The Directors Take Podcast
Welcome to The Directors’ Take, a podcast where we explore how you go from directing something with your mates, to being one of the most senior decision-makers on a film set.
Hosted by Writer/Directors and rising stars Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas, The Directors’ Take Podcast will arm you with all of the knowledge you need to be a success in the Film & TV industry.
Whether it’s the two of them talking through their own filmmaking journeys and experiences or conducting deep-dives on Directing craft with industry guests, they will offer you a look behind-the-curtain and demystify what it takes to Direct Film & TV at the highest level.
For Directors... The pathway doesn’t exist, so we are going to do our best to help bridge the gap.
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
Graphics & Title Design by Ria Nightingale
Listen on:
Episodes
Sunday Jul 30, 2023
Sunday Jul 30, 2023
In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Writer/Director Raisah Ahmed. Raisah talks us through her journey into filmmaking, discussing her work as a writer in Sundance Writers' Lab, gaining her first TV directing credits, navigating the tricky world of development and her work on the hit Channel 4 TV show We are Lady Parts. This chat covers:
-Why did she get into films and TV?
-What made her begin writing?
-The journey toward directing her first short.
-Her work within childrens TV and directing children.
-Her work in development and development hell!
-Navigating the industry as a woman of colour.
-What the future holds.
Raisah Ahmed is a Writer & Director based in Glasgow Scotland. Her first funded short ‘Meet me by the water’ was commissioned by the Scottish Film Talent Network and premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival, with a feature based on the same short further developed under the mentorship of Olivia Stewart and was also shortlisted for Sundance Writers Lab.
Raisah has since gone on to gain several TV directing credits as a part of BBC’s The Break, Sparks and also with childrens TV shows Princess Mirror-Belle and Molly and Mack. She hasn’t stopped writing though… Oh no.
She wrote on the hit Channel 4 Show We Are Lady Parts created by Nida Manzoor and currently has several feature films in active development which have been done in partnership with the BFI and Film4 and her producer Zorana Piggott. And it has just been announced that you are adapting Martin Sixsmith’s follow up to Philomena, a family drama, detective story and thriller titled Ayesha’s Gift into a 6 part TV series.
Nuggets of the week
Oz: Cadrage App
Marcus: Ponysmasher - Communicating Your Vision as a Directo
Raisah: Get out of the house and experience something outside of your own art form.
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
Raisah's 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.
Sunday Jul 23, 2023
Sunday Jul 23, 2023
In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by absolutely no-one. As filmmakers you may have heard someone mention tone in relation to yours or another directors' work and tone can be created instinctually because of past experience and taste or it can be more consciously crafted. Either way... we thought we would talk about it to outline exactly what it is and how you can think about it when producing your own work. This chat covers:
-Tone vs Mood, what's the difference?
-How do you create tone?
-We discuss tone coming from writing, referencing the scripts for Hereditary and Moonlight.
-Tone in prep, production & post-production referencing our films CUR:FEW and The Retreat.
Nuggets of the week
Oz: Don't be a knobhead.
Marcus: You can create - YouTube channel
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.
Sunday Jul 16, 2023
Sunday Jul 16, 2023
In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Writer/Director Remi Moses, a recent attendee of the prestigious London Film School. There are no clear routes into the film industry as a director and many people see film schools as a clear pathway, but this isn't entirely the case. With Marcus and Oz's affilliation to the National Film and Television School and Remi's to LFS, we have a chat which aims to demystify film schools for those who haven't attended. This conversation covers:
-How Remi got into filmmaking.
-The challenges he faced which made him apply to film school.
-The application and entry process.
-A bit about the curriculum.
-What did we learn through attending?
-Is there an academic aspect to them?
-Did it improve your prospects/entry into the industry?
-Listener experiences and observations.
-Do you need to go to film school?
About Remi
Remi is a British born filmmaker who has been film-making for 9 years and likes to tell stories about disability, invisible illnesses/struggles and intimately complicated queer relationships. He has an affinity with intimate black stories, often told from his own experiences growing up in a Caribbean household.
When it comes to visual storytelling, Remi has a very poignant and romantic style. He takes huge pride in bringing heavy emotions and realism to his drama's, often elevating the genre by fusing it with horror, thriller or mystery.
Remi has won awards for his films and had them screened all around the world. Notable festivals include: BAFTA qualifying Norwich Film Festival and Aesthetica Film Festival, Los Angeles Short Film Festival and other smaller festivals in New York, Australia, Sweden and Glasgow.
https://rmmoses.co.uk/
Film School Information
The National Film and Television School
https://nfts.co.uk/directing-fiction
London Film School
https://lfs.org.uk/full-time-study/ma-filmmaking/course-overview
https://lfs.org.uk/full-time-study/ma-filmmaking/curriculum
Marcus' NFTS Entry Film
Watch No Exposure Here
Nuggets of the week
Oz: Harry's Podcast
Marcus: Best Girl Grip Podcast
Remi: The scent of flowers at night – Leila Slimani
What Editing a Big Movie Looks Like – This Guy Edits
Credits
Music by Oliver Wegmüller
Socials
Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast
Twitter: @DirectorsTake
Remi Moses socials:
Twitter
Instagram
Vimeo
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.
Sunday Jul 09, 2023
Sunday Jul 09, 2023
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.
Sunday Jul 02, 2023
Sunday Jul 02, 2023
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.
Sunday Jun 25, 2023
Sunday Jun 25, 2023
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.
Sunday Jun 18, 2023
Sunday Jun 18, 2023
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.
Sunday Jun 11, 2023
Sunday Jun 11, 2023
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.
Sunday Jun 04, 2023
Sunday Jun 04, 2023
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.
Sunday May 28, 2023
Sunday May 28, 2023
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.