Yourcinemafilms.com | ‘I felt like I’d failed’ courageous filmmakers Adesola Akerele and Stephanie Okereafor really spent all they had (including funds for a house deposit) on a trip to LA to hopefully change their careers!
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Are you ready for the truth?
’Welcome to Your Cinema'
Follow us on socials:
Tiktok: @yourcinemafilms
Instagram: @yourcinemafilms
Twitter: @yourcinemafilms
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FunTranscript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:01 Now everyone's making it in film and TV,
00:03 but we don't really know how.
00:06 Here, we uncover the truth.
00:08 Welcome to the Your Cinema Podcast.
00:10 (upbeat music)
00:12 Welcome to the Your Cinema Podcast today.
00:15 This is the place where we explore the truth
00:17 about the film and TV industry as well as theater.
00:21 And we hear it directly from those who are making waves
00:24 in their respective fields.
00:27 So I came across this doc
00:30 and these two amazing filmmakers,
00:35 I think maybe about a week or two ago,
00:37 and I thought, do you know what?
00:38 We have to get these two on the pod.
00:41 They literally spent all their savings,
00:44 including funds for a house deposit,
00:47 to take a trip to LA to like just try and better
00:50 their careers in film and TV.
00:53 And it's quite inspirational.
00:56 I introduce to you filmmakers,
00:58 Adesola Akorele and Stephanie Okorafor.
01:02 What's going on guys?
01:03 (imitates air horn)
01:05 - Hey.
01:06 (laughs)
01:08 - Let's do it, let's do it.
01:11 No, it's a pleasure to have you guys on the pod.
01:14 I've only seen the trailer, but it looks phenomenal.
01:19 And I was just really excited watching it.
01:24 On the intro, I haven't really given a rundown
01:26 of the projects that you guys have done
01:28 because I want you guys to.
01:30 Can you guys both like introduce yourselves individually
01:35 and like, yeah, what you do?
01:37 - Okay.
01:39 So my name is Adesola, but I also go by Adesi.
01:43 I am a writer, so I write comedy, drama,
01:46 and I've had a few script commissions through that.
01:49 I'm also a content creator,
01:51 so I make a lot of storytelling content
01:54 about life and its various ways and journeys
01:56 and lessons I've learned along the way.
01:58 And I'm also a development producer.
02:01 So I help other writers to develop their ideas,
02:04 to get them to a pitch level standard,
02:05 to pitch to production companies.
02:08 So yeah.
02:09 - Love it.
02:10 - And I'm Stephanie.
02:13 I'm a director/writer.
02:16 I work across the narrative, documentary, and music space.
02:21 I'm working on music videos, short film, and documentaries.
02:26 And yeah, aside from that,
02:29 I'm also a creative researcher and treatment designer.
02:32 So I kind of help people develop
02:35 and communicate their ideas,
02:38 packaging it in the best way possible
02:41 to hopefully win the job and make some work.
02:43 So yeah, that's a bit about me and what I do.
02:47 - I love that.
02:48 I love that.
02:49 A lot of development in there.
02:51 And I think you guys are probably playing down
02:53 some of the things that you've done.
02:56 But I did do some research
02:59 and you guys are both doing great work.
03:02 You've had stuff commissioned by YouTube, BBC,
03:06 you've worked in Academy Film.
03:08 I could be here for a while
03:11 just listing individual things that you've done, right?
03:14 But knowing that you've made some sort of waves
03:19 and some sort of like serious inroads to the industry,
03:24 what made you think like, do you know what?
03:26 No, like we wanna go to LA.
03:28 - LA was, it was birthed out of,
03:33 I'd say a pain point in my life.
03:36 I was in my mid twenties at the time
03:39 and I felt like I'd failed
03:41 because a lot of our friends,
03:43 Steph and I share a lot of the same friends,
03:44 they aren't creatives.
03:46 They've grown up in the corporate world.
03:47 They've achieved a lot of things.
03:49 They've gotten their promotions
03:51 and they've bought their houses.
03:52 And I was looking at my life
03:54 and looking at the creative journey
03:55 and I was thinking I have not matched any of that.
03:58 And in the process of feeling very sad and down,
04:03 I spoke to someone who was a bit older than me
04:05 and she's like, she lives in New York.
