Interview with Kirsty Dexter 19 Year Old Cornwall Filmmaker

Give an autobiography of yourself?
Kirsty Dexter is a 19 year old filmmaker from Cornwall, UK. Kirsty has been making films for the last two years and her specialism is producing short films. She is currently studying Media Production in College. When Kirsty Dexter is not making films, she is learning the French and Spanish languages as she has a keen interest in business and this relates well with the role of producing.

My MMBF Rising Star Award I received in November at the Cornwall Film Festival! #mmbf #RisingStar #cff pic.twitter.com/tjD14U8mdj

— Kirsty Dexter (@Kirzd) December 6, 2015

You won the MMBF Rising Star Award at Cornwall Film Festival- How did that feel?
I was and still am shocked that I was awarded the Rising Star Award out of so many other students in Cornwall from all of the other colleges. I did not expect to win the award and was incredibly surprised when my name was called. My perseverance and dedication to filmmaking both in college and outside of college had paid off and I was given a pass into the film industry with a brilliant opportunity in London which I am very excited for. With the cash prize I decided to save it and use it to fund my final major project in my college course. The award has been a great confidence booster for me and I feel grateful for those who see the potential in me and have successfully shown me that I can progress further in filmmaking.

Why did you get into filmmaking?
During my GCSE’s I choose to study Business Studies. I thoroughly enjoyed the advertising aspect of this course with use of different media forms. This extended onto my interest into working in the advertising sector so I decided to study Media Production at college. During this course I was expected to create films as well as advertise and it was through this experience that I realised my love of business and my new found interest of filmmaking could work in unison and I could produce films. I volunteered at Cornwall Film Festival one year and enjoyed the experience. I also watch many films in my spare time and as an active member of the audience I understand how films can inspire and scare people. This is what I wanted to do; create a moving piece of art that could engage the audience as other films had done to me.

What are the films that you have made?
I have created four short films that are up to a good standard with a few on the side which I definitely learnt from. My first film was a documentary type short where I directed, produced and edited the film and also starred in it as myself.

Kirsty- Screen Life

The second film I created included me again as the main actress, this time playing a new character. I was also included in the development of the story and credited as an assistant director.

Murderous Intentions

I then worked with Dogbite Studios and my college to create a short film in two weeks. Again I was the producer on this shoot.

Dirty Henry

I was accepted onto the British Film Institute Film Academy Cornwall 2015/ 2016 with 19 other filmmakers and I was lead producer for the film we created.

Chalk

Talk to us about your concept on collaboration?
Collaboration has never been a strong point of mine. I have always been independent in my work and quite protective of my ideas. However in the film industry this is not how it works. Attempting to make my own films with no collaboration is difficult; you need a crew and actors! I have been finding through making my films however, that i am slowly adapting to working with others and it makes filmmaking much easier. In short films collaboration isn’t as important as when it comes to feature films where finance companies are involved and decisions are also made by these. As a filmmaker you have to be able to work with others and to compromise to a degree… just make sure you don’t loose all of your idea as making a film is supposed to be fun!.

How do you find the process of filmmaking as a indie filmmaker?
Indie filmmaking has it’s positives and negatives. The negatives include: low budget (which potentially limits the story along with the range of cast you can use and equipment etc.), the distribution is costly (sending films to film festivals can be expensive and sometimes they may not even be shown so choose wisely which film festival suits your genre, style and tone of your film). Positives of indie filmmaking is that creative control is all yours if you have created the idea and if you are directing. Creativeness is not limited by financial companies like in feature films. Also they are fun to make, they don’t require large budgets and when you know you’re making an indie film, the script and story shouldn’t be too demanding.

Life Changes, Love Doesn’t… The Official Poster for #Chalk! Screening information coming shortly! pic.twitter.com/8THnYjc2Dv

— Chalk (@chalkshortfilm) February 26, 2016

Indie filmmaking has it’s positives and negatives. The negatives include: low budget (which potentially limits the story along with the range of cast you can use and equipment etc.), the distribution is costly (sending films to film festivals can be expensive and sometimes they may not even be shown so choose wisely which film festival suits your genre, style and tone of your film). Positives of indie filmmaking is that creative control is all yours if you have created the idea and if you are directing. Creativeness is not limited by financial companies like in feature films. Also they are fun to make, they don’t require large budgets and when you know you’re making an indie film, the script and story shouldn’t be too demanding.

Describe your recent work?
As a producer in many of the films i’ve created I have had control of pre-production for the film. Currently i’m working with the National Film and Television School and British Film Institute to create a short film where I am a producer working alongside another producer to create the pre-production to ensure that everything runs accordingly to plan and to keep everyone safe and uninjured on set. This is such an important job! Without planning a film couldn’t be made. The process of a producer on a feature film is so extensive, I couldn’t describe it all here. But as an indie, short film producer the work is relatively smaller.

Also as a producer I find myself often in charge of marketing the films and this is a favourite job of mine! Social media is a massive part of marketing and so I manage these sites to build and engage an audience so they anticipate the film release. Furthermore, posters and trailers are a key aspect of marketing; I enjoy creating posters and videos for films as I can get as creative as I want with them, ensuring that it relates back to the film and story though. The post-production in a film is enjoyable, i’ve edited a few shorts and the easy flow of a successful edit is very pleasing.

Shooting the promotional images for Chalk. Stay tuned for more!#ChalkShortFilm #LGBTQ #indiefilm #Cornwallfilm pic.twitter.com/CWeadeN3fk

— Chalk (@chalkshortfilm) January 23, 2016

What are your future goals?
My future goals are to experiment more with different specialisms such as cinematographer, editor, director and sound so I can get a full, well-rounded view of the job roles on a set, of which there are many more job roles. This will help me decide what role I do enjoy the best and if I stick with producing or moving roles then I will have a good understanding of the whole set and the people working around me which is very useful. I want to keep making films and I am thinking about going to university either in film or business to keep learning about the world of film surrounding us all.

What are your future goals?
I am a 19 year old filmmaker from Cornwall, UK. I have been making films for two years and my specialism is producing short films. I am currently studying Media Production in college. When I am not making films, I learn the French and Spanish languages as I have a keen interest in business and this relates well with the role of producing.

Tell us about what you think indie filmmaker need in today’s world of filmmaking?
The first thing an indie filmmaker needs is IMAGINATION. This is where the magic comes from, the stories of great wonder. Without this where would the passion and drive to work in this industry come from? Secondarily you need MOTIVATION; now this is useful as filmmaking is challenging. Motivation to work hard, to progress and to learn is important. Furthermore, you need a camera. Do you have a phone with a camera that records? Great, get filming! Get a couple of friends to act and a story to work with? You’re already on your way to creating a film. This is where you start! If you’re more advanced, then begin to look for job opportunities in the industry; this is where you find those who can help you in your own filmmaking career or hobby. To finish this off, you need to have PATIENCE; a film can take time to make, but the masterpiece at the end is worth the time and effort.

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