Yourcinemafilms.com | New filmmaker Kasey Anais-Blondell shares why she went full-time to study film and RM Moses joins us to discuss their latest film 'Skate'!
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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,
00:15 where we explore the truth about film, TV and theater,
00:18 and hear it directly from those
00:20 who are smashing it in their areas.
00:23 Today, we've got two super talented individuals.
00:27 I was fortunate enough to be invited to a screening
00:31 by one of our guests for the film by our other guest.
00:36 And yeah, I was just blown away by the directing.
00:41 And I just thought, you know what?
00:43 We have to have both of them on the pod.
00:46 So I introduced to you guys Casey and A. Blondel,
00:50 who directed the short "Skate" and RM Moses,
00:54 who I'm sure you guys all know,
00:56 and he produced it.
00:57 (imitates a trumpet)
01:00 What's going on guys?
01:01 How are you?
01:02 - I'm good.
01:04 How are you?
01:05 - Life is good. - I'm very good.
01:07 Thank you for asking,
01:08 in case you were asking me and not Remy.
01:10 But yes, I am good.
01:12 I am good.
01:14 So as I was saying, right,
01:15 like I saw "Skate" and yeah,
01:19 like I genuinely was blown away and excited
01:23 by the directing in terms of like your technicalities.
01:27 Like it was all very simple.
01:29 Like me personally,
01:30 I was saying this to one of my friends the other day,
01:33 I felt like I realized
01:35 that I really like coming of age films.
01:38 So I think that was like a cherry on top for me
01:41 without giving away too much of the story.
01:43 But yeah, I was just really impressed
01:45 with like the directing choices and stuff.
01:47 So yeah, we had to have you guys both here.
01:52 - Casey, just to, you know, uncover more about you,
01:56 why did you want to make a film?
02:01 Not this film, just a film in general?
02:03 - I think I always saw myself as a writer
02:07 and I was writing all these stories from a very young age.
02:11 I thought I was like gonna write "Harry Potter"
02:14 and I used to like bake stories
02:15 that would just rip off of "Harry Potter" and all sorts.
02:18 So I always had this capacity for telling stories
02:22 and it wasn't until I got a lot older
02:23 that I realized that I could be a part of making films.
02:27 And I started to watch like, what are they called?
02:31 Like the behind the scenes clips of films
02:34 when I was like watching like DVDs.
02:40 And I think that sort of inspired me
02:42 to believe that I could be a part of it.
02:45 And then I went on to study film at university
02:49 and it was there that I sort of realized
02:50 that there is an option to make a film
02:54 and I just felt like I had to do it.
02:56 So yeah.
02:57 - I love that, I love that.
03:00 So like making the decision to go and study film full time,
03:05 I find that so interesting
03:12 and quite a serious decision, right?
03:15 Because oftentimes a lot of the creatives
03:18 that I've known in my life, they'll,
03:21 it's almost like, I guess I don't know
03:23 if it's splitting themselves in half,
03:25 but it's like, okay, cool.
03:26 I'll go uni to study a career
03:30 that I'm more familiar with as being stable
03:34 and I'll do my creative thing on the side.
03:36 And a lot of the times, you know,
03:37 the creative thing blossoms
03:39 and then they end up doing that full time.
03:41 But that's something that I've come across a lot more.
03:45 But what made you say, do you know what?
03:50 I actually know I wanna go and do film full time.
03:54 - I think it was the only thing that I wanted to do really.
04:00 I couldn't see myself doing anything else.
04:03 I just, I tried studying law and history
04:07 and all that at GCSE and A level
04:10 and I was just so bored and it just wasn't for me.
04:13 Even though I was good at it, like I was good academically,
04:15 I just, it just wasn't what I was passionate about
04:18 and I couldn't see myself going to university
04:21 and studying something that I didn't really care about
04:23 and then doing a job that I didn't really care about.
04:25 And I just thought if I'm gonna put my life into something
04:29 and make a career out of something,
04:30 it has to be something that I wanna do.
04:33 So it wasn't too hard for me.
04:35 I was just like, well, if I'm broke, I'll be broke.
04:37 It's what I wanna do.
04:38 - You know what?
04:41 This is, yeah, I just wanna say, right?
04:45 I'm not sure if I'm gonna keep saying this
04:48 for our interview, but I'm very impressed
04:51 and commend you for your simple honesty
04:56 and bravery in terms of like, do you know what?
05:00 This is what I wanna do and I'm just gonna do it.
05:04 Yeah, I feel like, and this is not to say
05:10 one way is better than the other,
05:12 but I love the simplicity of really just following
05:17 what you feel is meant for you
05:19 and not complicating it too much with logic,
05:23 which I get because life is very real,
05:27 but I think there's a beauty in like,
05:31 even just this early part of your career where it's like,
05:34 do you know what?
05:35 I just wanna do this.
