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Samantha Castro: Newcastle Film Club and building a community of Filmmakers!
39 Plays8 months ago
This week on the show my guest is Founder and President of Newcastle Film Club, Samantha Castro!
We talk about what led to her founding Newcastle Film Club, the way the film club works and their community focused approach to film making. We also discuss Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2 even though I haven’t watched Frozen 2 itself. And also Parks and Rec.
Find Samantha and Newcastle Film Club on Instagram. The Newcastle Film Club website has information on all of their projects.
Find me on TikTok and Instagram.
Show Art is by Craig Pearson.
Theme Music is 'Silent Movie 91' by Sascha Ende.
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Transcript
Introduction and Technical Difficulties
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello, it's just Ryan here. I just wanted to drop a quick note at the top of the show just to mention that unfortunately there were some issues with the recording for this episode that ultimately led to all of the audio on my side ah being lost.
00:00:15
Speaker
Fortunately, Zencastr, who I use to record the show, saves internet quality backups, which I managed to download. But internet quality backups does not necessarily mean good quality backups.
00:00:27
Speaker
I did manage to find a program online to run those backups through that did improve the quality quite significantly, but the the audio is still in some places not Not that great, at least on my side. Hopefully it didn't put you off for listening to the episode. It's a great episode with Samantha Castro from Newcastle Film Club. Apologies again for the technical issues um and also thank you for bearing with me. I hope that you enjoy the episode.
Introducing Samantha Castro and Newcastle Film Club
00:00:59
Speaker
Hello and welcome to What Makes Tick, a conversation podcast where I, Ryan Watson, speak to actors, writers, filmmakers and a range of other artists in the northeast of England and sometimes beyond about what they do, how they make it work and the media that inspires them to do that work.
00:01:11
Speaker
Today I'm speaking with Samantha Castro. Samantha is the founder and president of Newcastle Film Club, which is a creative community for filmmakers, writers, producers, actors and musicians. The film club has produced films such as The Shedding, Neil, The Island, A Letter to Elizabeth,
00:01:24
Speaker
and also hosts a series of filmmaking challenges and workshops, as well as holding a range of resources accessible to filmmakers in the Northeast to help support the productions. Samantha, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me, Ryan, and a lovely introduction. I love your introductions that you do for your guests. Thank I'm always like, have I missed anything? Have I done enough? for us just I feel like it's just nice to do a good intro.
00:01:46
Speaker
Yeah, no, yeah i think you've you've definitely covered everything that we do at the film club, I would say. um And hearing and back everything that we have done so far, it's just like, oh, wow, we've done a lot.
Ryan's Experience at Newcastle Film Club
00:01:57
Speaker
You know, I think i actually came to the film club once in about 2023. think it was like a pitching session at the old George and the like this game. We like cards and things. Ah, yes. Yes. So that probably would have been um the meeting or a meeting before we actually had a pitch day for 2023, which 2023 pitch day ended up being ah Nails was the film that was selected for pitch day. But that sounds like um a session that we ran. um and we also ran it recently as well, too, where we get people into the mindset of how do you pitch a film? How do you come up with kind ah log lines, creative concepts that you can quickly kind of like convey to people? Because when you're a room pitching with 10 other filmmakers to get your film made, you obviously have to stand out. And so how do you convey all the information that you need to ah while also leaving a little bit of tantalizing? Do you want to know more like type of type of thing? So that was um probably a game called Pitchstorm, ah which is available from all good board game retailers. um that you can go and ah and and use and it gives you characters and plots and you have to come up with a story. So it just it was a game that just really gets your creative mind flowing into pitching. them so we So we love to play that and and run that. I definitely remember the word pitching for, i guess what, eventually became Nails coming up a couple of weeks after. I just i was definitely, i were in a stage at the time where I was like, I don't know what I've taught for any of these things. And I think I just, I fully just panicked and bounced off. I think I were doing a lot of that, a lot of that around there. I guess obviously it must be quite a common feeling that people come to the film club but and feel like that. obviously there's ways of making people feel like they are sort of useful and do have things to offer.
Diversity and Community at Newcastle Film Club
00:03:35
Speaker
Absolutely. so there's ah So we have such a range of people who come to Newcastle Film Club. People who, like myself, are just looking for a group of people that love to just go out and create things, whether that be silly things, horror inspired things or you know things that talk about social justice or people come because they're just interested in filmmaking and behind the scenes of filmmaking maybe not even necessarily making films themselves but just like the creative process of people making their own films and getting involved even if it's just being on set and and being a runner or we have people who just just come to to enjoy being around other creative people so I think when people first find the film club they don't
00:04:16
Speaker
They know what to expect in that it's a film club and that it's filmmakers and creatives. But I don't think that they necessarily know what they're looking to get out of it until they come a few times because we have so many different things on offer, like the film challenges, the workshops, the guest speakers. um So whether it is you're just curious about filmmaking in general, or if you're looking to find collaborators for your next like personal project, there's like something that people come initially for, I think. even even if they're just curious but they stay because of the friends that they make the uh the projects that they like to get involved in um and just the kind of community that's surrounding the film club as a whole i think is what makes people stay and come back and i always say sometimes like when when we host uh events i'm just like oh i'm just sick i'm just glad that people keep coming back you know
00:05:03
Speaker
Because when you when you start something like ah like a community group, you know you don don't know who's going to turn up and you don't know who's out there in the community until you say, right, everybody, let's meet here and do this
Samantha's Journey to Newcastle and Club Founding
00:05:13
Speaker
one thing. So long as i we keep putting the events out there and people still come in, I think that we'll still be welcomed and have ah have a space here within the community for for that to happen.