04:07 And she's like, "Adessi, just come to America
04:09 "and see what it is like, like take your mind off of it.
04:12 "You're young, live, enjoy."
04:14 So I booked a ticket to New York,
04:15 but I was also like, "Steph, let's go to LA.
04:18 "I'm a writer, you're a director.
04:19 "Let's make the most of it and make a trip out of it."
04:22 And Steph was like, "Yeah, let's do it, we're calm."
04:26 We bought the tickets and we had no idea
04:29 that we'd end up making a film that is as good
04:33 and as big as it is right now.
04:34 So yeah.
04:35 - Amazing, amazing.
04:38 Stephanie, anything you wanna add to that?
04:40 Or where were you at when you got the call?
04:43 - Where was I at when I got the call?
04:44 Do you know, I feel like it was one of the,
04:47 I don't know if we had it.
04:49 I feel like we had spoken about it previously.
04:52 Like, oh, it would be cool if we just,
04:54 I don't know, went to America or something.
04:56 But you know when you say these things
04:57 and it's just like, oh yeah, cute ideas,
04:59 but it doesn't really leave the chat,
05:01 do you know what I mean?
05:02 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:04 - Adessi was like, "I'm serious, Steph.
05:05 "I'm going to America.
05:07 "Are you coming or are you not?"
05:09 And in that moment, I was just like, "Um, yeah, why not?
05:14 "Let's do it."
05:15 - Amazing.
05:15 - And like, for me, I just love,
05:18 if we say we're gonna do it,
05:20 I did not cross all the T's or do all the I's yet.
05:23 I was just like, "Do you know what?
05:24 "Like, it's something that we've spoke about doing.
05:28 "It's something that we should do."
05:30 That was, I feel like that was also a year of like,
05:32 we're just, we're 25, man.
05:34 Like, let's take risks now.
05:35 Let's do the fun things, have adventures.
05:37 We might not get this time again.
05:40 So I was just like, we'll figure it,
05:41 whatever it is, we'll figure it out.
05:43 And so, yeah, in that moment,
05:45 I literally was just like, "Sign me up."
05:47 We booked our tickets and the rest was history.
05:52 - I love that.
05:53 I love that.
05:54 So you guys have like, booked the tickets, right?
05:58 And like, so you're going, you're going.
06:02 What I wanted to know is like,
06:05 what were you guys expecting to achieve by going?
06:13 - I think no one really knew fully.
06:16 What?
06:17 No one really knew fully what we were expecting to achieve.
06:20 I think the name of Leap is very like, self-explanatory.
06:24 I think each step of the journey of making this film
06:27 was taking a leap of faith.
06:29 We knew that we bought the tickets
06:32 and buying the tickets was fine,
06:33 but our first hurdle was finding somewhere
06:35 that we could afford for three weeks.
06:37 And I think in theory, going to LA sounds fun,
06:41 but in reality, it's one of the most expensive cities
06:43 in the world.
06:44 And as a creative that was complaining
06:46 about my life struggles,
06:47 I didn't factor that in when we bought our tickets.
06:51 So our first major issue was finding somewhere to stay.
06:55 And it was praying about finding accommodation
06:58 that was safe because LA, it's a mix.
07:01 You get best of both worlds.
07:02 So finding somewhere that was safe
07:03 and finding somewhere that actually made sense.
07:06 And then once we had managed to find a location
07:09 and we'd paid all of that money into finding accommodation,
07:13 then we were like, we have to make sure that this trip
07:17 is worth the money that we paid for
07:18 'cause we're spending three weeks there.
07:20 And Steph had bought a new camera and we were like,
07:24 okay, let's record it, let's see what happens.
07:27 But at the time it was like, let's make it a cinematic vlog.
07:30 It wasn't really a documentary.
07:32 And as we got there, we realised that, you know what?
07:35 This has to be worth the money.
07:37 We've invested so much.
07:39 But we had the conversation before we went
07:41 and I was actually like, nah, this can't be a vlog.
07:44 This can't be a vlog.
07:45 This has to be a real film.
07:47 Do you know what I mean?
07:48 Like this has to be.
07:49 (laughing)
07:51 It should be a series.
07:54 And like, whether it should be separate.
07:56 I was like, nah, one film, one set film.
08:00 It's gonna be a film and that's what we're gonna do.
