggets of the week   Clare: Marina Abramovic - 420 seconds of silence at Glastonbury Oz: Eye Candy - Visual Language library Marcus: The House that Dragons Built - Crafting a Royal Funeral - S2, Ep2   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Clare Kilner: Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

This is Episode 8 in the second season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week's episode your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Writer & Showrunner Lauren Sequeira. A BAFTA nominated writer and a member of the BBC's Hotlist, they wrote on Kiss Me First and seasons 1 & 2 of Gangs of London before Showrunning their very own show, BBC3's original series Domino Day. As ever we break down Lauren's journey and craft to uncover those delicious nuggets of information. This chat covers…   -How Marcus and Lauren met… (lol) -Lauren's journey toward becoming a writer -How she got her agent and how they helped shape their career. -What did her first paid writing jobs look like?  -Writing on Gangs of London. -How she got her very own show commissioned. -Setting up a series, interviewing directors and building those relationships. -What is her writing process?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School.   Bio Lauren Sequeira is a writer hailing from South London, earning her first TV Credit on Kiss Me First, which was a show plucked from the mind of Bryan Elsey, the creator of Skins. From here Lauren created the digital Spin-Off series to BBC's The Dumping Ground, called Sasha's Contact Meeting, which earned her a BAFTA nomination and she was named on the BBC's hotlist for emerging talents tipped as future stars.    She also went on to write for Gangs of London, on both Season 1 and 2, before getting her very own show commissioned, the Original Series Domino Day which aired on BBC3 in February of 2024. Domino Day is a show which follows Domino, a powerful young witch who is haunted by her need to feed on the energy of others… And she uses Dating apps to find her new prey.   Nuggets of the week Lauren:  The sun (not the newspaper). Being outside and enjoying the sun. Oz: The rap beef between Kendrick, Drake and J. Cole. Marcus: Thelma & Louise - Screenplay   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Lauren Sequeira: Twitter (X) & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

This is Episode 7 of our brand new season of The Directors Take Podcast. This week's episode is a conversation with Producer Oliver Kassman from Escape Plan, who have made waves in the genre space in creating films such as SAINT MAUD, OUT OF DARKNESS and the recent feature LOVE LIES BLEEDING starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian & Ed Harris.  Oliver is a champion for first time filmmakers having made the above work with Rose Glass and Andrew Cummings, and there are absolutely many more on the way. In this chat we cover…   -What is producing? -His journey into the industry. -The importance of mentors early on in your career.  -What does development look like?  -How does he choose the filmmakers and ideas to pursue?  -How important is it to attach cast to a project?  -How do you navigate creative vision through sales and distribution? -What does the Producer/Director relationship look like? -How does he see the future of film?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School.   Nuggets of the week Oliver Kassman: Work: What Just Happened? Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line by Art Linson Creative: Orville Peck - Pony (Vinyl) Oz: Anker Powerbank Marcus: Music for K (Polish Jazz Vol. 22) by Tomasz Stanko Quintet   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Oliver Kassman: Twitter (X) & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

This is Episode 6 of our brand new season of The Directors Take Podcast. This week's episode is a conversation with Dr. Thomas Curran, a renowned Psychologist and Associate Professor in the esteemed Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Author of ‘one of Bloomberg's best books of 2023', The Perfection Trap.  In this chat we cover…   -What is perfectionism? -Where does perfectionism come from? -How is perfectionism linked to mental health?  -How is perfectionism linked to ‘deficit thinking' or ‘imposter syndrome'. -Is procrastination linked to perfectionism? -How do social environments breed perfectionist traits? -How do factors such as race, gender and class play into this? -How can we combat perfectionism?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School.   Nuggets of the week Dr. Thomas Curran: Dr. Gabor Maté on Alienation - YouTube Video Oz: Rate my takeaway - YouTube Channel Marcus: Shadow of the Colossus - Playstation Game   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Dr. Thomas Curran: Website & Twitter (X) The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

This is Episode 5 of our brand new season of The Directors Take Podcast. This weeks episode is a chat between Marcus and Oz, where they talk about their experience as Director Shadows/Mentees on House of the Dragon for the very first time. -What was the scheme and selection process? -Our first few weeks on the production.   -Reading the scripts.   -Creating our workflow.   -How we helped the production.   -How we constructed our learning.   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School.   About us Marcus and Oz are both described as ‘rising stars' in the film industry and both met whilst shadowing the directors and showrunners on Season 1 of HBO's House of the Dragon for 16 months. Having both seen up close exactly what is required of a director when working at the highest level and understanding the gap between what is taught about filmmaking up to that stage… They created The Directors' Take Podcast to help fill in the gap, so that early-career directors right through to mid-level career professionals can get the most out of themselves and their collaborators.   Nuggets of the week Oz: Louaista - YouTube Channel   Marcus: Blood, sweat & chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

