Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Robert Carr: Do it all until you find out what you really love!
33 Plays8 months ago
We talk about being a jack of all trades as a film maker and his production company RGR Film Productions. We also discuss his work teaching screen acting with The Actor’s Forge and the further services he provides actors through NE Actors. And on top of all of this, we talk about Back to the Future.
Find Rob on Instagram.
Find me on TikTok and Instagram.
Show Art is by Craig Pearson.
Theme Music is 'Silent Movie 91' by Sascha Ende.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:09
Speaker
Hello and welcome to What Makes You Tick, a conversation podcast where I, Ryan Watson, talk to North East artists, that's actors, writers, directors, filmmakers, or anyone else that piques my curiosity about what they do, how they make it work, and the media that inspires them to do that work. Today have Robert Carr.
Rob Carr's Background and Roles
00:00:25
Speaker
Rob is a writer and director who's made a short films such as 60 Seconds, The Asylum Groove, Backstage, Road. He runs RGR Films, and which a production company that makes content for global, national, and local businesses. He runs Any Actors, where he does headshots and showreels for actors, and he has a YouTube channel called The Film Look. He also has been recently coaching me in screen acting as part of the Actors Forge, and other people, not just me personally.
00:00:51
Speaker
Yeah. and So yes, Rob, thank you for being on my show. Have I missed anything? and No, to be honest, I might steal that for my own bio because I hate writing about myself.
00:01:02
Speaker
And that's kind of a summary that I might steal for different things. So yeah, thanks very much. nice well That is ah at least I've been useful in some way. So ah thank you for coming on the show. I guess I'm quite interested to talk to you, I guess, because you have so many different like angles on things, I guess. Is that a good way to put it? Yeah, I wear many hats, as I call it.
00:01:24
Speaker
Many different hats. Yeah, um and I think something I'm really interested in, part of why I'm wanting to do this podcast, is to try and understand ah how how people make it work, I guess. I feel like many years ago I was like, I want to be a writer, but I never and never worked out how to do that and make money, and I fell out of it.
00:01:41
Speaker
I mean, that's the that's ah still thing I'm trying to work out, make the make enough money. That's the that's the dream. So, um but I mean, I guess, could you start by just sort of telling us a bit about, i guess, your background, how you came to
Transition from Business to Filmmaking
00:01:55
Speaker
filmmaking? Well, I've kind of always been interested in in films, even from a kid, um like everyone, and it never kind of went to away.
00:02:03
Speaker
um The unfortunate thing was no one ever really said that, you know, this is a job. I do many different things, which we'll talk about, but no one actually said this, like at the creative industry was something where you can actually do. So went uni and did business comp computing, you know, that's me that's what my degree, undergraduate degree in.
00:02:21
Speaker
um And it's kind of helped along the way. um It was less about business. It was a bit of a mixture. It wasn't necessarily focused enough. um But like I did, I did that for three years and knew kind of afterwards that,
00:02:34
Speaker
um or coming to the the final year was just like i do not want to be in in a corporate world i've always been creative i should have went to uni and done film from the start um but no one really said that was an option and then when i was kind of at the uni was seeing people running around with cameras and things um so in the final year i kind of saved up all me my bursaries, my grants, whatever I could, and did a master's in media production.
00:03:01
Speaker
I had to do three months of first year, which was you know strange because I'd been at uni for three years. So was definitely a mature student at that point in terms of three years older than everyone else.
00:03:12
Speaker
But then I did that for a year and it's essentially just showed us where the buttons were. And from then, so I graduated 2012. It's quite a while ago when I think about it now. and just kind of did it since then figured it out along the way i'm still doing that but i've started to realize what i really love doing and the things that i don't enjoy as much sometimes it is a day job and then sometimes it's it's really fun because you get to be with actors and direct and you know you get to make stuff so yeah like i said ever since i was a kid i've always been interested in films and i just think if someone early on in school went you know
00:03:48
Speaker
Because I was never very good at school. I'm dyslexic. Not the brightest, you know, in terms of education and stuff, but creative stuff. I've always enjoyed making stuff. My dad's a joiner. granddaughter always made stuff, you know, always work with his hands. And me doing what I do is just kind of, it's similar to them, really. They always made things. I just make it in a different, different way. Do you think that studying business might have in any way helped kind of keep it as a passion? Because you seem to have a lot more of a ah foot in the the filmmaking world than I did study media at uni. Then a lot of people i I went to uni with and part me is like, do you think maybe it helped? Like sort of it didn't beat out of you in some way.
00:04:25
Speaker
Yeah, maybe. i think in terms of the business, there was a lot of technical stuff in there as well. So it wasn't just about and business theory and things like that. It was like setting, and making your own websites and and programming and coding. And it was a bit of an all round thing.
00:04:40
Speaker
So, you know, I do all those things myself in terms of websites and and updating them. And I've never been afraid of just doing it myself. And it saved us a lot of money over the years. So that course, it definitely did help.
