THE FILM JOURNEY

TRIP THE LIGHT FANTASTIC

The journey to excellence in the film industry can be long and hard, usually riddled with obstacles and proliferated by highs and lows. Success depends on having a light and nimble touch, talent bolstered by dedication and perseverance.

WORDS BY TOBY WEIDMANN

SUCCESS IS A NEBULOUS CONCEPT with multiple meanings. For some, it’s about financial reward or critical acclaim; for others, it’s about creative fulfilment. Maybe it means achieving the seemingly impossible. Perhaps it’s simply about fulfilling a dream. While the destination may be similar and experiences shared, the journey to get there is individual to each.

Taking that first step is often the hardest, especially when you have no experience or insider knowledge on how to proceed. “The idea of film felt like something far away from me,” explains Sarah Brocklehurst, now the producer of Animals (2019) and a co-nominee for BAFTA’s Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for Black Pond back in 2012. “It felt like something that happened to people that I didn’t know... I always loved film, but I came to it after being very passionate about theatre. I never thought film was something that was especially accessible.”

Producer Sarah Brocklehurst

BAFTA/Felicity McCabe

The experience of actor Anthony Welsh, who made his film debut in Red Tails (2012) and recently starred in The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020), parallels that of Brocklehurst. “There was no direct link, that I could see, between looking at people on the screen and believing I could be them. It was a distant galaxy away,” he says. “I really enjoyed drama at high school and showed a lot of passion for it, but no one in my family was an actor or anything like that.”

Actor Anthony Welsh

BAFTA/Misha Meghna

Double BAFTA-winning writer-director Lynne Ramsay started her journey by accident, explaining that she fell into it inadvertently through being a photographer. “Film director wasn’t a career option where I came from, a typical working class Glaswegian family, [although] my parents were film buffs, so from an early age I was exposed to their passion for old Hollywood classics.” As chance would have it, her teacher showed her class Maya Deren’s short film Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), with and without the soundtrack. “I was mesmerised by it. So, I applied to film school on a whim the day before the deadline expired,” she explains.

Writer-director Lynne Ramsay

BAFTA/Matt Holyoak

On the back of her stills portfolio, Ramsay landed an interview at the National Film & Television School: “Although I was really into films, loved movies and watched them all the time, I went to film school not really knowing anything about them, having never made one. It was Walter Lassally, a great DoP, who I think thought he could see an eye there... I was discovering what films were and learning how to move the camera and everything else. It was a different language, but I learned pretty fast.”

Fellow Glaswegian James Harkness’ journey into acting was one that originated out of a truly horrific moment in his life. On his 18th birthday, he was the victim of an unprovoked attack with an axe that left him hospitalised. Born and raised in the deprived area of Gorbals, Harkness’ teenage years had been combative, although he had found solace in a local theatre group. “I was just a wee kid having fun,” he explains. “It was like mucking about with your pals. The older I got, people started telling me I could make a career out of it, but I wasn’t really looking at that. I started in the Citizens Theatre Young Company where Neil Packham got his hands on me. He fought for me to pursue it because there were a lot of distractions in my area.”

Harkness, who landed roles in 2015’s Macbeth and 2019’s Wild Rose, discovered his love for film as a child through a “treasure trove” of VHS given to him by his neighbours, who were upgrading their collection to DVD. However, he had stepped away from acting to earn a trade when the fateful night with the axe happened. “Before the incident, that part of my life wasn’t right. When I awoke in the hospital, I knew going back to acting was the right thing to do... When I was asked to go to drama school [he was sponsored to go to LAMDA – ed.], I didn’t think it was possible. I thought you had to go to university or something. I thought this was my chance; I nearly died, this is my second go at life and I’m going to go for it.”

Actor James Harkness

BAFTA/Jamie Simonds

Harkness’ passion is something shared with all of those interviewed for this feature, something perhaps consistent with all those who work in the industry. Emily Morgan, the BAFTA-winning producer of I Am Not a Witch (2017), knew she wanted to make films from a young age, although initially she was unsure of which craft to pursue.

“It was an instant obsession and passion,” she says, recalling her early experiences watching 80s’ flicks at home courtesy of her babysitter. “I just loved being transported by cinema. That’s always carried me through in my projects. I choose to make films that tend to be quite far flung and otherworldly. Even if they are about feelings that are very close to me, the setting is often very different... I knew I loved film and that I wanted to work in film. The first thing I hooked onto was editing and then it just kept evolving. I was working in postproduction and then distribution, hands-on production, production coordination and that evolved into more creative producing.”

