Yourcinemafilms.com | Critically acclaimed director, filmmaker, and all-round creative Sebastian Thiel sits down to give actors key tips to progress in the industry.
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’Welcome to Your Cinema'
Follow us on socials:
Tiktok: @yourcinemafilms
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Twitter: @yourcinemafilms
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FunTranscript
00:00 Our Stories Festival was really set up to help support people from diverse backgrounds to really get into the industry.
00:08 Those people that you see do fantastic stuff, they put in the work.
00:14 We're back, we're back for another amazing session.
00:17 There isn't any session that we're putting on today that is not great.
00:22 We've thought about these things like seriously, just with you guys in mind, hearing feedback, seeing what people want,
00:30 sometimes what people are moaning about and how we can provide a solution for that.
00:34 This session is no different.
00:36 It really started off as like a small group session that we were going to do,
00:42 but when we put it out, the demand was just too much.
00:48 When I was speaking with Sebastian about it, we sort of had as like a buffer, like he said,
00:54 "Do you know what? If the demand gets too much, I don't mind doing another one."
00:59 But then the demand went double or triple past what we already planned.
01:06 So it's like, "Okay, we just have to make this like a full session."
01:09 So the idea of the smaller session was literally direct access,
01:14 where I don't say too much and it's literally an opportunity for you guys to ask Sebastian things that are going to help you guys,
01:24 whether you end up working with him in the future, whether it's drawing from his experience
01:29 and ability to get amazing performances out of actors.
01:33 Like literally, he is here to serve you guys.
01:37 So please do not be shy.
01:39 And thank you again, Sebastian, for this.
01:42 In terms of introducing him, from my perspective,
01:47 he is one of the leading directors from our community that is really...
01:56 No, that's it. That's the end of the statement.
01:59 When I say our community, that's not limiting him or putting him in a box like, "Oh, he's good and he's black."
02:05 He's good across the board.
02:07 But when I just look at projects that pertain to us, it's only really him and Kobe Adam who are doing stuff on a mainstream level
02:18 that caters to stories that I would instinctively see a trailer and be like, "Oh, I actually want to watch that."
02:26 There's no others, which is probably another session that maybe we do next year or something.
02:31 But not only does he do amazing mainstream work, he has pioneered showreels.
02:40 Dare I say single-handedly? Yeah, it must be.
02:43 Single-handedly for actors, if I'm completely honest.
02:48 In terms of the upshot showreels, what Damson's showreel did for his career is industry legend,
02:58 i.e. really helping to break him in America, and that's down to you.
03:03 And obviously his talent, but that format and how you worked with him and all the amazing work that we see with those showreels
03:11 is exciting for what you guys can draw from.
03:16 I introduce to you guys Sebastian Till.
03:18 Thank you.
03:20 Thank you, bro. Appreciate it.
03:23 Thank you. So, I'm going to go straight in.
03:25 I do have a few questions, but please get your questions ready because I'm going to try and throw it over to you guys ASAP.
03:31 So, Femi said that your showreels are the main reason why the majority of IAG talent were getting work.
03:40 I had to get that verbatim.
03:42 That's a huge statement because Femi's roster is no joke.
03:48 And one of the amazing things about the agency is that cool homegrown talent, but the rate at which they're able to be exported overseas is amazing.
03:58 And he said that you played a key part in that.
04:04 Why do you think that is?
04:06 Oh, wow.
04:09 I feel like, okay, so firstly, I have to rate Femi for the format that we built together.
04:17 So, it was something that we'd done years ago.
04:23 I used to do them in my bedroom, bro.
04:25 I used to literally have actors come down and they'll shoot little reels in my bedroom.
04:31 And that was when we'd done the first few reels.
04:35 But the format was something that me and Femi developed together, but it was a vision that Femi had.
04:41 So, I could never take full credit for the actual format.
04:47 It was something we collaborated on.
04:49 And he just saw a way of showcasing his talent in a fresh and exciting way without them having materials previously.
05:03 Or, you know what, it was specifically for US reels, so they might not have been able to showcase their accent, and this was a way for them to do it.
05:11 And this was a way to show loads of different types of characters all in one and just give people a burst of their talent.
05:22 And then it just grew from there.
05:24 It literally was working for them for identity.
05:27 We'd done reels early on for people like Toby Bakari, Melanie Lybird, Letitia Wright, Damsen Idris, Malakai Kirby, so many people.
05:41 And it was, I guess, just used as a way to showcase themselves, really.
05:48 I love it. I love it.
05:50 That's interesting, because I didn't know that you guys collaborated on that.
05:54 So, thank you for that insight.
05:56 Yeah, it was like a private...
05:59 It's only been public in the last three, four years.
06:05 I've been doing them since I was maybe 19 or something.
06:11 Are you serious?
06:12 Yeah, but it was private. It was only for identity.
06:16 Wow, okay.
06:17 So, to be honest, it's Damsen posting it on YouTube that kind of made everyone go, "Who's doing these?"
06:27 And then it kind of spiralled into this, "Oh, okay, maybe it will be an open service."