00:05:22
Speaker
I guess I always just start with, a my could you just tell us about your background, sort of the sort of things you did before before the film club? Because the film club started, how long the film club been going? So we started in 2020, which is a great time to start an in-person group, um as you can imagine. So, well, I'll start from the beginning. So as you can tell by my accent, I'm not originally from the Northeast.
00:05:45
Speaker
i came and studied abroad during my ah university ah years to the University of Bradford, where I studied um as part of my radio, film and television degree. And it was there that I met my now husband, who's originally from Newcastle. So um after a bit of long distance, ah one moved to Ireland together, a little bit more of long distance, we ended up getting married.
00:06:05
Speaker
And then I made my way over here to live in Newcastle, where after we got back from Ireland, he he settled down here in Newcastle. So we made Newcastle our home. And it was 2019 that I came here to Newcastle. And when you come, ah especially if you move to a different country, the number one thing for me was just obviously spending time with my new husband, who I was able
The Club's Mission and Initial Challenges
00:06:25
Speaker
to spend time with, but also like to start to make, you know, wherever you live your home.
00:06:30
Speaker
and start to plug into the community and start to plug into the new place that you're living. So for me, everywhere I'd gone from university to Ireland to back um home, I'm originally from Texas to back in Texas and everywhere that I'd gone before I came to Newcastle, there was always a community filmmaking group that were going out and making things together, um not getting permission for like to go out and just make the stuff that they wanted to make. They would use the resources that they had available, friends, family, um you know calling in favors, all that kind of stuff to actually get there their films that they wanted made.
00:07:05
Speaker
um Of course, there was also all these elements of um workshops and developing your skills um and all of those kind of things. So everywhere that I'd live, Ireland, ah Texas, where I'm originally from, um and ah and the like, and in university,
00:07:22
Speaker
There was always like that space to to go to, to make friends and to make films. And so when I came here to Newcastle, I was like, hey, like, where's my filmmaking group? Like, where is the group of people that are going out and making films?
00:07:35
Speaker
And as I was doing my research, there really wasn't a group that was going out and making things together. um There were groups that were showing films that they had made like outside of like the group, but they in they but then they were bringing them to the the event or screening them or they were getting together to talk about the latest films and and cinemas and stuff like that. And so...
00:07:56
Speaker
I was like, OK, there's not really a group that I kind of ah would like to see here in Newcastle. So, you know, what if I just made the group? Because at that point I had been a part of three different groups doing doing the thing that I had kind of like longed for. And so I ah i chatted with some of the ah people who set up the groups that I'd been a part of in the past to be like, hey, what do you recommend? How do you think I should go about setting something like this up?
00:08:22
Speaker
um And i got I met some people at a photography kind of um meetup event that was happening in Newcastle. And I told them about my idea for starting a film club, um which ended up being Mel and Anthony, who started the film club with me. And they were based they were newly graduates from Northumbria.
00:08:42
Speaker
And they're like, oh, that'd be so great to have like a film community that we can now that we finish university, we don't have any, you know, any group to go to, you know, everybody who we graduated with has gone off and done their own thing and whatnot. So it'd be great to have a community of people that we could go to and and do this filmmaking stuff with ah while we you know get our foots in the doors.
00:09:01
Speaker
And so with their like Okay, that sounds like a good idea. I was like, okay, great. I'll set it up. um So that was at the end of 2019 that i met them. And then in 2020 and January, January 26th of 2020, which is also ironically my birthday, ah we had our very first Newcastle Film Club meeting.
00:09:19
Speaker
um And it didn't happen to land on my birthday. It just, it just, it was a Sunday. And I was like, I think meeting on Sundays would be good because if people are going through ah during the work week and stuff like that, weekends are generally freer for people. So we'll have it on a Sunday.
00:09:33
Speaker
So we started at January 26th, 2020. And we kind of hit the ground running with like, we're film club. We're here to make films together. And I started on that thing, that first meeting talking about ah pitch day, which is where um people will come to the to the club and pitch their idea for a short film and then together we'll pull all of our resources of the community to go out and make the film.
00:09:56
Speaker
And ah it was probably about three more meetings after that we had our very first pitch day. um at number 24 at the time is where we met and um the pitch that won that pitch day was by um somebody called lydia who uh pitched northeast omen society and it was literally the month after that it was pitched and we were like yes we're gonna make the film we went into lockdown And it was at that point that I was like, well, I'm not going to make a film. I'm not going to run a community group with COVID.