05:37 That's it, I just wanna, and so I'm just gonna do it
05:41 and we'll see what happens.
05:42 I love that.
05:44 So this is what you wanna do.
05:48 What have you been watching?
05:51 What are like your favourite films and shows and stuff?
05:55 - I think when it came to making skate,
05:58 I was just watching a lot of coming of age films.
06:00 That's my favourite genre.
06:01 And it seems like everything I write is in some ways
06:05 a coming of age story, even if it's about grown up people.
06:08 I think there's something that coming of age explores
06:12 about identity and relationships between people,
06:16 which is just so heartfelt and real.
06:20 So I think some of the films that inspired skate
06:23 were "Skate Kitchen".
06:24 I think that came out in 2016, 2017.
06:27 I watched that when I was a teenager and I was like obsessed
06:30 and I thought I was gonna be a skater girl,
06:33 but that's a film about a group of girls
06:35 who already know how to skate.
06:37 And I think the cast were actually skaters
06:39 that the director picked up off the street
06:41 and stuff like that.
06:42 So it wasn't realistic,
06:43 but it gave me that inspiration for an idea that,
06:47 women can skate and they can form
06:49 these beautiful communities.
06:51 So that was one inspiration.
06:52 And then the other one for skate was "Rocks",
06:55 which is just incredible.
06:57 And one of my favourite British coming of age films.
07:00 I think it just encapsulates that feeling
07:03 of being a teenage girl in London very well.
07:06 So I think those two were the biggest inspirations
07:09 for skate.
07:10 - I love that.
07:12 I love that.
07:13 I love that.
07:14 Now, Remy, you produced "Skate"
07:18 and I know you've got a high bar of creativity,
07:23 excellence, storytelling, filmmaking,
07:26 like you're just a high quality creative, right?
07:29 Knowing, like, so I know that you and Casey are related,
07:36 but one thing for me is I feel like
07:38 the kind of creative that you are
07:43 and watching your work
07:45 and obviously knowing you over the years,
07:46 I feel like you're the kind of creative
07:51 that even if you're related to someone,
07:56 you wouldn't do it if you just didn't want to,
07:59 just because of like your love of like good quality work
08:02 and just art and all of the things
08:06 that go into making a creative decision
08:08 to decide to be involved in something.
08:10 I could be completely wrong,
08:12 but I want to know why did you decide
08:16 to get involved in producing "Skate"?
08:19 - I think the scripts initially was something
08:26 that I saw myself in,
08:28 even though it was about a young girl
08:32 and her relationships coming of age,
08:36 it was still at the heart of it about finding people,
08:40 finding your tribe, finding a community, feeling anxious.
08:44 And I think that was something that resonated with me
08:49 and I felt like it aligned with what I want to do
08:53 in the industry and the kind of jobs,
08:57 the kind of work that I do,
09:00 you could see "Skate" being a part of that
09:03 because I saw a lot of the same sensibilities
09:08 that I see in myself and see in my own work.
09:11 And so it was just a natural fit.
09:15 And I think because Casey was new to it,
09:19 it felt good to like give her mentorship as well
09:24 into some of the foundationary stuff
09:29 that she could build on.
09:30 It wasn't necessarily prescriptive,
09:32 but it was about like just giving her advice
09:34 and giving her a little bit of guidance going forward
09:37 because I wouldn't have been able to make the film
09:43 the way she did.
09:45 And I think that goes for every director.
09:48 So it was just about giving her the best opportunity
09:52 to make the best work that she saw in her head.
09:55 And that was also true for like hiring crew
10:00 and getting the right people around her
10:02 to elevate the story on different layers.
10:04 - I love that.
10:08 I remember when we caught up earlier,
10:13 you mentioned something about around the time
10:17 of you producing, like making a decision
10:21 to decide to produce "Skate",
10:24 there were a few people around you that,
10:27 you know, you were in demand a bit,
10:29 do you know what I mean?
10:30 Of like, "Hey, you know, Remy, we want you to do this.
10:33 We want you to produce this.
10:34 We want you to be involved in things."
10:38 And you decided not to.
10:40 Could you, I've summarized,
10:42 but could you give me some context as to,
10:45 you know, what that was like in terms of,
10:49 I don't know, the projects people were coming to you with
10:52 and your decision to choose "Skate" over those?
10:58 - Yeah, I think every year I get emails from people
11:02 who are looking to attach me as a director
11:05 to their BFI short film funds or whatever else
11:08 that's going on in the year.
11:10 And I've never taken on a project
11:14 or been a part of a project as a director
11:18 just because I just didn't find resonance with it.
11:23 And it's not to say the films weren't good.
11:25 So a lot of them were really good.
11:26 The scripts were really incredible, some of them.
11:29 But I just, I couldn't see myself loving the project.
11:34 I couldn't see myself loving the characters.
