UK Young Directors

young directors 5 5 uk special

The UK, and London in particular, is fizzing with exciting new talent – hip young things clogging up Camden and Shoreditch. There’s some exciting work out there – not necessarily the sort of things you’d try to sell to a client, but flashes of brilliance nonetheless. Many production companies would rather steer clear of talent in this raw state, content to cherry pick directors just as they blossom. But there are other, more green-fingered, production companies that have made searching out and nurturing rough talent their trademark. Directors don’t grow on trees you know…

Manifesto With an office full of barely 20-something whippersnappers messing about

uk

capital gains for fresh blood

with cameras and bashing around ideas, Manifesto is one Soho production

Britain is

fizzing with hot new directors, says Laura Swinton, and an increasing number of production

company that’s really embraced the idea of nurturing new talent. Their roster includes people like Anthony Dickenson (formerly of teamSTUSH, the

companies

collective that launched Saam Farahmand), Sam Crack and CAD-nominated

are making

John Major’s Daughters (JMD).

Since joining Manifesto as head of music videos and commercials respectively, Paul McCloone and Jason Underhill have always sought out promising young directors and given them support and opportunities.

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the most of (Above, clockwise from top left) the Manifesto team: Anthony Dickenson, Tim Main, Joe Dixon and Sam Crack

the raw talent on offer

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draw pictures: young Guns According to Patrick Holtkamp, production companies face a stark choice: evolution or extinction. And he’s doing his utmost to make sure that his company, Draw Pictures, doesn’t go the way of the dinosaurs. Its creative output already reaches well beyond music videos, and it has also set up a digital agency, Wax Media. But the most integral element of Draw’s survival strategy is to seek out new talent that’s hip, hot and edgy.

McCloone worked as a promo commissioner prior

For this purpose, it created the Young Gun stable of new directors, a home

to joining Manifesto – and it’s an experience that

for the new talent found by Holtkamp and executive producer Phil Tidy at

opened his eyes to the neglectful treatment of

film schools, screenings and networking sites such as MySpace. The new

newbies within the industry. Many companies

directors get exposure (Young Guns is now the most popular part of the

would just stick a new director up on a website

Draw website, averaging 250 unique users a day), advice and the chance to

and leave them to fend for themselves. “It wasn’t

help out as assistant directors on bigger shoots. Several Young Guns alumni

very human. It just seemed a bit mean,” he says.

have graduated onto the main roster, such as Mo and Shelley Love. However,

So McCloone resolved to make sure that

they have also occasionally seen bigger companies poach their groomed

Manifesto became a sort of nurturing school for

discoveries with promises of golden handshakes and retainers.

its younger directors.

A school it may be but there’s nothing academic about Manifesto’s approach to its young grasshoppers. They’re encouraged to muck in on

From the Quick Draw nest: the work of David Allain (top) and Remi Weekes (above); Crazy Girl admidst her animation (right)

each other’s projects, and when they’re not

“I’m on all fours.

The current set of sharp shooters includes Isaac Rentz, Remi Weekes, David

directing a job, they’re doing paid work at other

Once a second

Allain, 3 Pronged Attack and Crazy Girl. Weekes has just finished his last

shoots. Shrinking budgets mean that most new

I’m tapping a

year of university. “My experience does not extend much further than my

directors can’t financially support themselves through directing alone.

There’s a nice buzz among the directors at

laptop space bar.

Meanwhile, we’re

nose,” he jokes. But he’s already managed to create some funky promos, a viral and a hilarious short, L’Artiste. He hopes that the Young Guns will give him the opportunity to gain more technique and confidence. “Hopefully this

Manifesto. They have a good rapport and have

being driven up

opportunity will help me develop my own Remi Weekes signature!” he adds.

fun when working. “It’s 5.43 am, I’m on all fours.

and down a lane

Crazy Girl – otherwise known as Tiff McGinnis - is another intriguing

Once a second I’m tapping a laptop space bar.

in a van in the

prospect. An electro musician signed to Tummy Touch, she taught herself

Meanwhile we’re being driven up and down a lane

rain, in Devon. I

animation because the label wouldn’t shell out for music videos. As well as

in a van in the rain, in Devon. I still don’t know

still don’t know

music videos, she’s created some cartoons and shorts – like the trippy

why. Hopefully Tone [Dickenson] does… it was his shoot,” reminisces JMD’s Joe Dixon.

His JMD directing partner Tim Main has nothing

why... hopefully

Scottish legend Black Fairy – which all feature a unique psychedelic style.

Tone does...”

but good things to say about bouncing around

flynn productions: youth club

with the other Manifesto directors. “In terms of

Work experience is a great chance to hone the craft of tea-making, learn by

reference for treatments and stuff, the other

heart the locations of the five nearest dry-cleaners and get to grips with the

guys are probably the best library you could ever

basics of that most complex of tasks – the post. At Flynn Productions,

find. Everyone has a great visual encyclopedia.

however, you’re more likely to emerge with a job offer.