This is Episode 4 of our brand new season of The Directors Take Podcast. This weeks episode is with the exceptional Costume Designer, Cynthia Lawrence-John. She has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world such as Adidas, Samsung, Amex and with a slew of directors such as Melina Matsoukas (Queen & Slim), Kibwe Tavares (The Kitchen) and Nicholas Winding Refn (Drive). She also recently earned herself a BIFA nomination for her work on the beautiful RomCom RYE LANE and helped to elevate the film's colourful aesthetic. In our chat we cover:   -What is Costume Design? -Her journey into the film industry.  -What is it about her work that keeps bringing people to her door? -Transitioning from commercials into film.  -Storytelling through costume.  -What do her conversations with directors look like?  -How do you work with other Heads of department to create a unified aesthetic?   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School.   Nuggets of the week Cynthia: Tony Allen: An Autobiography of the Master Drummer of Afrobeat. Oz: BaByliss Pro Cordless Super Motor Skeleton Trimmer Marcus: The Cinema Cartography - YouTube Channel   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Cynthia: Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

This is Episode 3 of our brand new season of The Directors Take Podcast. This weeks episode is a chat with just Marcus and Oz, where they break down exactly how YOU as a director need to be thinking, planning and prepping in order to shape the story that you're working on. This is a deep dive on directing craft and this conversation covers:    -How do you find your way into a story? -How do you think about the story as a director?  -Crafting characters with actors. -Working with actors on set. -How blocking to tells a story. -Principles for visual storytelling.   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School.   About us Marcus and Oz are both described as ‘rising stars' in the film industry and both met whilst shadowing the directors and showrunners on Season 1 of HBO's House of the Dragon which they did for 16 months. Having both seen up close exactly what is required of a director when working at the highest level and understanding the gap between what is taught about filmmaking up to that stage… They created The Directors' Take Podcast to help fill in the gap, so that early-career directors right through to mid-level career professionals can get the most out of themselves and their collaborators.   Nuggets of the week   Oz: How Scorsese Moves the Camera With Purpose in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon' | Anatomy of a Scene    Marcus: Denis Villeneuve on Dune: Part Two - Film at Lincoln Center   Credits   Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials   The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram    If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

Hello again... This is Episode 2 of our brand new season of The Directors Take Podcast. This weeks episode is our live podcast recording with Writer/Director Rose Glass, which was recorded at our very first live event and was performed immediately after the screening of her latest film LOVE LIES BLEEDING, which stars Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian and Ed Harris. This is a SPOILER FILLED conversation on craft and it includes:   -How she dealt with the level of expectation after her first film SAINT MAUD was so well received. -What aspect of the shooting process scared her the most. -How she practically creates tone. -How the characters changed from script to screen. -The challenges of working at a higher budget level. -How she crafted a story that follows multiple perspectives. -Emotional resilience.   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School.   Bio Filming anything and everything from Harry Potter spoofs to fake nature mockumentaries about aliens, Rose was destined to be a director from a young age. Upon leaving home she studied film and video at London College of Communication, UAL - where she directed her first 'proper' shorts - and also gained experience as a runner on professional sets. Eventually she made her way to the NFTS, where she made acclaimed short Room 55 and began working on the idea for SAINT MAUD. In the years following she waitressed and worked as a cinema usher whilst working on the treatment and teamed up with fellow Breakthrough Brit Oliver Kassman. Initially Rose was intimidated by the idea of directing a feature, especially after finding the writing process quite isolating, but once she started, the collaborative nature of the experience made everything a complete joy. Having had such a great time with her team on SAINT MAUD. She has now made her second feature LOVE LIES BLEEDING starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian and Ed Harris. Teaming up again with producers Oliver Kassman and Andrea Cornwall, and also co-writing the script with fellow NFTS graduate and BABY REINDEER lead director Weronika Tofilska.   Nuggets of the week Rose Glass on Directors Now   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.    

WE'RE BACK! This is the very first exciting episode of our brand new season of The Directors Take Podcast,  In this episode we'll be speaking to Weronika Tofilska who is the lead director (Eps1-4) of the Netflix global phenomenon BABY REINDEER. As ever we break down directing craft to gain a greater understanding of how this smash hit show was created. This conversation includes:   -Weronika's journey into filmmaking. -Her experience of film school in Poland and in the UK. -How she navigated the filmmaking wilderness. -How she got her first break as a TV Director. -Her process for interviewing. -How she evolved her process for working in television. -Creating a bespoke visual language for Baby Reindeer. -Working with the show's creator Richard Gadd. -Her directing process. -How she wrote Love Lies Bleeding with Rose Glass.   Our wonderful sponsor for this episode is The National Film and Television School.   Bio Weronika Tofilska is a London based Writer and Director, a graduate of Krzysztof Kieslowski's Film School  in Poland and National Film and Television School in the UK.    They've made several successful short films including LAST TRAIN, which won multiple awards at Polish and Internation film festivals, they've made Dark Comedies such as THE PATIENT, SUICIDE IS EASY and horror/comedy PINK and BLUE which won FrightFest Short Film Competition as well as the Channel 4 Horror Short DOORKEEPER. You can watch a lot of these on her website.    With the success of her short works, she has begun making her name in TV directing on the Netflix Show IRREGULARS, with Amazon on the show HANNAH, on HBOs His Dark Materials and most recently has directed the first four episodes of the smash hit Netflix Show, BABY REINDEER which is written and created by, as well as starring Richard Gadd.  She is in development on her feature project POLYPHONY with Film4 and also co-wrote LOVE LIES BLEEDING   Nuggets of the week Weronika: Jerry Seinfeld wisdom. Oz: Go to the lake district. Marcus: Take the time to celebrate your wins as they happen.   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Weronika: Twitter (X) & Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.  

