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Hello, Lloydalists!
Since this blog is all about Harry Lloyd and his career, I thought it might be a nice idea to put the spotlight on some of the talented people who have been directly involved in the projects Harry has chosen. I noticed that Harry has been in a couple of short films so I decided to start there. This post will be introducing you to Iain Weatherby, the writer/director of the brilliant 2009 short film Oscar & Jim.
Iain Weatherby received his M.A. in English Literature (B.A.-First Class) from Trinity College Cambridge and he is currently a copywriter/creative director/playwright and filmmaker (a.k.a. multi-talented dude)! He gets bonus points for having a great sense of humour. You can check out his personal website HERE.
His company ANCHOVY PICTURES is aptly named for being a small fish in a big pond. They released Oscar & Jim, starring our Harry Lloyd and the lovely Charlie Covell. It was their first film! How did this film do? Well, it won Best Short at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2009. That’s right, it’s an award winner! Anchovy Pictures is currently in development with their second film, and their first feature, titled Truth Beauty, which was shot around London and rural Poland.
I contacted Mr. Weatherby to ask him about directing, making short films, how Harry Lloyd got involved in his film, and what’s next on his agenda. He was wonderfully accommodating and gave very detailed responses to my questions. Here is what he had to say:
KJ, Lloydalists’ Guest Contributor: How did you end up getting involved in directing?
His company ANCHOVY PICTURES is aptly named for being a small fish in a big pond. They released Oscar & Jim, starring our Harry Lloyd and the lovely Charlie Covell. It was their first film! How did this film do? Well, it won Best Short at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2009. That’s right, it’s an award winner! Anchovy Pictures is currently in development with their second film, and their first feature, titled Truth Beauty, which was shot around London and rural Poland.
I contacted Mr. Weatherby to ask him about directing, making short films, how Harry Lloyd got involved in his film, and what’s next on his agenda. He was wonderfully accommodating and gave very detailed responses to my questions. Here is what he had to say:
KJ, Lloydalists’ Guest Contributor: How did you end up getting involved in directing?
Iain Weatherby: I lived in Paris when I was in my 20s. I lived in the 15tharrondissement with a rugby player (“lived with” as in “shared a flat with”). I went to Pere Lachaise one day, alone, it was the Autumn, no more than averagely melancholy. I couldn’t find Jim’s grave. I went home. A decade later I was living in London – as I got out of bed one morning I had the idea for Oscar & Jim before my feet hit the floor. It was pretty much all there straightaway. I like mid period Woody Allen– Manhattan, Crimes & Misdemeanours especially. I also like Whit Stillman’s Barcelona, Wes Andersons’s Rushmore and Lukas Moodyson’s Together – and immediately conceived this idea as a short film in that broad tradition.
KJ: What do you think is the best part about being a director?
IW: They say you make the film three times - when you write it, when you shoot it and then when you edit it. The most fun is probably editing for me. Shooting is stressful. Writing is something I do every day.
KJ: What is it that drew you to short films? What do you enjoy about them?
IW: These days anybody can make a film—all you need is a good idea and determination. The restrictions—of budget, length, production values—are actually liberating. That’s the paradox. Anybody can make expensive crap. I love intelligent inexpensive films that turn limitations into something surprising and original. In Europe I love the simplicity of Bresson-influenced filmmakers like Michael Haneke and the Dardennes brothers. In America Alexander Payne is pretty terrific, while my hero is probably Charlie Kaufman. They all avoid genre and cliché, the twin curses of most “product” offered to the public (“don’t say ‘industry’”).
KJ: How did Harry Lloyd get involved in your film? What was it like working with him?
IW: When we did Oscar & Jim as a play, Charlie Covell was Emma and Gareth David-Lloyd (another very good actor) played Gerry. Gareth couldn't make the Paris trip so we needed a Gerry. Charlie was at Oxford with Harry – I think they had been in plays together – and recommended him. We had a pint in a pretty nasty pub just north of Oxford Circus. Harry I remember drank cider. We were on.
Because the shoot was to be so short (three days) and “guerilla” style – in the middle of the City with the graves for sets and the population for extras – we decided to rehearse fairly intensively before we set off. Harry and I met in Bunhill Fields – a famous cemetery in the City of London, where John Bunyan and many others now reside. We talked about life and death and whatnot.
Charlie and Harry came down to my house in Dorset. I booked the village hall and we rehearsed in there for a couple of days. I gave them a budget to find their own costumes and we met at St. Pancras on the Eurostar platform. Paul Fenwick co-directed and produced. Martin Lightening was DoP [Director of Photography] –a very experienced documentary maker so we listened to Martin a lot. Martin Wilson did the sound – it’s all live sound – not redubbed in the studio afterwards – even the stuff on the train and in the Gare du Nord. Back at the controls Simon Bryant was our editor and Sarah Llewellyn wrote and recorded the music.
Both Charlie and Harry were excellent – had the lines cold, were intuitive,experimental, fast. We wrapped somewhere inside the Channel Tunnel and then hada celebratory. They both helped with publicizing the film afterwards – doing interviews etc. Charlie came with Paul and [me] to Providence, R.I., where we won a good award at an Oscar-qualifying fest. Unfortunately we had to get a plane back to London so missed the awards presentation.
KJ: What’s up next for you?
IW: I have a new play called Rollers. It's a dialogue between the left and right hemispheres of the brain – inspired by Iain McGilchrist’s wonderful book The Master and his Emissary – but it all takes place on bicycles. It's another two-hander sowe will try to follow the Oscar & Jim MO—stage it, refine it, then shoot it. Abbey Wright will direct it on stage and Paul Fenwick and I will share directing duties when we film – with luck next summer (2013). I have also been working with Charlie Covell – who as well asacting is a comedian and writer – on a TV series called Boomers.
If you haven’t seen Oscar & Jim (what are you waiting for?!) you can view it at www.oscarandjim.com.If you have seen it and loved it and would like to show your support for Anchovy Pictures and their continued quest to produce quality films for our viewing pleasure than you can purchase a copy of it on DVD. I did. It’s not expensive and they have USA/Canada friendly versions available. Mr. Weatherby even includes a little note along with it! A nice personal touch! You can see the picture below.
Mr. Weatherby also welcomes any questions you may have and says you can contact him at his email address Iain.Weatherby@gmail.com. I think this is an awesome thing for him to do and I know I am appreciative of his taking time from his busy schedule to respond to questions! He gets bonus points for that, too!
So there you have it folks! Please check out his websites and films/projects and show some love!
Thanks,
KJ (a fellow Lloydalist)
@Heyyyblondie on Twitter
Above: Personal note from Iain Weatherby, director of Oscar & Jim, among the short film’s related “loot.” Image © KJ.
Work Cited
Oscar & Jim. Dir. Iain Weatherby.Perf. Charlie Covell and Harry Lloyd. Anchovy Pictures, 2009. Oscarandjim.com. Web. <http://www.oscarandjim.com/watch/part01.php>.Film Short.
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Many thanks to Iain Weatherby for his time and interest, as well as to KJ for her continued interest in Lloydalists, field-work, and interviewing prowess.
Lloydalists is always interested in outside contributors. If you’d like to contribute, or get more information, please email us at Lloydalists@gmail.com.
K&C, Lloydalist Co-Founders and Administrators
~Written by Lloydalist guest KJ; Edited by C; Posted by K~
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