08:03 And yeah, like just, but it was very much like
08:06 we did not know how on earth we were gonna do it.
08:10 And like, obviously our ambition was to make a film
08:12 but we were just like, whatever we were able to capture
08:15 and like pull out of the thing was more so
08:19 a way to make sure, just ensure that the money
08:23 that we're about to spend or our investment in this trip
08:27 was worth our while.
08:30 Once we started to look at the numbers
08:32 and really understand what we were getting into,
08:35 we were like, let's do something that we can
08:37 (laughing)
08:38 have control.
08:39 - No, I love that.
08:42 I love that.
08:43 I love that.
08:44 You know, so Stephanie, you told me it was,
08:49 I think, was it yesterday?
08:51 Yeah, it was last week, right?
08:52 When you showed me the trailer, right?
08:55 And you were just telling me about like the camera
08:58 and like, because you didn't have a camera before the trip.
09:02 So how did that come about and how did you secure that?
09:06 - So what had happened was we were looking on like Fat Llama
09:11 and all of those things to see how much it would cost
09:14 to rent it.
09:15 And like, the numbers just weren't making sense.
09:17 Like when you do the maths, it's like,
09:18 can I not buy my own thing?
09:20 (laughing)
09:22 After that, at that point, I could not afford
09:25 to buy a camera.
09:26 So it wasn't on my mind, like it wasn't even on my mind
09:30 to do so, but I was just speaking to a friend
09:33 and mentor of mine called Dior, shout out Dior,
09:36 I hope you watch this.
09:38 But he, I was just like, oh, I don't know what to do.
09:42 Like, I don't have this camera
09:44 and I think I could really help us right now.
09:46 And it was like, we're gonna get a camera today.
09:50 And I was like, sorry, are you gonna pay for it?
09:54 Or, 'cause I don't know how that's gonna happen.
09:57 And it was like, you can finance it.
09:59 There's good ways to like, if like, do it on credit
10:03 and you can pay it over like two years or whatever.
10:05 And I was like, oh my gosh, I never thought of that.
10:07 That never crossed my mind.
10:08 And I was like, oh my gosh.
10:09 And then he literally sat with me on the phone,
10:12 walked me through the whole process of buying it
10:15 and on credit.
10:17 And by the end of the call, I had bought the camera.
10:20 It was coming in a few days.
10:21 So that was literally how I got the camera.
10:25 And then, yeah, with that,
10:27 we were able to take the trip and shoot.
10:31 - I love this, I love this.
10:34 So you've taken the leap of faith,
10:37 i.e. the name of the documentary.
10:40 You've taken a leap of faith to book the tickets.
10:44 You finally found somewhere that is safe
10:47 and maybe somewhat affordable,
10:49 or you can somehow afford it.
10:50 Then, I guess funds are so low
10:54 that now you've borrowed the money to get the camera, right?
10:58 To make and document this amazing cinematic experience.
11:03 Cool.
11:04 Let's say you've arrived in LA.
11:08 What happens day one?
11:10 - Day one, I don't know if filmmaking was on our minds.
11:16 I think day one, we were just gassed to be in America.
11:19 We were just gassed to be on the streets.
11:21 We headed to McDonald's and we said,
11:22 you know what, let's eat.
11:24 (laughs)
11:25 It was very much, let's take it all in.
11:28 Let's actually see what LA and Hollywood is like.
11:32 It wasn't necessarily, we've got a game plan,
11:35 we're gonna record this, we're gonna have a short list,
11:37 we're gonna have this.
11:37 'Cause in reality, we didn't know what we were filming.
11:41 And I think the beautiful thing about "Leap" as a whole
11:44 is that the story writes itself through the journey.
11:48 I think as filmmakers,
11:51 we know it's important to plan as a writer.
11:53 We know it's important to know your ending
11:54 before you begin.
11:56 But the reality is that we didn't know anything.
12:00 We went there and we were gonna document our journey
12:03 and say, let's have this storyline or let's do this.
12:06 But the reality of the film of "Leap" is,
12:08 we really found out what the story was in the edit.
12:10 And in this process, the recent months that we've had
12:14 up until this process of making "Leap",
12:16 we were really figuring out what we were actually saying.
12:19 And I think the beautiful thing about it was just that
12:22 we had a backpack and the camera came with us everywhere.
12:25 We take it in turns.
