Short Films, Big Questions
34 episodes - English - Latest episode: 26 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsIn each episode, filmmakers Will Liney and Ieuan Coombs focus on finding answers to the big questions in short filmmaking.
They do so by discussing filmmaking with inspirational film industry insiders, and dissecting the process themselves. They're all about giving their audience specific, actionable advice that they can take with them on their filmmaking journeys.
You can find out more about them and the amazing guests they have on via their instagram page.
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Episodes
What my Acting Career has Taught me About Directing with Charlotte Hamblin
March 24, 2024 17:10 - 1 hour - 86.8 MBCharlotte Hamblin is a British actor, director and writer based in London. She trained at RADA on the Foundation Course and studied English, Drama with Education at Cambridge University. Charlotte's acting theatre credits include 'Strings' (Royal Court Upstairs) and 'Miss Julie' (Jermyn Street Theatre). Her acting TV credits Includes 'The Alienist': Series 2 (Netflix), 'McMafia' (BBC1), 'Downton Abbey' (ITV1), and her film credits include 'Operation Mincemeat' (Archery Pictures). She's ...
Workshopping a Short Film Idea with Sam Baron- Part 2
February 26, 2024 19:07 - 1 hour - 74.5 MBA departure from the norm for us here at Short Films, Big Questions… In this episode, filmmaker Sam Baron helps us workshop two of our short film ideas. He guides us through his process of breaking down an idea, interrogating character motivation, and examining what we can personally bring as filmmakers to the story. The approach Sam takes can be applied to all short films, as well as fiction generally. As such, we feel the episode will be valuable to anyone in the midst of writing a narrat...
Making your Short Film Personal with Sam Baron- Part 1
February 11, 2024 17:04 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBSam Baron is a writer, director and actor. In 2014, Sam won the coveted Academy's Nicholl Fellowship for his script, The Science of Love, kicking off an impressive career as a screenwriter. He’s written for TV shows including the BBC’s “Chloe” and Netflix’s “Lockwood & Co”, as well as developing his own originals with Sky Comedy, Netflix and the BBC. However, our main focal point in our conversation is about Sam's amazing short films. Specifically, a trilogy of shorts he's written and direc...
Making your Short Film Personal with Sam Baron
February 11, 2024 17:04 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBSam Baron is a writer, director and actor. In 2014, Sam won the coveted Academy's Nicholl Fellowship for his script, The Science of Love, kicking off an impressive career as a screenwriter. He’s written for TV shows including the BBC’s “Chloe” and Netflix’s “Lockwood & Co”, as well as developing his own originals with Sky Comedy, Netflix and the BBC. However, our main focal point in our conversation is about Sam's amazing short films. Specifically, a trilogy of shorts he's written and direc...
Directing Yourself with Gregg Chilingirian
January 18, 2024 12:30 - 55 minutes - 50.4 MBGregg Chilingirian, also known by his stage name Gregg Chillin, is a writer, director and actor. He recently directed and lead performed in the short film, George. It's achieved much success on the film festival circuit, with official selections at Bolton International Film Festival, Kerry International Film Festival and the Hollyshorts Festival. A lot of what we discuss is specifically about this film, and how to effectively both direct and act in a project. So if you're interested in b...
How to Navigate Film Festivals with London Short Film Festival Co-founder Phillip Ilson
December 14, 2023 08:30 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBIn this episode we have the pleasure of speaking to the co- founder of the prestigious London Short Film Festival, Phillip Ilson. Phillip 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. Phillip is also a vastly experienced short film programmer. He’s currently the Short Film Programmer for @BFI London Film Festival and has previously programmed for East End Film Festival...
Approaching the Feature Film 'Scrapper' with Production Designer Elena Muntoni
December 06, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBIn this episode we chat to Elena Muntoni. Elena is an incredibly talented and accomplished production designer. Some of her credits include the BAFTA nominated short film, ‘Standby,’ music promos for artists like Mumford and Sons, Arlo Parks and Dave, as well as commercials for brands like Yamaha, Samsung and Asics. Recently, Elena was the production designer on the feature film, “Scrapper” the debut from director, Charlotte Regan starring Harris Dickinson and Lola Campbell. We talk ab...
