I was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and grew up in Pretoria where I attended the Pretoria School for Art, Ballet, Music and Drama where I matriculated. I always wanted to be a filmmaker but spent most of my life doing everything but that. It wasn’t until I was 38, working as a waiter that I decided my dream won’t find me, I have to go find it. So I wrote a short film script and with my fellow waiters and friends we put together a small team and I shot my first short film. From that point on I kept collaborating with other aspiring filmmakers and I wrote, produced and directed numerous short films. In 2013 I decided to pursue my film career on a full time basis and after a year of struggling and getting more and more into debt I decided to look for greener pastures. I managed to secure a position in Dubai as a producer with a production company where I worked for a year before going independent. Now I’m a full time director based in Dubai, UAE.
How would you describe your work as a director
I always go for a very cinematic style in my work and try to give a certain sensuality to it. I love the glamorous look and feel and use my lighting to bring that world alive with composition playing a vital role in representing the characters. I also try to incorporate a certain amount of drama and romanticism in the stories I tell.
How did you get into directing
As I mentioned, I just got tired of waiting around for an opportunity to get into the industry. I realized that I would have to go out and create the opportunities myself.
How do you choose a project to direct
The characters in the story have to resonate with me and have a strong voice, with something to say to the audience. If there’s no depth to the characters in the world that they find themselves in then there’s nothing to explore in the story for the filmmaker.
Briefly describe in a few words wrong impressions actors, writers,and directors have about directing
I don’t think that there is a right or wrong impression. As an artist there is just your perception of the world and the one you create in film and people either associate to your story and it’s characters or they don’t. However I do feel that people focus to much on themselves and their own role in a production. Making a film is a team effort and the best performances and moments come from a space where each person and department is feeding off each other and being inspired by what the other person is doing. When I director and actor find a common space in a moment on set which is removed from the reality of our lives, that’s when a film is made.
Do you take courses to increase you craft
Personally I don’t take any courses. I use other movies to inspire me and learn from. Also I allow myself to be open on set and to learn from the people I work with. After each production I analyze myself and what happened with that project and learn from that experience. It is that approach that has helped me develop as a filmmaker from project to project.
What books do you read
I’m a visual artist so I don’t really enjoy reading and generally don’t have the time or patience to read a book. I feed off of the world around me and my own experiences in life and the people that I interact with.
Why will you choose an actor, writer or producer. What do you look for
Firstly and most importantly I look for passion and the right attitude. I believe that the process of making a film together is more important than the final product. If the team pulls together and are in sync then the final film will be worth watching. In the end it’s not the accolades that I want to look at on my mantle piece but the memories of the people I have the pleasure of experiencing the journey with.
When you are offered a job, what things do you put in place to deliver a good job
The right team for sure. The people I choose to work with must be inspired by the project and believe in it as much as I do.
Briefly explain your latest work
My latest project was a commercial for a perfume brand based in Dubai. The moment I saw the packaging of the bottle I already saw the world that the perfume reflected come to life. We went for a very dramatic approach, telling the story in a cinematic style. When you watch the commercial you feel like you’re watching a trailer for a movie. It’s a very different approach for a commercial but I felt that it worked for this specific brand.
What thing/situation helps you during production
The way a project takes on it’s own energy and becomes a living thing feeds my inspiration and drives me. With every person that joins the team and with every new step taken on getting closer to the first day of shooting the project changes and it gets it’s own character. And when we’re on set it continues to change and develop. It’s this process that I love.
Explain a creative choice you took on set on a recent production
I had to shoot four perfume commercials on a very small budget. For the one fragrance I cam up with a concept and in the last minute we couldn’t get the location so I had to come up with a new concept and find a dancer to bring the concept to life. It was a real challenge but it ended up being one of my favorite shoots ever.
How do you advice directors to find projects
You have to network and continuously promote yourself and keep people updated on your latest work. Social media plays a huge role in a persons success in todays world. Further more, if you’re not shooting for a client and have time, instead of sitting around wondering if you’ve made the right decision in life, get out their and collaborate with other creative and shoot. Come up with a concept, get a team together and stay creative. Keep producing work. It helps you improve, build on your showreel and network. The plus is that you’re doing what you love, even if you’re not getting paid.
How can filmmakers finance projects
There are many programs out there to help filmmakers get funding. How ever it’s a difficult path and not everybody is going to get financing. My best advice is to get a camera and a laptop with an editing program. Write your story and shoot it. Don’t wait around hoping for that big budget to come your way. If you have the talent you’ll tell a good story and somebody will notice. Get your work out there, not your intention. Take action.
What do you want from an actor in production
I expect them to bring their own personality to a character and make it their own. My job as a director is to firstly give them the freedom to do anything they feel is right for the character. If the character doesn’t work then I have chosen the wrong actor. It’s not the fault of the actor. Secondly, I create a space of trust between me and the actor where they feel that they can be that character without judgment and that I will support them unconditionally on that journey of discovering the character and becoming that character on set.
How do you prefer to work with a producer during a production
Coming from a producing background I understand the immense task of putting together all the individual aspects to make a production work. It is important that we have the same vision for the story and that we respect each others role in making it happen. I need the creative space to do what I do and they need to provide the tools for me to do that. I on the other hand must be sensitive to issues like scheduling and budget. Each of us willing to compromise without letting the project suffer.
What do you think a director can do to get into the film industry
Shoot, shoot, shoot. Create work and get it out there.
Who is your favorite director
Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford are the two forces that inspired me as a boy. Other than them I love the work of Michael Bay, James Cameron and the Scott brothers.
Why this director
I love big epic action adventure films.
What advice would you give to directors around the world
Be yourself and let your work reflect who you are. Be honest. Don’t try and tell stories that you don’t feel. When you’re writing a sad scene and you’re not crying, stop right there.
Briefly write about your career
I feel that I’m still a very young director despite my age, so I wouldn’t say that I’ve discovered any actors. Actually I think that actors discover themselves when they’re attracted to specific story and make that decision to be a part of it. In each project we discover more of ourselves. Life as an artist is about self discovery and expression. Great artists are always trying to understand who they are as people and where they fir in to the world. My career has been just that. A journey of discovery. Each project being special in it’s own way.
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