11:36 And I think a lot of directors take on jobs
11:41 to like almost heal or like just for medicine
11:45 or just to get themselves out, you know, of themselves.
11:50 And I think sometimes that's what I've done,
11:54 especially on my last film,
11:55 where that was literally a catharsis
11:59 of like the past trauma of like eight years ago.
12:02 So in that sense, I think it's just important
12:07 to love what you're doing,
12:09 'cause otherwise there is no drive, unless it is money.
12:13 But for me, taking on a job, taking on a piece of work,
12:18 it doesn't matter if it's unpaid, I have to love it.
12:24 - So, do you know what?
12:25 Yeah, sorry, I was caught in the moment a bit.
12:29 Yeah, I just found that quite poetic.
12:30 I realised you stopped.
12:32 I was like, oh yeah, I've got to ask you questions.
12:36 So Casey, now you've got Remy on board.
12:41 He's happy to be involved.
12:46 You've got this amazing idea
12:49 and all these different inspirations and stuff.
12:53 What was shooting Skate actually like for you?
12:56 - I think at first it was very overwhelming.
13:01 Remy threw me in the deep end
13:02 and I know he did it on purpose,
13:04 which in the end I was grateful for
13:06 because that's the way that you learn,
13:08 just doing it.
13:10 And we had rehearsals and like a lot of discussion
13:14 before production began,
13:16 but I was nowhere near prepared for the scale of the set.
13:20 Like we had like 20 people in my house shooting the film
13:23 and it was all in my house, a lot of the indoor stuff.
13:26 So it was just crazy, but also crazy in like the best way
13:29 because it was so much fun, even though I was stressed out.
13:32 And I think I just sort of had to navigate it
13:36 and learn on the spot, which was, I think, beneficial.
13:41 And it helped a lot in just me understanding
13:44 what it means to be a director.
13:46 - For you, like what would you say Skate
13:48 is about at its core?
13:51 - I think it's about growing up.
13:53 I think it's about, like,
13:56 obviously it's about anxiety on the surface,
13:58 but it's also about the relationships you build
14:01 with the people around you when you're a teenager.
14:04 And I think like, as we started to draft
14:08 more versions of Skate,
14:09 I realised that at its core,
14:11 the friendship between Maria and Thea,
14:14 the two best friends, is sort of the heart of the story,
14:18 even though in the beginning
14:20 that wasn't really the intention.
14:21 Maria had a much smaller role.
14:24 I think that sort of best friendship
14:26 that you have in your teens
14:28 is something that's really poignant and so important.
14:32 And that sort of shone through the film
14:34 without really being my intention.
14:37 So I think about a lot of things,
14:38 but relationships between people and growing up
14:41 and obviously anxiety.
14:42 - I love that, I love that.
14:45 So, you know, you mentioned the changes
14:49 in like various characters
14:52 in terms of like their prominence throughout the script.
14:55 You mentioned that it changed,
14:56 which I guess insinuates, you know,
14:58 the different drafts that you had to do.
15:00 Working with Remy and, you know,
15:04 I guess with you guys having the sole focus of like,
15:06 look, this film has to be like as best as it can be, right?
15:11 What was that process like of going through the drafts,
15:15 you know, killing your darlings
15:17 and like, what was that like for you?
15:20 - I think it was quite fun.
15:21 I mean, like, obviously it was,
15:23 it hurt to change things,
15:25 but that hurt more in post-production.
15:28 In the drafting stage,
15:30 that was sort of like, well, it's not concrete
15:31 and it's all subject to change anyway.
15:34 So in the writing sort of stages,
15:36 every time Remy would suggest something,
15:38 I'd just try it and, you know,
15:39 see if that made a difference.
15:41 I didn't mind too much 'cause it was fun.
15:43 We were sort of experimenting
15:44 and making the script as good as it could be.
15:47 In post, that was the worst
15:49 because we had the footage there and it was shot
15:51 and making those changes then
15:53 is the most difficult part, I think.
15:56 - I love that.
15:58 I love that.
15:59 - Also, I want to add to that as well is like,
16:01 for me coming on onto the project,
16:03 it wasn't necessarily about it being like
16:05 the best thing I've ever come across or even redrafting.
16:10 It wasn't about making it into the best thing possible.
16:12 It was just at its core,
16:14 like the redraft it was just about
16:17 making it as truthful as possible
16:19 and also just making it as realistic as possible.
16:24 So just going into those finer moments
16:28 and making sure that they made sense
16:30 and the dominoes fell the right way.
16:33 And then, you know, from there,
16:36 it's about Casey's collaboration in the art departments
16:40 to elevate the story on a different layers, you know?
16:44 - Thank you.
16:45 Yeah, that's a good point, actually.
16:47 This is,
16:47 Gremi, you sound so relaxed, man.
16:52 I love this.
16:53 I love this.