12:26 I think if anything caused contention on this trip,
12:28 it was who's carrying that heavy camera around.
12:31 Because the reality was, filmmaking is heavy.
12:35 No one talks about this.
12:36 I'm just a girl.
12:37 I don't wanna carry things.
12:39 (laughing)
12:41 - The bag, it's your turn to carry it.
12:45 I knew like, people were blurring lines.
12:47 They're all like, yeah, how many people was your crew?
12:51 It's just us and this camera bag, Joe.
12:53 (laughing)
12:55 - Wow, that's amazing.
12:59 Okay, cool.
13:00 So, right, because the story is right in itself,
13:03 let's put the camera to the side.
13:05 And what happened in those three weeks,
13:10 whether we start from the first week,
13:13 and I guess the reason I'm saying that
13:16 is because you've gone to this country
13:19 to make something happen.
13:21 So then what happened?
13:22 - I think this question is, it's tricky to answer
13:28 because the more we say, we're also giving away the film
13:33 because I feel like "Leap" is a film about making a film
13:36 and the whole process is documented in that.
13:40 But skimming across the surface,
13:42 and feel free to correct me, Steph, if I'm wrong,
13:45 is we met a series of people
13:50 who we typically not have access to,
13:53 and we were able to somehow manage
13:57 to incorporate them within our journey.
14:01 And it was an experience that constantly
14:04 would blow our minds throughout
14:06 because Steph and I knew nothing and knew no one,
14:09 and suddenly we knew everyone.
14:11 And that's what happened.
14:15 - It was so many moments of, I guess, serendipity in that.
14:20 Just, oh, we go to this place and bump into this person.
14:24 And there was no major plan
14:27 of who we wanted to be involved.
14:29 We just thought we'd meet some cool creatives
14:31 whilst we were out, record our conversations.
14:35 But there was no plan in terms of talent.
14:39 And just bump into these people at random places
14:45 and then be introduced to this person and that person.
14:48 And just, when we ended up,
14:50 we were really quite confused and surprised by it.
14:55 So yeah, it's very much a story that unfolded
15:00 in a way that neither of us could have anticipated.
15:03 And it felt very much like God kind of ordered our steps
15:07 towards how things were supposed to pan out.
15:13 - No, I agree.
15:14 Yeah, LA, it does have that feel and that thing of,
15:19 there's always someone around or people there
15:26 when you're there.
15:29 And I guess, I'm not sure if you had this experience.
15:32 Well, you probably did, hence the key moments in the doc.
15:36 But I remember when I went and you're seeing people
15:40 and meeting people that you've grown up watching, right?
15:43 And feel like 10 million miles away
15:47 and you're having a conversation with them
15:50 and they're giving you their phone number and their emails.
15:52 And it's like, what?
15:55 'Cause I don't know, I think it's the American thing.
15:59 Like over here, we're very closed.
16:01 So to get anywhere, there's a lot of grit
16:07 and bashing on doors and following up with people.
16:10 But in America, it's almost the opposite
16:13 where if you don't know someone, but someone knows someone,
16:17 it's almost like they thrive on making those connections,
16:21 if that makes sense.
16:22 I don't know if that's the kind of experience
16:26 that you guys had too.
16:27 - I would very much agree.
16:30 Like that was something that we'd actually observed
16:32 whilst we were out there.
16:33 Like it's a different culture out there.
16:35 It's very much like, where are you trying to get?
16:38 What do you need to get there?
16:39 Let's see how it happens.
16:42 And I think there's an element of,
16:44 I think here, like you said, there is a lot of,
16:47 it feels a lot more closed in terms of those kinds of spaces
16:52 and gaining access to certain opportunities
16:56 or to certain people.
16:57 Over there, I think there seems to be,
17:03 and obviously we were only there for three weeks,
17:06 I guess there's still more to learn
17:08 of how everything works.
17:09 But I did feel like it was very much a,
17:13 if you win, I win, how can I help you get there?
17:16 Kind of mentality.
17:17 And we were very much like benefactors of that
17:21 and really experienced that.
17:23 Yeah, things were just so much more open.
17:27 Everyone, it's kind of like,
17:30 'cause there's so many stars out there
17:33 and there's so many people that are hustling
17:35 and it's like, oh, okay, you have 200K followers.
17:39 What else you got?
