Nigel sits down for a very special interview with director Jake Murray and writer/producer Paul Ludden as they explore the history, background and motivation behind their short film The Visit. Their intense character drama tells the fictionalised story of the perpetrator of the real life bombing of Manchester city centre by the IRA in 1996. The bomber returns to present day Manchester as an aging and ailing man, contemplating the consequences of a life spent in violence. Jake and Paul takes us through their experiences making the film as well as their perspectives on the facets of political violence, the momentum of history, the importance of supporting the arts and providing access to it, particularly for people from deprived backgrounds and getting a huge boost to the production from Jack Reacher author Lee Childs. Read our review of The Visit and watch the film here. Follow the Filmmakers MancMade Productions - Website / Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn    Elysium Theatre Company - Website / Facebook / Instagram / X  Subscribe to Our Podcast Find all of our episodes at - https://www.cameolaunch.com/podcast    Subscribe on the below platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music Google Podcasts

Nigel engages in a fascinating discussion with writer/director Tamas Levardi, creator of the powerful historical epic Foretoken - Omen of the Outsiders. This film follows the journey of two siblings as they seek to confront a garrison of Roman soldiers in order to free their people from Roman occupation. Tamas takes us on his filmmaking experiences and the crucial lessons he learned on his journey from agency work, to music videos to an incredibly ambitious triumph of short film cinema. Follow the Filmmakers Official Film Account - Instagram / Website Subscribe to Our Podcast Find all of our episodes at - https://www.cameolaunch.com/podcast    Subscribe on the below platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music Google Podcasts

Nigel reconnects with writer/director Laura Jefferies to talk about her supernatural psychological drama White Rabbit, an official selection and winner of the outstanding Performance award at our festival last October. This episode dives into the making of the film, working with producer Mike Marks and lead actor Kesley Cooke and her love of old school British horror. They also explore options in shaping a career path in film and the importance of short film in shaping the future of filmmaking as a whole. Follow the Filmmakers Laura Jefferies (Writer/Director) - Instagram Membrana Pictures - Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Website Subscribe to Our Podcast Find all of our episodes at - https://www.cameolaunch.com/podcast    Subscribe on the below platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music Google Podcasts

We kick off 2024 by welcoming writer/director George Siougas and producer Michael Stevenson to the pod. Having built successful careers in television on series from Emmerdale to Casualty and many more, George and Michael have led a talented and supremely dedicated team including actor Jason Watkins (The Crown) and legendary music composer Stephen Warbeck, to create a truly heartwarming short film. The One Note Man follows a musical man who lives a careful life. Each day is like the next, just how he likes it. One day, however, misfortune and fate collide, breaking his routine and rocking his world forever. Our resident host, Nigel Morgan explores not only the background of this Oscar and BAFTA shortlisted film, but also the changing landscape of the awards circuit and the emergence of corporate entities into the short film space and the challenges of returning magic to the cinema experience. Follow the Filmmakers George Siougas (Writer/Director) - Instagram / Website Michael Stevenson (Producer) - Instagram / Website Official Account - Instagram    Subscribe to Our Podcast Find all of our episodes at - https://www.cameolaunch.com/podcast    Subscribe on the below platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music Google Podcasts

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions pertaining to sexual assault. In this very special episode, Nigel talks to the winners of the Outstanding Drama Short at this year's Surrey Short Film Festival (now the Cameo Launch Short Film Festival). Director Rebecca Gallon, producer Tina Zucco and writer and lead actor Matt Hansen reveal the background of their drama short film I'm Not Finished. The film follows Alex (Hansen) as he bonds with Ellie at a house party. Sparks fly between the two but when one makes a move and takes things too far, what started as a fun night ends up being a traumatic experience. I’m Not Finished is a short film about desire, intimacy and consent and the complex social codes surrounding these notions. Matt speaks candidly about the events that led to him writing this film and how he established a creative partnership with Zucco and Gallon, who would ultimately guide the project toward becoming a powerful and painfully insightful short film. The film and this conversation contains discussions relating to sexual assault. If you have been affected by any of the topics discussed, we have included a link to Survivors UK below, who are a great source of support and who partnered with the makers of I'm Not Finished on the production. https://www.survivorsuk.org/ Follow the Filmmakers Rebecca Gallon (Director) - Instagram / Website Matt Hansen (Writer/Actor) - Instagram / Spotlight Tina Zucco (Producer) - Instagram / Website Blue Ink Entertainment - Instagram    Subscribe to Our Podcast Find all of our episodes at - https://www.cameolaunch.com/podcast    Subscribe on the below platforms Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music Google Podcasts