06:34 Amazing.
06:35 So, in watching some of these iconic reels, how do you get such groundbreaking performances out of the actors?
06:46 Because that's also another thing that Femi specifically mentioned about you.
06:51 You're just able to draw that out. So, how?
06:55 Yeah, I find it interesting, because I feel like I try to not get in a way.
06:59 So, I don't feel like it's all just me.
07:03 It's never really just the director.
07:06 It's like the actors bring that base, and the director works on kind of working out the tone and how far to take things,
07:16 whether they need to slow it down.
07:18 So, you kind of monitor those type of things.
07:21 But in terms of performances, what I can take it back to is maybe my process.
07:30 And in terms of my process, I've done what I can do to try and make myself understand actors better.
07:39 And that might be, so for example, I've done a bit of an acting course.
07:43 I hated it. It's not, I can't do it.
07:47 I really love actors and the vulnerability that they have, but for me, it's a really awkward experience.
07:53 I like being from the outside and kind of doing that.
07:57 And actors come from the inside, and it's very different.
08:00 But it was really good for me to do that, and for me to understand how vulnerable they are.
08:07 And so, it made me a bit more sensitive when I was working with actors.
08:13 And I was able to kind of pick up on things and communicate in a particular way.
08:19 And I think from doing the reels for so many years, I've seen so many actors.
08:24 So, you start to see patterns in behavior, patterns in how people are, how they, yeah, just how they are as humans.
08:32 And I think the more you understand humans and human interaction, and what is driving people,
08:39 the better it is when you're directing.
08:43 So, I think there's so many factors into it.
08:47 But I've tried to do my inner work as well as work on the craft, I guess, of it.
08:55 I love that. I love that.
08:57 After this question, it's over to you guys.
09:00 What tips would you give actors when they're coming to work with you?
09:06 And that's both on set and also for reels, just in case that's different.
09:13 Tips.
09:16 And I guess this is more so for emerging actors.
09:19 Okay, cool. Well, know your lines is obviously a simple thing.
09:25 But I think, you know what?
09:27 I think you need to know your lines, but also you need to know the...
09:31 It's really good if you can have an understanding of the tone of something.
09:35 So, like the tone of that show.
09:38 If it's a comedy, what type of comedy?
09:41 Where is the comedy coming from?
09:43 If it's a drama, how is it? What type of performance is it?
09:47 Is it naturalistic or is it very underplayed or is it stylised?
09:53 Like, you know, like "Sorry to Bother You." You know that film?
09:56 It might be like...
09:58 Sometimes it's just about if you understand the tone,
10:00 when you do go into auditions or you do go in to do certain pieces,
10:06 you're already doing part of what the director would do,
10:13 because it's part of managing tone, I guess.
10:17 And then other little tips is like...
10:20 This sounds like a random one, but this is what I've seen.
10:23 For emerging actors, like, on Instagram, like, have your full name.
10:30 Like, little things like that are really...
10:33 Because I find actors, I do find people via Instagram a lot of the times.
10:38 Like, it might be people that I've banked in my head
10:41 from just seeing their work or something like that.
10:44 And, like, literally I've been in situations where I can't find them.
10:47 They're named differently.
10:50 So I think that's a very simple thing, just like your name, your brand,
10:55 and then, you know, lines, subtext.
11:01 So understanding your text, but then layering it with, like, subtext,
11:10 knowing how to break down scripts and things like that.
11:13 Amazing, amazing.
11:15 Questions? Any questions from the audience?
11:19 Yes, I will let you guys do mic duty.
11:23 Yes.
11:24 And then feel free to take it a bit deep,
11:26 and some people that haven't asked questions before as well.
11:29 Great job, guys. Thank you.
11:31 Hi, Zina, nice to meet you.
11:33 So I've looked at a lot of your monologues that are on Instagram,
11:37 and obviously you've set this bar really high for monologues,
11:39 but I'm hearing increasingly that casting directors are wanting duologue scenes.
11:44 So is that something that you do as well?
11:47 And secondly, do you assist the people that come to you in scene selection,
11:52 or do they just bring their own scenes?
11:54 Oh, okay. So firstly, in terms of scene selection,
11:57 we don't usually assist people, but we give them resources
12:00 so they can look for the monologues through those links.
12:04 And in terms of duologues, I've heard people have come to us about doing duologues.
12:10 I think it's quite interesting because there was a time when we were doing monologue reels,
12:16 and no one was really doing them, and they kind of became a bit more of a thing.
12:22 So I don't know, maybe duologues is just because they want to see more of how you react
12:28 with someone else and stuff.
12:30 But in terms of us, it is a service that I've been thinking of.
12:33 I'm just thinking of how to do it without overcomplicating it,
12:36 because one of the things that we--
12:39 One thing I could do is show reels that are scenes,
12:44 as in like in a living room and in here and in here,
12:47 where you do those kind of mock-up scenes,
12:50 but I'm not a fan of those personally.
12:52 I always try and simplify it.
12:54 So most likely stay in the monologue world, but if I can find a way to do it, I will.