17:40 Do you know what I mean?
17:41 Like, it's just like, everyone's doing it.
17:44 Do you know what I mean?
17:45 So it's like, there's this freedom
17:47 and people are so much more open.
17:49 And yeah, that's how I felt about it.
17:51 What about you, Adesi?
17:52 - I'd say LA taught us,
17:58 or in that whole journey of meeting people,
18:01 it taught us that everyone is literally a phone call away.
18:06 But I think if anything, it showed me more of the humanity
18:09 of like celebrities, the humanity of like
18:11 these big filmmakers, writers, of songwriters, of artists,
18:16 because you're really just seeing
18:18 that everyone is really out here
18:20 trying to make their dreams come true.
18:22 And you have to speak with confidence
18:25 and speak with this form of like authority
18:28 so that people believe you.
18:30 And that's something that Steph and I
18:32 had to really learn along the way.
18:34 I think being British, being women as well,
18:38 in an industry where sometimes people
18:40 don't take you seriously until you've blown
18:43 or until you've received your flowers,
18:45 sometimes it's really hard to vocalize your talent
18:49 or to vocalize your skillset or to vocalize what you do.
18:53 And I think going to America,
18:55 you're meeting people who haven't done
18:56 half of what you've done,
18:57 but they're shouting very loudly.
18:59 And they're very vocal and they're very much like,
19:01 "I do this, I'm an owner of this, I'm a this, I'm a this."
19:04 And then very quickly we realized that we have to catch on
19:07 in order to get to the places we wanna get to.
19:10 So yeah, that's what I'd say.
19:12 - Do you know what?
19:13 I love that, Desi, because like over here,
19:18 to do stuff, you really, it does take quite a lot
19:27 so you know when people say,
19:29 "Oh, if you can make it in a particular place,
19:31 you can make it anywhere."
19:33 Like the ingredients you need to thrive in the UK
19:38 or even have the kind of CV and the kind of work
19:40 that you guys have done,
19:43 because there's like, and it's quite innate,
19:46 the understanding that someone giving you
19:50 their email address doesn't mean anything
19:53 until you've had the experience.
19:56 Until you've had the meeting, they like it,
19:59 you get to know them.
20:00 Because it's so much easier in America,
20:05 it's like you're kind of over-trained
20:07 to be able to like really, because you know,
20:12 like in the UK, if you go somewhere
20:15 and you see someone that you're like,
20:16 "Oh my days, I've been meaning to meet you."
20:19 You're very inclined to make a beeline for them
20:22 at some point in the evening, right?
20:25 So then when you go to America
20:27 and these people are bigger, et cetera,
20:30 because you've been trained on how hard it is in the UK,
20:33 America's a piece of cake.
20:35 Like that, well, that's how I feel anyway.
20:39 So then what I think is interesting
20:44 about what you guys said is that like,
20:46 the shouting about it,
20:51 which is, which from the British aspects of things
20:56 is not really our default.
20:58 It's more like we'll just get the work done
21:00 and our work will speak for us.
21:03 But then in America, they've got that thing of like,
21:06 yeah, no, they'll do a lot of talking
21:08 and maybe the work doesn't always match up.
21:10 But you know, in America,
21:12 there's that thing of like being a star,
21:14 but then with us is about the craft.
21:16 - Yeah.
21:18 - So yeah, I think that's really interesting.
21:21 Cool, so a lot of people go to LA, right?
21:25 And you know, it's very eye-opening for them.
21:28 People come back with epiphanies
21:29 on what they really should be doing, et cetera.
21:32 Now that you guys have been, right?
21:35 How would you plan better
21:39 or even advise others who are looking to go in the future
21:43 for making like a trip like this?
21:48 - I think, first of all,
21:49 if you're going on extended period of time,
21:52 have some money saved up because if you can't drive,
21:56 Ubers will be your best friend.
21:58 And Steph and I spent like a grand on Ubers.
22:01 Like it was actually crazy,
22:02 the amount of money that was spent on transportation.
22:05 But I'd also say, have a openness to talking to people
22:10 and like just finding out more about people
22:14 and being friendly.
22:15 Because I think in the UK,
22:17 as we've spoken a lot about earlier,
22:19 is that people are very reserved.
22:22 Whereas in America, you'll go to a coffee shop
22:24 and someone can strike up a conversation for no reason.
