The Talent

Directed by: Thomas May Bailey

Principal Cast: Emma D'Arcy, Leo Suter, Rhianne Barreto, David Mills

Country: United Kingdom

Time: 15:00

Synopsis: On the set of a luxury car commercial, an overlooked assistant seizes his chance to get noticed by the star. A tense exploration of masculinity, becoming and desire.

You started your career as a theater director and The Talent is your first short film. How did you find the transition from directing theater to directing a film?

It was a lot of work! Though I could see the film in my head, I didn't know how to make it. There is some useful crossover from theater directing, but there was also a huge amount of technical knowledge I didn't have. So I bought a bunch of books on continuity, on editing, cinematography, sound, etc. I also assisted on sets and spoke to as many directors as I could. I'm particularly grateful to the filmmaker Marco Alessi who served as EP. Marco sat me down and explained their version of a shoot bible; how you can do as much of the directing as possible in advance. I developed my own version of a shoot bible and very slowly, the skills gap began to close.

Emma D'Arcy (House of The Dragon) and Leo Suter (Vikings: Valhalla), are perfectly cast in the film. How did you all come together for the project?

The Talent was a reunion for the three of us. Both Emma and Leo acted in a version of Romeo and Juliet I directed in 2015. Emma was our heartthrob Romeo, and Leo was a terrifying Lord Capulet. Actually, that's one of the best things about working in theater — you get to work with incredible actors. Emma was involved in The Talent from its earliest conception and also serves as producer. And as the character of David developed, I knew Leo would be a perfect counterpart: I was over the moon when he read the script and liked it. Ahead of the shoot, there were so many unknowns: Will we make the days? Will the virtual production stuff work? Will I have any directorial instincts in this totally new medium? Emma and Leo were two 'knowns' — which boosted my confidence enormously.

Did any particular car commercial influence you while preparing to shoot The Talent?

I watched a ton of them! I became a bit obsessed. They tend to follow a pattern that I tried to emulate: glossy shots of the car accompanied by a voiceover that's somehow grandiose and meaningless at the same time. While there wasn't one particular commercial that influenced us. Audiences most often bring up the Matthew McConaughey Lincoln campaign, which I totally get. Those Lincoln ads are pretty much the zenith of faux-philosophical, ultra-masculine, capitalist bullshit — which was very much the vibe we were going for.

What are the key elements needed that turn a good short film into a great short film?

Oooh, what a question — what's the short film secret sauce! I'll try to answer but it won't be a universal truism. It'll say more about my taste than anything else. I think the secret to a great short film is having a great idea, then turning it into a story.

Step One is Premise. In my opinion, a great short film needs to have an INSANELY good premise. Like, the kind of premise that makes people think: “Oooooh, yeah, I can see how that could play out in a number of different ways. In fact, I can't help but start to imagine some of them right now.” You want your premise to open up a space within people, in which your film starts to exist before you've even written it. When people hear a great premise, they say: 'Ooooooh', and their imagination starts kicking into gear. You don't want compliments, you don't want encouragement, you don't want a 'Right', 'Interesting' or 'I see' — you want an 'Oooooh'. Be strict with yourself: if your premise isn't having this effect on people, then the idea is not worth pursuing.

Step Two is Plotting. It took me a long time to realise that a premise is not a story. Which is a shame! With your insanely good premise, you now need to spend a very long time thinking through the many ways that this premise could play out and then selecting your favorite. I find coming up with premises to be very joyful; I find delivering on plot to be torturous. The best advice about plotting I have is: in every scene, in every moment, know what expectations you're creating in your audience, and then continually respond to those expectations in ways that are both satisfying and surprising. In every moment, you should know what you want audiences to feel, think and expect. This happens at the writing stage, but you've got to remember it all the way through production and into post: what are each of these moments doing to the people who are watching, and how am I guiding them towards the conclusion they need but cannot foresee.

Some people may read the above and think I'm describing a good, competent short film — that a film's 'greatness' will depend on its deeper themes, meanings and implications for real life. But, in my experience, theme is something you can't force. In step one, premise, you will naturally be drawn to ideas that resonate with your current philosophical preoccupations. In step two, plotting, you'll be grappling with those preoccupations and coming up with answers. But I wouldn't include theme as a step — if I try to come up with a story from a theme, I find it creatively paralysing. Just trust that you're a messed-up human being whose problems will inevitably play out in whatever it is you're making.

What's next for you?

I'm writing a feature! A thriller. It's not The Talent, which we are leaving be as a short. But in some ways the protagonist of this totally different story is a spiritual successor to Emma D'Arcy's Tommy. I'm also developing a TV show, with two intimidatingly talented collaborators and a great production company — I don't want to jinx it so can't say more at this time.