13:03 Amazing. Next question.
13:18 There might actually be-- Yeah, there you go.
13:20 Hiya. I wanted to know, from when you started till now,
13:23 how have actors' processes changed, and have they come to you differently now,
13:28 with their styles and their choices?
13:30 And has that changed the way you film them?
13:33 Oh, that's interesting.
13:35 No, I've never-- I haven't seen a change in actors in that respect.
13:41 I think the only-- The type of change I've seen has been through, for example, doing--
13:47 You know when you have auditions and now most of them are through tapes
13:50 and it's not in person?
13:52 I'm not a fan of that process, but I get it because of speed and obviously COVID.
13:59 But I prefer to be in the room with the actor and kind of exploring things
14:05 and seeing how they work, because I think when you do audition tapes,
14:08 what happens is, for me personally-- I don't know if it's the same for other directors,
14:13 but for me personally, you tend to start looking for people to do exactly what you want,
14:19 rather than being more-- Well, I don't find myself as open as I would be in a room,
14:27 because you kind of look at videos and you kind of filter in a quicker way
14:30 than you would if you had someone in a room.
14:32 So that's something that I'm not as much a fan of in terms of some of the changes.
14:37 But in terms of performance, no, not really.
14:42 No, I haven't-- It's people.
14:45 Acting is all about human behavior and how people are.
14:50 So I think at the end of the day, at its core, you're dealing with people.
14:54 And I haven't seen anything like-- Yeah, I haven't seen anything.
14:58 Where did that question come from? Have you seen something?
15:01 [laughter]
15:03 [inaudible]
15:08 Oh, okay. Okay, cool. Yeah, that's interesting.
15:11 That probably had me thinking.
15:14 Great question. Great question.
15:17 Yes, next question.
15:22 Hey, Sebastian. You're right. My name is Patrick. You're right.
15:25 I just wanted to know what are the--
15:28 or can you name two big mistakes that emerging actors make upon their journeys
15:35 that you would wish they didn't do or something that we could learn from,
15:41 if that makes sense?
15:43 Yeah.
15:46 I think-- So one thing that I was talking about in terms of understanding the tone.
15:51 So when you get a script and you do a show,
15:55 when you do an audition for something,
15:58 if you understand the tone of the show,
16:01 I feel like a lot of auditions will be better
16:05 because they'll understand where the show is going
16:07 and what type of performance to give it.
16:09 So I think tone and then subtext.
16:12 There's a lot of the time I see people not having any subtext or layers
16:19 within their performance,
16:21 and I think that that's something that lets them down.
16:26 And I don't know if that comes from not doing the groundwork
16:29 or maybe lack of training.
16:31 I'm not so sure, but that's something I notice.
16:35 And then I think--
16:39 You said two, but I'll give one more, yeah?
16:42 I think the inner work element.
16:46 So the more work you do on yourself to understand yourself
16:52 and I don't know whether it's trauma
16:55 or what triggers you as a person or things,
17:00 just understanding yourself,
17:02 then the more I feel like you'll be able to understand
17:07 other characters that you play and be more sensitive to that.
17:10 So I think just living life in general
17:13 and trying to improve yourself and being self-aware
17:18 and all of that plays a big part in what you can take into characters
17:22 and into acting.
17:24 And also it might also take away from the pressure
17:27 because I think sometimes you have people that go into auditions
17:30 or do monologues and they're very like,
17:33 "I want to kill it," or "I need to do well,"
17:35 and that energy, you can always feel it,
17:37 and it plays a part in what they're doing in their performance.
17:42 And I think a lot of the people that I've found,
17:46 like when Damson done his reel, for example--
17:49 I'll just use him as an example because a lot of people know Damson,
17:53 but when he done his reel, he was just very sure of himself.
17:58 Like it wasn't about trying to do one up or anything.
18:04 He was just very set and grounded in his character
18:07 and he could play and have fun.
18:09 And it's almost like there's these great moments that you have with actors
18:14 where it's almost like they're not even thinking.
18:17 They're in the moment.
18:19 So I think all of that, it's easier to do that
18:22 or maybe you can get closer to that when you've done that kind of work.
18:28 Great question. Who's next?
18:32 Hi, Sebastian. My name is Jay-Z B, Joy Zaharabina.
18:40 I was going to ask that question, but my second question would have been,
18:45 firstly, thank you as an actor.
18:47 Thank you for actually using your initiative to take classes as an actor
18:51 for acting classes because it can be a bit frustrating
18:54 when you're talking to directors that aren't clear in their way
18:57 when they're communicating to us.
18:59 And I wanted to ask what led you to do that besides the obvious reason,
19:03 learning how to communicate with actors and being in our shoes.
19:07 Tell all your other director mates to do that too, by the way.
19:10 It would help us. But yeah.
19:13 What led me to do that?
19:15 I felt like I was telling people to do things that I just wouldn't do.
19:19 And I just felt like, oh, man, I'm just making people send out.
19:24 I'm just like, "You go and do this."
19:26 I would never do that, but you did.
19:28 And it was like, I don't know, it felt like I should at least experience...