Directing Commercials and Short Films with Joe Beverley
November 28, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBIn this episode we speak with Joe Beverley. Joe is one part of the commercial and narrative directorial duo, ‘That Jam’. Joe talks us through his process working on big budget commercials which have allowed him and his directing partner, Sam, to explore genre and cement their unique style. They’ve made heist films for Cadburys, filmed car chases and flying cars as well as blown up entire film sets. We speak about how he balances his work on commercials with his work on short films as well ...
Why I Went Back to Making Short Films with Feature Film Director Richard Raymond
November 21, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 69.7 MBIn this episode we speak with film director, Richard Raymond. We focus on his journey from directing the feature film ‘Desert Dancer’ which starred Freida Pinto and was distributed by Relativity to directing the short film “Souls of Totality” - the only film ever to have been shot during a solar eclipse! ‘Souls’ won Best Short Film at Raindance in 2018, the Grand Jury prize at Hollyshorts, had a special mention at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and was selected for Tribeca Film...
How I Got a Movie Star to be in my Short Film with Alexander Jeremy
July 27, 2023 09:02 - 1 hour - 75.5 MBFor this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking to Alexander Jeremy. AJ is a filmmaker, actor and member of the comedy improv group, "Shoot from the Hip." He’s recently wrapped post production on a film called The Spaceman, starring none other than Woody Norman (C’mon C’mon, Poldark), Colin Farrell (Banshees of Inesherrin, The Lobster), and Amanda Abbington (Sherlock, Mr Selfridge). Our conversation has two main themes to it: first, how he made The Spaceman and specifically, how he amass...
How I won an Oscar with my Short Film with Chris Overton
July 05, 2023 20:00 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBIn this episode we speak with Academy Award winning film director, Chris Overton. Chris received the 'Best Live Action Short Film' Oscar for ‘The Silent Child,’ along with his wife, Rachel Shenton, who wrote the project. Chris shares how he started life in the industry as an actor, performing in films directed by Joel Schumacher and Roman Polanski, and the current projects he's working on. We discuss the road to the Oscars with 'The Silent Child,' as well as what happens after you win an O...
How I won an Oscar with my Short Film
July 05, 2023 20:00 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBIn this episode we speak with Academy Award winning film director, Chris Overton. Chris received the 'Best Live Action Short Film' Oscar for ‘The Silent Child,’ along with his wife, Rachel Shenton, who wrote the project. Chris shares how he started life in the industry as an actor, performing in films directed by Joel Schumacher and Roman Polanski, and the current projects he's working on. We discuss the road to the Oscars with 'The Silent Child,' as well as what happens after you win an O...
How to Make a Docu-Drama with Owain Astles
June 08, 2023 17:30 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBIn this episode Will and Ieuan had the pleasure of speaking with Owain Astles; a neurodivergent director and 1st AD based in Bristol & London. Owain’s work focuses on social impact, participatory filmmaking and visual activism, and spans narrative, documentary and commercial. We talk about Owain's perspective on docu-dramas, his work as a first AD, his experience teaching prison inmates filmmaking, and his experience so far on the BFI Network’s Shorts2Features programme. Owain’s work has s...
Embracing Imperfection with Mark Jenkin
May 04, 2023 04:00 - 57 minutes - 52.4 MBIn this episode, we have a conversation with the visionary filmmaker that is Mark Jenkin. Mark Kermode referred to his debut feature film, Bait (2019) as a "genuine modern masterpiece, which establishes Jenkin as one of the most arresting and intriguing British film-makers of his generation.” The film premiered at Berlinale, and won him the BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. His unique style and methods make for strikingly powerful short films. So...
How I Got My Short Film Funded by a Charity with George Magner
April 10, 2023 13:30 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBIn this episode we sit down with George Magner to speak about his journey as a filmmaker and his latest short film, 'Fall Better'. We go into all sorts of topics in this episode, from his decision to shoot on film to how George pitched his short film to charities in order to secure funding. He goes through the long pitching process and the hustle required of both him and his producers to bring his very personal project to life. His previous short films 'Cost of Bronze' and 'Skipping Lunch' ...
Fish and Chips with Casting Director Andrea Clark
March 28, 2023 12:15 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBIn this episode we speak to renowned casting director Andrea Clarke. Prior to setting up her own company Andrea co- cast many acclaimed feature films, including Dog Soldiers, Keeping Mum and The Thief Lord, which starred a young George MacKay and Aaron Taylor Johnson. As an associate casting director, she collaborated on the casting of blockbusters such as Hellboy, Blade II and Hidalgo. Since founding her own company in 2006, Andrea has worked on award winning feature films, commercials...