22:26 And that person could really change your life.
22:29 So we're realising that, we realised very quickly,
22:32 is that being friendly and being open and talking to people
22:35 and being up for things is very much the way forward.
22:38 I think what helped us a lot is at the time,
22:42 Steph had a Soho House membership.
22:44 And Soho House gave us access to so many people
22:49 in ways that we wouldn't have expected through events,
22:52 through just meeting people
22:54 and through literally just chilling in the area.
22:57 And it was helpful.
22:59 And the thing about it is that,
23:00 you don't necessarily need to have the membership
23:03 in particular, like I went through Steph,
23:05 but they also have a lot of events
23:07 that non-members were able to go to.
23:09 And through those networking events,
23:11 that's when we were able to make friends
23:12 that we still talk to till today
23:14 and meet people who introduced us to other people.
23:17 And I think also just going out of your way to go to,
23:23 like to really curate that American experience.
23:26 So as much as we did tourist things,
23:28 like LA was a holiday, it was a working holiday.
23:32 We did holiday things on our day off, on our days off,
23:36 but majority of like the events and the things we went to
23:39 were things that other people who had moved to LA
23:42 were going to do.
23:43 So we kind of submerged ourself in the culture
23:46 of really just making out like,
23:48 if we lived here, where would you go?
23:50 What would we do?
23:51 You're going to this flea market,
23:52 we're gonna go to this flea market.
23:54 You guys are going to this event,
23:55 we're gonna go to this event.
23:56 And we made the most of that
23:58 because that's how we were able to connect
24:00 and really meet and make them like,
24:03 have beautiful connections.
24:05 And I also had my agent set up a few meetings for me
24:09 in LA ahead of time,
24:10 so that I can just touch base and like be made familiar
24:14 with how things work in America.
24:16 And I think that was helpful.
24:18 So I think talking to people who've been before,
24:21 networking ahead of time, 'cause Instagram is real
24:23 and you can befriend people on Instagram
24:25 and just being open to really taking
24:28 the American way of life and yeah.
24:31 - I love that, I love that.
24:34 Stephanie, anything you'd like to add to that?
24:36 - Yeah, no, I would kind of just like echo
24:39 some of Adesi's thoughts.
24:41 I would say plan as much as you can
24:44 in terms of the people you want to speak to.
24:47 And there's an element of like,
24:50 when you're planning a trip like this,
24:53 and yes, you must be open to whatever could happen,
24:56 but I feel like there's kind of this vision of like,
25:01 you land and it's like, I'm here everyone.
25:04 (laughs)
25:06 And the reality is nobody cares.
25:09 (laughs)
25:12 So just because you've arrived here,
25:13 it doesn't mean that everyone is now ready
25:15 and waiting to have a meeting with you
25:17 or is ready to take you around or is ready to whatever.
25:21 So if you do know anyone out there
25:25 or know anyone that can put you in touch
25:27 with people out there, start having those conversations
25:31 and itinerary and have like having things in place
25:36 from as early as possible,
25:37 because over there is very fast paced and very busy.
25:41 And the people that you thought
25:42 you were definitely gonna see,
25:44 it turns out when you get there,
25:46 that they might be busy
25:47 or they might have flown to a different place
25:49 for that time or whatever.
25:52 So yeah, just being as intentional as you can
25:56 in regards to that.
25:58 What else would I say in terms of advice?
26:02 I would say also just try and set yourself up
26:05 for success in the best way,
26:07 like try and set up your project
26:10 as if it is the best thing as much as possible.
26:13 So like, I think investing in the camera helped.
26:18 Eventually, like we made a treatment,
26:21 but that's something that we probably could have made
26:23 beforehand for the trip.
26:27 Just like I've learned from Leap
26:31 that our packaging and how much we cared about the project
26:36 really helped other people care about it.
26:41 And because we took it seriously,
26:43 other people took it seriously.
26:44 We didn't have much to show anyone,
26:48 but our enthusiasm and belief in the project.
26:52 And people bought into it.
26:55 And yeah, I think it was just crazy to see
26:58 how far that belief could take us
27:01 before people actually saw it.
27:02 So yeah, that's what I'd say.
27:06 - Sorry, just to add one more thing.
27:08 I'd say that anybody who wants to go to LA,
27:11 vocalize it to as many people in the UK as possible.