19:34 I should have that experience so that whenever I'm telling people
19:38 to do something, it's coming from a place of understanding.
19:45 It didn't mean that I was going to ever try and be an actor
19:50 or anything like that, but it was just so I can come from a place
19:53 of understanding and just be more sensitive
19:57 because I think what happens...
19:59 Well, I don't see a lot of directors work
20:02 because we don't get to really collaborate with each other.
20:07 But different people have different approaches
20:11 and I find that I like to be more intimate with actors
20:16 because you've got a big ask.
20:20 So you don't want to shout things at them or anything like that.
20:25 I like to keep things a bit more one-to-one
20:28 and I think that experience helped that.
20:31 I think one thing I need to do, though, one thing that I'm just learning
20:34 is just how to be more concise with direction
20:39 because it doesn't need to be so complicated sometimes.
20:45 You could either sometimes help people just slow down
20:48 or you can give people replacement thoughts or verbs
20:54 or things that are quicker actions for actors.
20:58 So, yeah. You're welcome.
21:01 Amazing. You really care about your actors, didn't you?
21:05 Yeah, next question.
21:08 Hello, hello.
21:10 Hello. I'm Hallie.
21:13 Thank you so much for giving us this insightful chat today.
21:17 I just wanted to ask because you've been talking about tone
21:20 and how to grasp the tone as an actor
21:23 and I know that you said before, as a director,
21:26 that's also something that you have to do, grasping the tone of a project.
21:30 But sometimes when you get the audition brief,
21:33 it's a bit difficult to connect the dots of how to get the tone.
21:37 So I was wondering things you would recommend to do
21:40 to get the tone of a project.
21:42 Yeah, damn, that's very true.
21:45 It's true because sometimes you might just get sides
21:48 and not the whole script or anything like that.
21:50 But you know what? I'm just trying to think what type of thing I would do.
21:55 And it would probably be to look at the director's previous work,
22:01 to look at the people that are making the production,
22:04 look at where their tone usually sits.
22:07 And also then using a bit of your initiative
22:11 in terms of when you do the piece,
22:15 if you do have different variations,
22:20 then maybe you can slide into slightly different tones.
22:24 But also you have to just go with your gut as well at times.
22:28 I know there's no exact science to it because you never know
22:32 and sometimes just how you do it would be great.
22:35 So it's a bit of a tricky one.
22:37 But I think if you focus on the elements you can control,
22:40 which is, OK, cool, I know the director's work, I get this, I get that,
22:45 and then you make a decision based on some of that
22:48 and part of your instincts and your training and working on the subtext.
22:51 And I think you should be in a closer place.
22:54 But I think a lot of people just don't even do that.
22:57 Like from what I've seen anyway on tapes, I'm like,
23:00 this is completely somewhere else.
23:03 You can tell straight away that there's been no thought in that area.
23:07 So some thought would help a lot.
23:11 Amazing. Great question.
23:14 Hello, hello. Me, me, me. I've got the mic already.
23:17 Pierre. Me, right here. Rico.
23:20 Oh, sorry.
23:22 I'm like, who is this voice?
23:25 Yeah, yeah. Got to be aggressive, man.
23:27 There you are.
23:29 Yeah, I'm Rico Morris, actor, writer.
23:33 Well, new writer, anyway.
23:35 So quick question. What does a session actually look like with you?
23:39 Because from memory, I don't know if I'm right,
23:43 do you multicam?
23:46 Did Damson have more than one monologue and then you edited it up?
23:49 Because I know now from the most recent ones
23:51 it seems like they're just doing one monologue.
23:54 So, yeah, what does a session actually look like?
23:56 Okay, cool. So the thing is, back in the day, I had no...
24:03 People used to come and do a monologue and I might be with them for three hours,
24:06 four hours, like it was just not the same.
24:09 So there's a bit more of a format to it.
24:11 I think Damson did like six or something. I can't do that.
24:15 But I mean, he done six and he also...
24:18 Damson done something that no one's done.
24:20 But it's till this day no one's done this.
24:23 It's almost like he cut the monologue in his head
24:26 because he came out with lines.
24:28 He had maybe like two, three monologues
24:31 and then he done one which was just lines.
24:34 Like he'll just say random lines. He'll be like, "I love you."
24:37 And then he'll turn around and he'll just do something else.
24:39 And he'll be like, "What?"
24:41 And he'll just carry on just going ham, just saying different lines.
24:45 It was amazing to watch.
24:47 But I mean, so he found a process.
24:49 And this is what I mean about initiative.
24:51 He was like, "I know how the monologues cut
24:54 "and I know how people do them.
24:56 "So I'm going to do this so I can show so much range."
25:00 And he was just playing.
25:02 But in terms of the process now, people can do that
25:05 if they want to do the line thing.
25:07 But in terms of the process now,
25:09 we do three monologues, each two minutes each.
25:13 And then we do maybe about three takes on a mid-shot,
25:18 three takes on a close-up for each of those monologues,
25:21 and then I edit it after.
