writer
Right just to clarify, first and foremost I am a method actor but I also take great pleasure in writing screenplays. As stated earlier I am motivated by character driven stories so many years ago I thought *uck it, let’s try and write a feature based on a true story and convert it into a screenplay, my thinking was if it goes wrong then I may lose my reputation and then I realised I have NO reputation so it was a win win situation!
As a writer I draw my inspiration from the wonder of how even the smallest trickle of a scenario can arouse a torrent of emotion. Not only in film but also in my personal life. I relish analysing dialogue and how people perceive information. Like how do we judge a person according to the
clothing they wear or the way their hair is styled. Maybe our perception changes if they are particularly tall or short or if they’re carrying more weight. Does our opinion differ if an individual has a different colour of skin or speak a different language to our own? With the spoken word only accounting for 7% of communication its invigorating trying to break down how we read and process body language and then react in a completely subconscious way. Anyone reading this passage that doesn't know 93% of communication is of the unspoken word, feel ashamed, feel very ashamed... well I only heard about it yesterday overhearing a conversation on the tube so I thought I'd put it on my website! Now if I'm being totally honest I learned this as a teenager studying the method and human psychology and it’s a staggering statistic to bear in mind!
I started writing feature films over 10 years ago when I had an unnerving and perplexing experience in Florida. The experience started off so simple and mundane but by the end of it I didn't know whether I would actually live to tell the tale, scary but true, I wont say too much here as it could be coming to a multiplex near you so keep your eyes peeled!!! Since then I have written a number of screenplays and the videos you see on this site or on Vimeo are all excerpts from them, a perfect opportunity to showcase not only my acting range but also my own creative dexterity. Most of the footage is intense, gritty and realistic, filmed using a small number of takes.
My theory is forget slick editing, forget special effects, forget elaborate voice overs just show the universe an organic performance. So don't forget to view my videos not only are they fun and exciting, personal opinion, but hopefully you will understand how much creative development goes into such a small performance, on the flipside you get to spend more time in my world, not sure if that's a good or bad thing especially after reading all this website Jackson Pollocks*.
*for those not in the know Jackson Pollocks is cockney rhyming slang for a gentleman’s nutsack :)
There are so many stories which I have been a part of directly and I have heard from others that writing allows me to expand upon and share. For instance, a complement delivered to a stranger, friend or partner may not be taken as such. It may be perceived as condescending or even derogatory depending on the mindset of the recipient. A husband making the comment of “I'm working late tonight” could be interpreted by his wife as codeword for her thinking he’s meeting up with a another woman or she may think, I'm sick of being second best. He always puts
work first. Is he really working late? Why does he not want to spend time with me?, the list goes on and on. The battle of the sexes always intrigues me, unless I'm part of the issue in which case I know the best course of action is to run!
In my own life an argument with a girlfriend might leave me dumbfounded. Was it something I said? Was it something I did? Perhaps it was actually neither of those things. Maybe it was simply a matter of perception? Perhaps something had happened to her that day which altered the way her brain was processing the conversation? Perhaps she was bringing outside references into the situation which turned an innocent comment on my behalf into a criticism on hers? Or maybe I was just being a dick! Writing provides me with so much scope, endless opportunities and an abundance of eventualities. No matter where I am or what I'm doing writing has given me the possibility of being in a never-ending state of creativity.