00:04:53
Speaker
But the main fundamentals of that course was to go into an organization, into not tech support, but, you know, into helping businesses run and obviously to run your own business, depending on what that would be. But it was just never creative enough. I've done over a little businesses along the way. Nothing's really stuck that I've really enjoyed compared to what I do now. So once you've done your master's, what sort of projects did you start to move into filmmaking-wise?
Early Freelance Work and RGR Films
00:05:17
Speaker
While I was at uni, I yeah i got to... So I was doing my uni course in terms of making films, but then I got the opportunity to shoot for the university sports. So I used to cover like basketball events, football. um I used to do interviews with people. Some of it was a bit more just...
00:05:33
Speaker
documentary film, film the game, get the reaction afterwards. And then other things were a bit more stylized and that was actually a paid gig at the uni. So I did, I did like three, four months of that. So it was a bit more corporate. And then we first have a freelance job kind of out of uni was making videos for the glass center. So like filming artists make their art, ah which I loved. That's kind of how I got started making like into the more corporate side of videos for companies. so like straight out of uni it was just like that wasn't a full-time thing i had a part-time job at the time and eventually that part-time job got in the way and then i just started trying to make more and more being freelance you don't always have a paycheck at the end of the month so it's it's always just being balance of you know when you do make money save of it because you know there's going to be months where you're not going to make money but yeah from from then i worked glassham for about three four years making
00:06:25
Speaker
making different videos, different levels, interviewing artists from all over the world. I traveled to Sunderland and it was just fun. It really was. There's some challenges along the way, but it was like, I was still figuring it out, you know, still kind of am, but it's, that's how I got my start. And then you kind of just get over freelance work from that. I mean, what, what came first with ah RGR? ah Yeah. RGR has got a bit of an orange written story. So like we, when I was a teenager, me mate had a little camera and we used to make little sketches.
00:06:50
Speaker
And then I used to have this room above my garage. I mean, it was just, you know, my mom and dad's garage. And it had like a little pool table in and things like that. And a little telly, you know, there wasn't a lot, but it was a space.
00:07:03
Speaker
And they were called a Rob's Games Room. And that's what RGR stands for. So when I needed a name for company, it's film productions, but it's probably is more media production now. I do video photography and audio. So it's not just film. In hindsight, I should have called it media productions because it is a bit of bit of everything. For when I do do that type of work, sometimes it is just photography. Sometimes it is just audio. So like there's...
00:07:26
Speaker
For example, like the stuff in the glass center, oh kind of where you pick up a phone and you listen to someone talk. That's that's that's my work. um So it's that came first. I mean, it was a mixture of, at the beginning, sports, kind of artist videos, music videos. It was a bit of everything. Thinking back now, it should have been a bit more focused.
00:07:45
Speaker
And I think that's what it probably will go into in the next couple of years, a bit more focused into... a particular type of area but then like i said within that i did multiple things so then obviously later on that's why i've set up the actors thing because you know actors don't really need to know about the corporate stuff i do so it didn't really apply so that's why i set up something new to cater for that and just have some like a clean slate within that because like i said i do that many different things and not everybody needs to know about all of them I remember you saying, I think it were last year, I was quite new to the the Actors Forge at the time, but i think you came in and did a session and you said how you were really interested in focusing a lot on the directing actors
Directing and Actor Support
00:08:26
Speaker
specifically. Yeah, so I mean, I've been coming to the Actors Forge, which is an acting school in Newcastle for about four five years now. I've known Dan, he was actually, who runs the Actors Forge, he was actually in a cast of men's first short film that I shot.
00:08:39
Speaker
And then when he set it up, it was a great excuse for me to be with actors a lot more Essentially straight after COVID, once it started going again, I was became a regular. And yes, I come along with cameras sometimes, but I like to go to the class and it's definitely helped me become a better director because it's allowed me to train and practice. And it's made us realize that even though i do enjoy the camera work, the lighting, it's not my favorite thing.
00:09:08
Speaker
I prefer being with actors. So it's, you know, directing is something that... I know that's the thing I want to do more than anything else, writing and as well, writing me on stuff. Because within within that Actors Forge, I get a chance to play and try things. And sometimes it's not right.
00:09:24
Speaker
Like says, I'm still training like but yourself and all the other actors that are in there. I give advice and I laugh sometimes because I'm like, I don't know if this is right. It's just my opinion. You know, is this the right way to go with the direction? It feels right to me. So is that right? I i don't know.
00:09:39
Speaker
But it it it's a great place to to learn and to try things. And I've definitely tried and failed within the direction. Sometimes you'll not give a good note and then you go, sorry, I didn't give you a good note.
00:09:51
Speaker
But then it's great when you get something that's really work and you get quite a buzz off it. I get more of a buzz off that than, you know, making a video look nice, you know, as a DOP, as a director of photography. It doesn't ah like sometimes you go, oh, that's a cool shot.