00:10:30
Speaker
I'm sure you can appreciate and everybody else can appreciate. It was just we didn't know what was going on with COVID. And so, you know, I didn't want to be in charge of however many people on a film set during during that time. So I said, well, ahll we'll park that. We'll we'll come back. The film club kind of took a hiatus for about a year and a half.
00:10:49
Speaker
while the COVID ah kind of took its time to get to get over. And then we came back 2021 with um the Royal Television Society's letter to Elizabeth, which was a 48 hour film race that we did as part of the Royal Television Society's um event.
Collaborations and Industry Connections
00:11:08
Speaker
So like we came back with our very first thing that we did was make a film together. So, so yeah, that's kind of like the film club and and how it came to be um was just I was really like just wanting to meet other creatives and filmmakers in my community. So I'm like, let me just make a club so they can all come to me.
00:11:29
Speaker
It's such an amazing story because I'm just like, obviously you've lived in other places that have had something similar. And I feel like often like a common sentiment in the Northeast is like, oh there's just not that much in the Northeast.
00:11:41
Speaker
And it's just like you moved here and you're like going to make this happen. That's like amazing. Yeah, it's ah I think it might be a little bit of that American like spontaneity inside of me. That's just like, oh, if it's not here, I'm going to build it. You know, it's it's it's fine. It seems like you've, rather than just sort of going, right, we're going to do a film club and other people shows up. It seems like you put quite a lot of like research and thought into sort of talking to people beforehand. I did. I did. and i And I saw what else was out there, right? So before Newcastle Film Club, Tyneside Cinema also did like a new filmmakers, new creatives, I think was the the the thing that they had done back in like 2017, 2018. Please don't quote me on that. But it was so so there was other things that had been previously in Newcastle in the surrounding area and back at the time when I was doing the research as well Northern Film and Media which is now branded as Northeast Screen was still like in and around and and doing stuff of course our Northern Film and Media weren't ah nearly as active in the region I think personally until until they rebranded into Northeast Screen and and now they've done so much more and there there is so much more opportunities for creatives in the region thanks to the work that they've
00:12:53
Speaker
done. So it was kind of looking back through the archive of, you know, like someone's coming into Newcastle for, you know, the first like six months, just trying to get their bearings of what is available and what is here. Another group that I had ran into is in my research was um Northeast Filmmakers Society run by Matthew Hammond. And Northeast Filmmaker Society had been going for a few years as well by the time that I that i found them too.
00:13:17
Speaker
But they they were one of those groups that were getting together, meeting to screen stuff. not necessarily and Screening and networking was kind of their main thing. not necessarily actually going out and making stuff together. um So again, it was that it was that making stuff together niche that I was like, that's not what I but that i see that's around right now, and which is really what was the setting apart of the film club from kind of any of the other groups, I thought. What kind of relationship does the film club have with those other places now that's a bit more established? We have collaborations with um kind of some of the other organizations. We worked a lot with the northern Northeast Filmmaker Societies to kind of go hand in hand with like some screenings. So like we would have some film challenges and then members would go and screen over at theirs. Northeast Filmmaker Society has now kind of.
00:14:01
Speaker
taken a back seat after 10 amazing years. ah So they're not as active anymore. But for their 10th birthday and um anniversary, we did a collaboration together at live theater with them. Tyneside Cinema, we've recently started to kind of have a collaboration and some feedback back and forth as they have a few things in the pipeline. um Northeast Screen, we've had just introduction meetings to say like, hey, we're we're because we're really the grassroots I'm of the northeast i would say the film club is is like for the people who are interested in filmmaking want to dip their toes into it want to give it a try want to have fun have their creativity shine in a way that is going to be celebrated is how it would
00:14:37
Speaker
how it would describe the film club of course if there's people that are just like no no no i really want to do this or coming out of uni you know they're like no I really want to get into the industry I'm like that's great still come along but let let us direct you to people who are from our community that are working within the industry that have jobs at BBC that have worked on channel 4 channel 5 like myself that have worked on you know industry related projects so that you can get to know them and then they they can bring you on and uh for the projects that they have going and and kind of signposting them to different job opportunities. So I think that's another thing that the film club does is just making those early stage connections for people that if they want to pursue this as a as a career, they can. But like the the main focus of the film club is to get people
Creative Challenges and Yearly Projects
00:15:26
Speaker
creating. Like our tagline is collaborate, create, repeat.
00:15:29
Speaker
And I think like that is in summary, What we always try to encourage within the film club community is to just get out there and make stuff together and learn because, yeah, you it's you only get better by doing.
00:15:42
Speaker
In a way, that's exactly the um the story I told. I didn't understand it myself. It's all the idea of like, just go along if you're interested in something and do it. And that is how you ah you'll learn learn to do it. Sometimes there's like this fear of if you do something, you're not immediately the best of it.