27:15 Because I think that what helped,
27:17 the person who helped us get our accommodation,
27:19 like Steph was part of like a group chat, like mailing this.
27:22 And a random person saw that
27:24 and was able to point us in the right areas
27:26 to live in in LA,
27:28 because otherwise we would have booked somewhere
27:29 very unsafe and very chaotic.
27:32 But we realized that through vocalizing things,
27:36 people know people across the pond.
27:37 Like you realize that everyone is connected in some way,
27:39 shape or form.
27:40 And I think you may underestimate
27:43 who could actually help you already
27:44 or who could put you in contact with other people.
27:47 - I love that.
27:48 I love that.
27:49 No, that's amazing.
27:50 Thank you guys.
27:51 I wanna take it back, right?
27:55 I wanna know,
27:56 given like you guys, your track record
27:59 and some of the things that you've done,
28:01 how did you each get like
28:03 your first professional commission or work?
28:06 - First professional commission in regards to like
28:12 getting into the industry
28:14 or commission in regards to like
28:15 a bit of a break in the industry?
28:17 - A bit of a break.
28:19 - Bit of a break.
28:20 Ooh.
28:22 Um.
28:23 Okay, so I'd say for writing,
28:27 I went to your cinema event actually.
28:32 And it was a workshop run by,
28:35 that you were running,
28:36 but Kaede with me was giving the workshop.
28:39 And at that point in time,
28:40 I just finished a scheme with Sky
28:43 that kind of trained you on like writing short films
28:46 and like getting through to like making a film.
28:49 So I had like a fresh script
28:51 and Kaede is very much proactive
28:54 and he's like, "Send me your script."
28:55 So I sent him the script and he liked it.
28:58 And through that,
28:59 we built this partnership of going back and forth
29:02 and kind of becoming creative partners in that process.
29:04 And I eventually went on to like development producing
29:06 for his company,
29:08 but working together enabled for us
29:10 to get a script commission with the BBC.
29:13 And that was a break.
29:14 And I'd say that's through like genuine connection
29:17 and through the power of networking
29:19 and actually attending events.
29:21 Me, I don't,
29:22 networking is not my bag naturally.
29:24 Like I like to network through meeting people
29:27 in conversation,
29:28 but going to events always overwhelms me.
29:30 So being able to go to an event
29:32 like your cinema workshop and meet Kaede
29:35 and meet other people there as well.
29:37 Like there's a lot of people who are at that event
29:39 that we're still friends with to this day.
29:41 And yeah, that's what gave me my break into the industry,
29:45 which eventually let me get an agent
29:47 and established me more in the writing world.
29:51 - Love that, love that.
29:53 I wasn't expecting that, but okay.
29:54 Love it, love it, love it.
29:56 See it works.
29:57 - It does.
29:58 - Stephanie, Stephanie.
30:01 - I'd say maybe two things actually.
30:04 I think the YouTube commissioned film
30:09 and documentary that I did is back now
30:14 was probably,
30:16 that was the first official commission that I had got.
30:20 And I wouldn't necessarily say,
30:23 I think it was my first big win,
30:25 but I don't think it was necessarily
30:27 my way into the industry.
30:28 I feel like I made that film and it was great.
30:31 And the reception was great,
30:32 but I still felt like an outsider,
30:36 like looking in at that point.
30:39 And I had this film,
30:40 which my friends and family
30:41 and my followers on Instagram thought was great,
30:45 but I was just like,
30:45 how do I get the right people to see it?
30:48 And how do I get in here?
30:51 So I think what happened for me,
30:53 similar to Odessie was I connected,
30:56 I actually connected with a director called Savannah Leaf.
31:00 And I had literally just,
31:03 I think someone recommended her to me
31:05 based on the work that I had done.
31:07 And it was like,
31:08 I think she'd be a great mentor for you.
31:10 Like her work, I think would resonate with you.
31:13 I don't know her personally,
31:14 but I think she would work well.
31:16 I was like, okay, thank you for the recommendation.
31:19 I'll just try and get in contact, eh?
31:23 Yeah, I literally just DMed her.
31:27 But I think what was great was that
31:30 because I had some work to show,
31:33 there was like evidence that I was trying with what I had.
31:38 And yeah, she was with Academy Films.