16:54 I love this.
16:54 Film School has, you know, you know,
16:58 yeah, this is very interesting.
17:00 - It's funny, you said that last time where like,
17:02 you felt like the progression
17:06 on the different times we've spoken has,
17:10 I've exuded a little bit of relaxed
17:12 and confidence and stuff like that.
17:14 So that's funny.
17:15 - Yeah, like, and do you know what?
17:17 I genuinely, like, I really mean it where like,
17:21 I've, I think at the early, early parts of your career,
17:25 I could see this,
17:27 like all of this creativity in you,
17:31 like bursting to come out.
17:33 And sometimes,
17:36 sometimes as creatives,
17:40 all of that, it's like,
17:42 you know, let's say you want to go 100 miles an hour,
17:45 but your car can only go 70.
17:47 That 30 miles per hour, like, lack
17:51 can be seriously frustrating.
17:54 You know, like people when they don't get BFI funding
17:56 or one of their peers get something,
17:58 but maybe they feel their idea was better
18:00 and it's not working.
18:01 And someone said, all right, cool.
18:02 I love your idea.
18:03 Let's go into development.
18:04 And then they ghost you for two years.
18:06 It's like, it's not nice on the mental,
18:10 do you know what I mean?
18:11 And sometimes there's not a remedy for that
18:14 other than personal growth.
18:16 And I'm not even saying that to say, this is what you,
18:20 I'm not trying to say, oh, this is what you went through,
18:21 but I kind of felt like, oh, he's like a pure creative.
18:26 He just wants to create.
18:28 And when that is not possible in the most freeing way,
18:33 it can be like,
18:35 but then now I'm watching you and I'm like, you know what?
18:40 It's like, you're sitting in the moment
18:44 as opposed to looking towards the moment
18:46 that you want to get to.
18:47 And I think it's a really important space
18:53 for creatives to be in because things take time.
18:57 And I think maybe one thing that's an offshoot
19:00 of that maturity that you keep exuding, right,
19:04 is that you can effectively almost take someone like Casey
19:09 under your wing and gently guide them through
19:13 because you've been through that whole process anyway.
19:17 So yeah, I'm just-
19:21 - You know what's funny is I've had this conversation
19:24 with Thomas about two weeks ago.
19:27 And he also said to me about,
19:33 he had to unlearn a lot of hatred and not hatred,
19:38 maybe hatred is the wrong word,
19:39 but he had to unlearn a lot of things about comparisons
19:43 and spending almost six, seven years watching your peers
19:48 with that analogy of the car go 100 miles an hour
19:54 while she'll go 70 and they're making TV shows
19:58 and they're making features and you're not getting
20:02 to festivals how they are,
20:04 like that brings on a lot of negativity
20:07 that you have to unlearn.
20:08 And I think that was also reassuring to me
20:11 because he just announced that he's making his feature
20:15 under Ken Loach's production company.
20:17 So he's now on the path and he always has been,
20:21 but, and also now that I'm in the festival circuit
20:25 of saving art, I'm seeing other films go to festivals
20:31 that I never got into.
20:33 And so there's a little bit of me,
20:35 pre film school where I was like,
20:38 oh man, why are they getting into stuff and I'm not?
20:41 I've still got a little bit of that where it's like,
20:43 oh, well, how comes my film never got in or whatever.
20:47 And also you have to be grateful
20:49 because there was only three British films
20:52 that went to slam dance.
20:54 You know, there's Michael Salami, one best actor,
20:57 the British short film.
20:58 Like there are things that I have to be grateful for.
21:02 And I can't be like,
21:03 oh, why am I not getting everything that I wanted?
21:06 You know, so there is that, you have to just be present
21:08 and be like, you know what, life's good, man, whatever.
21:12 Just, you know, I'm healthy, so.
21:15 - I love that.
21:17 Thank you.
21:18 Thank you for that context.
21:20 Casey, you have a great teacher here.
21:22 I'm sure you already know.
21:26 With that, right, because this,
21:30 any film is a journey, to be fair.
21:32 Let me not just be like, oh, it's your first film,
21:34 you know, it's such a journey,
21:35 like struggles and challenges.
21:36 Like what, I want to know,
21:39 like what are like the array of difficulties
21:43 that you had in making this?
21:46 - Well, there are quite a lot,
21:48 but like it's not something,
21:51 but it's just part of the process.
21:52 I think initially the thought was
21:55 how are we going to get the funding?
21:57 That was the first challenge.
21:59 And then we did a Kickstarter and that was okay.
22:01 And we got the funding,
22:02 but that was my first concern
22:04 before we even got anywhere with it was, you know,
22:06 how are we going to make it?
22:07 How are we going to get the money to make it?
22:09 And Kickstarter helped us with that, so that was fine.