00:15:56
Speaker
Then you go, oh, well, I don't want to do that. it's like, how are you ever going to be good at something until you've done it? Exactly. ah Exactly. It's that it's that I think with the age of social media, we constantly see everybody who has spent the the hours and the years and the time it has taken to like hone their craft. Right. And whatever niche that is, whether that be acting, filmmaking, cooking, art, you know, like we see ah with social media, we see just the best versions of people and and it's very curated version as well.
00:16:27
Speaker
And so when people don't show you the crappy handheld footage of the, you know, event that they went to go film, they only show you the nice, smooth ah footage that ended up making it into the 90 second reel.
00:16:39
Speaker
Then you kind of like, oh, like when you take a look at your footage, you you kind of be like, well, I'm never going to be as good as them or like, you know, it's. It's harder to see the improvement, but I think allowing yourself to just have fun, have ah that kind of creative play um with whatever it is that you're doing and allowing yourself to be a learner and allowing yourself to um just say, I'm not good at this yet.
00:17:05
Speaker
But that's OK, because I'm learning. And, you know, it at least it's if you can think about it as being one percent better. I can't remember who originally said, you know, I just getting one percent better every day will will give you results.
00:17:18
Speaker
But if you can at least have that type of mindset of like, oh, at least this time I remembered to plug in my microphone fully so that I could get better audio, you know, whereas before, you know You know, know, like little things like that, you know, that you can kind of like show that you are getting better incrementally. When I was starting this podcast, someone gave me the advice of like what's good enough to get started. I don't know. In some ways, in some ways, I'm like, like that doesn't mean that it's OK for it to not be good, but it's like doesn't need to be this perfect thing. Get started and you can build as you go and and sort of develop those skills.
00:17:52
Speaker
Exactly. That's what we've seen with the film challenges that we've done as well throughout the club. So you mentioned in the intro that that's one of the things that we do as a film club. So we put on film challenges. um We say roughly about every quarter for the last two years. We've ran about like three per year because we've had like our big films that we've been doing as a community. And that's kind of taken up some additional time. So we're currently on challenge number 12.
00:18:15
Speaker
Currently, um as of this recording and all of the challenges and previous challenges can be seen on our website. But those film challenges really are a way for people to get creative with the limitations that we kind of put around them. So one of the film challenges that we did, the phone film challenge was shoot a short film only using your phone, you know, because everybody has a phone inside their pocket.
00:18:36
Speaker
Right. So being able to just say, hey, go out, use your phone, shoot a film, you know, one minute or less, I think was the time that we gave them for that challenge. And I think we got 12 entries for that film challenge since that was like one of our very first film challenges that we did to see people's improvements from that phone film challenge.
00:18:54
Speaker
Even in storytelling, pacing, like so many different things, like besides just the like, you know, what it was used to be shot on, seeing their development from that film challenge to like three film challenges later. It's so incredibly inspiring because you see people, they they come in for the first time.
00:19:11
Speaker
do their first film and then you personally see like their confidence develop you see their their techniques develop you see them being more confident in how they present their ideas so like i think the the film challenges themselves are really really great for like seeing direct directly how somebody is improving in their filmmaking skills whenever we do them And that's what I really love. The film challenges are you'll you'll set a challenge, for example, make a film on a phone. People just go out and everybody who wants to just goes and produces something and brings that back to the club. And that's different to the productions like The Shedding and Neil. Is that sort of, they're the sort big film club projects?
00:19:49
Speaker
Yes. Is it one of those per year? Is that how that works? Yes. So i'll ah i'll I'll touch about the film challenges. So yes, absolutely. So the film challenges are open to anybody to participate in.
00:20:00
Speaker
And what we really love to do with the film challenges is to make it quite broad on some challenges, but then also quite specific on other challenges just to give you those parameters. Because when you say to somebody, go out and make a film, that's a very big high in the sky pie idea. Like just go out and make something. and you're just like, okay, but what can I make? I can make so many things. But if you're able to say, and Go out and make a short film, five minutes or less, that is driven solely by a voiceover.
00:20:28
Speaker
No other dialogue other than a voiceover. That gets your mind thinking, okay, what could I do within that that can creatively come out of it? So putting those creative parameters, one on film challenges, helps creatives. But also having a deadline also helps creatives.
00:20:42
Speaker
Because as I'm sure you know, right, and whenever you're just like, yeah, I'm going to do this, you know, you can spend ages, like so much time kind of like nitpicking and and not quite calling it done yet. But when you have a deadline for for for your projects, it's just like, oh, I got to get in by midnight of this day. Otherwise, it's not going to be part of the challenge. We find that with those things.
00:21:01
Speaker
The creative limitations and the deadline is like the perfect like breeding ground for filmmakers and creatives to thrive in. So yes, anybody can take part and and we put all those kind of events together. There's also prizes that are run for each challenge, whether it be some some of the prizes that we've done in the past have been, you know, film...
