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Past Classic Shorts Since the first TCM Classic Shorts competition in 2000, TCM has been lucky to attract some of the most important names involved with the film industry to help judge the best of our entries. These incredibly busy people willingly gave up their valuable time to help nurture the talent of tomorrow. TCM extends our thanks to all our judges over the past five years.
Past TCM Classic Shorts Winners With TCM’s annual competition reaching its seventh year, we take a look back at some of the films that have been successful since the competition launched.
2005 TCM Classic Shorts first prize went to a directorial collective called Happy, whose unique film Jane Lloyd used no dialogue to tell its story of the tragic demise of a young woman. Gurinder Chadha presented their award and spoke highly of the four minute-long piece saying: “It was inventive storytelling that had you hooked from the first minute. I found it poignant and moving. It has stayed with me.” Another of the judges, Kate Winslet, was also highly complimentary about Jane Lloyd saying it was “brilliantly composed and beautifully edited” and that she found it “very artistic” and “an effective use of the genre”. Moreover, Jane Lloyd was chosen by David Gray for the video of his new single, Alibi.
2004
Nits is he moving story of a 7 year-old boy whose mum seems disinterested in his itchy head and proved to be the winning entry in 2004. Director Harry Wootliff ensured that for the second year running a woman director won the competition. Lord Puttnam, one the judges, drew attention to the excellent performance by young Jonathan Mason: “There should be a special award for the child in Nits who is brilliant” . Jonathan Mason went on to star in the new adaptation of Lassie as Joe, the proud owner of the famous dog. Nits went on to be nominated for a BAFTA Best Short.
2003 Alicia Duffy directed last year’s winning entry, The Most Beautiful Man in the World, an ambiguous encounter between a young girl who wanders into the path of a stranger. Richard Eyre, Stephen Frears, Ismail Merchant and Barry Norman were just some of the internationally renowned panel. Actor Jude Law, also a judge, said of the film, ‘it was beautifully shot… [I] loved the simplicity and atmosphere of the film’ . 2002 The 2002 winner, Thespian X, a surreal futuristic scenario told the story of an out-of-work actor visiting a dole office inhabited by a variety of aliens and mutants! Londoner, Gerald McMorrow directed the piece to stunning acclaim from the 2002 judging panel. K-Pax director, Iain Softley described it as, ‘witty and stylish… great idea well-executed’, and the Evening Standard’s Neil Norman called it, ‘technically sophisticated entertainment… refreshingly politically incorrect.’
2001 Brian Percival went on to receive several awards for his winning entry, About A Girl. As well as picking up a Best Short Film BAFTA and Best British Short at Edinburgh’s International Film Festival, he was also awarded the Raindance Festival’s Jury Prize. TCM’s judging panel that year included, Ewan McGregor, who described the film as, ‘hard hitting and brilliant’. Oscar-winning director, Anthony Minghella called it, a very accomplished performance.’
2000 Stylish comedy, Je T’Aime John Wayne clinched the top prize in the first ever TCM Classic Shorts competition for director, Toby MacDonald and producer, Luke Morris. Producer, Nik Powell, who was also one of the main judges that year, automatically nominated the film in the European Prix UIP Film Awards 2001 and it enjoyed a theatrical released alongside Lukas Moodysson’s critically acclaimed, Together (2000). What previous winners have to say about TCM Classic Shorts
Find out from some past winners just how the competition has impacted on their careers and also, to get some wise words of advice on short film-making.
