The Directors’ Take Podcast

E118 - To Hollywood and Back Again with Writer/Director Sam Baron

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Writer/Director Sam Baron. He talks us through his journey into filmmaking and how he came to win the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowship screenwriting competition, which propelled him into the industry. Not everything panned out in the way that you would imagine though and Sam openly talks us through all of these challenges here. This chat covers:
 
-Why he began filmmaking.
-How he came to applying and winning the Academy Nicholl Fellowship competition.
-The highs and lows of 'Hollywood'.
-Reconnecting with your own voice and what that is?
-Taking ownership of your own career and work.
-Building momentum.
-The pathway into the industry.
-What is directing?
 
Sam Baron is a filmmaker based in London.
His films have played at festivals worldwide and he won the Nicholl Fellowship for my script The Science of Love.
He's now developing a slate of film and TV projects with companies including Netflix, Sony Pictures, New Pictures, DNA Films and Rollout Productions and is represented by Curtis Brown and UTA.
 
https://www.sambaron.com/
 
Nuggets of the week
 
Oz: Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo Del Toro & Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The " Three Amigos", Take Us On An Odyssey Through Their History And The Future Of Cinema.
Marcus: Aperture Science - YouTube Channel
Sam: Sam provided an anecdote about keeping your intentions pure when creating art or pursuing a passion.
 
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
 
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
Sam Baron socials: Twitter & 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.

E117 - Demystifying Film Festivals with London Short Film Festival’s Philip Ilson

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Philip Ilson, the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the BAFTA and BIFA Qualifying London Short Film Festival. As a director looking to break into the industry, you need to get your film into reputable film festivals to platform your work and gain industry attention. The rejection and lack of feedback associated with this process can be disheartening to many, so we brought Philip on to help break down their decision-making process for you all. This conversation covers:
 
-What are film festivals?
-How he created LSFF.
-What makes a good short film?
-What is the ideal length for a short film?
-Is there unconscious bias in the selection process?
-Why don't film festivals provide feedback on the shorts submitted?
-What does the festival programming process look like?
-Do film festivals have an agenda?
-What does he think about the film festival pathway?
 
Philip co-founded LSFF with Kate Taylor in 2003 under its original moniker Halloween Short Film Festival, following ten years of running its predecessor The Halloween Society through its various guises as a film and club night.
Philip has previously programmed for BFI London Film Festival, East End Film Festival, Cork Film Festival, Branchage Festival, Latitude and Curzon Soho.
 
Nuggets of the week
 
Oz: The Making of Rocky vs Drago by Sylvester Stallone
Marcus: Arnold - Netflix TV Mini Series
Philip: Whatever happened to the C86 Kids?: An Indie Odyssey by Nige Tassell 
 
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
 
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
LSFF socials: https://shortfilms.org.uk/
 
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.

E116 - Sarmad Masud Part 2: Directing Sky’s Bulletproof & BBC’s You Don’t Know Me

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas continue with part 2 of their discussion with Director Sarmad Masud, whose credits include Hollyoaks, Channel 4’s Ackley Bridge, BBC’s You Don’t Know Me and Sky’s Bulletproof. He also wrote and directed the indie feature My Pure Land which he shot in Pakistan. 
 
In Part 2, Sam takes us through:
-How he lead directed Sky’s Bulletproof S3 and BBC’s You Don’t Know Me.
-Working with bigger cast.
-How he preps when he is hired on a show and how he breaks his script down.
-A day in the life of how he works on set, his approach to coverage and what documents he keeps with him on set.
-Things that have gone wrong on set and how he has resolved them. 
-Post production.-Learning about how much ‘say’ you have as a director/lead director.
-The lessons he has learnt after directing HETV.-Emotional resilience between jobs. 
 
Sam most recently directed all four episodes of You Don't know Me, a brand new drama series for Snowed-in Productions, written by Tom Edge. It is based on the bestselling novel by Imran Mahmood.Sam previously directed the Bulletproof  Special for Vertigo and Sky set in Cape Town, having also directed the Season 2 finale. He also recently directed on Ackley Bridge  for The Forge and Channel 4. His first feature My Pure Land,  is set and filmed in Pakistan and based on the extraordinary true story of one woman and her family who defended their home and land from 200 bandits. It premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and was the UK submission to the Oscars in the Foreign Language category. 
 