25:23 And that process is over maybe about an hour and 15 minutes.
25:26 We go through different variations of takes,
25:30 trying to get as much variation
25:32 so I can pull out loads of different types of performances.
25:37 And, yeah, it's a very intimate session.
25:40 It's just myself.
25:42 And we work together and just try and explore and play.
25:46 Yeah, there's no pressure.
25:48 And, yeah, that's pretty much it.
25:50 I don't know, does that give you a breakdown?
25:52 - Yeah, thank you. - Cool.
25:54 Amazing. That's a gem there.
25:57 Cool, thanks.
25:59 We're going to keep passing the mic around,
26:02 but I have a question, so I'm also here.
26:04 Do you want to go?
26:06 So, like, Supercell.
26:08 So you directed on Supercell,
26:10 which everyone is excited to watch.
26:12 Can't wait, right?
26:14 - Yeah, go on. - My face done that
26:16 because I don't know how much we can talk about it.
26:18 Ah, OK, cool, cool, cool.
26:20 Well, do you know what? The bits you can't, that's completely fine.
26:23 My only question is, right,
26:25 given the scale of the show,
26:27 calibre of the actors,
26:29 how did you work with the actors on a show like Supercell?
26:34 Yeah, as we can't really...
26:38 I can't go into Supercell fully right now,
26:40 but, I mean, just because it's not out or anything like that,
26:43 but, I mean, in terms of the process,
26:45 it will be the same process that you have in every other show.
26:49 I think, like, the scale only helps with...
26:52 ..the toys you have on set, like, really,
26:57 and sometimes more time, but there's never enough time on set.
27:01 Like, there's never enough time,
27:04 even if you, like, have more time.
27:08 It's just never.
27:10 Like, every actor or every director,
27:12 everyone probably feels that on set, but...
27:15 ..you... What else? What was different?
27:18 I think there was more rehearsal time...
27:22 Oh, wow. ..as well,
27:24 cos in TV you don't tend to get a lot of...
27:27 ..you don't tend to get rehearsals or a lot of rehearsals at all,
27:30 which is very different.
27:33 And... But other than that, as I said before,
27:37 it's all about just dealing with people and human interaction,
27:42 so it doesn't really feel that different.
27:44 It doesn't really feel that different to me,
27:46 as long as you're working with people closely.
27:50 I don't know. It's really hard...
27:52 No, that's fine. If it's completely the same, that's fine.
27:56 I just wanted to know, because sometimes, I guess,
28:00 people might have a certain expectation of, like,
28:05 if one of these guys books, like, a huge job tomorrow,
28:09 they might have, like, a weight on themselves of, like,
28:12 "Ah, but I've only had a few scenes in this TV show
28:16 "or done this short film, etc.
28:19 "What are they going to expect of me? How do I prepare?"
28:22 And it sounds like what you're essentially saying is, like,
28:24 "Do you know what? You got the role because you're good,
28:27 "so continue doing what you've been doing."
28:29 Yeah, I think so. I think the weight,
28:31 in terms of where that kind of weight comes for actors,
28:34 it might be where, if they're getting a role where it's a smaller...
28:41 They're usually doing smaller, like, supporting roles,
28:45 and then they get a lead role.
28:47 And, like, with a lead role, you have more of a responsibility,
28:50 and there's maybe more of, like, a character arc or character journey.
28:54 So, like, doing that kind of work, there's more of that.
28:57 And I think, for me, supporting the actors on that
29:03 is the same.
29:05 So, from my experience, it's always the same,
29:07 but I understand what you mean.
29:09 Like, for the actors, it can be slightly different
29:12 moving from smaller things to a big thing.
29:15 For me, the changes are more technical.
29:18 So it would be more, if I was talking to filmmakers,
29:21 I think the changes would be around kit, time,
29:25 dealing with more people, the pressures of that,
29:29 doing VFX, doing SFX, all of that, green screen,
29:32 all of that kind of stuff is where it changes.
29:34 - Cool. - You know?
29:35 All good, all good. Back to you guys.
29:38 - I've got the mic. - Go for it.
29:40 Oh, you guys are running the show.
29:42 Hi, Sebastian. I'm Yasmin.
29:44 And I just wondered what advice you'd give to someone
29:47 who was choosing material for their reel,
29:50 and, like, is there any specific things that you'd want them to hear?
29:53 Or has anyone just brought anything to you
29:55 and you've just been like, "Nah, that's not it"?
29:57 - Choosing what? A reel? - Yeah, like, choosing material.
29:59 - Oh, material. - Or the monologues.
30:03 Yeah, if you're, like, 18, don't be like a wife or something,
30:08 like, with kids and stuff.
30:10 I mean, think of things that...
30:16 that you could play.
30:19 But also, one thing that... the reason why I do the reels as well,
30:22 or the reason why we do the reels is
30:24 because it allows you to position yourself
30:26 how you want to be positioned, right?
30:28 Like, you get to have the power back.
30:30 Like, this isn't a role that's being... that's out there.
30:33 This is, like, you get to be like,
30:35 "OK, these are the kind of things I want to do.