  In this Bafta Special episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by BAFTA nominees Yasmin Afifi and Elham Ehsas. Yasmin is an award-winning writer/director based in London and her her grad film Jellyfish and Lobster has gone on to receive widespread industry acclaim, screening in festivals all over the world, including the BAFTA/BIFA Qualifying Underwire, Encounters, LFF among others. Elham is a BAFTA nominated and Oscar shortlisted writer/director and Actor working in Film and Television. His latest short film Yellow was BAFTA nominated in 2024 and longlisted for the Academy Awards in the same year. This episode is a goldmine for insights how to create a successful short film, the dreaded festival circuit, overcoming production challenges, the importance of authenticity in storytelling, and practical advice on film conception and success.   This conversation includes: Diverse career paths into filmmaking. Choices around film education. Creating personal and authentic stories. Visual storytelling and creative processes. Challenges in low-budget filmmaking. Conceptualisation of films. Navigating film festivals and marketing. Reactions to receiving BAFTA nominations Yasmin, celebrated for her use of comedy and magical realism, and Elham, known for his human-centric narratives, share their unique journeys in the film industry, from educational choices to the crafting of personal and impactful stories. This is an educational episode. Nuggets of the week Yasmin:  Spike Lee Quote - Write the ideas that you're embarrassed about. Elham:  Oz: Godfather DVD Commentary with Francis Ford Coppola  Marcus: Watch the BAFTA nominated films, they're up on the BAFTA YouTube channel for a short time, so you can watch both of these incredible films. https://www.youtube.com/@bafta/videos   Additional links - Gangs of Wasseypur Part 1 - Gangs of Wasseypur Part 2 - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge - Dil Se Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Elham: Instagram Yasmin: Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.  

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by absolutely nobody, as they do a recap on all of The Directors' Take Podcast episodes so far... This is the end...   In this episode we talk about the following:-   -Why we started the podcast -The initial response to it. -What we gained from it. -Why we think it has resonated. -A recap of the episodes and our thoughts and feelings on each. -What we've learnt. -The growth of the podcast. -What does the future look like?   Nugget of the week   Marcus: Robert Downey Jr. & Mark Ruffalo | Actors on Actors https://youtu.be/0OLBhkKLmUY?si=ehxgaliPA6EaDtFy Oz: The Diary Of A CEO | Busta Rhymes https://youtu.be/cRjzQuzX-tg?si=4z7uWkQOjFHlLh5H   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Justine Walton and Lucy Tallon from the Film and TV Charity.   About the Film and TV Charity   The Film and TV Charity is here to support everyone working behind the scenes in film, TV, and cinema industry. From its free, 24/7 Film and TV Support Line and legal advice, to its financial support, including Stop-Gap Grants for urgent financial needs, and our Bullying Advice Service, we have a wide range of services to support your mental health, financial and social wellbeing. For more information visit our website or call our Support Line.   The usual support line number is 0800 054 0000, however they are currently experiencing a technical issue. If the 0800 number does not work, then please call 0207 846 1079 to speak to an advisor. This is a temporary number and will be charged at a local rate, but you can arrange a callback with an advisor. You can also access the service via our Live Chat.    In this conversation we cover:   -Who are the Film and TV Charity? -What issues do you typically help to deal with? -We talk about the structural issues in the industry. -The importance of good line management. -What support do they offer? -Sustainability in the industry. -How the strikes have affected those working in the industry. -Why they decided to ringfence money for people from marginalised backgrounds.   Nuggets of the week Lucy Tallon: Philomena by Stephen Frears Justine Walton: There's an importance to doing things that seem hard. Embrace them. Celebrate overcoming difficulties. Oz: Killers of the Flower Moon by Martin Scorsese Marcus: 'The Killer' Q&A Fincher & Fassbender & Rian Johnson 15th Nov 2023   Additional links https://filmtvcharity.org.uk/leading-change/    Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Film and TV Charity: Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn. The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.      