Nuggets
Oz: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Factfulness-Reasons-Wrong-Things-Better/dp/1473637465
Marcus: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtSupport1/videos
Sam: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/dark-matter-9781839023408/  
 
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
 
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
Sam’s twitter: @Sammasud37
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.

E115 - Sarmad Masud Part 1: Directing Shorts to an Indie Feature

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Director Sarmad Masud, whose credits include Hollyoaks, Channel 4’s Ackley Bridge, BBC’s You Don’t Know Me and Sky’s Bulletproof. He also wrote and directed the indie feature My Pure Land which he shot in Pakistan. 
 
Sam takes us through:
 
-His early start back in 1999 at Hull School of Art and Design.
-The journey to find his voice and make shorts whenever he could.
-Missteps, mistakes and finding a way.
-His successful short film, TWO DOSAS (Himesh Patel) funded by Film London and was voted best film in their London Calling Plus category by David Yates.
-Struggles to get a job which lead to him working as an Art Dept runner. 
-The long arduous journey of making his debut indie feature MY PURELAND.
-Having lunch with his man crush, Danny Boyle.-Beginnings of his TV career and shooting Hollyoaks and Ackley Bridge.
 
Sam most recently directed all four episodes of You Don't know Me, a brand new drama series for Snowed-in Productions, written by Tom Edge. It is based on the bestselling novel by Imran Mahmood and aired on Sunday 5th December at 9pm on BBC One.Sam previously directed the Bulletproof  Special for Vertigo and Sky set in Cape Town, having also directed the Season 2 finale. He also recently directed on Ackley Bridge  for The Forge and Channel 4. His first feature My Pure Land,  is set and filmed in Pakistan and based on the extraordinary true story of one woman and her family who defended their home and land from 200 bandits. It premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and was the UK submission to the Oscars in the Foreign Language category. 
  
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
 
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
Sam’s twitter: @Sammasud37
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.

E114 - Shooting House of the Dragon with Cinematographer Catherine Goldschmidt BSC

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Cinematographer Catherine Goldschmidt BSC, whose credits include Doctor Who, A Discovery of Witches and most recently HBO's House of the Dragon and she is also co-founder of a UK collective of female cinematographers called Illuminatrix. In last week's episode, 1st AD Steven Eniraiyetan described the Director, 1st AD and Cinematographer as the 'Holy Triangle', so we brought on one of the finest up and coming Cinematographers to break down exactly what that relationship looks like. This chat covers:
 
-What is a cinematographer?
-What do you look for in a director when choosing a project?
-What do the first conversations with a director look like?
-How did you transition from shorts to long form?
-What does prep look like for you?
-How do you craft a visual language and establish rules?
-How do you bring your own style into a show that already has a very established look?
-What does the relationship with a director look like when you're shooting?
-How you work with multiple cameras.
-What scene are you most looking forward to shooting in season 2 of House of the Dragon.
 
With a background in shooting award-winning independent features and documentaries, Catherine was named a “2022 Rising Star of Cinematography” by American Cinematographer Magazine for her more recent work in episodic. Her TV credits include lead DP on the 12th Season of Doctor Who, the Emmy-nominated show Dummy, (for which she pioneered a new approach to framing that was featured in both American Cinematographer and British Cinematographer Magazine) and the critically acclaimed BBC/Amazon original mini-series Chloe. She also shot a block on the last season of A Discovery of Witches for Sky/AMC, and most recently on HBO’s hit prequel series to Game of Thrones – House of the Dragon, for which she garnered a 2023 ASC Award nomination.
Catherine has an MFA in Cinematography from the American Film Institute, and a BA in Film Studies from Wesleyan University. She is a voting member of BAFTA, a full accredited member of the British Society of Cinematographers as well a member of ICG Local #600.
https://catherinegoldschmidt.com/
 
Nuggets of the week
Marcus: How Hit HBO Shows Like 'The Last of Us' and 'Euphoria' Get Greenlit
Oz: IMDb Pro
Catherine: https://www.european-traveler.com/netherlands/rijksmuseum-largest-vermeer-exhibition-ever-in-amsterdam-in-2023/
 
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
 
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
Catherine's Insta: @cgdop
 
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.