22:12 And then once we actually got-
22:14 - But just to jump in there,
22:16 with the Kickstarter, was it like very down to the wire
22:21 or did things come in comfortably
22:24 like a week before the deadline,
22:25 everything sorted?
22:26 Like what was that process like?
22:28 - I think we managed to get the full amount
22:31 a couple of days before the deadline,
22:33 but that was because I had family members who were like,
22:35 oh, we're going to help out towards the very end,
22:37 but we would have made the target anyway.
22:39 So it was fine.
22:40 But I think my family was just like too excited.
22:42 They were like, let's hit the target.
22:44 That helped because we got more money
22:46 than we ended up asking for initially.
22:50 So that did help,
22:51 but I was lucky to have that sort of support.
22:55 People could help out.
22:56 - Love that, love that.
22:59 And yes, so, sorry, you were saying,
23:01 and so then you've secured the funding
23:03 and then what was your next challenge?
23:06 - I think casting was interesting.
23:11 We had some incredible self tapes,
23:13 but casting Thea was the most difficult.
23:17 I don't know why, I guess,
23:18 because I saw myself in Thea
23:19 and I was like really protective over the role.
23:21 And then we had the self tape from Hamela.
23:24 And even then I wasn't sure, even though she was so good.
23:27 And then once we actually met her,
23:29 I was like, okay, this is perfect.
23:31 And it sort of was seeing the characters
23:33 be brought to life by actors
23:35 and figuring out how to get the performances
23:38 that I wanted from the actors was a challenge,
23:40 but it was also a lot of fun.
23:42 It was just figuring out how to speak to people
23:43 and feeling like I was sort of asserting myself,
23:46 but also being afraid to do that
23:48 because the director, you're kind of the boss,
23:50 but it's difficult to do that
23:53 when you've never done it before.
23:55 So I think it was just establishing like an authority
23:57 on set without being like, this is weird.
24:01 It's normal, but it was weird at first.
24:04 - No, I hear you.
24:05 Do you know what?
24:06 That's such a good point in it
24:08 because no one wants to be the bossy boots just in life.
24:12 No one really, unless someone is just maybe
24:15 some issues and stuff.
24:16 But in every project someone has to lead.
24:20 So how did you, I love what you said about finding,
24:25 ways to speak with people, et cetera.
24:30 How did you learn that?
24:35 Was it on the fly?
24:35 Did you try and read some books beforehand?
24:39 Yeah, how did you find that out?
24:41 - I mean, I watched all the YouTube videos around me 70,
24:44 but it wasn't anywhere near as good as just learning,
24:49 like just doing it.
24:51 Like watching the videos is great,
24:52 but then you're actually on set
24:53 and it's not the same as practically just figuring it out.
24:57 So I think it was just speaking to the actors
24:59 and figuring out that not every actor is the same
25:02 and the direction that you give one person
25:04 maybe won't work for the other person.
25:06 So it was very much just like on the fly,
25:10 but I think that was the best way to do it.
25:12 - I love that.
25:14 - Also, I would say that like,
25:15 we kind of set the tone with rehearsals.
25:20 And so like, because it was Casey's first time
25:25 doing rehearsals, I would just give her some notes
25:27 beforehand about what maybe to do in terms of like a,
25:31 not a curriculum, but like a kind of,
25:33 framework of what to do in a rehearsal.
25:36 And then she ran with it.
25:37 I wasn't even there, I wasn't present.
25:39 I just let her do her thing.
25:41 And I think that gave her good grounding with actors
25:44 and good relationships to start off with.
25:47 And then also just whenever something small
25:50 would come up on set,
25:52 maybe there's a miscommunication or something,
25:54 we would just stop, talk and then reset
25:57 or just on watching dailies beforehand,
26:01 just talk about what happened the day before,
26:04 what happened, what's gonna happen in the day.
26:06 And it would just be a good reset to like,
26:08 make sure everything was back on track
26:11 or everything was cool.
26:13 But I think also a lot of it has to do with
26:15 Casey's like instincts and like just natural
26:19 maternal ability.
26:21 And like, there was something about her being like
26:24 a really mature mother on set and not necessarily a boss.
26:29 It was literally, I saw Casey like nurturing people on set.
26:33 It wasn't a sense of like, oh, we have to do this,
26:36 we have to do that.
26:37 It was like, oh, what do you think we should do here?
26:40 Like, and then also just caring for people.
26:43 And I think a lot of people have,
26:44 a lot of directors have a disconnect,
26:46 especially if you're starting off
26:47 because people just wanna be the boss
26:49 and they wanna get the shot right
26:50 and they wanna do this and that.
26:53 When you let go of control like she did
26:55 and she did that naturally,
26:56 everything worked out because, you know, everyone,
26:59 you have to remember everyone's there as HODs or staff
27:04 doing their job and they're there for four days
27:07 because they wanna do it.
27:08 And because they put the effort
27:10 and the love into creating the story.