00:21:18
Speaker
kit gear like a green screen for our but B movie challenge that we did a while back ago it was like a whole green screen kit that we gave to like first place and there's usually like filmmaking books that we give out um to to winners as well as well as just stuff to help them in their filmmaking journey that's related to the challenge a little bit it's kind of what the prize is usually are for the challenge that we hosted earlier ah this year which is 2025 as of this recording we did a collaboration with the biscuit factory foundation where they graciously helped us um to get like some of the best prizes that we've ever had for film challenges like a da vinci resolve speed editor some road microphones and um you know some a tripod for for for kind of the prizes so
00:22:02
Speaker
Like the prizes vary in terms of what they are, but like that just gives an extra incentive for people to kind of submit and to take part. ah But I really think the biggest reason that people do take part is because it's a creative challenge that they know is going to be screened in an audience for people to to tell them like what they liked, what they didn't like and kind of. show their skills up on the screen. And we usually have those screenings at the Star and Shadow Cinema.
00:22:27
Speaker
So again, going back to some of the organizations that I had done some research on before starting up the film club, Star and Shadow was one of those other organizations here in the Northeast. It's a co-op, completely volunteer run.
00:22:39
Speaker
And they have a cinema screen as part of ah their they're building. So we use ah their their space quite regularly for meetings, screenings, and and some workshops and stuff like that, too. So, you know, it's it's great to be able to sit down and actually see the stuff that you create on like a ah cinema screen besides it just going on to YouTube for other people to see and stuff like that. So I think that's another draw as well with the Film Challenges.
00:23:03
Speaker
So that's film challenges. But then, yes, you're absolutely right. When it comes to the yearly film that we do, that was another big thing that when I started the club is just like doing a film together. And that idea was sprouted from my university days where we had a short film club on university campus. I went to the University of North Texas.
00:23:24
Speaker
UNT is the kind of acronym. So it was UNT Short Film Club. And every semester, we would do a pitch day at the start of the semester to members of the club, and we would pitch our film. And then throughout the semester, we would go and make the films because in university over in the state specifically as well, ah you didn't really get into some of your like main film courses until like the latter half of your university because they buff it with like English and science and All that kind of American crap. so So having a film club where you can actually go and make films like straight from like your first year it at uni was amazing to have. So getting up in and doing the pitch day and then making a film to to add to your reel by the end of the semester was like so, so great to have. and
00:24:07
Speaker
It was from that kind of framework that I developed the pitch day that we have for the film club where people can come pitch their short film idea, 10 minutes or less, minimal characters, minimal locations. And then as a community, we vote on what film we would like to make for that year. And it's a big day usually.
00:24:25
Speaker
We have like the most people attending to not only pitch their films, but to vote on what film they'd like to make. and And yeah, we've done that three times now with the first one being The Island and the second one being Nails and the third one, which is still in post-production as of this recording, The Shedding.
00:24:41
Speaker
So yeah, and and that is a film. It's a community film. So anybody who wants to volunteer their time ah to work on it, ah we try to give as many opportunities as possible. Nails had 70 people work on it, which is...
00:24:54
Speaker
crazy to think about the amount of volunteers that was needed to to pull that off but it was also a very big film with fight choreography ah lots of extras um and supporting artists and so many like moving parts it blows my mind that we were able to get it done in in what we did but Yes, ah when it comes to the community film, we always try to put members who have more experience in the positions, whether that be the camera department, line department, we usually put them as heads departments so that they can trickle down their experience um to those newer volunteers and the newer members who are maybe just interested in that department.
00:25:28
Speaker
um So it's really a kind of knowledge sharing that goes into the community films that we do, where everybody's working together to obviously produce a film, but it's also you're you're learning more within that specific role that you've volunteered yourself for. Yeah, that whole collaboration part of it really comes into the film challenges and the ah short films that we do every year. What seems really great about the film club is it it seems like it's quite broad in terms of the the sort of ways people can get involved and the sort interests for people that you were saying before. the The focus is kind of grassroots, where you do have those connections if people wanting to ah pursue things further. And again, similar with what you're saying and about the community films, that there is there is space for the people who are more experienced than that there are sort of I guess there's those's things where but those people are sort of more valued.
00:26:18
Speaker
But then also there is the the challenges where it is but what we were talking about before. It's like if yeah if you want to give something a go, give it a go. I think I'm just quite impressed by how there's something for all experience levels. And I think in terms of the things that have been part of that, that actually seems weirdly, weirdly rare. Yeah.
00:26:36
Speaker
and and It might be weirdly rare and it might be also weirdly like kind of like, how does that work? And sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's really, really frustrating. But I think when you work with a community overall, you're going to have learning and growing pains and and that kind of stuff that comes with it. So as much as it's nice to talk about all of our achievements, like there's also been like dips of like, OK, well, we could have but we've learned from how we ran this event or we've learned from how we handled this situation with volunteers that like could be better for next time so we're constantly improving and we're constantly looking at ways of how to make the club more inclusive ah how we can make more films that's more accessible how we can make um projects like for new entrants more safer like safer and that they can understand what exactly that they're being asked to do and stuff like that so yeah i i think you're absolutely right in saying there's something for
00:27:25
Speaker
All types of experience levels at Newcastle Film Club for people. And it's kind of just like looking at it and saying, what do you want to do? And then also not getting pigeonholed as well, right? Because when it comes to an industry like the film industry, you're told, especially in university, like figure out what you want to do and then just like work at that.