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Writer Helen Black. Helen has transitioned into TV after writing a series of successful crime novels, picking up credits on shows such as Life and Death in the Warehouse, Grantchester and now the second season of the hit BBC show, TIME, starring Jodie Whittaker, Tamara Lawrance, Siobhan Finneran and Bella Ramsey. If you want to be a working director in TV, you will likely be brought onto a project closer to physical production, with the Producers and Writers likely being involved since its inception. Understanding their process, their intention and best collaborative practices are key to a successful career, so we got Helen on to help break down this process. This conversation includes:   -Her journey into writing. -How she transitioned into writing for screen. -What was the process of getting representation for screen? -The collaborative process between her and Jimmy McGovern. -How she collaborates with the series directors. -What does her writing and rewriting process look like? -What does the future hold for her now?   Biography Helen Black was born and raised in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, and against everyone's advice she studied Law at the University of Hull, becoming a solicitor for ten years.  It was in Helen's exposure to lots of peoples stories that inspired her to write herself, penning the novel DAMAGED GOODS, a story about a young person accused of murder, who is physically unable to defend themselves.  She then went on to write another 10 crime novels, with the latest one called HARD AS NAILS which was published in December 2020. She has been transitioning into writing for screen over the last 7 years or so, winning a Kudos North Writers Award in 2017, a competition running in conjunction with BBC Writers Room and has been on a roll recently, earning writing credits on shows CLINK, DEATH IN PARADISE, the BAFTA nominated Single Drama LIFE AND DEATH IN THE WAREHOUSE, GRANTCHESTER. Most recently, she wrote all three episodes of BBC's TIME season two alongside Jimmy McGovern, which stars Jodie Whittaker, Tamara Lawrance, Siobhan Finneran and Bella Ramsey.   Nuggets of the week Helen: NF - Hope (Song) Oz: Go Into The Story - Scott Myers (Website) Marcus: Ridley Scott Picks a Favorite Shot From Each of His Most Iconic Movies | My Best Shots (YouTube video)   Additional links -Writer, Directors and Producer Directors: A six-year overview of Diamond Data 2017/17 to 2021/22 -BFI Skills Review 2023   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Helen: Twitter (X) The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Annetta Laufer, a Writer/Director who has directed episodes of Dr. Who and the upcoming HBO series Get Millie Black. Annetta, like many of us, was stuck in an endless loop of directing short films, but remained true to her taste and principles, whilst waiting for the TV and Film industry to reach the place where her voice is situated. We dig down into her journey and talk about the following:   -Why did you begin directing? -Do you think schemes are helpful? -How did you get your break in TV directing? -What is the biggest difference between shorts and TV? -How do you prep when working in TV? -What is a script supervisor? -What are the most difficult challenges a director faces when working in TV?   Biography Annetta is a Writer/Director and the founder of Roman Candle Productions, a film production company focused on black and female–led films. Her short films have screened at national and international film festivals including Encounters Film Festival, London Short Film Festival, Aesthetica Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival and Uppsala Film Festival.Her short films have earned her the Best Film award at the BFM International Film Festival/Screen Nation for WINNIE AND THE DUPPYBAT, which was also a finalist for the HBO Short Film Award at the American Black Film Festival. She won the Best Screenwriter award at the Indian Cine Film Festival in Mumbai for SCARLET, Best Short Film award at the Black International Film Festival for AFRO PUNK GIRL and was BAFTA long-listed for her last short film THE ARRIVAL. Annetta is currently developing her feature film COLONY ROOMS, a drama set within the Caribbean community in 1960s Soho London, with the BFI and producer Joy Gharoro Akpojotor (Blue Story, Boxing Day). She is also developing her 2nd feature film WILD SWIMMING (RIVER MISTRESS) with producer Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo (Netflix/Top Boy, Fox Searchlight/Rye Lane) and Film4, and developing her first TV series LEMON FISH with Buccaneer Media. As a director, Annetta directed the 2022 New Years Special of the British TV Series DOCTOR WHO for BBC Studios. She is also attached to Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's upcoming film adaptation of her Laurence Olivier Award winning play EMILIA, based on the life and times of Renaissance poet and Shakespeare contemporary Emilia Bassano. Manon Ardisson (God's Own Country) and Chiara Ventura from Ardimages UK are producing. Annetta is represented by Josh Varney and Hannah Linnen at 42 Management.   Nuggets of the week Annetta: The Last of Us Oz: Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson Marcus: How Michelle Yeoh Threatened 'Everything Everywhere' Directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Annetta: Instagram The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by absolutely no-one this week, as we decided to create a list of the short films that have inspired them. We break down their story structure and try to deconstruct what makes these films and filmmakers so great. This conversation includes:   -What is a concept short film? -Should you use voice over in your short? -The use of vignettes in short films to expand time. -When is it appropriate to do a one take short? -Traditional narrative shorts and authored voices. -When should you do a proof of concept short?   Concept Shorts The Retreat - Marcus Anthony Thomas Pitch Black Heist by John Maclean   Voice Over Shorts Getting On by Ewan Stewart Stutterer by Benjamin Cleary   Vignette Shorts Small Deaths by Lynne Ramsay Festival of Slaps by Abdou Cisse Over by Jörn Threllfall Standby by Charlotte Regan World of Glory by Roy Andersson   Long Take Shorts Thunder Road by Jim Cummings Mama by Andy Muschietti With a little Patience by Laszlo Nemes Incident by a bank by Ruben Östlund   Narrative Shorts - Authored Voices Believe by Paul Wright The Mass of Men by Gabriel Gauchet Azaar by Myriam Raja Six Shooter by Martin McDonagh Wasp by Andrea Arnold Boy and the Bicycle by Ridley Scott Gasman by Lynne Ramsay Nosebleed by Luna Carmoon   Proof of Concept Shorts Boiling Point by Philip Barantini Brian & Charles by Jim Archer Lights Out by David F. Sandberg Whiplash by Damien Chazelle   Documentary Short Black Sheep by Ed Perkins Black Cop by Charish Oteka   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Writer/Director Tomisin Adepeju. Tomisin is a Nigerian-British Filmmaker based in London whose work has travelled to several major film festivals including Sundance and BFI London Film Festival. He also is the founder and curator of the film event DAILIES which platforms the exceptional work of emerging filmmakers. In this conversation we dig down into his journey to talk about the following:   -Why he began filmmaking. -What he believes directing is. -Why he felt the need to go to film school. -How he got into Sundance. -What happened after. -Finding his voice. -The struggles with the industry pathway. -What the future looks like for him now.   Biography Tomisin Adepeju is a Nigerian-British Filmmaker based in London, England. His multi award-winning shorts, The Good Son & Super 16mm graduation film, Marianne have been selected at over 100 International film festivals, these include; Oscar-Qualifying Urbanworld Film Festival, the 25th New York African Film Festival, Smalls Film Festival & Triforce Film Festival. Both shorts have also screened at several prestigious institutions including: Cinematheque Suisse, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the British Film Institute & BAFTA. His award winning short, The Right Choice had its World Premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, it was also selected to screen as part of Sundance London. The film has screened at over 45 International Film Festivals, these include; Oscar-Qualifying; Pan African Film Festival 2018, Cleveland International Film Festival & HollyShorts Film Festival. Tomisin is a 2018 Edinburgh Talent Lab alumnus, in 2019, he was one of the 12 filmmakers selected to take part in the annual NETWORK@LFF development programme at the BFI London Film Festival. His most recent short Appreciation had its World Premiere at the Oscar-Qualifying Pan African Film Festival 2019 & it's North American Premiere at Oscar-Qualifying Aspen Shortsfest. The film was also an official selection of BFI London Film Festival 2019. He is currently developing his debut feature. He is represented by United Agents in the UK and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in the US.   Nuggets of the week Oz: Diarmuid Goggin Twitter (X) Marcus: Timothée Chalamet & Martin Scorsese Have an Epic Conversation | GQ Tomisin: 'Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.' by Ingmar Bergman   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake Tomisin's socials: Twitter (X) & Instagram Dailies socials: Website, Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Lesley Manning, the director of 1992's cult classic British horror, Ghostwatch. The highest rated single drama for 48 years on the BBC and named by Channel 4 as the most controversial TV drama, Ghostwatch has had a a resurgence around its 30th anniversary and is now being credited as one of the films to have popularised the use of found footage, comfortably predating The Blair Witch Project. Lesley is also a tutor at the prestigious National Film and Television School, so we talk about her career as well as doing a deep dive on craft. The conversation covers:   -What is directing? -Her journey into the industry. -What obstacles did she face in trying to become a director? -How did she get her first break? -A craft deep dive on Ghostwatch and the fallout after release. -Her process of teaching, commonalities in directors. -How she sees the industry now and the challenges that are there.   Lesley's Bio Welsh born Lesley Manning started making films at Bristol Art College where she graduated with 1st Class Honours. She trained at the National Film and Television School as a director and graduated to work on films and serials at the BBC. One of which was the cult hit Ghostwatch, the highest rated single drama for 48 years – BBC Screen One film strand and named by Channel 4 as the most controversial TV drama. Lesley directed My Sister Wife BBC Screen Two film strand and won CRE best drama, Best Asian Film Award and was screened at Dinard and Brussels film festivals. 2011 Leila is the first feature Lesley has written as well as directed – and was a finalist at Austin Festival, winning Best Actress at London Independent FF and Audience and Jury award for best narrative at United Festival. In 2013 she completed Honeycomb Lodge – written by Surendra Kochar – a controversial film set in the British/Asian community won Best Film NRI in Delhi International Film festival. Now a tutor at the National Film and Television School, she has helped the careers of directors' such as Lewis Arnold, Nick Rowland, Rose Glass and Mahalia Belo.   Nuggets of the week Marcus: The Battersea Poltergeist - Podcast series Oz: Top Boy Director Breaks Down The Final Ever Episode | William Stefan Smith Lesley: Chinese Proverb - 'The person who says it cannot be done, should not interrupt the person doing it'   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake Lesley Manning: Instagram & X (Twitter)   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by the prodigiously gifted editor Mdhamiri Á Nkemi. A BAFTA Breakthrough Brit and Screen Daily Star of Tomorrow, he has a long list of credits which includes The Last Tree by Shola Amoo, Blue Story by Rapman and Ear for Eye by Debbie Tucker Green. With a natural sense of story and rhythm, we do a deep dive with Mdhamiri on the craft of editing. This conversation includes:   -His journey into editing. -How he chooses his collaborators. -What are the first conversations with a director like? -The process of assembling a first cut. -How do you navigate notes? -What does he bring to a project? -Can an editor have a style? -What does the future hold?   Born in Hammersmith, up until the age of 12 Mdhamiri had his heart set on becoming an author, but on discovering that his friend's new camera had a video mode, that love of storytelling transferred to making films and he began them from there, often playing every role himself.  He took part in the inaugural BFI Film Academy scheme for young aspiring filmmakers' and subsequently studied editing at the National Film and Television School. His first credit came on an independent feature called A Moving Image, Directed by Shola Amoo and produced by Rienkje Attoh, which premiered at BFI London Film Festival. This led to bigger standout films such as The Last Tree, again with Shola Amoo, Blue Story which was written and directed by Rapman, and Debbie Tucker Green's Ear for Eye which was recently added to the criterion collection.   Nuggets of the week Marcus: How to direct actors - Directing Advice from the Greats Oz: Scriptnotes 403 - How to Write a Movie Mdhamiri: The Servant - Apple TV   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake Mdhamiri Nkemi: Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.    