00:10:07
Speaker
And you go, oh, that actually, yeah, that actually actually looks really good. You go, oh, I did that. But I don't get that satisfaction as much when I'm operating cameras and things like that and shooting videos than I do from just directing. There's been a nice crossover in the last couple of years. I do a lot more actor show rails and headshots, and it's allowed me to use the skills that I've got in terms of being able to operate cameras and lights and make something look, I think, half decent. But then I also get to direct actors along the way.
00:10:36
Speaker
So it's getting closer to me giving up the camera. and just direct and than ever before so you know you make a little bit money along the way which is always nice can't just do it for the the love of it and the art of it at some point you you have to do that and hopefully one day i'll just be directing that's that's my goal that's my dream short films plays features tv shows whatever it is to make a living off it I guess with the showreels stuff, that's really interesting then, because like you say, taking them other skills, the lighting and things, and that's what's really valuable to the actors coming to you for those showreels, having something professional. But I mean, you must have done quite a few, you must have.
00:11:13
Speaker
And you usually write, you usually write those, is that right? Yeah. So with the scenes, it's the way I think about it is, yeah, I've i've got the skills to make something look good. you know, and that's what an actor needs.
00:11:24
Speaker
And the scenes are not there to showcase my talent. I just use my knowledge to service for them. It's a service. They need something that looks good for their show rails to hopefully to go on and do bigger and better things.
00:11:35
Speaker
It's nowhere to showcase my lighting, my writing, the direction. It's to, it's purely for actors. And soon as that happens, That took us a little while to click into my brain. But soon as I realized that, I went, oh, I know what this is now.
00:11:50
Speaker
I know what I need to do. But it also allows me to write, see what works, see what doesn't, and then also direct. So I've kind of got a foot in both camps in that sense.
00:12:00
Speaker
I get to try. i get to work with actors. You know, there's a lot of trust with them. as well. You know, again, it's just my opinion. I've made a few shorts. I've made a few bits and pieces. You know, I'm not exactly like a famous director who's done some big stuff.
00:12:13
Speaker
It's just my ah opinion, if this works or not. Passion, maybe, as well. I think that's a big part of it. Show show the passion for it. Hopefully everyone else will come on board. But again, it's to service actors, to get a further job.
00:12:27
Speaker
that's that That is it. And that's that's a little bit of like probably my business sense. coming on you can be creative and it can be lovely and you know that because you love it but at the end of the day you've still got to make it a living so there's a sense of both in this camps and this is probably the first time i've had that you know the corporate works fine and sometimes you work for some really nice some really good projects then sometimes it's a financial company and you really you're just doing that to make it look pretty make it sound good and it's not fulfilling but at least the actors show rails
00:12:59
Speaker
Even with the headshots, you know, in an hour and a half session, session I get to, first of all, get to know some of these actors a lot better. And then also it's a service to showcase who they are as a person. But I get to direct within that hour and a half.
00:13:12
Speaker
I'm like, oh, that's a job. That's amazing. and but That's actually a thing that, like it says in school, you kind of don't get taught. It's like, oh, no, that is a job. You can do that and get paid for it and also direct actors.
00:13:25
Speaker
And it's just like, well, that's the dream, isn't it? I'm only doing it at a certain level and there's other levels, there's higher levels than this. But it's kind of like, to be fair, I don't wish someone told us earlier. You just go through, you figure it out along the way.
00:13:36
Speaker
Like if you were doing it earlier, would I be further? I don't know. I'm getting closer. At least I'm on the path and i'm I feel like I'm getting a little bit closer, which is the first time. And, you know, ever since I really start doing this. It's almost like no one tells you earlier because it is something you might fail
Embracing Creative Challenges and Failures
00:13:52
Speaker
at. And no one wants to tell you to do something that you might fail at. I guess it's sort of what you were saying about sometimes you've given notes and then afterwards you've decided it's the wrong note. I think this is the big thing I've like really learned doing the Actors Forge is I feel like say this to everyone I talk to about anything.
00:14:07
Speaker
but it's like it's better to it's better and it's more fulfilling to to give it a go and for it to turn out wrong than to to not not give it a go yeah because i mean there's loads of sayings like that you know if you don't try well you're going to fail straight away but if you try at least you've tried i think You know, so the one thing, I give it a go.
00:14:27
Speaker
I'll try. And if other people are on board, I'll give you everything. I randomly said once, ah you know, if the people I'm working for are fully committed, I'll run through a brick wall. Because as long as you're on board, I'm on board.
00:14:39
Speaker
Like, it's got to be fully, but... And with the Actors Forge, it's like, you've got to just try. It's interesting because everyone's at a different level. So at the Forge, what I've learned is you can't direct everyone in the same way as well.