Starting with 2003’s winning film, The Most Beautiful Man in the World, we asked London-based director Alicia Duffy to share her pearls of wisdom: TCM: Why did you decide to make short films? AD: It was a natural progression from music and theatre for me. TCM: How did you come up with idea, the cast, the funding etc? AD: My writing often starts out based on personal experience – even if the direction changes once I start work. I work with a casting director and the funding changes from project to project. TCM: Was it easier or harder than you originally thought? AD: It gets harder the more you realise how much you don’t know. TCM: What would your single piece of advice be for anyone starting out? AD: Be prepared to work extremely hard and be aware that financially it will be a real struggle. TCM: Do you think your film-making has developed since you entered the competition? AD: Yes, I have had the time to develop ideas in more depth. TCM: Did winning the competition help your career? AD: It definitely raised my profile TCM: Are you still entering competitions? AD: At the moment I’m concentrating on writing. TCM: What are your favourite films and do they include a short? AD: There’s such a long list, I don’t have one favourite. Spirit of the Beehive by Victor Erice is definitely on the list. TCM: Is music important to a short film? AD: It depends on the film. In my shorts I have tended to work more with sound than music. TCM: Where do you see short film heading in the future? AD: I would like to see them made for their own sake, rather than just stepping stones or calling cards to features. I think there seem to be more opportunities now than a few years ago and digital film-making is playing a huge part. TCM: Have you considered or are you working on a feature film? AD: I’m currently writing and co-writing several feature scripts to direct. Amit Kumar, the director of The Bypass, placed second in 2003’s competition, took time out of his busy schedule - divided between Mumbai and London - to share his short film-making knowledge: TCM: Why did you decide to make short films? AK: I usually start by imagining a single moment between characters. This inspires me to create a story leading to, or stemming from that moment. Framing that moment in a short film is spontaneous and so fast-moving that I can communicate my thoughts in an instant. TCM: How did you come up with idea, the cast, the funding etc? AK: For the idea I imagined the concept of Judgement Day when wrongdoers would be punished; on a daily basis and not by angels but by fellow humans. The setting was inspired from recces for The Warrior in the Desert of Rajasthan, on which I was assistant director. Our driver would refuse to drive on certain roads fearing bandits would kill us for our money! The cast was mainly recommended by Tishu, the casting director on The Warrior although I used a local woman and my uncle for the couple in the jeep. The funding came from The Cinema Extreme scheme from Film Four and The UK Film Council. TCM: Was it easier or harder than you originally thought? AK: Definitely harder. I originally saw it as a guerrilla film that we’d shoot over a weekend without any pre-production or recce. But it took ages and the weather didn’t help, we had storms until the shoot. TCM: What would your single piece of advice be for anyone starting out? AK: Stay true to what it was that inspired you to make the film, no matter what anyone says. The reason that you are making the film is because it is your idea not anybody else’s. TCM: Who gave you your most valuable piece of advice? AK: Asif Kapadia, director of The Warrior. He once said to me that if you don’t write it down, you’ll never make a film. TCM: Do you think your film-making has developed since you entered the competition? AK: I’m working on the first draft of my feature film, and that’s been a big jump. It’s much more demanding, creatively and physically. TCM: Did winning the competition help your career? AK: I’m sure it helped me get the development support from Yaffle Films and the UK Film Council for my feature. TCM: Are you still entering competitions? AK: Now, I’m concentrating on my feature but The Bypass has a life of its own and has just won the Staff Award at the Milan Film Festival. TCM: What are your favourite films and do they include a short? AK: Once Upon A Time In The West, The Godfather Trilogy, Seven Samurai, The Incident, Charulata, Stalker, A Short Film About Killing and an amazing short film, The Incident at Owl Creek. TCM: Is music important to a short film? AK: It depends on the film and how important you think it needs to be. TCM: Where do you see short film heading in the future? AK: I think many more people will be expressing themselves through short film. TCM: With which actors or actresses, from any era, would you choose to work? AK: Amitabh Bachchan, because I think he’s the most amazing actor… ever! Birmingham-based Michael B Clifford directed Brown Paper Bag, which was given third place in last year’s competition, here’s his advice:
TCM: Why did you decide to make short films? MBC: I wanted to move from documentary into drama. TCM: Was it easier or harder than you originally thought? MBC: The film was always going to be hard because we had no budget. But it was also hard because of the emotional intensity of the project and its subject matter. I can honestly say, I was completely empty afterwards. TCM: What would your single piece of advice be for anyone starting out? MBC: Make sure this is what you really want. TCM: Who gave you your most valuable piece of advice? MBC: Lots of people, but most recently Phil Parker (script guru) who told me to just be a director (as opposed to writing as well). And also, whilst looking to direct features, which take a long time to happen, do lots of TV drama and don’t be precious about that. TCM: Do you think your film-making has developed since you entered the competition? MBC: I’ve read many feature film scripts and developed a load more. I’ve become a good reader! TCM: Did winning the competition help your career? MBC: It meant Brown Paper Bag was a film to look out for. It went on to win a BAFTA TCM: What are your favourite films and do they include a short? MBC: No shorts, but many features. Master and Commander, Raise the Red Lantern, La Haine, Goodfellas, Monsoon Wedding… to name but a tiny few. TCM: Is music important to a short film? MBC: Brown Paper Bag has no music and that was the right choice. It really depends on the film. TCM: Where do you see short film heading in the future? MBC: They’ve really become an important part of film-making, I see this continuing. TCM: Would you consider working on feature films? MBC: Absolutely! TCM: With which actors or actresses, from any era, would you choose to work? MBC: I only fantasise about people working now, I’m wasting my time otherwise. I’d choose, Sean Penn (for that scene in Mystic River, always brilliant though), Cate Blanchett (because of that scene in Heaven also because she has some really interesting takes on acting without words), Chiwetel Ejiofor (because of Dirty Pretty Things), Russell Crowe, Chris Cooper, Chris Ecclestone, Julia Roberts, Shirley Henderson (because she’s great!), Geoffrey Rush, Meryl Streep… and so many more. In 2002, Gerald McMorrow’s Thespian X won first prize. Gerald talks to TCM about his thoughts on short film-making: TCM: Why did you decide to make short films? GMc: It is incredibly difficult to get a movie off the ground, especially in this country. A short film enables you to take matters into your own hands, no studio, no execs, no pre-production critics. If with all these excluded you manage to tell a great story then people will take you seriously next time round in a longer form. I think it is good practice, a chance to make your mistakes in drama without blowing $10m. A great learning experience. TCM: How did you come up with idea, the cast, the funding etc? GMc: The story was originally written for a Sci Fi shorts competition but we couldn’t finish it in time and we didn’t have enough money. So I went ahead and finished it at my own pace. The idea was simply, what if? – find the most boring soul-destroying place on the planet (a dole office) and project it into a distant future. Who would least like to be sitting there? An out of work actor with delusions of grandeur. What if he found out that he was actually nothing? Funding was difficult, my money, Karim’s (exec producer) money and a few generous individuals. We worked the loans through the EIS scheme that at least gave the investors some hope of return. TCM: Was it easier or harder than you originally thought? GMc: A lot harder. The nature of the film was such that everything snowballed very quickly. Science Fiction is an expensive genre and we had no idea how much work and effort (and overages) we were letting ourselves in for, particularly post-production costs. TCM: What would your single piece of advice be for anyone starting out? GMc: Definitely make a short . You can’t beat it for immediate satisfaction, education and understanding of the craft. Make some first on DV, 8mm, anything. Just get at it and start working with actors as soon as possible. TCM: Who gave you your most valuable piece of advice? GMc: Irvin Kershner, an old family friend and old-school Hollywood director told me when I was sixteen that when you start out you should write and shoot about what you know. It’ll always be more genuine and I had spent some time in a dole office as an unemployed actor! TCM: Do you think your film-making developed since you entered the competition? GMc: Hopefully for the better! TCM: Did winning the competition help your career? GMc: It helped my career enormously. The day after the awards ceremony I was signed by ICM in London and within a couple of months was commissioned to write a screenplay for 2000AD/Rebellion. I have since finished my own screenplay and have just had that optioned with a view to shooting next year. TCM: Are you still entering competitions? GMc: Not at the moment, we are actually in negotiation with various companies interested in purchasing Thespian X, here and in the US. TCM: What are your favourite films and do they include a short? GMc: Very difficult to list favourite films, everything from Cinema Paradiso to Star Wars by way of 400 Blows and Brazil. TCM: Is music important to a short film? GMc: Music is simply important to film. If the action or drama dictates a musical score or soundtrack, then it becomes half the experience. TCM: Where do you see short film heading in the future? GMc: With the advent of DV and home editing systems, I think we’ll see more and more high quality short films, more and more people having access to film-making tools. I think it’s a pretty exciting time. TCM: Would you consider working on feature films? GMc: I’m working on my first project, a mixture of contemporary drama and fantasy. Fingers crossed we should be getting started on that next year. TCM: With which actors or actresses, from any era, would you choose to work? GMc: There are so many! But you wouldn’t know if they would be a nightmare to work with! It would have been cool to work with the likes of Steve McQueen or Nicholson, Redford and Newman but back in the early ‘70s. Otherwise, Jimmy Stewart or Ingrid Bergman.