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Ian Sellar, a Director, Screenwriter, Script-Editor and tutor from the National Film and Television School. He has had a key hand in the development of all the major success stories you have seen that have passed through the halls of the NFTS, such as Rose Glass, Nick Rowland, Mahalia Belo and our most recent guest Lewis Arnold to name but a few. Often cited as a genius, we brought him on for a chat to break down the building blocks of cinema so that you can interrogate it more clearly as an art form. This conversation includes:   -How breaking down stories informs your preproduction? -We talk through various film exercises. -When is a story ready to be executed? -How do you sustain tone?   Ian Sellar is a Scottish director, screenwriter, Script-Editor and tutor of Fiction at the National Film and Television School. He began his career as an assistant to Bill Douglas, after which he went on to directing shorts and studying at NFTS. His first features, 'Venus Peter' and 'Prague', were in official selection at Cannes and went on to be distributed worldwide. He runs feature writing and directing workshops internationally.   Nugget of the week   Ian: Ahir Shah (Comedian) Oz: DVD Extras (YouTube Channel) Marcus: In the Presence of Absence by Mahmoud Darwish (Book) Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Ian Sellar, a Director, Screenwriter, Script-Editor and tutor from the National Film and Television School. He has had a key hand in the development of all the major success stories you have seen that have passed through the halls of the NFTS, such as Rose Glass, Nick Rowland, Mahalia Belo and our most recent guest Lewis Arnold to name but a few. Often cited as a genius, we brought him on for a chat to break down the building blocks of cinema so that you can interrogate it more clearly as an art form. This conversation includes:   -How did he find himself working in film? -What is his perspective on perspective in film? -Is there a formula to making a film? -Films as information. -How do you choose where to place the camera?   Ian Sellar is a Scottish director, screenwriter, Script-Editor and tutor of Fiction at the National Film and Television School. He began his career as an assistant to Bill Douglas, after which he went on to directing shorts and studying at NFTS. His first features, 'Venus Peter' and 'Prague', were in official selection at Cannes and went on to be distributed worldwide. He runs feature writing and directing workshops internationally.   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.    

