The screenwriter and director Tony Grisoni might be best known for his collaboration with Terry Gilliam on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but his discussion at exposures ranged from his writing process to making short films, the practicalities of directing, and his views of the film industry.
 
Tony talked about the nature of his collaboration with Terry Gilliam, describing it not as hard work but “hard play”, saying that Gilliam “distrusts it if it feels like homework.” The screenplay for Fear and Loathing was a deliberate attempt not to write anything new, drawing dialogue from the novel itself as well as from Hunter S Thompson’s other works. Tony described the Vegas of the film as a dark magnet in the vein of Dante, the protagonist Raoul Duke’s attempts to escape repeatedly drawing him back into an increasingly hellish city.
 
In response to a question about his career, Tony argued that he rejects the idea of a conscious career plan within the film industry. He compared filmmaking to rock and roll, saying that he and his peers were simply “trying to play forever”. After going to film school, Tony got his first job as a runner in the early 1970s, working on BBC-produced films. This led to directing and producing short films, before eventually becoming a screenwriter. Refreshingly, throughout the evening Tony talked about how much fun the film industry is, saying that this is down to the people involved; film people “are like circus people”. Filmmaking has a social, collaborative nature, with the director as the focal point for everything and everyone involved. Tony said that he sees filmmaking as a strange combination of extremely practical decisions and the intangible magic that it can create.
 
Discussing his old fear of public speaking, Tony shared an anecdote about how Terry Gilliam had helped him overcome his fear; “it’s because you think you’ve got something important to say,” Gilliam had told him. Once you realise that you actually don’t have anything important to say, Tony suggested, you’ll be fine.
 
Talking about his writing process, Tony said that the best place to start is in not knowing, and writing should follow the journey of finding out. You have to be able to play and to pretend, and you need to be able to visualise the finished film, complete with cuts, music, lighting, and everything else that goes into creating a scene. You must always stay true to your characters, and let them take you on the story; don’t try to impose anything external. Tony suggested that the first draft should always be written fast; make notes as you go along, so that you’ll have something to go back to when you’ve finished. Similarly, you should end every day of writing while you still have something to do tomorrow.
 
Returning to one of the themes that had run throughout the evening, Tony stressed the collaborative nature of film; after all, you can’t make a film by yourself. Going to film school is a strong foundation, in part because it’s all about surrounding yourself with other people who are doing the same things as you, and building the network of people you’ll collaborate with throughout your career. Over the course of the discussion, Tony gave an inspiring account of filmmaking as exhilarating, fluid, collaborative, and, perhaps above all, fun.

And fellow digital rerporter Dan Shannon manged to grab a quick few words with Tony after the event....

Laura Swift - words and photo
Digital Reporter

Dan Shannon - audio
Digital Reporter

David Lewis Richardson stepped in to run the workshop at the last minute, and we couldn’t have been in better hands. As well as directing television drama and soaps including Shameless, Eastenders and Hollyoaks, David has directed documentaries, commercials, and music videos, and the workshop was peppered with anecdotes and examples drawn from his professional experience.

The workshop started off with a discussion of the importance of a strong showreel; while showing a broad selection of your work, it also relies on the physicality of acting for moments that capture the viewer’s attention in a short space of time.

Throughout the workshop, David stressed the importance of a relationship of mutual trust and respect between actor and director, and how the director must treat each actor differently.

The directing process begins during casting, and directors will usually already have an idea of what each character will look like. One of the most important functions of the audition process is to see how well the actor can take direction; even if they deliver the scene perfectly the first time, a director should give them other suggestions to see whether they are willing to adapt their performance after feedback. Auditions will also help you to determine whether you can build a rapport with the actor, which is crucial to a successful working relationship.

David stressed that the director must always trust their intuition. If you’re happy with the first take, it’s not always worth doing a second take just for insurance. On the other hand, if your intuition tells you that something’s not right, don’t be afraid to ask for another take. A good performance is simply defined by whether or not you believe it.

Drawing on certain examples from his own experience, David gave some tips on how to work around, and cover up, truly bad acting. Usually the best thing to do is to keep the camera on the better actor for as much of the scene as possible, concentrating on their reactions.

David then turned to the subject of how to direct experienced, well known actors. Even if you’re a little starstruck, you owe it to them and yourself to always trust your intuition and say what you feel; if you’re not true to yourself, any actor will lose respect for you. Even the most successful actors are always looking for direction. Equally, it’s important to listen to the actor’s point of view. Soap actors, for example, may have been playing the same character for decades and will know them inside out.

The workshop was filled with advice and tips from David Lewis Richardson’s hugely varied career, with practical ideas as well as discussions about the importance of intuition and building strong working relationships. Above all, it was a fascinating insight into the many roles of the director.

Laura Swift
Digital Reporter

There was a lot of helpful advice dispensed at yesterdays panel discussion. Successful director Phil Hawkins chaired the session and a group of industry professionals talked about their experiences on becoming a freelance filmmaker. These included....

Mercedes Crescenti the funder of Mercedes Crescenti TV. She began her career as a runner at the BBC and graduated to head up production for the Current Affairs department, producing a wide range of programme, from BAFTA nominated documentaries to live broadcasts. Over the past few years, Mercedes has worked for independent companies shooting award-winning television commercials for multinational brands.

Richard Bodgers has composed and produced music for over 1000 commissions, including global TV and cinema ad campaigns for brands such as Bentley motors, Mercedes, Tomb raider and Hoover. He has also written original scores for computer games and films.

Paul Kondras a production designer and art director with a background in theatre.

And Ollie Pillon who is fairly new to the industry after graduating from Manchester Met two years ago. He's now an assistant director and editor after beginning his career as a runner.

Phil and the rest the group had recently worked on a Manchester-made feature film called Being Sold which is due to be released early next year. 

Everyone agreed that being a runner was a good way of getting into the industry. If you're eager to learn and can make yourself indispensable then you will hopefully progress. It's a great way to learn about the industry. An ability to drive is a useful skill to have as a runner. It's not a necessity but will make you more hireable.

Working on short films is a good way to acquire new skills and get your work out there quickly. If you can get your work shown in one of the many film festivals around the world then that's a good way of marketing yourself. There are also still avenues for funding, even in this financial climate.

Another great positive for being freelance is the freedom to do your own thing, up to a certain point. Everyone agreed that it can be a little daunting if a constant supply of work isn't flowing in. You just have to keep publicising yourself and be as proactive as possible and you will hopefully find more work.

The best piece of advice was to just go for it. If you have an idea, for a film or business, then you can make it happen. If you have the passion and the commitment to get into the film industry, give it a go. Be as confident as you can be and introduce yourself to other professionals. There is a lot going on, in and around Manchester for the freelance filmmaker in terms of projects and networking events and with MediaCityUK opening in the coming year the future seems bright for the freelance filmmaker.

And if that wasn't enough advice for you our Digital Reporter Dan Shannon caught up with Phil after the panel. They talked funding opportunites, the different routes into the industry and those all important characteristics you need to make it.

Rob Birchall
Digital Reporter