Screen and Film School Brighton were thrilled to launch Shoot for the Stars this year- an exclusive opportunity for graduates to talk directly to the Stars of Tomorrow and make connections for the future.
Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow is an annual showcase of the most prominent new writers, directors, producers and heads of department emerging across the UK and Ireland. Screen and Film School Brighton graduates were given the opportunity to spend 30-minutes chatting with their chosen star, including Ruben Woodin Dechamps, Ella Glendining, Colum Eastwood, Akinola Davies Jr, Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, and gain valuable insight into their careers and journeys through film.
Each week we’ll be sharing some words of wisdom from these sessions, this week from writer/director Colum Eastwood who was interviewed by our Brighton graduate, Connor Kinsey.
Top tips from Writer/Director Colum Eastwood – interviewed by Connor Kinsey
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- Spend time on the logline. Summarising the premise of your film in just a sentence can really help you understand what it is you’re trying to say.
- The landscape in which you set your film should be a tool rather than an aesthetic. It can summarise how a character feels, the nature of the situation they are in, or perhaps physically it demonstrates the journey the characters are on. For small budget filmmakers it can also bump up the value of your movie.
- Funding is often what stops our scripts becoming films. Local film bodies such as BFI South East and Screen South are there to support filmmakers that they feel have potential. Not only is this a potential funding opportunity but it puts you on their radar for future projects.
- Filmmaking is a collaborative process. We’ve all been in a position to which we don’t like the feedback we’ve received or perhaps they’ve misunderstood what you’re trying to say with your story. But it’s good practice to listen to feedback, especially when it’s from people that are funding your film. Be adaptable, be amenable.
- Finding filmmakers to collaborate with early on is really beneficial. Not only does this mean that for every project you work on together, you’ve established a shorthand but also there’s a likely investment towards each other’s careers.
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Screen and Film School Brighton Graduate, Connor Kinsey
A huge thank you to Colum and Connor for this brilliant session and valuable insights. Don’t forget to check back next week for more highlights from Shoot For The Stars!