00:14:53
Speaker
You know, some people are just, it's their first couple of sessions. So it's a bit more about like confidence building, just getting them up acting, which I've learned. And then some of the classes who've been doing it longer, it's first of all, stop getting out your own way, which is a lot of them.
00:15:09
Speaker
But then it's kind of, um, Try something new. I've seen you do this a million times. You can do that. Try this. ah Figure out what type of actor you are. I've tried a bunch of things and I feel like you start to figure it out.
00:15:21
Speaker
Like as an actor as well, I think you try a bunch of things and you go, you know what? I'm not great at comedy. So maybe I'll not do it or I'll try to do it more because I want to be good at it. I've made that much stuff and it's a bit of a trial and error.
00:15:34
Speaker
Some things work, some things don't. you tell me a bit more about working with people at different levels? Because i think last year, that class I mentioned that you taught, i think that was maybe my fourth acting lesson. and right And it was sort of like, I was used to Dan being there and just starting to get comfortable. And I think Dan wasn't there. And I was suddenly like, have to be in front of a camera.
00:15:51
Speaker
And I'm terrified, but you were very sort comforting and encouraging. I think we did where, you know, where we walk up to the... camera and keep the eye line yeah the mark so um especially if people have never been on camera before it's all about getting them in front of camera as quickly as possible because no one cares no one cares like it does matter if good you're bad indifferent whatever it is no one's bothered and i think as soon as you get over that it's just easier and easier and easier like says i run a youtube channel for a few years and there's 350 videos of me on youtube but like talking to camera you just get used to it the first couple awful like the first hundred not good but then after that you start to figure out who you are and your style and that learnt me that's learnt me to then tell other people that so working with different actors at different levels like said in terms of camera just get them in front of camera and especially what we've been doing recently it's watch yourself back and listen to yourself back
00:16:42
Speaker
And if you haven't, I'm going to play that because again, no one's bothered. No one cares. You can be on the screen and we're playing you and it might feel uncomfortable, but everyone's there generally for encouragement. And that's why I asked the question, what do you think?
00:16:56
Speaker
And so what do the same partner think? And then what does everyone think? Because I think you just get over the fact of being on camera and listen to your own voice. I don't think many people like it, but you just learn.
00:17:07
Speaker
And I think as an actor, I think you have to, I mean, that's the whole point, isn't it? To be in front of people. So yeah, it's working with different levels. Some of the more advanced actors, if you want to call them that, some of them have just been doing it longer.
00:17:19
Speaker
It's a bit more micro in terms of direction, but the one thing you do find, they don't like watching themselves back as well. It doesn't matter how long we've been acting. So I'm doing that course for four different classes.
00:17:30
Speaker
One of them is, a lot of them are very green, very new. It's like their full-facting class. you know, and it's, there's no difference between some of them on camera than it is some people who've been doing it for years.
00:17:41
Speaker
I think what I've learned about taking classes, which is not my favorite thing to do in terms of stand up in front of everyone and go, my class, this is what we're going to do today. today It's not my natural habitat.
00:17:53
Speaker
But what I've, what I've learned is I've got to bring the energy. I've got to bring the passion for what we do. And, you know, I do enjoy what I do. So I remember just being in school and you get certain teachers who just, the reason you didn't like the class is because they didn't.
00:18:05
Speaker
um I'm definitely not built for it. There's a lot of energy that you need, but I definitely ah felt like over the years I get into like a routine um or I call it me me stand up routine when I do the classes because I've i've got certain jokes that that is if I can make people laugh in the first minute, I'm okay.
00:18:25
Speaker
It's strange because I'll never do stand-up. I'll never stand up in front of a crowd and tell jokes. But um if I can get that early joke in, and some of it might be something that I've already said the previous week, but then I just feel comfortable because then I know everyone's on board.
00:18:39
Speaker
There's some classes that don't quite go that way. And certain jokes, certain classes where you you maybe have to teach it in a different way, depending on how well you know them. But it's quite interesting. I think your class as well, i there was, um I think in the last session, I can't remember what it was now, but someone said something and I went, ah, right.
00:18:57
Speaker
now you're all opening up to us. Because bonie is someone someone suggested something, and it was yeah it was just a prompt, a sentence or something. And I just went, right, they're on board now because the trust is. Yeah, I remember you saying I also can't remember what they said. but yeah I can't remember what it was, but it was probably something rude.
00:19:15
Speaker
um But everyone was on board with it. And it was and i I think it's all about bringing energy. You know, if you're doing a heavy drama session, um you've you've got to bring that type of energy. But like it says, it's a playground for me to just try things.
00:19:32
Speaker
And it's, well, there's how many actors? Oh, 80 actors in the last six weeks across four different classes. um You know, that's a lot of people. to manage first of all but um there's a lot of um different type of actors so you like i said you have to adjust for different people just one more thing that you've mentioned is um people getting getting in their own way i guess what do you mean by that so i've been going to the actors for for about four years maybe even longer i don't know at this point and at first it was one class and now it's four it was one class of 15 people now it's four of 25 people each nearly and kids classes as well
00:20:11
Speaker
And what you see for the different levels is you see an actor reach a point and then they'll reach a wall and then they have to break through that wall. So initially when you're just starting out, the first ball is just getting up and performing in front of people.