E113 - Demystifying First ADs with Blue Story’s Steven Eniraiyetan

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by First Assistant Director Steven Eniraiyetan, whose recent credits include Netflix's The Strays, Dreaming Whilst Black by Adjani Salmon and Blue Story by Rapman. As a Director, the people you will be working with closest on a film set is the First AD and the cinematographer, so we decided to bring one on to talk about exactly what that relationship looks like. This chat covers:
 
-What is a First Assistant Director?
-What does the relationship look like between a First AD and Director?
-Scheduling as a means of being creative.
-What does prep look like?
-The difference in early career and experienced directors.
-The big mistakes that directors make.
-His own career as a director.
 
As well as being an exceptional First Assistant Director, Steven is also transitioning into directing himself, having recently been selected to be a part of the Amazon Prime Video Directors Workshop in partnership with the NFTS. His short film A Warriors Dance has now screened at its showcase and will be embarking on its festival journey imminently.
https://nfts.co.uk/article/six-and-coming-directors-join-prime-video-workshop-nfts
 
Nuggets of the week
Marcus: FilmRiot - Can you write a feature film?
Oz: Only Fools and Horses - Chain Gang
Steven:  Look Up - Author Nathan Bryon (book)
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
 
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
Steven's Insta: Steven_imp
 
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.

E112 - What is Directing?

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by absolutely no-one... It's just the two of them, and they ponder and breakdown what they believe the fundamentals of directing is. This chat covers:
 
-What is directing?
-What is your voice?
-What is blocking?
-How do you communicate information visually?
-What is visual language?
 
Nuggets of the week
Marcus: The Directors Cut - A DGA Podcast - Glass Onion A Knives out Mystery with Rian Johnson and Phil Lord (Ep. 390)
Oz:  Directors UK Podcast - Aftersun: Charlotte Wells in conversation with Barry Jenkins
 
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.
 

E111 - Em Gilbertson: 2nd Unit Directing on ITV’s Malpractice

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Director Em Gilbertson, a recent National Film and Television School graduate who is currently making their way as a 2nd Unit Director for TV, most recently working on Malpractice which is directed by Philip Barantini and stars Niamh Algar. So we thought we'd bring them on for a chat to explain exactly what 2nd Unit Directing is! This chat covers:
 
-How they got into the film industry
-Entering the NFTS as someone who is from a working class background.
-The process of making their graduation film Requiem and working with Bella Ramsey.
-What is 2nd Unit Directing?
-What are the roles and responsibilities of a 2nd Unit Director?
-How do you make sure you are making the same show?
-How do you work with high level cast and crew?
 
Em J. Gilbertson (they/them) is a writer/director from Liverpool, working across film, television and music videos. Em is represented by the Independent Talent Group and currently working towards their first feature film. Their previous work has explored gender roles and the pressure to assimilate into dangerous environments but new projects are exploring non-binary identities and freedom. Em likes to draw upon personal experience to create complicated queer characters that examine the human condition. They have a passion for creating work that champions dance, spoken word and music whilst featuring it in innovative and unorthodox ways.
​
A recent graduate of the prestigious NFTS' Directing Fiction course and a Channel 4 Scholar. Their graduation film: Requiem starring Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us and Game of Thrones)  was the Winner of Best Postgraduate Drama at the Royal Television Society Student Awards 2022 and has been selected at multiple BAFTA qualifying film festivals. Since graduating, Em has done some second unit directing on BBC's Silent Witness and ITV's Malpractice. Previously Em shadowed BAFTA nominated Phil Barantini and the legendary Mary Harron. Em has also directed multiple music videos that have featured on MTV and in Kerrang! 
​
Em's previous work: Crashing Waves saw a lot of success on the festival circuit and was Broadcast on Channel 4 as part of Series 5 of Random Acts. The film was nominated for the Iris Prize, gained a Vimeo Staff Pick and was an official selection for #fivefilmsforfreedom presented by the British Council and BFI Flare in 2019.
 
