Please sum up your childhood.
Great. We lived in several countries and moved countless times. I loved experiencing different cultures. I would like to think one becomes more empathetic towards different outlooks when you live it.
What is your filmmaking background – did you train on the job or did you go to film school?
I went to film school in London purely out of passion and curiosity. I never thought I could actually make a living from it. But the more time I spent around film, the more I thought, “I can do this”.
Where do you call home now?
London (despite Brexit).
How would you describe your film style?
Cinematic Storytelling.
We really like your film featuring Usain Bolt – he was certainly one of the most popular athletes of the Olympics in terms of advertising. Were there any major challenges of the shoot – or was it all a breeze?
The time pressure. It’s insane. Everybody wants a piece of the man and trying to maximize his usage by getting him to do a million things between shots. At the same time the process won’t allow you to over run on any aspect of the shoot by a minute. The pressure on the day is relentless from the moment you start. But to be honest Usain is so cool and a pleasure to work with, he helps you take it all in your stride.
What are your favourite pieces of work from your portfolio and why?
I hate them all. The F**kers never live up to expectation.
Charlton Heston once said “As storytellers, everyday we go out to work, we fail. We never really achieve what we had intended in our minds. The question is, how prepared are we to embrace this newly discovered reality?”
What is your criteria for accepting a script?
Will it move me if I saw this on the telly?
Which part of the film making process do you enjoy the most and why?
The Edit Suite. You can completely rebuild or even discover a whole new story. It really is a room where, if you are brave enough, you can literally fly.
LINKS
Director agency: Hoben.tv