In this episode, Nigel talks to writer/director Daniel Deville about the making of his intense short film drama, By Any Other Name. Produced by Slick Films, this short film tells the story of a woman searching for her sister, who has been sold into the sex trade in London's criminal underbelly. Daniel talks about his background and the challenges he had to overcome as well as closing the gap between aspiration and action when it came to building a career in filmmaking. This is a thought-provoking and inspiring story about overcoming odds and working towards creating important work that impacts audiences the world over. Warning: This episode contains descriptions of filming scenes depicting sexual assault. Find out more about By Any Other Name here. Follow the film on Instagram. Click here to subscribe to our podcast and to discover more incredible short film creators.

Nigel welcomes short film horror maestro Jed Shepherd (Host, Dashcam) to the pod with an intriguing discussion on the horror genre and how the refusal of the UK film establishment to properly invest in it is hurting the UK film industry. We also dive into Jed's highly unusual journey into filmmaking and how a lockdown prank turned into a ticket to Hollywood. Watch Jed's new film Flashback on Netflix now and see the short films he wrote and produced alongside director Rob Savage below as well as the short film Double Tap, which we previously reviewed. Dawn of the Deaf Salt Absence Double Tap Follow Jed Shepherd on Social Media X - https://twitter.com/Jedshepherd Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jedshepherd/

Nigel talks to first time filmmaker Aleah Marrow, whose beautiful film Wish Hill we discovered at last year's Aesthetica Film Festival. Wish Hill is an adventure story and a dream-like meditation on mortality, following two brothers conflicted with life's chaos. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, they set out on a secret adventure to a place where it is believed wishes come true. Nigel and Aleah explore the path from Aleah's professional tennis career through to her unexpected gearshift into filmmaking. We also dive into the difficulties of making a short film during the pandemic and the paths to success for filmmakers emerging onto the festival scene today. Click here to watch Wish Hill – https://www.cameolaunch.com/post/review-wish-hill  Connect with Aleah Marrow Twitter – https://twitter.com/AleahMarrow Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/aleahmarrow/ Click here to see more episodes and subscribe to our podcast – https://www.cameolaunch.com/podcast

In this episode, Nigel hosts founder of Bluebird Productions Alexandra Blue in the pod. Alexandra has produced short films reviewed by Cameo Launch including Martha, End-O and Sarah Chong is Going to Kill Herself. This only scratches the surface of an extensive filmography and a career that spans mastering, postproduction supervising and development on films ranging from ’71 to Paddington 2. Alexandra Blue takes us on the fascinating journey of her career as we explore her initial steps into filmmaking to moving to the UK to pursue her goals in independent film to establishing a short film studio that has produced some of the best films presented on our platform. Click here to watch Sarah Chong is Going to Kill Herself – https://www.cameolaunch.com/sarah-chong  Click here to watch Martha – https://www.cameolaunch.com/post/review-martha  Click here to watch End-O – https://www.cameolaunch.com/end-o  Click here to see more films from Bluebird Productions – https://vimeo.com/bluebirdproductions  Find out more about Bluebird Productions Website – http://bluebirdproductions.co.uk/  Twitter – https://twitter.com/bluebirdprods  Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BluebirdProductionsFilm/  Connect with Alexandra Blue Twitter – https://twitter.com/alexandrablue4  LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrablue/  Click here to see more episodes and subscribe to our podcast – https://www.cameolaunch.com/podcast