00:20:26
Speaker
Like that's the first thing you've got to get over, get out the way of. That's why, like I said, when you're on camera, i get them on camera as quickly as possible. But then once they're up there performing after week, after week, after week, what you'll see is, and what I've noticed is, the actor will do something where it's ah it's a line, it's a word, it's an action within the little scene they're doing.
00:20:45
Speaker
And it's the first time you go. I believe that. And it's because they've got through that next barrier of like, just being present in that scene and forgetting about the performance. At first, people are just seeing the lines and they're not really acting. It's nerves, you know, it's, you've just got to get past that. And then like it says,
00:21:02
Speaker
There was one instance I remember, and it was, they just sat down with each other and put their arms around each other. And I went, ah, they've got it. I was like, I'm in straight away. They didn't see a word.
00:21:13
Speaker
They just sat there. i was like, they set the tone, set the scene. that They were so comfortable within it. So like people are getting in their own way. Some of the more advanced people, they do get in their own way still because they're so used to acting a certain way.
00:21:29
Speaker
And I've said this to to many of the actors, like you you need to, you can do that. Let's try something new. Let's bring new things in. And then kind of a bit more of a bigger thing as well, getting in their own way is just doing the basics of like, they want to be on bigger productions, but you know, you don't apply for things.
00:21:45
Speaker
That's kind of getting in your own way. It's fine if people come to the class and they treat it as the gym, essentially, they come and just train and they don't want to do it outside the class. Yeah, great. If that's what you want to do. But then at some point you've got to get put yourself out there, which isn't easy for any creative person. I still hate.
00:22:01
Speaker
posting anything every time i've got to click you know instagram's my main platform right now and anytime i've got to post anything i hate it you've still got that self-doubt inside of you so i i know where it's and as an actor god you're the one in front of the camera putting yourself out there so it's not easy but it's just about getting out of your own way you've got to just tell yourself essentially get out of your own way stop messing around just do it like no one cares no one's bothered if you post something on instagram it's literally that's why it's called insta it's there and it's gone think i said this i spoke to jack yesterday um and i think i'd said something about dan will send out um roles and things to audition for and i'm just getting to the stage where i can even think that that that might apply to me you know it's like as if you think that's for everyone else and not for me
00:22:49
Speaker
Yeah, you do though.
Self-Promotion and Overcoming Doubt
00:22:51
Speaker
You do. you um you You definitely think that way. And I think it's better to probably do it before you are ready, which sounds strange because then you get used to doing it. You know, this isn't just, it's your first thing you're applying for. It's not going to be the last.
00:23:05
Speaker
You've just got a put yourself out there. Like I said, I struggle with that every single day. I hate it as a creative person, but you've just kind of got to, kind of just got to do it, don't you? and just see what happens see what sticks yeah i guess it's just all those sayings again and it is better to try yeah it is it's as simple as that sometimes annoying when them sayings are actually true yeah it really is i guess we're gonna talk about back to the future in a minute before that do you have any general advice for actors filmmakers i mean artists in general either craft wise or practicality wise
00:23:38
Speaker
um i think what i would say is you need there's couple of things well you need the right people around you i'm very much a solo creator in a sense from the things i do for corporate uh work to the actor show rails you know write you edit the entire thing i'm a bit of a jack of all trades i don't think that's a bad thing i think that what's the same jack of all trades a master of none but still better than a master of one which people missed that last day don't think i've heard the last bit yeah that is that is actually the last bit um heard that last year and i went well i am i am a jack of all trades um first of all financially it's just easy to learn and do it yourself i don't think everything i do is as high quality as some people for example my next couple of short films i'm not going to shoot them because i don't think first of all i want to direct i've done both in the past and it is a bit of a balancing act but there's there's better people out there who can make the short films look the way i want them people who actually love love cinematography and I understand it, understand the fundamentals of a few things, but I think that's where Jack of all trades comes in handy. And as a director, I've realized you kind of, you don't need that. There's some directors who don't know anything, the technical side, but I definitely understand it.
00:24:49
Speaker
So hopefully it'll help us. I think all of the things I've done has actually helped. So what I would say is just do it, do everything and figure out what you really like doing. You know, you might get into filmmaking,
00:25:01
Speaker
and yeah you might start operating you might direct a little bit uh you might go in front of the camera and realize oh i like acting more than i like being behind the camera or you might figure out that you really love sound you really love that side of the production or you really love prop making like i make props just just because i like it it's not something i'll do full time but i've realized oh that's because i've always made things so you've kind of just got to do it all until you figure out what you really love doing I always knew I wanted to be a director, but I didn't really know that.
