It's been a while
I started writing a blog about three years ago, then pretty much forgot about it. A lot has happened in that time, so I thought I’d use this space to consolidate some of my progress and thoughts.
Wash Club premiered online via Short Of The Week, fulfilling a long-term ambition of mine. I’ve been a big fan of the site since I started making short films - Wash Club was the first I dared to submit, and it was selected. A big bonus was that it went on to get a Vimeo Staff Pick. That was huge. We got 150K views in the first 2 weeks and my inbox became inundated with notifications. I made a bunch of contacts and found myself pitching features and TV shows to execs, from London to LA. It was intense and I was under-prepared, but it was a good learning experience.
In that time, I went freelance - and I started directing commercials, promos, even more music videos. I also carved a bit of a career editing - I have edited a lot of my own work over the years, so I knew my way around the software and it felt like a natural progression. I’ve done a couple of short films (Dead Quiet & Socks & Robbers), as well as a bunch of corporate, content, promos etc. In terms of career trajectory, I don’t see myself as a full-time editor, but it pays the bills and watching the rushes on shoots is a great way to pick up extra insights. I often find it’s hard as a director to be on set as much as other members of your crew (they might do 10-20 shoots a year, you’ll do 2-3) so editing is a great way of keeping your finger on the pulse.
I edited four episodes of the TV show Deaf Funny for Wellington Films. As the title suggests, it’s for a deaf audience and it’s (mostly) in BSL. I’d equate this to editing in two different languages (one of which you don’t know). That process involved me working closely with the show director Charlie Swinbourne, in his hometown of Ilkley. I got very used to staying in AirBnB’s and upped my suitcase packing game.
Small Blips
I also made a sequel-of-sorts to my short film Big Criminals. It started as a joke, namely because the protagonist dies at the end of the last one. I sat down and asked myself how that would work, then built a concept around that core problem. In the end, the script turned out to be quite funny (and cheap), so we pooled together some resources and shot it on a sunny Sunday afternoon earlier this year. The film is very close to finished - we’re currently ironing out the audio-post, and I can’t wait to get it in front of an audience soon.
The next step is another short film that’s been in various stages of development for some time. It started as a high-concept sci-fi and evolved into a family drama. I know that probably sounds counter-intuitive, but essentially what emerged is a prequel for a much larger narrative. I’ve been developing it with Sheffield based writer Joe Willis and so far it’s been a really fantastic process. We submitted it to the BFI last month, so now we’re playing the waiting game. With any luck, you’ll hear more on this project soon. It’s working title is Lord Of The Free Range, and it’s about a cult of vegans who worship a holy chicken.