Nuggets of the week
Marcus: Artist - Miles Johnston
Oz:  Creativity, Inc: an inspiring look at how creativity can - and should - be harnessed for business success by the founder of Pixar by Ed Catmull
Em: Veneno
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
 
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
Em's website: https://www.emmajgilbertson.com/
 
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.

E110 - Demystifying BFI Network Funding with Film Hub North’s Ben Taylor

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Film Hub North's very own Ben Taylor, a BFI Talent Exec. With BFI Network funding being one of the most widely accessible funding pots for aspiring filmmakers in England, we decided to bring on one of the people who has a say in which projects are successful, all in an effort to demystify that process for each one of you. This chat covers:
 
-What is the job of a talent exec?
-When should you be reaching out to a talent exec?
-The barrier of having to apply with a producer.
-What criteria do you look for in the successful applicants?
-Is the industry becoming more diverse?
-What level of support do they offer filmmakers at various levels?
-How are you bridging the gap between shorts and features?
-The North/South divide.
-We also cover a bunch of (fun) questions from you guys!
 
Ben Taylor went to college in Nottingham and then migrated to Sheffield University to study, and it is here that he became involved in the Sheffield Doc fest. He then migrated again, but this time to Scotland when he took on the role of a Screen Executive at Screen Scotland, working across scripted and factual funding for film and television alongside supporting festivals, distribution and training.
He has also held roles as BIFA's Talent and Training Manager, Creative Europe MEDIA Officer for Scotland and was responsible for launching Glasgow Film Festival’s Industry Focus strand and at Crossover Labs managed the Interactive section at Sheffield's programme. Now he is a BFI Talent Executive at Film Hub North supporting filmmakers in the region through funding, events and guidance.
 
Nuggets of the week
Marcus: Short Hand: A guide to making a short film Podcast
Oz: Nathan Bryon - Black Prose Podcast 
Ben Taylor: Krzysztof Kieślowski: Three Colours Trilogy
Dark Matter: Independent Filmmaking in the 21st Century by Michael Winterbottom
German Artist Hanz Hemmert
 
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
 
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
Ben's Twitter: @imbentaylor
 
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.

E109 - Amit Shah: Acting in Happy Valley

In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by prolific actor Amit Shah (Happy Valley, His Dark Materials, Doctor Who). One of the most important collaborations on a film set is between a Director and their cast, so we do a deep dive into what that process looks like to help demystify what it is to work with actors. This covers:
 
-Amit's journey into acting.
-Amit's range as an actor.
-What is the role of an actor?
-What's the difference between shorts & TV?
-Is the industry becoming more diverse?
-How does a director gain your trust?
-We talk about the process of blocking actors.
-We talk about resilience as an actor.
 
AMIT SHAH has probably been seen by everyone in England in one project or another having had roles in - Black Mirror, White Van Man, Benidorm, Casualty, Hustle, Fresh Meat, Lillyhammer, Silent Witness, W1A, Jekyll & Hyde, Crashing, Midsommer Murders, Johnny English Strikes Again, Doctor Who, Last Christmas, The Witcher, His Dark Materials, The other one, Death in Paradise and most recently he played a rogue Happy Valley. He also won a BIFA for best actor in the short film Big Ears.https://theartistspartnership.co.uk/artist/amit-shah/
 
Nuggets of the week
Marcus: Behind the Curtain - The unknown story of writing drive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsfWO5eJtm4
Oz: A personal story from Oz about not taking life for granted.
Amit: 'The more honest you can be about the specificity of a subject matter, the more universal it can be.' - Darren Aronofsky. 
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
 
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
Amit's Twitter: @theamitshah
Amit's Instagram: @amitshahactor
 
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.