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Director Lewis Arnold, whose directing credits include MISFITS, BROADCHURCH, DARK MONEY, CLEANING UP featuring Sheridan Smith, DES featuring David Tennant, TIME featuring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham, SHERWOOD with Adeel Akhtar and he has most recently directed all seven episodes of the newly released ITV series based on the victims of the Yorkshire Ripper, THE LONG SHADOW. There aren't many better working directors in the UK that we could bring on to discuss how you can become a successful jobbing director in this industry. The second part of our conversation includes:   -What's the first thing you do when you get a new directing job? -What does casting look like? -How do you construct sequences for work you haven't written? -How do you schedule? -How do you run the edit process? -How do you manage the work/life balance as a working director?   Lewis Arnold has just finished directing all 7 parts of THE LONG SHADOW for New Pictures/ITV.  Prior to this he directed James Graham's SHERWOOD for House Productions/BBC1 and Jimmy McGovern's TIME, for BBC Studios starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. Both shows were nominated for multiple TV BAFTAs in 2022/23. TIME went onto win Best Mini-Series and Best Leading Actor for Sean Bean whilst SHERWOOD picked up the award for Best Supporting Actor for Adeel Akhtar. In 2020 he directed and executive produced DES for New Pictures and ITV, having created the three-part drama with writer Luke Neal. The series won the International Emmy Award for Best Performance By An Actor in 2021, and was also nominated for Best TV Movie/Mini-Series. The first episode had consolidated viewing figures of 11.4 million making it ITV's biggest new series since the launch of series CLEANING UP in January 2019, a show which he developed with writer Mark Marlow, directing the first four episodes for Sister Pictures. It was on graduating from the National Film and Television School in March 2013, that Lewis embarked on directing his first TV project, directing with two episodes of the final series of BAFTA-winning C4 show, MISFITS. He followed this up by directing the first four episodes of Russell T Davies's new E4 show, BANANA, and was named a Broadcast Magazine Hotshot 2014 for his work on both shows. Other credits include BROADCHURCH and HUMANS, which became Channel 4's most successful original drama in over 20 years when it aired in 2015. After directing two episodes on series one, he was asked back a year later to direct the lead block of the second series for Kudos and AMC. Lewis is also represented in the US by Matt Greenberg and Jon Cassir at CAA.   Nuggets of the week Oz: Lucy Prebble posts her intro to the Succession Season 3 scripts book Marcus: Under the Skin - Behind the scenes Lewis:  Jeff Thompson - We all get the same amount of time in a day BFI NETWORK: Directing for TV with Lewis Arnold Directors' Now   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake Lewis Arnold: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.    