00:27:45
Speaker
work at that one thing and and and grow in that in that section of stuff whereas the film club yes you might really enjoy doing camera and doing cinematography but maybe you just want to try your hand at lighting some stuff like you you know and like the two go very much hand in hand but like actually being ah a gaffer on a short film like that could come through an opportunity of networking through the film club that you can get that experience and and just giving things a try I think that that is something that I think is really important, especially in the creative industry, is just ah to see whether or not you like it or not, you know, without having to commit solely to, yes, I'm now pursuing this thing and this one thing only.
Leadership and Inspiration
00:28:25
Speaker
What exactly is your involvement? Because you are founder and president of Newcastle Film Club. ah did you Do you get involved in the films themselves or do you a a you so ah you have time to do that? Yeah, so ah as you said, I'm the founder and president of Newcastle Film Club, which to me is a bunch of everything.
00:28:42
Speaker
um But I primarily look at the programming for the film club. So what workshops, guest speakers, events, film challenges that we want to do. And then I work with our leadership team. who's a there's about six of us that are on the leadership team all have their own individual roles in helping run the community so I'm leading that team but I also work with the filmmakers as the executive producer on all the short films that we we make together the the official short films for the club um and so my background as a producer is I've worked in television film media the past several years most recently as a podcast producer so hello podcast
00:29:18
Speaker
casting but I love being able to bring people together to create whatever it is that we're looking to create so I've worked a lot within factual programming so like really getting to know people and listening to people's stories and and helping people through film media is really where I love to be and I also love behind the scenes as well like I remember as a kid, I would just like get the DVD of films and watch the behind the scenes of like how it was made. after As soon as the film finished, I would go to those behind the scenes bonus features and see like how those films were made.
00:29:49
Speaker
And I really enjoyed sometimes even the like behind the scenes of the film more so than the film itself because then you get to hear the stories and you get to hear from the directors and the why behind it was created and all the little intricate details surrounding oh yes this this prop is was wasn't meant to be in the film but it just got in because you know of an accident or stuff like that that like the the little behind the scene nuggets i always love and so Yeah, I feel like my role as the president and the founder of the film club is to just give people those opportunities to explore their creativity in whatever way that they they kind of are desiring to to do and to help facilitate that and to give them the resources, not only the kit, but the people and and and the expertise on and the guidance on how to do that. In summary, my role is very varied as the president and the founder of the film club, um but I wouldn't have it any other way.
00:30:43
Speaker
it's slightly earlier than i would have planned but i feel like it goes nicely into um i usually ask about a sort of a piece of media or that's sort of important here and you'd mentioned the it's called into the unborn the making of frozen 2 which feels quite quite related to what you just said up about the behind the scenes literally the first thing that happens in in the first episode of that is they do one of these screenings where they show where they're up to and it says you're going to be told that basically don't have a film And it was so interesting seeing that that even on something as large scale as Frozen 2, you're going to feel like you are useless.
00:31:15
Speaker
Yes. Just like everything that we have is just going to go into the bin and it's not going to to be used. and And we're going to start from basically scratch on some scenes. You know, ah yeah, I love, love, love behind the scenes. And what you're referring to that into the unknown making a frozen two is a comfort docuseries that I kind of go back to when I'm needing a little bit of inspiration and a little bit of like, this is why we're doing what we're doing to tell stories and have this this like creative community of people coming together and it goes through the docuseries which I can't remember how many episodes specifically I think it's like four or five ah episodes that are going through the making of Frozen 2 at the Disney Animation Studios and you get to follow the directors Jen and I forgot the other guy's name
00:31:59
Speaker
um But you get to follow them as they are making and finishing Frozen 2, as well as meeting some of the animators and the people behind the scenes. And it's just it's so good to just look at different areas. And although it's animation, which is different um to some extent from, you know, film production, it is so just so good. It's so good to just watch how people are constantly iterating and changing and having fun and and getting to explore different themes and and and And coming to to those like aha moments as well of like, ah, this is what the, you know, Atahala needs to to be ah like, it needs to be her mom. And that makes sense that it's her mom or like, you know, like, and just seeing people struggling to get to that end point of of it things making sense. Going back to what we said earlier in the podcast of like,
00:32:47
Speaker
being a learner right you only see the final product of things majority of the time you don't see all of the struggles that it took to get there so i love documentary filmmaking and behind the scenes specifically for that that like you're seeing the the the nitty-gritty this is how the the the magic is made um of a film and so i love i love going and watching that series back and and just being inspired by all of the different people and voices that come together to make a film a film I think there's there's some really cool stuff in it. there the um are There's like the the one woman who's animating one of the scenes in, I think it's in The Unknown, and it shows, I think she got a boyfriend to film her running, and then she basically... Yes! It's so interesting, just, that I've always thought animation's like the coolest thing, but I've got no understanding of
00:33:37
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, animators are basically actors as well, because they have to have they have to have that sense of play and that sense of um reference for them to then animate to majority of the time. So yeah, that that example of her running on the sidewalk with her her boyfriend, just like skateboarding alongside of her to get that video recording so that she could then use that as reference for Elsa at the top of the like ice thing that she makes with Into the Unknown.