31:42 I explained the position that I was in.
31:46 Like I've made a few films now.
31:48 I don't really know what to do next,
31:50 but I don't have any money.
31:52 So how do we make this work?
31:54 And she was like,
31:56 you can do paid shadow work.
31:58 You can be a director's assistant.
32:00 You can make treatments and stuff.
32:01 And I have quite a heavy graphic design background.
32:04 And I also write.
32:05 So she was like, oh, look, can you do these things?
32:08 And I was like, yeah, I can write.
32:09 Yeah, I can design.
32:10 Yeah, I can do.
32:11 These were just skills that I had.
32:12 And she was like, okay,
32:13 you'd make a great director's assistant
32:15 or treatment designer.
32:16 You can do this.
32:17 So I just started making like dummy treatments
32:20 to kind of show to people.
32:23 And yeah, like next thing you know,
32:26 I was on a call with the MD of Academy Films
32:29 and they got me on a job
32:31 with another director called Seb Edwards.
32:33 And then I was like,
32:34 how do we make this a full-time gig?
32:36 I'm working with Nathan James Teddy at Untold Studios
32:44 as a director's assistant.
32:45 And then, yeah, I've been in the space
32:47 like designing treatments,
32:48 assisting directors with bringing their visions to life.
32:52 That was kind of where it started from
32:53 and has been like the other thing that I've done.
32:57 But that put me in the space
32:59 and showed me how things really work
33:02 from like an industry perspective.
33:03 - I love that, man.
33:06 Well done to you both.
33:07 I guess my final question to you guys is that like,
33:13 now that you've done the doc and well done on,
33:17 I guess, personally going through that experience,
33:19 but also, you know, making a film out of it,
33:22 what are you guys hoping to achieve this year?
33:25 - Guys, that.
33:29 - Guys, that.
33:30 (laughing)
33:32 - What am I hoping to achieve this year?
33:37 So many things.
33:38 I think if I was to put it in a word, I'd say impact.
33:41 Like I hope that one,
33:42 Leap is a film that actually shows creatives
33:47 what they can do with what they have
33:49 and what a little bit of faith can do for them
33:53 and where it can take them.
33:54 I would say on like a personal creative level,
34:00 I wanna make more work that means something.
34:03 I wanna make more narrative films,
34:08 but also documentaries with meaning
34:11 and that really like challenge people's perspectives
34:13 of their current reality in some way, shape or form.
34:17 I think that's what I really have a passion for
34:20 and like just creating creative work
34:23 that is executed to a high standard,
34:28 but really like speaks to the hearts of people
34:31 and encourages them in some sort of way.
34:35 So that's something that I really want to do.
34:38 And then yeah, I'm kind of like
34:40 just thinking about outside of that as well,
34:44 like ways that I could potentially support creatives
34:49 and like young people,
34:51 like breaking into the industry a bit more,
34:53 also looking at building out the treatment design
34:58 and just helping people really like package
35:01 their ideas well is something that I'm realising
35:05 did wonders for Leap.
35:06 And I think how much did it do
35:10 for all so many creatives out there.
35:11 So yeah, just looking at how I can like develop
35:14 that business from a business standpoint a bit more.
35:18 So that's me.
35:19 - I love that, thank you.
35:21 And Adesi.
35:22 - I'd say in regards to Leap related stuff,
35:27 I think Stephanie's emphasis is building like a community
35:31 of people that are interested in taking more leaps of faith
35:35 and seeing what that could do in regards to the world of Leap.
35:38 'Cause I think when people watch the film,
35:40 they'll definitely feel like inspired
35:43 to see how they can challenge themselves to grow
35:45 and take leaps of faith, which is exciting.
35:48 I'd say personally, I'm writing a lot more,
35:52 pushing, entering more of the writing bag,
35:56 more comedy, drama, and a little bit of the drama world,
35:59 even though I find drama quite scary.
36:02 And also pushing myself in content creation
36:06 and really just finding the best way to tell stories
36:10 and to make sure that people can, yeah,
36:14 people can have stories that are relatable,
36:16 that they can engage with,
36:18 and that you don't have to think too much
36:20 in order to understand.
36:21 So yeah, accessible stories.
36:25 - I love that, I love that.
36:26 Thank you guys so much.
36:28 (upbeat music)
36:31 (upbeat music)