Nigel re-enters the pod with actor, producer and writer Emmeline Hartley as they bring their mammoth 3-part interview to a close with an eye-opening discussion on non-traditional funding for short film.  Their conversation explores how making the short film drama Keep Breathing led to new methods of film fundraising, a potential business model for short film and how it gave birth to a brand-new theatre project.  Catch the final part of the ‘Emmeline Hartley Trilogy’ and complete this fascinating and unique perspective of the art, craft and business of film. See our review for Emmeline's short film Keep Breathing by clicking here. Find out more about Nexus Cast & Crew Network by clicking here. Follow Emmeline and Nexus on the Socials Facebook  Twitter (Emmeline) Twitter (Nexus) Instagram  For Affected Listeners: If you have had a sexual experience that you feel was not or may not have been consensual and feel you need support, please make use of the links below. Women's Work Safeline For Filmmakers: To submit your film for review on the Cameo Launch platform, click here. To submit your film to the Surrey Short Film Festival, click here. Click here to see more episodes and subscribe to our podcast.

In this very special episode, Nigel hosts Academy Award winner Chris Overton in the pod as they explore Chris' new short film, In Too Deep. This new short film is an exploration of the dangerous intersection between grief and technology, throwing us into the grieving process of Ben (Stephen Wight) and Carol (Rachel Shenton) as they struggle to come to terms with the loss of their daughter. While Carol tries everything she can to cope with her grief, Ben isolates himself and hatches a plan to reverse their loss but risks making things much worse. Chris Overton shares his origin story as a filmmaker, the birth and evolution of his company Slick Films and the chain of events that led to he and co-lead of In Too Deep, Rachel Shenton going from colleagues to spouses to Oscar-winners. Nigel and Chris also explore the place of short film in modern cinema as well as key lessons that Chris has learned over the course of his filmmaking journey. Click here to read our Watchlist Review of In Too Deep. Click here to see our review of The Silent Child and to watch the Oscar-winning short film. Follow Slick Films: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Follow Cameo Launch: Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube See more episodes and subscribe to our podcast by clicking here. For Filmmakers: Click here to submit your short film for consideration on the Cameo Launch platform. Click here to submit your film for consideration to the Surrey Short Film Festival.

This episode is part two of our mammoth 'Emmeline Hartley Trilogy' where Nigel and Emmeline explore the making of Keep Breathing, a short drama tackling the subject of sexual consent and power dynamics co-written, produced and starring Emmeline alongside Damien Molony. A woman gets stuck in a lift with the engineer that’s fixing it, only to discover it’s the man she had a one-night-stand with just a few weeks before. As the awkwardness manifests, it becomes clear they both have very different interpretations of the events that unfolded that night. We get into the weeds on the ambitious approach to the film along with how the production team ensured a nuanced approach was taken to the film's topics and that justice was done to the important issues that it addresses. See our review for Emmeline's short film Keep Breathing by clicking here. Find out more about Nexus Cast & Crew Network by clicking here. For Affected Listeners: If you have had a sexual experience that you feel was not or may not have been consensual and feel you need support, please make use of the links below. Women's Work Safeline For Filmmakers: To submit your film for review on the Cameo Launch platform, click here. To submit your film to the Surrey Short Film Festival, click here. Click here to see more episodes and subscribe to our podcast.

Nigel speaks to Emmeline Hartley of the Nexus Cast & Crew Network and they embark on one of the most eye-opening discussions of the podcast to date, diving into the terrain of the UK film and cinema industries and why establishing a career in grassroots filmmaking is often so hard. We also get the opportunity to learn about the Nexus network, its origins and how it helps to uplift independent filmmakers in underserved areas of the UK. Touching on issues of funding, cost and exposure, this interview goes to some very honest places as Emmeline exposes just how much of an uphill (but not hopeless) struggle British filmmaking can be. See our review for Emmeline's short film Keep Breathing by clicking here. Find out more about Nexus Cast & Crew Network by clicking here. To submit your film for review on the Cameo Launch platform, click here. To submit your film to the Surrey Short Film Festival, click here. Click here to see more episodes and subscribe to our podcast.

Director Weiyang Liu joins Nigel in the pod all the way from Beijing to discuss his directorial debut, Can’t Quit. Liu discusses his desire to conduct the ‘real’ iPhone challenge by shooting the entire short film on an iPhone 14 Pro with just available light and a skeleton crew. Liu and Nigel also dive into the complexities of getting people to take a chance on your first time filmmaking efforts and the advantages of establishing a filmmaking career in the streaming age. Read our review for Can't Quit here. Click here to see more episodes and subscribe to our podcast.

