In 2016 the UK decided to leave the European Union. The moment the Leave vote won, the drama surrounding the deal, no deal, ministers, elections, and the basic understanding of what leaving the EU would mean for the UK took over every inch of political and social life. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, the majority, including…
Effective Pitching For Filmmakers, Writers and Storytellers
Before you even begin to think about pitching your projects to anyone, I would strongly advise you to answer and identify the following questions: – What is your target market? Do you know your target market, niche audience? Who is going to buy your product, idea or service? – What are the benefits your target…
One Pager
I like making a One Pager for every scene in my shooting script. One Pager is for me only and reminds me of all the most important things I need in the scene for it to work for the audience. My One Pager consists of: The scene in a nutshell (one line, what the view…
The Recipe for a Good Family Movie
As a parent, I watch a lot of PG, family-friendly films and over the years I realised that the most successful family films have those five things in common: 1. One of the characters is an animal. It doesn’t have to be the main character, but the animal is an integral part of the whole…
“How Is Star Wars Inspiring Little M.?”
I was planning to write about how Star Wars films have been inspiring a new generation of filmmakers to tell visual stories. However, I must honestly admit I’ve never been a massive fan of the franchise, so I know very little about all that inspiration filmmakers feel while watching or analysing it. I felt that…
What Does Film Director Really Do?
As a film student I read many books written by film directors, who I admired but I never fully understood what film director’s job was and what do they do on and off the set. It all became clear to me once I started making my films, making mistakes, and learning from them. Below you…
Should You Agree to Work for Free?
This is a question many people in the creative sector will be asking themselves throughout their careers, and unfortunately, the “offers” to work for free don’t end the older you become or, the more experience you have. When I left film school, it was believed that you needed to work for at least two years…
“London Sucks You In”
I moved to London in 1998. The first days and weeks were hard. I was homesick big time; I was missing the feeling and the security, which familiar environment offers. I had never been so far or for so long away from my family than that one summer in 1998. I was 19 back then,…
Storytelling Is Trendy
Storytelling has been a part of our human culture and experience since the beginning of times. Storytellers have always been important and respected members of every culture and society. Whole tribes used to gather around the fire camp listening to stories, learning, and passing the knowledge to the next generation. Stories still help the children…
“My Life Without FB on My Phone”
When the Cambridge Analytica scandal became public, I decided to delete FB and messenger app from my phone and entirely delete my Instagram account. I’m more than sure that Instagram is undoubtedly not missing me as a user. Since March 2018 I have been living without FB, and the messenger on my phone and I…