 Having completed production on our short film 'All There is' a few weeks ago, I have had time to reflect further on the film and what I've learned in the process. Being writer and director on the project, I have internalised a number of lessons that I'm sure will always reoccur to me when moving forward with any future projects of this kind. "Trust and value your collaborators." Although there were practical challenges that we had to overcome during filming, there was a clear sign of passion displayed for the project by the cast and crew, that easily got us over any obstacles. This passion and drive that I saw from everyone involved were incredible to witness and I think is an essential part of the film making process. I aim to release a more extensive behind the scenes article with images when the film is complete. "As a director you have to be as clear as you can be when communicating your ideas, while also being totally open to other peoples." A fellow film maker and legend Craig Roberts (Writer / Director of 'Just Jim' and the upcoming 'Eternal Beauty') told me in a recent chat about making films that once production starts you essentially have to "let go" of your script and open yourself up to and trust the cast and crew, who will bring the story to life that you have painstakingly written. Based on this advice and my own experience on this film, it has cemented the fact that the director is an overseer of the project, a guiding hand and everyone must be trusted to play their role accordingly. A level of control has to be relinquished, however, a level that you had during pre-production and one you will regain in post production (Especially if you have the privilege of Directing and editing your own film). Although this may seem obvious to a more experienced film maker, this is the first short film that I have written and directed. Like a line from the film that you will hear eventually, "This is new to me you know, it's scary, it's actually really scary." The film deals with emotional blocks and the subconscious mind, something as a film maker I am passionate about visualising. That being said, the process of making a film can in itself, be a form of therapy. I found that upon beginning production, along with the rest of the cast and crew, I had to understand and empathise with the characters on a deep level. Doing this leads one to see aspects of oneself in the character and go on a journey with them, the characters become real for you because they are within you, or at least some aspect of them is recognisable. "For me, relatable stories and characters are the foundation of an often profound experience internally within the viewer and is not only why I watch films, but why I make them. I want to create a space, a world, in which the viewer can have an experience which goes beyond what could be called just a film." As 'All There is' goes into pre-production now, I am excited to see how the film takes its final form and as I know the cast and crew can mirror, am very excited to share more in the coming weeks! Something inside of you wants to wake up... 
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