27:12 So when you let people do their work,
27:15 it just elevates the story, man.
27:17 - Yeah, well said.
27:19 - No, sorry, Casey, what were you gonna say?
27:24 - Nothing, I think Remy just smashed it.
27:26 I think that's exactly it.
27:27 I think when you see yourself as a boss,
27:29 you're not seeing the other people that you work with
27:34 on an equal level and you have to really respect
27:38 the people that you work with
27:39 and think of it as a collaboration.
27:41 So I think Remy's right there.
27:43 - I love that, agreed, agreed.
27:47 And Remy, can you send me that framework for rehearsals,
27:50 please?
27:51 Sound like it?
27:52 - No, I'm geeking in.
27:53 I'm geeking in.
27:54 (laughing)
27:56 - Remy, I've got a question for you, right?
28:01 When did you feel like the film was ready to shoot?
28:08 - I don't think, I think even if you had
28:11 like an extra four weeks and you had more time to redraft,
28:14 that like, it's never like ready.
28:18 It's just that you set a date and you have to make sure
28:23 everything is in line with what you want to happen
28:25 in terms of cinematography, production design,
28:28 and then also crew.
28:30 So, yeah, I mean, it's the same for my films.
28:35 If I had an extra four weeks,
28:37 if we pushed to shoot back an extra four weeks,
28:39 it would be helpful, but it's never,
28:44 I guess it's never the final product, how you'd want it.
28:48 But there is a bar.
28:51 I know there is obviously like, okay,
28:53 now we can definitely give it to a cinematographer,
28:57 give it to a production designer for them
28:58 to build on the blueprint.
29:00 So I think there is that as well.
29:02 - Oh, I love that.
29:03 I love that, I love that.
29:04 So make it ready, basically,
29:07 by the time you need it to be in motion.
29:10 - If you've got a blueprint,
29:12 other people can build on it, so yeah.
29:15 - Yeah.
29:17 No, nice, nice, nice.
29:19 And I wanted to know, Remy,
29:21 like what do you think of Casey as a director?
29:26 Now that, you know, "Skate" is done,
29:29 you guys have gone through "Pose."
29:32 Yeah, what do you think of her as a director?
29:34 - Try not to blow up the ego too much, too early.
29:41 I think just like I said,
29:45 I think, 'cause obviously I've always known Casey
29:49 to be like shy and quite reserved,
29:53 almost like myself, actually.
29:55 And when you see someone,
30:00 like especially a family member,
30:01 kind of blossom into a woman
30:04 and like a human being as a baseline,
30:08 it's like, that's crazy
30:10 because I didn't know she could do these things.
30:14 I don't think she really believed that she could either.
30:17 And then when you're thrown into the deep end,
30:19 you just have to swim in it.
30:20 And so I think that maternal instinct
30:25 and that kind of, I could see that she loved it as well.
30:29 That was another thing,
30:30 it was like, I could see she was passionate
30:32 and just caring and nurturing.
30:37 I think that's so important
30:38 because I've been guilty of that
30:40 where I haven't been able to nurture people around me.
30:43 I've just been solitude.
30:45 Let me just work on this and be focused.
30:47 And you kind of lose the essence
30:50 of what it means to work together on the set
30:54 and like build relationships.
30:57 So even in post as well,
31:00 like there is a,
31:01 like Casey's got a bar
31:04 and I've said this before in the screening,
31:06 but similar to me,
31:09 she has a very high bar for work.
31:12 And so that is inspiring to me
31:16 because as a producer,
31:17 you wanna work with someone who wants to get better,
31:20 who wants to do the best work possible.
31:22 So yeah, just all round,
31:26 like just solid person.
31:29 (laughs)
31:31 - I love that, I love that, I love that.
31:34 - I'm gonna pose you to that.
31:35 (laughs)
31:38 - Give me the 20 pound another time,
31:39 you know, for the comments, it's cool.
31:41 - So Casey, right,
31:45 for you coming out the other end,
31:48 having this amazing film ready
31:51 and they're all edited and stuff,
31:54 what would you say are like some of the key things
31:56 that you learned in doing "Skate"?
31:58 - I think I learned that like I can direct.
32:04 Like before we made the film,
32:07 I didn't even really,
32:08 I couldn't even visualize myself directing.
32:11 It was, I just didn't even think I could do it
32:14 until Remy was like,
32:15 "Oh, so do you wanna direct this?"
32:16 And I was like, "Well, yeah."
32:17 But I hadn't even considered that that was a path for me.
32:21 And then I think making "Skate" taught me that I can do it
32:24 and then that I wanna do it again.
32:27 So I think it just taught me that, you know,
32:29 you can do things even if, you know,
32:32 it doesn't seem like that was always
32:34 what you were gonna do.