Aah. It does feel good to share.”

Orlando Cubitt, Bouha Kazmi and Matt Nee all started off as interns at the

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young directors 5 7 uk special

tips and tricks, and everyone involved is employed full time on a variety of jobs. Kazmi and Cubitt now help prepare treatments in the creative department while Nee is an editor at Flynn’s in-house post production department.

Much of Youth Club’s work has involved shooting virals for high-profile clients, such as Athlete and the Judd Apatow film Superbad.

At the other end of the spectrum there’s the more traditional young director fodder of underthe-radar bands, such as The Duloks.

Youth Club also allows the rookies to get used to dealing with clients and agencies – gaining the

Jo3, directed by Tom & Rory (Left) Youth Club members include (l–r) Matt Nee, Bouha Kazmi and Orlando Cubitt

kind of people skills you rarely get at film school.

“As opposed to starting out making loads of films for your friends’ bands in an East London ghetto, we’ve jumped in the deep end,” says Cubitt.

But, says Calderwood, schemes like this aren’t a guarantee to success. “We can open the door, but they’ve got to go through it.”

East London offices of Flynn. Cubitt decided to give Flynn a shot after a

the gate films

couple of years working at the British Film Institute and watching an awful

There’s nothing more frustrating than forgetting

lot of films. Kazmi worked at a creative consultancy before deciding to get

to watch a new director’s showreel or knocking a

involved with the production side of things. And Nee was a fine arts

young hopeful back only to find that, several

graduate who wanted to have a go with film. They now make up Youth Club,

months later, they’re the darling of the industry.

a collective of young directors who have climbed their way through stints

So having found that one too many new directors

on reception and picture filing.

were slipping through their fingers, Manchester-

Youth Club was created by Flynn founder Mary Calderwood as a proving

based production company The Gate Films

ground for young talent; a chance to learn the ropes in a semi-anonymous

decided to become more pro-active. Its solution

capacity before potentially joining the roster as a fully-fledged director. The

was to launch a new directors competition that

new talent collaborate with Flynn’s more established directors, picking up

would scour the country for undiscovered

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nuggets of talent. The premise was simple – invite agencies to submit their unmade scripts and then get wannabe directors to make them.

In the interests of fairness, judges are encouraged to overlook production values so they can award the best direction rather than technical skills. “This is all about taking a closer look,” says Steve Byrne of The Gate.

The first competition was back in 2006. To coincide with the launch of The

“It’s a space

Partizan: The Dark Room

Gate’s Edinburgh office, it ran in Scotland. Directing duo (and childhood

where we can

The Dark Room, an ideal place for developing

friends) Tom & Rory romped to victory in the launch competition, with a

try stuff out

film, is also an ideal place for developing new

grisly XFM viral, and have been with The Gate ever since. They’ve created

without

talent. Partizan’s experimental testing ground

live action and animation short Jo3 and now have a reel that shows off their

necessarily

was set up a couple of years ago by Matt Tucker,

talents. “It’s had its ups and downs but The Gate has been very supportive of our ideas, at the same time as teaching us how the advertising industry works. It’s definitely been a steep learning curve, but it has also been a very

denting the mothership, a

and although the setup is not exclusively for new directors, it’s an area of the company where people can try out new and different things.

rewarding experience,” says Tom.

department that

Emerging talent gets a chance to find its feet and

The competition is still running, and this year’s winner, National Film and

reflects the

established old hands can explore new territories.

Television School graduate Eicke Bettinga, who emerged from the London

changing media

“It’s a space where we can try stuff out without

leg, will be represented by The Gate for at least a year. He is excited about

landscape and

necessarily denting the mothership, a department

the creative potential of honing his craft at the company. “I am aware of how

gets involved

that reflects the changing media landscape and

competitive this industry is and that’s why I’m glad to join The Gate,” he says. “Now I can work on my style and explore new boundaries.”

with new ideas.”

gets involved with new ideas. It’s as much about making mistakes as it is about cool work,”

(Above) Diesel: Teleportation, directed by Rozan & Schmeltz. (Left) Xbox: Master Your Environment, directed by Barney Howells

explains Tucker. “Having a ‘free radical’ style department simply invigorates and inspires the company as a whole.”

Most new talent still comes from Partizan’s music video department – Kinga Burza, Ollie Evans et al.

KitKat: The Forensic Team, directed by Eicke Bettinga

But that is changing. Barney Howells, who made his mark with the mind-bending Xbox spot Master your Environment, came through Dark Room, as did collective LoDef, which works with Partizan for special projects.

So how much potential is there in the advertising industry for up-and-coming, promising new talent? “Music video commissioners are always on the lookout for new people, as new styles and trends are what the music industry is all about – although I no longer think music video is necessarily the best medium for launching directors,” says Tucker. “Agencies are at a point where they should probably start confidently rolling the dice on new talent more.”

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