00:25:33
Speaker
I just thought, oh, that's what you say. You know, that's what everyone wants to be. And then eventually you you become the thing you want want to do. But writing indirect and directing is essentially, i figured it out. it like, that's what I want to do.
00:25:44
Speaker
So yeah, for advice for people, it's just like, just do it all for a bit. and figure out what you like, understand it. If you don't like something, stop doing it, I suppose, unless you're getting highly
Versatility in Filmmaking
00:25:58
Speaker
paid.
00:25:58
Speaker
Then I would say just do it. um But it's, yeah, you've kind of just got to do multiple things. It's taken me 10 years to just narrow that down. into what i really want to do i guess that that sort of jack of all trades approach is also what allows you to call yourself a filmmaker as a kind of full-time job as opposed to someone who works in web development and that's that might be my job Yeah, I mean, everyone's got that that thing, you know, that you do. Some days it is a job. it It feels like a job. I mean, I don't take that much time off because I'm always doing multiple things. the ti but It takes up a lot of time. I don't have that regular nine to five. Recently, I did think about that. i was like, oh, I would actually like a paycheck at the end of the month and I know what's coming in.
00:26:45
Speaker
That sounds marvellous. But then I also realised that I don't think I could work nine to five, which is strange. like i've Obviously, I've been doing these screen acting classes, and I've got four left out of 18.
00:26:57
Speaker
So I'm up to 14 right now. And I've really, really enjoyed them. it's It's a lot of work, but I've really enjoyed them. But... I'll be happy when the 18th is done because I'm not very good at doing the same thing over and over again.
00:27:12
Speaker
it's Every class is different and every act is different and the performances are great and you get a direct pickling in different way. But the format, I don't think I could do that on a week-to-week basis. It's an actual full-time, like just say if you went into full-time teaching.
00:27:27
Speaker
I couldn't do couldn't do the same thing every day. like I like the variety. For example, like yesterday I was just doing studio improvements, so building shelves and just organisation because it needed doing.
00:27:38
Speaker
And again, I've got the skills to do that and I've got loads of other studio improvements that I want to do to help the business grow. And so some days it's you know, using a drill, which is great. I love it.
00:27:48
Speaker
And then other days you later on, I've got someone coming in for headshots and then um tomorrow it's the acting class again. And then I'm shooting something on Thursday, which is something completely different. And it's just like, I like that kind of variety.
00:28:02
Speaker
So yeah, it's kind of, for our advice, it's it's just do a bit of everything. What I will say is find people. that you can work with like says i'm a like i'm a bit of a solo creator kind of always have been but it's so much nicer when you're working with like-minded people for the next couple of short films like it says it's it's getting over people involved to help make them make them better do the job better than i can and then hopefully i can just concentrate on the thing that i really want to do and that's directing It sounds like both in terms of the ah the work you're doing, so what you're saying about doing the classes, it's nice to do, but you're also looking forward to being over. But then also, in a similar way, working with people you know, but being a solo creator, it's almost like it's nice to have some familiarity, but also have the flexibility in there. Is that right? flexibility is probably the word because like says i'll have to say this many times because i've really enjoyed doing the classes it's been so much fun and sometimes i am laughing my head off like i love the creativity and silliness sometimes even when it's not silly like i'm probably laughing i shouldn't be because rolling audio and we shouldn't be laughing because don't have clean audio then but that's always been a problem when i've made a film like i'm always the one like absolutely laughing me head off you know you hear you're
00:29:16
Speaker
a great line and you're just like, oh, that's gold. Or the way they deliver it. And it just gives you so much, like, sometimes you come away and it's so much joy. But like I said, it's the variety. It's the flexibility. It's doing those multiple things. Working in a nine to five, i could i could do it if I had to, but it's just not.
00:29:34
Speaker
Maybe one day I will. I don't know. But yeah, I like the variety. I like being able to have a bit freedom, but I don't work nine to five. I just work twenty four seven So it's It's kind of like, what do you want? It's even one or the other. It's very difficult to turn off. It is sometimes, but I've learnt, like I'm away next week for a week and I've got bits and pieces I can get on with, but it's very much the case of I can't do any of the physical things in terms of taking photographs, headshots for people, recording showreels because I'm not here.
00:30:05
Speaker
can do the admin type side or the planning side or the writing side, which is actually the best bit about going away because you actually have time to do that. But yeah, I think I just, I like the variety. um It's different to switch it up though when you, you know I've got someone in for taking photographs. So you've got to go, right, okay, turn that side your brain on, you know, that part your brain, right? What do I need for that? And how do I do it? And then you show real, okay, it's that.
00:30:27
Speaker
Everything's similar, but you kind of have to like different spaces in your brain for different things and different mindsets of different things you're doing. Sometimes you've got to like remember that what you're doing, you love. Sometimes it is a job, like i said.