00:34:02
Speaker
It's just it's so fun to see. It's so fun to see the people's processes. Even like just the little details though, because she said sort the way she moves as a person is not quite how Elsa moves. So initially she'd animated it sort closer to her own movements and had to change.
00:34:16
Speaker
This is why I like asking people you sort of the things that they've watched because I'm like, I would never watched this documentary. I would never even thought to watch it, but I'm like, wow, it's like so interesting and sort of just to sort follow that. It gives you a new appreciation. Yeah, absolutely. I've not even watched Frozen 2. I thought about watching it after.
00:34:34
Speaker
After. So I know how it was made. Let me now go watch the film. That was my song. Interesting choice there. But um yes, I would highly recommend going to watch Frozen 2 as well.
00:34:45
Speaker
I've listened to the songs, you know. I'm not completely unfiltered. Oh, okay. Okay. So we'll have a sing-along karaoke afterwards. Yes, well ah I'll be there. How we end how end the episode. Okay. But no, I've always been so interested behind behind the scenes. And um I got the opportunity when I was working as a COVID assistant on Dungeons and Dragons when they were up here filming at Annick Castle to sit down and chat with, well, I say sit down. We were on set, so there wasn't really any place to sit. But I was chatting with the EPK guy that was doing all of the behind the scenes filming interviews with cast crew, that kind of stuff a for Dungeons and Dragons.
00:35:21
Speaker
And he was just saying, you know, like it's a very interesting niche to go into, which is behind the scenes, because usually behind the scenes is part of the marketing aspects of of the film. So, you know, all the assets that you see to to market the film, all of the kind of press kits and stuff like that is done by the the person who's doing the EPK for for the film and the marketing team. So it's a very small, it's usually one two person kind of team that's on these films doing doing the press kits and behind the scenes stuff.
00:35:49
Speaker
To be able to pick somebody's brain who's actually in the industry doing it was just so, so valuable to do. And I think for for me myself, because I love documentary and I love being in all areas of filmmaking, like I don't just love doing camera. i don't just love doing sound or or editing or stuff like that. Like for me, behind the scenes is like that way to kind of use all of my skills to kind of capture what's happening and and and what's being created. So I love watching and consuming anything that's behind the scenes. um So is is that like...
00:36:17
Speaker
Is that sort what you do as as a day job? Do you work behind the scenes? I would love to. I have been paid to do that job before um as a freelancer. But no, my my day job right now is the film club. It is literally getting getting money and um grants into the film club is kind of what I do.
00:36:34
Speaker
I recently um switched from, i was in podcasting. So I was working at a studio here in Newcastle as a podcast producer. So from pre to post, helping podcasts get created and get made. But I've recently swapped out of that and to now pursuing and doing film club full time, but also looking to sharpen my skills and to make sure that I'm still making the connections and still keeping my finger on the pulse of what's happening here in the Northeast in terms of film. So yes, if you're listening to this and would like somebody to do EPK for your film, please hit me up, let me know. But no, my focus is the film club and and ensuring that the longevity of the film club and and the types of things that we're doing as a community is really benefiting the wider
Future Vision: Sustainability and Community
00:37:13
Speaker
community as a whole. So that is that is my focus right now for the for the moment, which I'm very fortunate to be able to do that. I mean, were always something that were a job for you all about their retirement? It went from something smaller to something that were more viable as a full-time job for you? Yeah, it's it's basically this past year um has been the the kind of catalyst to to that.
00:37:34
Speaker
um So we were a constituted community group, which basically we had a constitution that just said, this is how our community group is governed. But then we started to get more grants and funding into the organization to where I was just like, oh, and now it's becoming a little bit more of a beast to manage.
00:37:51
Speaker
um So I've made steps within my own career to really kind of push it forward and to look at this more as ah as a social enterprise, which is a social enterprise, you're business, but your business is solely to focus and giving you back to the community and all the profits that you do make from the business goes back into your community mission values.
00:38:10
Speaker
and and serving the community that you have. So this year, the year of 2025, has been a transition for the film club in that we've kind of transitioned from the grassroots community side of things to more of a, okay, let's make this a real driver and force for for our community so that we can be here for longer and that we can continue to do the stuff that we're doing and not just rely on the International Bank of Samantha Castro, which is what the film club has been running on for the past five years.