Experimental vs. Narrative Filmmaking with Riffy Ahmed
March 11, 2023 12:01 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBIn this episode we had the pleasure of speaking with Riffy Ahmed, an award-winning Film Director, Writer, and Visual Artist based in London. Riffy trained as a visual artist at Central Saint Martins, and graduated with a masters in Directing fiction at NFTS with a full scholarship from Channel 4. Riffy loves to tell stories about ‘unlikely heroes’ we don’t always see on the big screen at turning points in their lives, particularly framed around women and diaspora identities. She is current...
Access with Amos Eretusi
October 18, 2022 12:38 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBIn this episode we interview the inspiring Amos Eretusi. Amos is the founder of The Kusp, an organisation that facilitates accessibility into the film and fashion industries for people from underrepresented backgrounds. They recently partnered with Somesuch and have been running some awesome talks with directors such as Oscar winning Aneil Karia. It was fascinating to speak with Amos about his past business endeavours and how they’ve ultimately led him to The Kusp. We spoke about represen...
Keeping the Balance with Hansel Rodrigues
September 28, 2022 16:52 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBToday on the podcast, we’re lucky enough to be in Hansel Rodrigues’ office to ask him all sorts of questions. Hansel has directed several short films to great acclaim, including Horseplay (Cannes Film Festival), and The Messenger (Norwich Film Festival). He’s just had a large, award winning production company come on board for his latest documentary project, ‘King Putt,’ the story of the current king of British crazy golf, and his bid to defend his world title. Alongside directing, Hansel i...
From Shorts to TV with Rosemary Baker
September 12, 2022 09:28 - 1 hour - 78.7 MBIn todays episode we speak to the incredibly talented Rose Baker! We cannot explain how excited we are about this one. We met Rose at Aesthetica Film Festival in York last year where Rose was screening her latest short film “Lesbian” which was commissioned by Random Acts and made in collaboration with the poet Lisa Luxx. It was also an official selection for the Iris Prize (world's biggest LGBTQ film prize) as well as Broadcast Digislast and the RTS Cymru awards this year. She has also direc...
Seeing the Light with Wouter Verheul
July 19, 2022 19:00 - 1 hour - 85.9 MBToday’s episode is a fun one. Get ready for Wouter Verheul and all of his energy. Wouter is an amazing Director of Photography who worked with Will on a commercial back in December. Wouter has shot everything from music videos to documentaries, short films and commercials. He details his journey so far, from living and partying in Mexico to working his way up to being a successful cinematographer in the Netherlands, before making the decision to move to the UK. We talk about how he works w...
The Long Game with Alexandre Do
June 07, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBIn today’s episode we speak to the super talented Alexandre Do. Alex has made some incredible short films. His latest short, Aniccam, premiered on Nowness, and was subsequently selected by the prestigious online outlets 1.4, Shots.net and Ibbo. We delve deep into his process and what it really takes to make a short film. He is very candid about his experiences so far and does not shy away from the lows that filmmaking can bring. He also shares his inspiring journey as a filmmaker which has ...
Making the Jump from Shorts to Features with David Roberts
May 09, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 60.5 MBIn this episode, Ieuan and Will welcome feature film director David Roberts to the podcast! We cover lots. His background in producing commercials (over 1000), his experiences and opinions on short films, and the way he and his team secured funding for their feature film. Dave gives specific, actionable and inspiring advice. His knowledge of filmmaking is impressive, and the podcast is well worth a listen for anyone who wants to learn more about an industry that can often be confusing and ...
How do I approach sound? Feat. Ollie Campbell
September 27, 2021 16:00 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBIn this episode, for the first time ever, Ieuan and Will welcome their first guest to Short Films, Big Questions! Ollie Campbell is a professional sound designer. He sound designed both Ieuan and Will's latest short films. You can find out more information about him via his website here. He's currently working on a video game project, called The House of Ashes (more information about that here). They cover Ollie's background, the way he likes to work with directors, the resources that ...
How do I edit this thing?