Once the journey has commenced, navigating a path becomes the next hurdle: the film industry is a notoriously risky business and many obstacles can lie in the way. Actors, in particular, face a life of rejection through the audition process, interspersed with the occasional win. Welsh experienced this early on, having applied to both RADA and LAMDA and being initially rejected by both. It was only when one of his teachers at Richmond Drama School pointed out that LAMDA allows students to re-apply in the same year, which he did successfully, that his career trajectory got back on track.

“I was devastated,” he says about that first double rejection. “There was nothing I wanted to do more... Once my teacher suggested I re-audition, it was like, ‘why not?’ I had nothing to lose... Rejection is really tough, especially as an actor because it’s you walking into that room, your physical self. So when you’re told ‘no’, it’s easy to think it’s personal. The more experience I’ve had, I’ve realised it’s really not a lot of the time. There are so many other things that have nothing to do with your talent... It’s interesting because people only see the wins, they don’t see the ones you don’t get, which are so much more. But if it’s something you love, the way that I love it, and have been obsessed by it, then you just have to keep going.”

Harkness concurs: “It’s a bit like a boxer having to learn to be punched in the face; it’s up to you whether you get back up or not. It’s never going to be easy. If you don’t care, maybe your heart’s not in it.”

Bumps in the road for a producer can be anything from a financier pulling out to conflicting schedules forcing unexpected changes. “I overcome the disappointments quite quickly,” notes Brocklehurst. “I’m pretty strong willed in that respect. You have to feel it, absorb the blow, for however long that takes, and then just move on. Because you care for a project so much, it feels like an indictment of the thing you love, but I tell myself people pass for all sorts of reasons. It doesn’t reflect on the quality of my project... A practical way I tell myself this is that they have spent two hours deliberating on it, and I’ve spent four years thinking about it. So, therefore, my opinion matters more.”

Producer Emily Morgan

BAFTA/Matt Holyoak

Morgan adds that you can’t be too single-minded. While tenacity and perseverance are important attributes for any producer, she notes that you have to learn from setbacks, too. “It’s worth thinking about what that setback is telling you and then taking your next step based on that,” she says. “It might simply be that they have something else that’s too similar or are already committed to something else. So, learning from the setbacks and really analysing them is important.”

Ramsay prefers to focus on the good stuff. While the politics of making a film can be trying, she uses the creative process that she loves to motivate herself onwards. “I think I just get over any setbacks by thinking creatively,” she laughs. “A new idea is really exciting to me and that takes me over the hump... You do get the knocks, but you just have to put them into perspective. I’ve been lucky enough to make the films I’ve wanted to make, and I’ve had final cut. It’s a tough job, film director, there’s no question about that, but it’s also a brilliant job. I think every director feels like giving up sometimes, but you could never give it up because you so love filmmaking.”

Clearly, it’s the wins that make the journey worthwhile, whether it’s landing that special role or finally releasing your film into the wild. If awards success follows, then all’s the better. “It can be such a struggle to get a film made,” says Brocklehurst, “but there is a huge buzz and overall satisfaction about seeing the film you’ve willed into existence, that you’ve spent years plotting with your creative team, collaborators and partners. When it’s as wonderful as you’d dreamed, that’s a huge thrill. It’s also incredibly rewarding to feel like you’ve honoured the vision of the people who trusted you in the beginning.”

“It’s always nervewracking seeing a film with an audience for the first time,” adds Ramsay, “as you definitely feel the atmosphere, but it’s also exhilarating if they seem to be going with it... You spend a lengthy time thinking, planning and questioning your ideas then questioning them again, reaching for something that connects with people in ways that are sometimes beyond words or explanation... It’s going beyond the surface that excites me. I think people can sense when something is phoney. That’s what I find so powerful about film: you can be transported without really knowing why. It appeals to the senses like music. You just hope you have done something that really immerses an audience into the world you’ve created.”

For those starting out on their journey into the film industry, Harkness, Morgan and Brocklehurst offer some thoughts on how best to navigate your way. “It’s a cliché, but take a breath, just be confident and believe in yourself,” states Harkness. Morgan agrees confidence is key: “It’s tough as a woman starting out. Things are changing thankfully and I feel a lot luckier than those in the generations before me... There are always setbacks, but you have to be confident and rise above them.” Brocklehurst, meanwhile, offers this: “Find the people who share your passions and ambitions and make them your team. Dream big, work hard, support each other and keep going.”

“There isn’t one route to success,” concludes Welsh, referring to the journey itself. “Whenever I think about any of the really famous people, the icons who made it to the spotlight, often you will find that their journeys are totally different. Embrace your journey... and don’t take that first rejection as the only option!”