E306 - From Bradford to BAFTAS with Hollie Bryan & Jack King

PODBEAN COPY This is episode 9 in the third season of The Directors Take Podcast. Your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are back, having both largely finished their longform projects, Marcus with his debut feature film CAST ME! and Oz with a couple of TV directing jobs now under his belt, they both break down their journey across this year and discuss the key differences they experienced in transitioning from directing shorts-to-longform. Credits Graphic Design by Ria Nightingale Music by Oliver Wegmüller

This is episode 8 in the third season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week’s episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined in conversation by Manchester based Writer/Director and 2025 Screen Daily Star of Tomorrow Liam White. Liam built traction through his short film work which includes Doughnut (2020), Tick Tick Tick (2020), Punch-Drunk an exceptional thriller set in a cafe in Marseille which was longlisted for a BAFTA in 2022 and his most recent short film Housewarming won Best UK Short at Raindance Film Festival and earnt a BIFA nomination, firmly securing him as one of the UKs most exciting filmmaking talents. Liam now has several features in active development, two with Anna Keeley at Escape Plan and another with Heyday films. In this episode which was recorded live in 2025, with a catch up on the end, we break down his journey so far as he ascends the industry. As ever, it’s a must listen! Credits Graphic Design by Ria Nightingale Music by Oliver Wegmüller

This is episode 7 in the third season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week’s episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad are joined in conversation by some of the creative team behind SURVIVING EARTH, the BFI & FILM4 backed debut feature film from Writer/Director Thea Gajic. Producer Sophie Reynolds also joins us to talk through the film’s life cycle, as it successfully navigated the UK development system to eventually earn a Premiere at SXSW2025 and a UK theatrical release from 24th April. As ever… This is an in-depth episode about the pathway and process!

This is episode 5 in the third season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week’s special episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad were joined for a LIVE conversation at the wonderful venue of MetFilm School Manchester by acclaimed actor Corin Silva. Corin is a rising star in the Film & TV industry with roles in SAS Rogue Heroes, Masters of the Air, All the Light We Cannot See and the upcoming release of the BAFTA nominated Wasteman. He is also a big advocate of short filmmaking and has featured in over 100 short films. As ever, this conversation breaks down his pathway into acting, his process and we uncover his thoughts on the Actor/Director relationship.

This is episode 4 of the third season of The Directors Take Podcast. In this week’s special episode your hosts Marcus Anthony Thomas and Oz Arshad were joined for a LIVE conversation at the wonderful venue of Manchester HOME by Writer & Director Claire Tailyour. Claire is a working director whose credits include The Wives, Beyond Paradise, Phoenix Rise and Netflix/BBC’s Get Even. Her debut feature script Mother Wild won BAFTA Rocliffe and PAGE awards in 2020. She is also a semi-finalist for Sundance International Scriptwriter and also for The Academy Awards Nicholl Fellowship. We talk about her unique journey into the industry, the craft of directing and the challenges in navigating life as a director in TV.