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Director Lewis Arnold, whose directing credits include MISFITS, BROADCHURCH, DARK MONEY, CLEANING UP featuring Sheridan Smith, DES featuring David Tennant, TIME featuring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham, SHERWOOD with Adeel Akhtar and he has most recently directed all seven episodes of the upcoming ITV series based on the victims of the Yorkshire Ripper, THE LONG SHADOW. There aren't many better working directors in the UK that we could bring on to discuss how you can become a successful jobbing director and we'll spend the next two episodes breaking down just that. The first part of our conversation includes:   -What is the job of a director? -What was his journey into directing? What does he see the pathway into the industry looking like now? -His resource Directors Now. -How does he interview for projects? -The differences between first and second block directors.   Lewis Arnold has just finished directing all 7 parts of THE LONG SHADOW for New Pictures/ITV.  Prior to this he directed James Graham's SHERWOOD for House Productions/BBC1 and Jimmy McGovern's TIME, for BBC Studios starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. Both shows were nominated for multiple TV BAFTAs in 2022/23. TIME went onto win Best Mini-Series and Best Leading Actor for Sean Bean whilst SHERWOOD picked up the award for Best Supporting Actor for Adeel Akhtar. In 2020 he directed and executive produced DES for New Pictures and ITV, having created the three-part drama with writer Luke Neal. The series won the International Emmy Award for Best Performance By An Actor in 2021, and was also nominated for Best TV Movie/Mini-Series. The first episode had consolidated viewing figures of 11.4 million making it ITV's biggest new series since the launch of series CLEANING UP in January 2019, a show which he developed with writer Mark Marlow, directing the first four episodes for Sister Pictures. It was on graduating from the National Film and Television School in March 2013, that Lewis embarked on directing his first TV project, directing with two episodes of the final series of BAFTA-winning C4 show, MISFITS. He followed this up by directing the first four episodes of Russell T Davies's new E4 show, BANANA, and was named a Broadcast Magazine Hotshot 2014 for his work on both shows. Other credits include BROADCHURCH and HUMANS, which became Channel 4's most successful original drama in over 20 years when it aired in 2015. After directing two episodes on series one, he was asked back a year later to direct the lead block of the second series for Kudos and AMC. Lewis is also represented in the US by Matt Greenberg and Jon Cassir at CAA.   Nuggets of the week BFI NETWORK: Directing for TV with Lewis Arnold Directors' Now   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake Lewis Arnold: Twitter (X) & Instagram   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.    

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Jacqueline Abrahams, a BAFTA and BIFA winning Production Designer who has worked with directors such as Michael Winterbottom, Yann Demange and Yorgos Lanthimos. We used this conversation to tap into their creativity and to dig down into the collaboration that can happen between a Director and Designer to ultimately create the best work. This conversation covers:   -What is a Production Designer? -What was her journey into the industry? -How do Production Designers inform their process? -How do Production Designers elevate story and character? -What is the relationship between the Designer, the DoP and Director? -What makes a good Director? -What is the nature of art, creativity and authenticity?   Jacqueline Abrahams originally trained in Fine Art, specialising in performance and live art. She worked as a scenic painter for four years before moving into design where she has worked to design feature films, shorts, TV dramas, theatre, performance and live art. She is experienced working with scripts, on improvised pieces and with artists in a less conventional context.  She has designed productions that have large ambitious studio set builds, completed location-based work and has experience working within very strict budgets too which is always good. She won the BAFTA in 2009 for best production design for TV series Wallander, was nominated for a BAFTA in 2010 and won the RTS Best Production Design award in 2010 also. Jacqueline's notable credits include TV series Wallander, Diary of a Call Girl and the original series of Topboy and feature films such as The BIFA winning The Look of Love (2013) from Michael Winterbottom, The Lobster (2015) by Yorgos Lanthimos, as well as Lady Macbeth (2015) by William Oldroyd and His House (2018) by Remi Weekes.   Nuggets of the week   Oz: Greta Gerwig's Official Barbie Watchlist Marcus:  BIFA Insider: The Lobster with Jacqueline Abrahams Kwellin: You can't live life without taking risks. Capitalist Realism: Is there no alternative? by Mark Fisher (Book)   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake Kwellin: She doesn't have socials, she just lives life... so should you.   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.  