July 19, 2021 17:47 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBIeuan and Will are back and they are back with a bang! This week they talk about editing. They discuss how they got into editing themselves, as well as how important it is for a director to have an understanding of the editing process. They talk about rhythm, pace, cutting for emotion, and the resources they have found helpful! Resources Mentioned: Peter Mckinnon’s YouTube channel Walter Murch: ‘In the Blink of an Eye’ Lee Smith episode- Team Deakins podcast Adobe Premiere Pro (editing...
How do I get great performances?
June 13, 2021 21:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBAfter a brief interlude, Will and Ieuan are back with another episode! They discuss the components that make great acting performances and how you can foster an environment as a director that enables them. They tackle casting, rehearsal process, on set direction, and what to do if it all goes wrong! Resources mentioned: "How to tell good acting from bad acting" (the article referred to at the beginning). Mark Duplass' Keynote Speech at Sundance Mandy Spotlight Directing Actors- Ju...
The Cinematographer Episode
May 22, 2021 17:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBIeuan and Will sit down to tackle another question that's too big to fit in the title box: "What should I look for in a cinematographer, and what kind of relationship should we have?" The talk about their relationships with cinematographers on short films, including process, mistakes, and how to find that all important collaborator. They also discuss what cinematographers tend to want from a director, and how they’ve dealt with disagreements on set. Resources Mentioned: Team Deakins Po...
The Producer Episode
May 15, 2021 17:00 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBWill and Ieuan tackle a question so big that it can't fit in the title box! "What should I look for in a producer and what kind of relationship should we have?" They start off by talking about how a film producer’s duties can be difficult to define and varies from production to production. They also discuss their own personal experiences with producers, the ways in which a film director can find a producer and recommendations for that all important relationship. They do not touch on what...
Episode 3 - What should I write about?
May 04, 2021 09:34 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBIeuan and Will talk about their own writing processes, including what has helped and hindered them. They compare their processes to other filmmakers. They also discuss “having something to say” in short films vs. making short films purely for entertainment, and how both tend to perform at film festivals. Resources mentioned: Podcasts: Team Deakins The Moment with Brian Koppelman Books: Screenplay- Syd Field Into The Woods- John Yorke Making it Big in Shorts- Kim Adelman On Writing- S...
What should I write about?
May 04, 2021 09:34 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBIeuan and Will talk about their own writing processes, including what has helped and hindered them. They compare their processes to other filmmakers. They also discuss “having something to say” in short films vs. making short films purely for entertainment, and how both tend to perform at film festivals. Resources mentioned: Podcasts: Team Deakins The Moment with Brian Koppelman Books: Screenplay- Syd Field Into The Woods- John Yorke Making it Big in Shorts- Kim Adelman On Writing- ...
Why make a short film?
May 04, 2021 09:32 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBIeuan and Will discuss the reasons why people make short films. They cover the importance of short filmmaking as a learning experience, how it enables filmmakers to find their voice, and what the terms “proof of concept” and “calling card” mean. Resources mentioned: @Jimcummings (Director of Thunder Road)
Episode 2- Why make a short film?
May 04, 2021 09:32 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBIeuan and Will discuss the reasons why people make short films. They cover the importance of short filmmaking as a learning experience, how it enables filmmakers to find their voice, and what the terms “proof of concept” and “calling card” mean. Resources mentioned: @Jimcummings ( https://twitter.com/jimmycthatsme?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor ) (Director of Thunder Road)
Who are these guys?
May 04, 2021 09:30 - 4 minutes - 3.76 MBYour hosts, filmmakers Will Liney and Ieuan Coombs, introduce themselves and outline what they want to achieve through the podcast. Links for Will: Website Instagram Links for Ieuan: Website Instagram Music Thomas Benjamin Cooper
Episode 1- Who are these guys?
May 04, 2021 09:30 - 4 minutes - 3.76 MBYour hosts, filmmakers Will Liney and Ieuan Coombs, introduce themselves and outline what they want to achieve through the podcast. *Find out more about Will Liney...* Website ( https://wlineyfilm.com/ ) Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/wliney93/ ) In the Shadow of Giants ( https://vimeo.com/524251643 ) *Find out more about Ieuan Coombs...* Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/ieuancoombs/?hl=en ) The Dots ( https://the-dots.com/users/ieuan-coombs-975300 ) Linkedin ( https://www...