32:35 And I think I just learned how to work with people
32:40 and sort of overcome like the shyness that I have
32:43 and just make something happen.
32:46 'Cause I was always afraid to make things happen.
32:48 And I think with "Skate", we just,
32:50 we actually just made it.
32:51 And I think that was the best thing
32:53 that we could have done with it,
32:55 to actually make a film.
32:56 - I love that.
32:58 I love that.
32:59 I love that.
33:00 I love that.
33:00 I wanna know, right,
33:03 given that you've begun your filmmaking journey
33:08 and I'm sure there are, you know, different stories,
33:12 different interests that you have,
33:14 but on the whole,
33:17 would you say that like,
33:20 as a filmmaker,
33:21 do you feel like the stories that you want to tell
33:25 are shown on screen at the moment?
33:27 - I think it really depends where you look.
33:31 I think in the mainstream, probably not.
33:35 I feel like I see a lot of the same sort of stories
33:38 regurgitated over and over again,
33:40 maybe with slightly different casting or different,
33:43 like even like reboots of popular franchises.
33:46 It's not original content.
33:48 It's not new ideas.
33:50 And I think what I'm interested in is new ideas,
33:53 original ideas,
33:55 not to say those films can't be good,
33:56 but just that that's not what I'm interested in making.
33:59 So I think it depends where you look.
34:01 In independent spaces,
34:02 I feel like we're seeing a lot of really like important
34:06 and fascinating original ideas.
34:11 But I think in the mainstream,
34:13 we see a lot of, you know,
34:14 just reboots and franchises.
34:16 And I think the heart of cinema is in making something new.
34:20 So I think that's what I want to see more of.
34:23 - Wow, that is such a mature answer.
34:27 Wow. Okay, great.
34:28 Remy, my last question is,
34:32 what advice would you give Casey?
34:36 Especially, you know, like you've run the gauntlet,
34:39 do you know what I mean?
34:40 I know you're still running it,
34:42 but you know, you have run quite a bit already.
34:46 So yeah, what advice would you give Casey at this point?
34:51 - I mean, you know, it's so funny
34:56 that people always say that different people
34:59 are in different paths in the industry.
35:00 And I think that is also extremely true
35:05 for me and Casey on our journeys,
35:08 because when I started, I had nobody around me
35:11 and I was literally holding the mic and the camera
35:15 to, you know, to make a film.
35:17 So now that she has people around her,
35:20 I think it's important for her to build on those people,
35:23 on those relationships,
35:24 but also with the success of Skate,
35:28 hopefully this year and next year,
35:31 build on the community that that film receives.
35:35 And I think you can do that with festivals,
35:37 you can do that with screenings,
35:38 but also just on social media,
35:41 there's so many people that, you know,
35:43 reach out to you because they see that you're
35:46 telling a story that resonates with them,
35:48 producers or cinematographers or production designers.
35:53 And it's, you know, that age old saying of find your tribe,
35:56 but when people resonate with you as a person
36:00 and your work, it's a perfect combo.
36:02 So I think you just got to find those people
36:05 and it's going to take a long time,
36:07 but, you know, six years time or whenever it comes,
36:12 when you make a feature,
36:13 whenever you go on to do a TV job,
36:16 you can bring those trusted people on
36:19 and that boosts your profile.
36:22 Because if say, Casey gets to direct Sex Education
36:27 season seven, which obviously isn't going to happen
36:30 because it's canceled, but like, for example's sake,
36:33 she can bring on the DP from her next job
36:36 or whenever, you know, whatever relationship she has
36:40 to that job.
36:41 And I think that makes you look like a better director
36:45 because you can then have,
36:46 you can then bring the tools of what makes your voice great
36:51 onto those jobs.
36:53 And I think that also elevates you.
36:55 So I think it's just, it's just literally people, man.
36:58 That's been my experience anyway.
36:59 It's just building on those relationships
37:01 and those people that you come across in,
37:03 in that time of your early career development.
37:06 - I love that.
37:08 Sorry, you just poured out so much wisdom.
37:11 I was not expecting that.
37:14 You keep going, you know, right?
37:16 Wow, yeah.
37:19 - You know what?
37:20 I had a meeting just before this from my film school
37:24 about film festivals for the new students coming in
37:29 and, you know, alumni and stuff.
37:31 And we was talking about what it means
37:33 to get into festivals and the relationships you build
37:37 at festivals with programmers and festival directors.
37:41 So we had this whole meeting about people that you meet
37:44 along the way and it never being about,
37:47 okay, I'm gonna work with Steven Spielberg.
37:50 It's not gonna happen.
37:52 It's about the people you are with now.
37:54 And then in six years, they become the showrunner
37:56 for Supercell or whatever.
37:58 Do you know what I mean?
37:59 So, you know, even my mentor now, I met him.
38:02 He was the festival director in New York,
38:04 a festival where I was at in 2016.
