The Directors’ Take Podcast

E227 - The Production Diaries Space Plug & Opening Up

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
 

E226 - TDT LIVE PODCAST: Demystifying Producing 2 with BAFTA Winner Chris Hees

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

E225 - The Insider's Guide to Notes, Script Editing & Development with Venetia Hawkes

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

E224 - How Do We Direct Actors?

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
 

E223 - Acting in Netflix's 3 BODY PROBLEM with Jess Hong

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
 

E222 - Acting in A24's A Different Man with Adam Pearson

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

E221 - The Art of Sound Design with Paul Davies

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

E220 - From Directing Shorts to Continuing Drama with Writer/Director Nichola Wong

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

E219 - Demystifying the Road to BAFTAs & OSCARs with London Flair PR's Catherine Lyn Scott

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

E218 - A conversation with DIRECTORS UK CEO Andy Harrower

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