Up close and personal meeting Company Director Mal
Many companies are faceless corporations that do not allow you to understand the motivations of those at the helm. Creating a simple Q & A with a company director can bridge that gap.
What is your earliest memory of film?
As far back as I can remember films have been a very prevalent part of my existence. Throughout the duration of my childhood from birth my grandmother worked at blockbuster right up until the company shut down. This being the case going to rent films was a weekly activity, which in retrospect I hold very close to my heart. The feeling of going to a video shop and spending a good 30 minutes looking for a film not quite knowing what you’re going to pick up felt somewhat special as opposed to browsing the streaming services today, especially given that finding a film in this day and age is an over saturated process.. My first memory of gravitating towards a specific film was when I was around 5 years old. My mother had a rack of video tapes which I would usually take no notice of, but one day I picked up a film because I liked the look of the cover art, upon asking my mum what the video was she replied ‘That's Back to the Future’. After watching the video there was no turning back and to this day I still rate Back to The Future as my favourite and most watched film.
What made you want to become a filmmaker?
Since I was around 13 years old, I have been an avid creator of hip hop music. The main platforms to get your music heard are mainly based on YouTube and operate through the fees paid by the artists for the videos to be filmed and uploaded. After doing videos with these media platforms I realised that the cost of constantly getting somebody else to do your videos outweighs the cost of just buying a camera with some editing software and doing it yourself. So, my initial introduction to filmmaking was merely a way to cut the middleman out of the picture and rely only on myself to achieve independent success in music. Through the trials and tribulations of making my own videos I started to recognise the complexities of how videography works, which resulted in mentally collating as much research and filmmaking knowledge as I possibly could. Off the back of having this newfound interest my mother suggested to me that I go into education as the ability to create film can be good for both business and personal endeavours. I started University in 2016 and for the past 3 years I have learned a vast array of skills which have advanced my being both mentally and financially.
What are your interests?
In terms of film making my main interests lie within the realms of camera operating and sound design. These interests came only through experience which helped me to recognise my weaknesses and strong points. My reason for being so interested in camera operating is because there is a sense of reward upon completing a day of filming and watching the footage you recorded. This rewarding notion doesn't cross my thought pattern as easily when in post-production as the monotony of editing video can take away the excitement from the production process, were as the spontaneity of being on set is often an exhilarating experience especially under the pressure of a big production. My interest in sound design stems from my experience with music production, which was my first love before rapping. In the future I hope to get some opportunities to score a production or contribute to soundtracks of feature films.
Who inspires you?
Rather than specific directors or artists my main inspirations come from styles and moods. Much of my inspiration is drawn from documentaries and how emotion is portrayed in real life scenarios, emotionally I tend to resonate more with true stories and have felt the most captivating moments in my consumer experience have been whilst watching documentaries or real-life interviews. Not to say that scripted drama productions don’t have inspirational and life changing moral values however in my personal experience nothing compares to seeing the reality of our world through the eyes of those who inhabit it.
What is your vision for the future?
Personally, looking too far into the future has always made me lose sight of my current situation, so in terms of moving forward I am going to continue to pursue the independent film route through my company Over the Water Productions. Most jobs acquired using this company name have been through word of mouth, so the next step is to get online and market with the same methods as when I do my music. Having the prior marketing knowledge has been most beneficial to my confidence and certainty of progress. Success starts with your innermost feeling and the rest is acting upon these urges, without the mental aspect the physical will fail to manifest.
