The Directors Take Podcast

This is episode 3 of the third 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 Director Nick Rowland, who is seen as one of the UK’s and Hollywood’s brightest young stars. He joins us to talk about his latest release She Rides Shotgun, an action thriller which stars Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger, available now on Amazon Prime. Nick breaks down his journey, process and the difficulties in dealing with expectation in this revealing conversation that very much centres on craft.    This conversation covers the following: -Nick’s journey into directing from Rally driving. -How he navigated his early career/expectation. -The difficulty of imposter syndrome. -His philosophy on directing and how it relates to his sensibilities as a human. -The difficulties of making a first feature film. -His struggles and learnings around tone in film. -How Nick prepares for interviews and pitches. -A breakdown of the craft of She Rides Shotgun and his philosophy in working with actors.   NUGGET OF THE WEEK Marcus: Dancing in the Ashes (short film)  Oz: SLAP (short film) Nick: Pablo Neruda’s poetry   Credits Music by Oliver Wegmüller   Socials The Directors' Take: Twitter (X) & Instagram Marcus: Twitter (X) & Instagram Oz: Twitter (X) & Instagram Nick: Instagram & Directors Now   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 2 of the BRAND NEW third season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week’s special episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad get honest about what they’ve been up to in the show’s close season, explaining the introspective work that they’ve completed and the journey that has taken them on. Oz has explored the origins of his own artistry which has seen him sign on to an agency, and Marcus gets candid about his own artistic journey, neurodivergence and the preparation on his latest VFX film.  This episode is formed of two separate conversations recorded several months apart from each other, beginning with one in August, before heading back in time for the other. We hope it makes you feel better about your own artistic endeavours. Enjoy!   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 1 of the BRAND NEW third 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 UK TV legend Angela Griffin, who discusses her transition from distinguished actor with over 500 hours of broadcast TV under her belt into the Directors chair on Season 16 of Waterloo Road.   This conversation was recorded LIVE as a part of the Series 16 Waterloo Road launch, and was chaired solo by Oz Arshad at the Lowry Hotel in Media City, Manchester.    This conversation covers the following:   -What is Directing?  -The directing pathway and how Angela herself made that transition. -What did she learn from working with so many different directors across her career so far. -What was the most surprising part about stepping into the directors chair?  -How does she create an ‘actor friendly’ environment and does she have a philosophy on blocking actors? -What is Angela’s take on tone and how to sustain it as a director? -How do you balance family life alongside being a working actor & director?   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 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 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 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 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   .