00:30:40
Speaker
Like every job. Like it's just, it is one. Yeah. There's always going to be aspects where it's, it's work. Yeah. Okay. Well, I wanted to talk to you about back to the future, i
Influence of 'Back to the Future' on Rob
00:30:50
Speaker
guess. So I'm asking people who I speak to for a piece of media. That's, I guess, important to them in some way. Cause I mean, on one hand, I kind of just want to talk about some films and maybe rewatch some films. Well, on the other hand, I think it's also important to like explore the relationship between the things you enjoy and then the things you make. You mentioned Back to the Future, as well as a couple of other films, Indiana Jones. There's many.
00:31:11
Speaker
I rewatched Back to the Future this morning as well. Nice. get a That's a good morning. Tell me about Back to the Future. and But like when you ask us the question, like oh what types of media and or films do you like? and it It always comes back to back to the future.
00:31:25
Speaker
I mean, I love Lord the Rings. I love the Inception. loads of good films out there. I kind of like a bit of everything. The only genre I don't really like is horror. I've never got into it. There's certain things that I've watched on and went, oh, that's great because it's scared, as but I'm a bit of a scaredy cat.
00:31:38
Speaker
When anyone ever asks this question, it always just goes back to back to the future. And it's not just the first one, it's actually all three. I think they're all just work. As a kid, I think my mom would say is, I probably watched this the most.
00:31:51
Speaker
This and Star Wars maybe, but Star Wars was just always on. This is definitely better than Star Wars. I'm putting that out there. um But I've always had this love of time travel stuff, probably from this. So any aspect of time travel, however little it is, mean, that is just my sub-genre of films. I actually think Two's probably my favourite. I think I like Two best as well. I watched them.
00:32:17
Speaker
I saw Two on on TV as a kid, and and it just really clicked for me. And I've always been like... I think two is my favorite. Yeah. Because I love the past um when they go back in time.
00:32:28
Speaker
and But I also love the future stuff. And in the second one, you get a bit of both. To be honest, it's it's just kind of one film, isn't it? I think. The third one's a little bit more standalone, but the first two, ah I think you you watch them back to back.
00:32:38
Speaker
Even though some of the actors change. The future aspect of it, I always loved. For example, like the hoverboard. I'm actually making one. ah I've met three d printed one. I mean, it's going to be a long project.
00:32:49
Speaker
I need to glue it all together, but I've always wanted one. So I decided to make one. Is that to display or is it going to fly? oh I wish it could fly, but no. okay Display. it It'll be somewhere in in here. There's some Indiana Jones props that I've printed just up here. yeah Just because I like them.
00:33:04
Speaker
I like making it when I find the time. But yeah, it's that level of like, it's fun. The jokes, there's nothing wrong with it as far as I can see. Like it's just the chemistry, the writing, obviously the production all kind of just fits together.
00:33:19
Speaker
You know, it's heavy and that's actually quoting Back to the Future. ah when he says everything's heavy. i think if it was on, I'd just sit and watch it. It doesn't matter when. It'll just always be, if it's on, I'll put it on.
00:33:32
Speaker
And they'll never remake it because he owns the rights until he dies, which is great. don't know. I suppose it's probably is a comfort film, in a sense. It's just always there. Watching it, i literally felt like it was a Sunday afternoon and I feel yeah like I'm a child and it's comfortable.
00:33:48
Speaker
Yeah. That's the thing. I think it takes, like I said, I watched it as a kid and I think it takes us back to that. You know, sometimes you just need something easy to watch. You know what? There's not really one specific thing.
00:33:59
Speaker
It is the time travel element of it, which, like I said, I'm in all of the time. I've got a film I would love to make, which has time travel element in it. It's not quite as techy as Back to the Future. It just kind of...
00:34:12
Speaker
It's there. It happens. It's, you know, it's just a device. It's not even a device, to be honest, but it's the concept of being able to go back and talk to certain people to interact. And because Back to the Future nostalgia built into it.
00:34:29
Speaker
because they go back to the 50s. So that is there's a nostalgia element to that, even though when I watched it, the 80s was... i mean, I was born in 88, the back end, so I didn't really see it. it was the 90s.
00:34:42
Speaker
And I'm definitely nostalgic for things, and that probably is an element as well of Back to the Future. It has that built in. And then... kind of the second one has it built in but into the future and some of the things that they have in the second one actually have came true like we've got video voice calling imagine that uh imagine i know oh yeah i remember when it got to because it's 2015 the future they go to in yeah yeah yeah i remember when it got to 2015 and people were like we're nearly in back to the future's future and now that's 10 years ago 10 years ago yeah and some of the things i
00:35:16
Speaker
have came true, kind of, but some of them haven't. Self-driving cars, that's a thing. Yeah, they exist. They exist. Yeah, they exist, yeah. So yeah, anytime anyone asks us, it's normally people are quite surprised that I say that, but everyone's favourite film is the one they watched the most as a kid. Why wouldn't it be? There's a couple of films that came out in the last couple of years, which I absolutely loved.