30:38 "Let me line this up."
30:39 So that's how I would say people should think,
30:41 but at the same time be realistic of what those type of things are.
30:45 And when I mean realistic, I don't mean don't aim big.
30:49 I mean, literally, your casting type or age
30:53 or things around that area.
30:57 And that's pretty much it.
30:59 And I think in terms of...
31:00 So when people do the monologues,
31:02 they pick three contrasting pieces,
31:04 and those pieces are...
31:06 In terms of contrasting, it can be contrasting in terms of character,
31:09 so how you embody the character,
31:12 those different roles,
31:14 or it could be around tone and genre.
31:17 So you could do a comedy piece, a drama piece.
31:19 All of that is dependent on the actor,
31:23 what they want to do and what they want to display.
31:25 This is why I can't play too much of a part in that.
31:28 Usually actors talk either to their agents
31:30 or they just might bounce ideas with their friends.
31:33 But it's very...
31:36 It would be a really long process for me to do that,
31:41 to start recommending.
31:42 I'd probably have to watch material,
31:44 have meetings and all of that.
31:46 I don't know if I have that capacity yet to do that.
31:51 But does that help?
31:52 Does that give you a bit of an idea?
31:54 Yeah.
31:55 Really good points.
31:57 I'm sorry.
31:58 You guys, please.
32:01 I don't want the pressure.
32:03 -How you doing? -Yes, yes.
32:08 How you doing, brother?
32:09 So what's your process to giving direction to an actor?
32:13 So are you more of a...
32:15 You allow your actor to have play and more improv,
32:17 or are you more of a director that,
32:19 "No, I want it this way, I want it that way"?
32:21 Does that make any sense?
32:23 So in terms of how I like to play,
32:29 I like to give actors a lot more freedom.
32:33 I'm trying to think of how to word this for actors.
32:39 This is a different way to kind of word this for actors.
32:44 But, like...
32:45 Because the thing is, look, the reality is
32:47 you want to give them freedom, but you still have a goal and an aim,
32:50 and you still have a story that you need to tell for a particular show.
32:55 But I like to give them...
32:57 I don't like to...
32:59 I won't give line readings.
33:01 I won't say, "Say it like this."
33:03 I'll more so say, "You want to console this person," or something.
33:09 And then however they deliver it is...
33:13 If it's true to that, it'll be close to what I want anyway.
33:16 Do you get what I mean?
33:18 So finding...
33:19 And that's why it becomes a bit of a harder craft
33:22 because you need to then know the right words and the right things to say
33:25 to provoke a particular kind of performance.
33:28 And then also the actors need to be intelligent in that respect
33:32 to be able to translate that note.
33:34 And some actors, not that they're not intelligent,
33:37 but some actors might not necessarily have the skills
33:40 to translate those words.
33:42 So then as a director, we have to adapt, then find other things.
33:47 So then I might look at more so replacements or something, or memories.
33:54 Some people work really good with memories,
33:56 like, "Have you ever felt like this before?"
33:58 And then they'll be able to use that.
34:01 Or you might...
34:04 Yeah, so there's loads of different ways to kind of get what you want.
34:08 And I think it's always...
34:10 For me, my process is always to try and find a way
34:13 that makes them feel like they get to play.
34:16 They are playing, but they also feel more ownership over it.
34:21 Make sense?
34:23 Thank you. Great question. Next one, yes.
34:26 Hi, I've got the mic.
34:28 Oh, wait, wait. But I think...
34:31 No, you ready, though. You ready. You ready.
34:33 Yes, the gentleman at the back. Go for it.
34:37 You almost robbed, sir.
34:39 Oh, me? Oh, sorry.
34:41 You weren't even ready. OK.
34:43 Hi, my name's Tommy.
34:45 I had a question about chemistry.
34:47 Like, have you had a personal example where you've met actors
34:50 who have very good chemistry, either with you or with their partner,
34:54 and it's flowed really well, or the opposite?
34:56 And I know it kind of links with professionalism,
34:59 but do you feel like it's beneficial for actors to build chemistry
35:03 if they don't have it, or they just go on set, be professional and bounce?
35:07 What's your take on that?
35:09 Oh...
35:11 That's a good question.
35:14 Because I think chemistry, I feel like...
35:17 People want to...
35:20 You do want to work with people that you can kind of get along with, right?
35:24 Or that understand how you would like to work
35:27 and you share the same sensibilities.
35:30 And I guess a bit of that comes from chemistry.
35:33 And I think if you look at loads of directors,
35:36 they usually have...
35:38 Like, they have a batch of actors that they like to just use
35:42 because there's like a shorthand. They get each other.
35:45 And also, when you're on set,
35:49 you're on set with people for such a long time,
35:52 and it's...
35:55 It's an emotional playground,
35:58 and you're dealing with emotions all the time,
36:00 and you want to probably deal with people that you can kind of get along with.
36:06 But it doesn't mean...
36:08 Yeah.
36:11 Sorry, to your second point, though,
36:13 in terms of chemistry between actors,
36:17 usually you would try and sort that out in casting.