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Amy O'Hara who is a Development & Production Exec at Film 4. We began this podcast as people who are actively working at making our own TV and Feature Film projects, but the pathway towards this goal is extremely rocky, murky, difficult etc... So we brought Amy on to help break this process down for us/you all. This conversation includes:   -What are Development and Production Execs? -How do they find, develop and nurture new and emerging talent? -What do they look for in filmmakers and projects? -How do you submit projects to Film4? -What does payment look like when developing a feature with Film4? -What does a good development process look like? -We also cover a bunch of listeners questions too!   Amy O'Hara is a seasoned Development and Production Executive who joined Film4 in October 2021. Her career in the film industry has been marked by a strong commitment to nurturing new and emerging talent. Prior to her current role at Film4, she held the position of BFI NETWORK Talent Executive at Film Hub North, where she closely collaborated with aspiring writers, directors, and producers, overseeing a diverse slate of films.  Amy previously worked at Film4 company from 2013 to 2016, serving as the assistant to the late Sue Bruce-Smith, who was the deputy director at the time. Between her two tenures at Film4, Amy gained experience at the International Distribution company STX, where she served as a Marketing Executive, focusing on UK Productions.  With a track record of championing innovative projects and diverse voices, Amy O'Hara continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of UK storytellers at Film4.   Nuggets of the week Oz: Guy Ritchie's Kingdom: Master Your Life and Own Your Game Marcus: The Deepest Breath - Netflix/A24 Documentary Amy: Sharon Van Etten - Quiet Eyes | Past Lives (song) Annie Dillard - The Writing Life  'How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.'   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake Amy: Twitter (X)   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Louise Kempton, who is an intimacy co-ordinator that has worked on projects such as The Great, Gangs of London and the upcoming feature film Hoard. Intimacy co-ordination is a relatively new role and directors may feel that they are losing control of intimate sequences with this being a barrier between them and performers... So we brought Louise on to help demystify the process of working with an intimacy co-ordinator so you can get the most out of this collaboration. This conversation covers:   -What is an intimacy co-ordinator? -Why are they so important? -At what point are they brought onto a project? -What is their process in constructing intimate scenes? -How are directors involved in rehearsals? -Can you still tweak things on the day as a director? -How do you do intimacy with low budget work?   Louise is a freelance intimacy co-ordinator working in TV, theatre & film. Louise trained with Intimacy on Set under the mentorship of Ita O'Brien, and has worked extensively as an associate member. Louise regularly facilitates workshops and seminars, introducing the Intimacy on Set guidelines and safe practises to trainee actors and directors, film crew and production. Louise's work enables the creation of dynamic and exciting choreography, within a safe and supported environment.   https://www.louisekempton.co.uk/intimacy-coordination   Nuggets of the week   Oz: Weekend Read (App) Marcus: Meet the Producer - The Production Guild (Podcast series) Louise: Try to connect with your inner child and take time to reflect on the beautiful moments and people that surround you.   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake Louise: Instagram & Twitter   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.  

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Rob Munday, who is the current Managing Editor of Short of the Week and co-founder of Directors Notes. As a director looking to break into the industry, you may think that gaining laurels from physical film festivals is what you need in order to gain industry recognition, but this isn't necessarily always the case. So we've brought Rob on to help demystify releasing your short films online and the decision-making process that goes into it. This conversation covers:   -How he got into the industry. -Why he founded Directors' Notes. -How he got involved in Short of the Week. -What happens when you submit your film to Short of the Week. -What makes a good short film in his eyes. -What the difference is between online release and physical film festivals. -What the selection process is. -What he feels about the pathway into the industry.   After co-founding Directors Notes in 2006, Rob Munday joined the team at Short of the Week in 2009 and has been championing short film on the platform ever since. Looking to help a new generation of filmmakers share their stories on a larger stage, Rob believes short film is more than a playground for narrative and craft and is constantly excited and surprised by the new work being made in the format. The only British based member of the Short of the Week editorial team, Rob is particularly passionate about supporting emerging talent from UK & the rest of Europe.   Nuggets of the week   Oz: Film Riot - Amazing Effects in Classic FIlms - How Did They Pull it Off? Marcus: Light & Magic - Disney+ Rob: Pod Save the UK - Podcast   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast Twitter: @DirectorsTake Rob: Instagram Short of the Week: Instagram, Twitter & Facebook Directors Notes: Instagram, Twitter & Facebook   If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.