00:35:36
Speaker
Would I watch them again? As much? Probably not. I think that's it. Like, the older I get, I'm like, this is an amazing film, but it's never going to like live up to... It's because I feel like you just... don't know, you just re-watch things constantly as a kid and you just sort of... Well, that's the thing is you didn't have access to everything all of the time.
00:35:55
Speaker
You had... i had this VHS... dvd um i think i've got on blu-ray now i'll probably get on 4k blu-ray once once i can have that format but you just watch the same thing over and over again and although the the few things that you did have now you can watch a new film every night and you'll never run out which i don't think is a bad thing i think i think that's great i think you find it's i said this about spotify like i've got to have had spotify for 10 years and if i didn't i wouldn't have because I know nothing really about music, but my music taste is so varied because of that reason.
00:36:28
Speaker
You know, you can find stuff in terms of films now, which but you you just couldn't. you You had to get it on you know, go to Blockbuster. It's like when we say in for this, like films that people are telling telling me about, and I'm like, it's just a few clicks and I can literally watch anything anyone could possibly. Yeah, possibly i can get but I can get back to the future now.
00:36:47
Speaker
ah can put it on right now, like as we're talking. It's on iPlayer. I Googled yesterday to see where it is, and it's on iPlayer at the minute. Oh, really? That's good. Yeah. So its I think I grew up in that in in the sense of that. That's why I love Star Wars, because I watched it over and over again. And then I realized when I got a bit older, I was just like, oh, I don't like this as much.
00:37:07
Speaker
that's ah That was a strange thing. I think Star Wars is, I think, the original trilogy, there's like one and a half good films in that. Oh, wow. Yeah.
00:37:18
Speaker
Controversial. I feel like I'm roughly in the same place with Star Wars. I think I appreciate Star Wars, but I'm like, we can leave it alone now. The thing is, the new ones, I absolutely love them because I realise who they're They're for kids.
00:37:32
Speaker
It's a kid's film. You can get all deep about it if you want, but it's fun. The plot's not, put yeah but the films themselves as a spectacle going to the cinema, it's fun. And that's that's what I think they are, so... I think this is a big hill I would die on. is like it It's okay for things to be for kids, and it's okay as an adult to enjoy thing that's for kids, where I think a lot of the time people want kids' things to be adults' things, so they don't have to be embarrassed about it. Yeah, I'm not bothered. Like, I'll go, I'll still go and see them.
00:38:01
Speaker
I like a variety of movies where it's like, you know, went to see Fantastic Four recently and loved it and thought was great. Loved the aesthetic, loved the storytelling. You know, it's not perfect, but I was just like, I just wanted to go to the cinema and see that exact film and be entertained.
00:38:16
Speaker
But then last year when I went, was it last year, the year before? When The Whale came out with Brendan Fraser, I'm devastated at the end of that. I'm crying my eyes out. And I also want that.
00:38:27
Speaker
I want to feel that at the cinema. I love going to the cinema. It's my favourite thing. That's why I couldn't work nine to five because I often go during the day. Got into a habit of I've got the cinema pass and I go... I go by myself twice a week after work. Yeah, I do. I do it on ah Monday morning. It's the perfect time for me. and There's no one there.
00:38:45
Speaker
yeah So I just, you know, you just sky from work. But I suppose that's coming back to, that's why I kind of do what I do.
Creative Freedom and Future Projects
00:38:54
Speaker
Because it's just that level of creative freedom, I suppose.
00:38:57
Speaker
Yeah. I feel like you're allowed to call that. You're allowed to call that work as well. oh it is i mean it goes on tax so because technically it's research so okay well um i think that's i was gonna say that's all we have time for but um i have a driving lesson in four minutes it's been amazing talking to you i'm like i could keep asking you more questions all day but um do you have any upcoming projects you want to mention and anywhere people can find you I've got a couple of short films that I'm hoping to make in the next um few months, year, possibly, just to get out there, get back, because I haven't made short film in a while.
00:39:32
Speaker
I've got to play next month called Walk Like a Man. Everything can be found on one of my Instagram is called. Any actors, I think it's called. Headshots, showrails, everything goes on there.
00:39:42
Speaker
um that's That's the main place to to find us. But yeah, hopefully got a couple of short films that will be coming out next year. That's what I want. That's the goal. Okay, that's great. Thank you for talking to me and I'll see you later.
00:39:55
Speaker
Yeah, cheers one. Thanks.
00:39:58
Speaker
What Makes You Tick is hosted, produced and edited by me, Brian 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 Rob for speaking to me for this episode.
00:40:12
Speaker
Join me next week for my conversation with actor Maldonieto and keep an out for a preview of that conversation by following at Makes You Tick Pod on TikTok or Instagram. Thanks for listening.