36:21 Like, if people are play...
36:23 If people...
36:25 You try and pair people up in a particular way,
36:27 and then you can do chemistry reads and things like that.
36:31 So hopefully that gets you closer.
36:34 But yeah, there are scenarios and times
36:36 where you just know people just don't gel,
36:39 and it's very hard.
36:41 It's a very hard thing to deal with when actors might not gel.
36:47 And sometimes that can create really great performances
36:51 because there's always, like, subtext.
36:53 You know?
36:54 There's always something underneath.
36:56 So it can be really good,
36:58 but, I mean, it is a difficult part
37:00 if it starts to affect professionalism and stuff.
37:02 But, yeah, I don't know.
37:04 There's so many parts to your question.
37:06 I don't know if I've answered all of them,
37:09 but it's definitely made me think.
37:11 So have you ever done that?
37:13 Like, cast people that don't get on because it works?
37:17 You usually don't cast them because they don't get...
37:20 Like, you don't...
37:22 You didn't know it wasn't going to...
37:24 You wouldn't cast them if you knew it wasn't going to work.
37:27 Does that make sense?
37:28 You think it's going to work, and then it doesn't work.
37:31 That's where the problem is.
37:33 I mean, you don't... I would never intentionally do that.
37:36 OK. Of course.
37:38 That is, like...
37:40 Cos actors are very, like...
37:42 I shouldn't say this around actors, should I?
37:44 I was going to say very emotional.
37:46 I'm sure you would all agree.
37:48 Like, actors are very, like, emotionally intelligent.
37:51 I should say that. I'll say it like that.
37:53 But, um... So I think...
37:55 Yeah, like, why would you even get
37:58 emotionally intelligent people that hate each other together?
38:01 I don't know.
38:02 Yeah. It could get emotional.
38:04 It could. It could.
38:06 Next question.
38:09 Yes. Hello.
38:11 Sorry. We're back.
38:13 We are back. Yes.
38:15 Thank you. I apologise. I apologise.
38:18 I thought he was going to pass on it.
38:21 OK. My name is Missai.
38:23 Hi, everyone.
38:24 Nice to meet you.
38:26 I have... Thank you very much, Sebastian,
38:29 for mentioning the fact of IG and their names.
38:32 I've had an alias over 15 years,
38:34 and I've used that on Instagram and on my social media.
38:37 So that's a little kick.
38:39 But... Yes, I'm going to sort...
38:41 I've got one there, but it's only got two pictures.
38:44 So, yeah, I'm going to organise that. Thank you.
38:46 OK. I've got two questions.
38:48 One question...
38:50 The first question is...
38:52 I have been doing acting over 20 years.
38:55 I'm... I'm...
38:57 But it's been more stage...
39:00 Sorry, I was born in Liverpool, so accent will slip out sometimes.
39:04 It's been more stage than screen.
39:07 And I've combined... I've done my own shownreels,
39:10 cos throughout the years I've been doing it,
39:12 I didn't go to finish or do any schools,
39:15 so I'd done all my acting on my own, kind of a thing,
39:18 no agents or anything like that.
39:20 So people was like, "Why aren't you going on Spotlight and all of this?"
39:24 I said, "Well, I haven't got anything."
39:27 So my advice to everybody here is get your...
39:30 Whatever you do, ask them for a clip of what you've done
39:34 so you can help build your shownreels.
39:36 So that's what I've done, and I've done my own shownreel.
39:40 But I've combined the stage and the screen.
39:43 Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
39:45 Erm... I don't know, to be honest.
39:51 Because... I'll tell you why.
39:53 What would you do if you saw that?
39:56 Erm...
39:58 Is it wrong to...
40:02 I don't think there's a right or wrong,
40:04 cos when you really want an actor, you don't really care.
40:07 So a lot of the times, if I...
40:11 If you really like someone, you kind of look at things
40:16 in a different way, even if they're not packaged.
40:20 They might have even done their self-tape,
40:22 and the lighting, everything might be trash,
40:24 but it's like, "Oh, wow, the talent."
40:26 So...
40:28 But I have that kind of... That's what I would do.
40:31 And some people might just want things to be separate,
40:36 like stage, theatre over here, this material over there.
40:40 And I would probably recommend that,
40:42 but I think that's more of an agent and how they position you,
40:46 and maybe casting directors,
40:48 because I look at things differently as well.
40:50 Like, a lot of the times when we do auditions,
40:53 it's already gone through a filtering process,
40:55 and the materials I get have already kind of been...
40:59 packaged in a particular way.
41:01 So I'm not entirely sure.
41:04 I would... My impulse says separate,
41:08 but if it's all you have and it's really good,
41:11 maybe it's the best thing. I don't know, to be honest.
41:14 Yeah, so...
41:16 Good point. Thank you. Thank you. Great question.
41:19 I'd say we've got time for two more questions.
41:23 Hi, Sebastian. My name is Leah.
41:27 I'm a writer moving into the directing, producing space
41:34 for this TV show idea that I have.