Director Brian Pittala joins Nigel in the pod all the way from America’s Pacific Northwest to talk about his new short film Asteroids, a coming-of-age comedy/drama about a young woman arriving at a crossroads in her life and having to choose between her creative potential and a stable future. Brian and Nigel talk first time filmmaking, finding a team you can count on and art reflecting life. You can find our review and watch Asteroids here. Click here to listen to more episodes and subscribe to our podcast.

In this very special episode, we get two interviews for the price of one! Nigel talks to filmmaker Ryan Nunes about his latest short film After the Beep, in which a young man tries to reconnect with his estranged father during the Christmas period. We go into Ryan’s motivations for telling this particular story, the emotional risk of personal honesty in storytelling through film, how and why Ryan made After the Beep with a cast and crew of one and striking a balance between creative fulfilment and the practical needs of finding paid work. The second interview is a Q&A session held as part of Cameo Launch’s first short film screening event, Shortest Night of the Month. The event featured a line-up of films from the brilliant filmmaker and friend of the pod, Paul Holbrook and was followed by a Q&A with Paul and Julia Andrews-Clifford of the Independent Cinema Office. Julia shares information on the Young Film Programmer’s Network, a part of the ICO that aims to increase cultural awareness and appreciation of cinema for young people in southeast England. Julia shares the opportunities in film programming and the largely unexplored routes into filmmaking and cinema that programming has to offer, while Paul recaps his background and journey into film leading to the films exhibited during the event. Both provide unique perspectives and insights into establishing a career path within film and have a great time doing it! You can watch After the Beep by clicking here.  Watch the short film line-up from Shortest Night of the Month below: Sunday Worship  Shiney  Smile More  See our Watchlist Review of Hollow here  Watch Old Windows by clicking here - https://vimeo.com/795196615  Explore our favourite Paul Holbrook short films by clicking here. Explore the Independent Cinema Office and the Young Film Programmers Network by clicking here.  Find out more about The Pitch Film Fund by clicking here. Subscribe to our podcast by clicking here.

Nigel sits down with writer/director Spencer Zimmerman to discuss his sci-fi drama short film that meditates on the human struggle to overcome grief. Darkside is an ambitious and epic space opera that while massive in scope is intimate in focus. Spencer Zimmerman takes us through the layers of personal experience and emotional vulnerability that he poured into his biggest filmmaking challenge to date. Listen to this fascinating conversation and catch our review by following the link. See the film here - https://www.cameolaunch.com/post/review-darkside Subscribe to our podcast here - https://www.cameolaunch.com/podcast

Nigel talks to the director and producer of romantic comedy 'Love at First Sight' starring John Hurt and Phyllida Law. Michael Davies shares his insights on the nature of short film storytelling and working with British acting royalty to make a genuine and heartfelt movie. Additionally, Sandra Gorel talks us through the journey of guiding a production that became more ambitious than anticipated and how to maintain focus, professionalism and equity while delivering a truly wonderful film. Check out our review of Love at First Sight here. You can subscribe to our podcast by heading to cameolaunch.com/podcast to listen on our site or via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and many more.

Nigel talks to MarBelle, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of one of the most influential short and indie film platforms in the UK. This episode sheds light on the origins of one of the biggest mainstays on the British film landscape and delves into the changing face of modern film. Find out more about Directors Notes here - https://directorsnotes.com/  Subscribe to our podcast on your favourite platform here - https://www.cameolaunch.com/podcast

This year's Aesthetica Short Film Festival featured a heartbreaking movie following a mother dealing with the aftermath of her young son's attempted suicide. Writer/director Adam Etheridge brings us the social drama Milk produced by the guest of this episode Katherine Press. Nigel sits down with Katherine, a ballet dancer turned actor turned producer, writer and director as she charts her career journey. Listen in for her fascinating story and insights into thriving in the world of UK short film. Read our Watchlist Review for Milk here - https://www.cameolaunch.com/post/watchlist-review-milk  Subscribe to our podcast on your favourite platform here - https://www.cameolaunch.com/podcast