00:38:39
Speaker
So, So, yeah, it it it this year, I would say, is the catalyst of of change for that. That's funny, actually, because one one thing I do remember from when I went to um film club meeting, I think I did actually talk to you at the end and you were like yeah, I put money into this myself. And I was all like, oh, this sounds like expensive, if so. Yes, right running a community group is expensive. But i think when you believe in something, you just have to put your money where your mouth is. Like if you believe in and the work that you're doing, it's so important for you to be like, no, no, no, I'm funding this out of my own pocket because I believe it's something that we need. know
00:39:12
Speaker
And I think because of that, other people have seen that and they've said, oh, yeah, no, we think we need this as well. um Here's some money to help you, which is like, great. Right. More of that, please. Was the goal with Film Club Freight to become a full-time kind of job fair or is that something that's been a bit more how it's how it's evolved? Sort of a nice way for it to evolve. It's definitely how it's evolved.
00:39:34
Speaker
I would always say that it's always been a key aspect of mine to have a community and have constantly creating things with people and and being able to support others in their filmmaking journeys. That's been the number one goal of things having it as a full-time job is is just it's necessary at this point in order for us to keep doing the stuff that is that that we're doing because I want to do more I want to do bigger better things we've got a community film kit that we got funding for last year that needs to be ran and equipment needs to be maintained so that others can use it to to tell their stories and tell their films and stuff so Yeah, it's just it's become a full-time job. I say that it kind of always has been, but now I'm actually looking for for it to actually like be the full-time income stuff like that. So we're in the process of it. Just to wrap up, you also mentioned Parks and Rec when I asked the media that you're interested in.
00:40:26
Speaker
And I kind of just wanted to mention Parks and Rec because I feel like people only talk about The Office now and no one talks about Parks and Rec anymore. No one talks about Parks and Rec. I love Parks and Rec so much. Yes, so when you ask the question of like you know what media do do you love or have you been enjoying? Parks and Rec is also a comfort comedy show. I think with so much of what's going on in the world right now, it's just really nice...
00:40:49
Speaker
To see a group of people trying to do better within their community and all the hijinks that come up with it. But I think as well, Leslie Knope is a kind of inspiration for a leader and a person that I would like to be. She's very empathetic. She's always cheerleading everybody that she works with on. And she she also just doesn't give like when she goes for something, she really goes for it.
00:41:11
Speaker
with with her all. So I think she's just like such an inspiring character. And Amy Poehler, who plays ah Leslie Knope, is also very inspirational to me. Like I would love to one day work with her, just putting that out there into the universe. But I think what she's done with Parks and Rec and and how she's, and you listen to some of the behind the scenes that they've had from that show and it really embodies like everything that you would want in in a work environment and work.
00:41:38
Speaker
ah the creative chaos and fun that that they have it's just it's to me it's it's the perfect show of like how how you can bring these characters along in their journey and kind of grow with them throughout every season like it's just so good and it's it's hilarious as well Yeah, it was like a few years for a few years after I finished uni, I just asked for like a bunch of series on DVD for Christmas each year.
00:42:04
Speaker
And I used to love just it were also because it was the post uni years. They were also like I didn't always have a job and it was just there was some there was some nice Januaries where I just spent like days watching it. I think like what you're saying, and like the sort of work environment, I was like, I really hope that when I do get a job, it can be like this. And of course it wasn't. Part of like but yeah what you said about sort of the way the world is now, ah there is a weird sort of element of like, imagine if this thing that was totally not a fantasy at the time, but feels like much more of a fantasy now because the world is terrible. Yeah.
00:42:35
Speaker
Yes. Yes. And i think I think it's just great. It's one of those shows that you can just throw on, enjoy, come away feeling, because that's also the kind of type of content that I love to make and I love to be part of is the type of content that kind of brings back the hope in humanity. Yeah.
00:42:50
Speaker
I think that's it. And it's so important because sometimes it feels like it it feels like it's hard to find that. So, well, no, I think um I think we'll leave it there then. Thank you for talking to me. And would you like to tell us where we can find you and plug anything you'd like to plug? Yes. So you can find us on Facebook, Instagram. ah We have our own members hub, oh which is our own app that the community uses to post about their short films, casting callouts, crew callouts. and We post opportunities on there as well. So you can find the links to all those on our website.
00:43:21
Speaker
um Also find us on YouTube. ah We have recently released 2023 film Nails onto YouTube. So go, if you have 10 minutes to spare, go and give that a watch um all and see all the hard work that all of the ah volunteers in the community have done to put that film together. fantastic.
00:43:37
Speaker
fun film uh i think that's one that you can also kind of come away from being like oh that was nice and yes anything else film challenges keep a look at on our website we are currently in the middle of a film challenge um as of this recording and uh you can go check that out as well too if you'd like to get involved thank you
00:43:59
Speaker
What Makes You Tick is hosted, produced and edited by me, Ryan Watson. Thank you to Craig Pearson for designing the show logo. The theme music is Silent Movie 91 by Sasha End. Thank you once again to Samantha for speaking to me for this episode.
00:44:11
Speaker
Join me next week for my conversation with actor Jack Henry and keep an eye out for a sneak preview on at Makes You Tick Pod on TikToker Instagram early next week. Thanks for listening.