Janey de Nordwall is the producer of About A Girl, winner in 2001, she shares her production experience:
TCM: Why did you decide to make short films? JdeN: I was previously a commercials producer so I wanted to learn how the film industry worked; I wanted to develop strong relationships with writers and directors with a view to moving on to features; I wanted to learn how to raise finance in different ways, but more importantly I needed to see if I had the instinct to find a good script and make it happen. Short films are a great way of test driving the feature film process on a smaller scale and I wanted to be 100% committed and professional in my approach. I’ve learnt SO much! TCM: How did you come up with idea, the cast, the funding etc? JdeN: Idea: The script was written by Julie Rutterford who was inspired by an article she’d read in The Guardian about teenage pregnancy. It is still the most powerful script I’ve ever read and we shot the second draft. Cast: The lead was a 13 year-old girl and it was an incredibly challenging role. We worked with Beverley Keogh Casting who was looking for a 13 year-old prostitute for TV series COPS so we rode on the back of her casting. Funding: I went about this in a unique way raising bulk money for three shorts at once. With a comprehensive business plan for Silver Films, I sold a percentage equity of my company to three business angels as a long-term investment; I negotiated a sponsorship deal and MIDA match-funded 50% of the budget. The other film budgets were also match-funded by the likes of Film London, NW Vision, Fox Searchlight, together with further sponsorship and product placement (and the equity from my house) TCM: Was it easier or harder than you originally thought? JdeN: Neither, it just took longer and cost more. But that was a great learning curve. In planning, scheduling and budgeting I now put realistic time scales and contingencies in place. TCM: What would your single piece of advice be for anyone starting out? JdeN: There’s so much, but a single piece would be to make sure you know why you are making a short film and who you are making it for. Trust your instincts. TCM: Who gave you your most valuable piece of advice? JdeN: When I first showed the script to several industry people I was told, “You don’t want to make that, it’ll do you no good, you want to make a comedy”! With that advice, I produced a multi-award winning film! You don’t need to listen to all the advice you’re given. TCM: Did winning the competition help your career? JdeN: It’s a fantastic opportunity to show your work to really prolific film-makers and raise awareness of your film and the team. TCM: What are your favourite films and do they include a short? JdeN: My favourite recent films are Motorcycle Diaries and Dead Man’s Shoes. My favourite short is an animation called DOG TCM: Is music important to a short film? JdeN: Every element in a short is important and each one should be crafted equally. Music and sound do seem to be forgotten about in shorts. TCM: Where do you see short film heading in the future? JdeN: It seems to be developing a culture all of its own and though it will never command large audiences there is an audience out there. As more shorts are produced and competitions take place, the quality is improving. With the deals that cast, crews and facilities are prepared to do for short film-makers, the production values are becoming almost equal to features. It would be great to see more shorts at the head of features. TCM: Would you consider working on feature films? JdeN: I have an option on a book by Stuart David (of Belle & Sebastian) called Nalda Said which is currently being developed into a screenplay. The Santana brothers, Dominic and Lee directed The Last Post which came second in 2001 and Claverdeek, short-listed in 2003. From their home on the south coast they talk to us about their take on short films: TCM: Why did you decide to make short films? Bros: We needed to have a drama-based showreel in order to be taken seriously with the feature film scripts we were (and are) developing. It’s also a great medium to make mistakes and learn how/why things work once they’ve left the page. TCM: How did you come up with idea, the cast, the funding etc? Bros: Our films have always been conceived and produced with just the same care as any of our longer form projects. Regardless of genre, essentially we try to go for stories with some emotional connection to our audience. We’ve been fortunate with casting, having worked with Gael Garcia Bernal (Motorcycle Diaries) and David Schofield (Gladiator) amongst many others. The essential ingredient for successful casting is to go for who you want (they can only say no), be professional and above all, be true to your film. It’s also worthwhile speaking to a casting director for advice. We’ve used Crowley Poole over the last few years – they’re just fantastic. TCM: Was it easier or harder than you originally thought? Bros: Logistically our films have always been quite ambitious, so we’ve never had any doubts that it would be easy. Ultimately, though, it’s all about the standard you set for yourself. TCM: What would your single piece of advice be for anyone starting out? Bros: Find and write a story that moves you on an emotional level. TCM: Who gave you your most valuable piece of advice? Bros: Stephen Woolley – “Let everyone else play catch up”
TCM: Do you think your film-making has developed since you entered the competition? Bros: Shorts have helped sharpen our skills and prepare us for a transition into features. TCM: Did winning the competition help your career? Bros: It helped up get noticed by the industry. Once you’re on the map it’s so much easier to be taken seriously as a film-maker.