38:07 And now he's like helping me produce the feature film.
38:10 So that's eight years.
38:12 So it's, it's testament to like,
38:14 just the people you meet on your way.
38:15 It's not gonna be immediate.
38:17 So.
38:18 - I love that.
38:20 Networking horizontally.
38:22 I, yeah, it's, yeah, that is, yeah.
38:26 Couldn't have said it better.
38:28 - Casey, any final words before we wrap up?
38:33 - What are you doing next, Case?
38:35 - What's next?
38:36 - I think I have some ideas for what I wanna do next.
38:40 I wanna make another short.
38:43 Whatever one comes first, I'm not sure,
38:44 but I have two ideas and they all sort of follow
38:48 the same themes of womanhood and identity.
38:53 And I don't know, just coming of age, I think.
38:57 And being a person, you know, I think just,
39:01 it depends, it depends.
39:02 I don't know what I'm gonna make first,
39:04 what's gonna be next, but I have ideas
39:06 and I wanna make a new short pretty soon.
39:09 - All good.
39:10 All in your own time.
39:11 Yeah, no, thank you.
39:14 This, this has been amazing.
39:16 I'm so excited.
39:17 I feel happy and excited that we,
39:22 we were able to catch up with you, Casey.
39:26 And obviously you, Remy, but I'm just,
39:29 yeah, do you know what?
39:30 I'm just really excited about your career.
39:31 Like I genuinely, I really am.
39:34 So yeah, I think that's what,
39:36 that's what's really exciting for me.
39:37 - I said that after Skate as well.
39:39 I was saying, I was saying to my mom and dad,
39:42 I'm like, I can see Casey being a director.
39:45 Like it's, sometimes you see people make a film
39:48 and it's like, all right, nothing special.
39:50 But like when you actually see someone on set
39:52 and see the product, yeah, it's not,
39:54 it's not gonna be long.
39:55 I honestly, I think within the next five, six years,
39:59 Casey's gonna be directing TV or something.
40:01 - Yeah.
40:02 Like, like seriously, I remember I was watching,
40:05 oh, that's a good idea.
40:06 Oh, okay, cool.
40:07 And like, everything was very simple,
40:09 but just the standard of the shots,
40:13 the sequencing, everything, I was like, wow, okay.
40:18 Yeah, so yeah, Remy, you said it.
40:22 I agree.
40:24 I believe it will happen.
40:25 But again, as I said, no pressure,
40:28 like you're just taking it in your stride,
40:30 you're taking it in your stride,
40:31 which is something to really, really see.
40:36 'Cause I think Remy's generation,
40:38 it was like, I feel like, you know,
40:43 like even Thomas is saying to unlearn certain things,
40:47 to see like someone from a generation after being like,
40:53 well, do you know what?
40:54 I've got two ideas.
40:55 I'm not sure which one.
40:56 It's like, I just, yeah, I like that.
40:59 I like that.
41:00 - You know, also, yeah, when we last saw each other
41:03 and you were saying about how much like my work or ethic
41:08 would like inspire you,
41:10 and I was standing next to Quason and I'm like,
41:13 Quason was my hero, you know, growing up, you know,
41:18 like I've told him this before, but Quason was the guy.
41:22 Like when I first started out,
41:24 he started out like a year before me.
41:26 And so I was trying to do videos like him,
41:29 and then he did "That's a Rap Show."
41:31 And then I remember he brought me on
41:33 'cause he did a music video for "Cashtastic."
41:37 And this was like when we was 18, 19, maybe.
41:42 So this is 12 years ago.
41:44 And so Quason brought me on to do like behind the scenes.
41:47 So, and that was one of the first times
41:49 I got to meet "Cashtastic."
41:51 And then he brought me on with Poet,
41:54 and him and Poet interviewed Flo Rida.
41:58 And so-
41:58 - Oh, you were there on "That's a Rap."
42:00 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
42:01 So like Quason has been the guy for me.
42:05 And then like, obviously seeing him now, he's got a family.
42:08 He's doing big things with like,
42:10 in terms of learning and development
42:11 for filmmakers on YouTube.
42:13 It's crazy, man, to be among these people
42:16 you've been on the ride with is mad.
42:18 - Yeah.
42:18 And do you know what I love about him, right?
42:20 He's so peaceful.
42:23 And it's like, he's got a pace
42:27 that's like, he doesn't chase anything.
42:30 - Yeah.
42:31 - Like you said, it's like, there's a 360 thing for him
42:34 of like family creating, family creating,
42:39 caught my own pace.
42:41 It's like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
42:43 - He's been like that as well, always.
42:45 - Yeah.
42:46 Man, sorry, yeah, sorry, we just digressed.
42:49 But yes, that was amazing.
42:53 Thank you guys.
42:54 See you very, very soon.
42:56 (upbeat music)
42:58 (upbeat music)