41:36 And obviously, with this whole journey,
41:38 I'm realising that the TV shows that we watch
41:40 and the films that we watch
41:42 is generally just like a huge group project.
41:44 As a director, how do you navigate
41:48 and establish a sense of collaboration
41:50 between you and your actors?
41:54 Because obviously, you guys have both been presented
41:56 with the same script.
41:57 Either you wrote it or somebody else has wrote it.
41:59 But how do you overcome the sense of, like,
42:01 an over-present actor who wants to do something a certain way?
42:04 Or, like, you see how certain people
42:06 have been asking questions of getting out of their head.
42:10 How do you navigate the sense of,
42:12 we're both trying to establish the same thing?
42:15 Or even within yourself, how do you put yourself
42:17 in the actor's shoes so that they feel comfortable
42:20 and you feel comfortable as you do something together?
42:23 Hmm. That's a good question.
42:26 Because it's like, I think that that's really difficult
42:31 to manage, like...
42:33 Because you...
42:41 OK, so, like, I remember watching...
42:44 Who was it?
42:46 Samuel Jackson had done an interview,
42:48 and I think he was talking about how he was working
42:51 with a young director, and they wanted to do, like,
42:55 a take here and a close-up and wide and this and that,
42:59 and they were doing so much, and he was just like,
43:01 "No, not doing that."
43:03 And then that made... When I watched that,
43:05 I was like, "Oh, my gosh, imagine, like,
43:08 "working with certain actors, and they're just like, 'No.'"
43:11 Like, and...
43:13 But then I get what he was talking about,
43:18 and I think sometimes removing your ego from it
43:22 really helps in terms of looking at the scenario.
43:25 Like, there's been times where I've been on set
43:27 and I have this grand plan.
43:29 I'll be like, "Yeah, like, instead of being in a car,
43:32 "they're going to be outside, and you're going to be walking
43:35 "and talking and doing this and da-da-da-da-da,"
43:37 then you go on set, you've talked about it already with your DP,
43:41 and then I'll go and then I'll bring the actors in
43:43 for line reading, and then they're looking around,
43:45 they're like, "Where's the car?"
43:48 And then we carry on talking, I'm like, "No, I've got this great idea,"
43:51 and then there's, like, this whole thing of, like,
43:54 "Nah, man, this don't make sense.
43:56 "Like, this is... It should be in a car."
43:58 Like, and then you're like, "But I've got, like,
44:00 "these ideas that are really cool."
44:02 But I think if I remove my...
44:05 Like, there's been scenarios where that's happened
44:07 and I've been like, "You know what? You're right.
44:09 "Yeah, like, this... You're right. It'll work better."
44:12 And there's been other times where I've kind of been, like, won them over
44:17 and they've been like, "Oh, you know what? I never saw it like that.
44:20 "You've won." So I think there's a constant thing of having...
44:23 For me, anyway, my process is vision,
44:26 let's do whatever is the best vision,
44:28 let's work together and try and tell this in the best way that we can.
44:32 But I don't think... I don't think everyone would have that approach
44:39 because that can also sometimes get in the way of what you've locked in.
44:44 So, yeah. Hope that helps.
44:47 Thank you. Very gracious answer.
44:50 Before our last question, I just want to highlight something.
44:54 I don't know if this is going to be good or bad,
44:56 but, Leah, you said that you are currently making a project
45:01 which sounds like you probably will be looking for actors,
45:04 so you just happen to be in a room full of them,
45:07 so feel free to speak to Leah afterwards.
45:09 OK, yeah, you won it. There you go. There she is. Yes, yes, yes.
45:13 Yeah, and when I spoke to you,
45:15 you sounded like your project was very well put together,
45:18 so, yes, there. There we go.
45:20 Last question.
45:24 Hiya. Have you ever shot anything documentary style?
45:27 And if you haven't, how would you do that,
45:31 especially if it's in memory of someone you love?
45:34 Yeah, I've done documentaries.
45:36 A lot of the stuff that I've done early on in my career was on YouTube,
45:41 so I've done loads of YouTube sketch shows,
45:43 so we've done all of A-Dots comedy stuff,
45:45 and then we've done a few short films,
45:49 and then I started to move into documentaries
45:52 through doing corporate videos.
45:54 I was just trying to do anything
45:56 just to finance what I was doing on Upshot TV.
46:00 And then, yeah, I ended up doing a documentary
46:06 where we shot something in Kenya,
46:08 and I've done a few other ones and stuff,
46:11 and I really enjoy the process.
46:13 I really like it because you're working now with real people,
46:19 and the way you work with that is very different,
46:26 and also you see the power of editing a lot more through that process.
46:31 So when you're in the edit, you can shape stories however you wish.
46:36 I mean, with documentaries, you can just...
46:40 The way you can cut things will make someone
46:43 feel a completely different way, you know?
46:46 Even more so than in narrative content, I think, like scripted.
46:51 But yeah, I really enjoyed it.
46:54 It was a fun process. Yeah.
46:58 Perfect. Thank you.
47:00 Can we have a round of applause for Sebastian?
47:02 (applause)
47:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]