TCM: Are you still entering competitions? Bros: We have entered various international competitions but it’s the domestic events we target first, BAFTA, LFF (London Film Festival), TCM TCM: Is music important to a short film? Bros: Music can make or break a short, but beware of using commercial tracks as they can be difficult to clear if the film is sold and broadcast. TCM: Would you consider working on feature films? Bros: Oh yes TCM: Where do you see short film heading in the future? Bros: We would love to see short films played theatrically before a main feature (certainly more than they are now) and similarly, tagged onto a DVD/video – perhaps in association with commercial advertisers who sponsor the slot. TCM: With which actors or actresses, from any era, would you choose to work? Bros: Laurence Olivier, Laurel and Hardy – and everybody in between. London-based Toby MacDonald directed Je T’aime John Wayne winner of TCM’s first Classic Shorts competition. Toby talks to us about his experiences of short film-making: TCM: Why did you decide to make short films? TMac: I love films and was obsessed from a young age and it seemed like a natural progression. I also really love short film as an art form itself, away from features. There is so much you can say and do in a short that becomes impossible in a feature. TCM: How did you come up with the idea, the cast, the funding etc? TMac: My friend, Luke Ponte, had an idea about a guy who smoked while he brushed his teeth and we developed it from that. For the crew we used friends our own age and experience level. I worked as a director’s assistant, Luke Morris, the producer had worked as a producer’s assistant, Saskia Simpson, the editor, was assistant to Tariq Anwar etc. For the cast we look around for ages but were lucky enough to find Kris Marshall. (Love Actually, My Family) TCM: Was it easier or harder than you originally thought? TMac: Both! TCM: What would your single piece of advice be for anyone starting out? TMac: Work with a friend, someone your own age or with similar sensibility. Shorts work well when they are collaborative endeavours – everyone feels they are working in the right direction. TCM: Who gave you your most valuable piece of advice? TMac: I was working for Iain Softley at the time and he just told me not to be intimidated by, or worry about, the technical stuff, just to concentrate on what I wanted. TCM: Do you think your film-making has developed since you entered the competition? TMac: I really hope it has improved, but it was the first thing I ever did and there is a lot to be said for naivety and innocence. TCM: Did winning the competition help your career? TMac: Massively, and it gave the film a long life which is all you can really hope for with a short. It is great to see it still being played, especially for the crew as they put so much time and effort into it. TCM: Are you still entering competitions? TMac: I’ve been doing different types of work but will be making another short soon. TCM: What are your favourite films and do they include a short? TMac: That is too big a question, but my favourite shorts are Foutaises by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Il Giorno Della Prima di Close Up by Nanni Moretti TCM: Is music important to a short film? TMac:As vital as it is to any piece of film. TCM: Would you consider working on feature films? TMac: Yes, with the same team that made Je T’Aime John Wayne TCM: With which actors or actresses, from any era, would you choose to work? TMac: With Cary Grant and Anna Karina, that would be fun!
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