Se7en Questions with Filmmaker
Dia Taylor
Who are some of the
artists or some of the works that inspired you to get started in your field? Of today’s current artists, who do you draw inspiration from?
That’s a good question. The earliest I can remember would have to be watching About A Boy with my Mum as a kid. That and Moulin Rouge which I would watch on repeat at my Aunt’s place at night. These two films were probably the first to really inspire me. About A Boy I loved for how it portrayed life in a dramatic and warm sense and Moulin Rouge for how music and costume were used to create such a beautiful love story.
At 24, my taste hasn’t improved much. My main inspiration now would be director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Miserables) and his use of colour, or the lack of.
Another inspiration is Julie Taymor (Frida, Across The Universe) and her use the unimaginable. Coming from a theatre background myself I always felt at home watching her films. Two very different directors, I suppose.
What have thus far been some of the negatives of being an indie artist in your field?
As much as I love what I do, there are of course always negatives in any field. In my experience I’ve had to deal with a lot of egos. People who think that they’re God’s gift to film just because they might have won an award or some recognition. We’re all in this together. Treat everyone with respect and realize that you’re not too important to be kind.
There seems to be a lot of backstabbing as well and tearing each other’s work down, which is sad.
Being a female in a male dominated industry, I have of course also experienced my fair share of sexism. But this also seems to be going both ways, with a lot of men also being targeted.
Undercutting has also been a problem I’ve found. People offering to work for prices that are next to nothing. It’s hard to compete and earn a living when the guy next door can do it for a quarter of the price. We need a better union.
What have thus far been the positives of being an indie artist in your field?
Oh, so many positives. Through film I have met some of my closest friends who feel more like family.
Growing up in a small town, I never really felt like I belonged (cliche, I know). It wasn’t until I started making films professionally that I truly felt like I fit in. True, there are a lot of egos out there, but the majority of people out there are good and just want to create.
I feel that being an independent, you have a lot more freedom to create. I’ve worked for some mainstream production companies and don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed every second, But I always felt restricted. While in the indie scene there’s a lot more freedom to just be you and do what you want to do.
What have been your favourite completed projects to work on up to this point? Can you tell us a little bit about them?
My favourite projects? Hmmmm. Well I love working on my own stuff, of course. But if I’m talking about projects I’ve worked on, two in particular come to mind.
Nick Koniuszko‘s Incident Report would have to be up there. I was originally hired as a 1st AD. It was my first industry paid film and I loved every moment on it. In my experience I’ve found that on most sets there’s usually one person who ruins it for everyone but not this set. Everyone was fantastic. It was a fun and professional environment. The script was great and I met some truly interesting people.
Second would have to be Nathan Hill‘s I, Portrait. I was originally hired as a camera operator as part of my degree, but soon rose up to be the main cinematographer on this dramatic feature film. It was a small cast and crew on limited locations. We really became a family and from this I also learned a lot of camera techniques.
What projects are you currently working on or have planned for the near future?
At the moment I’m working on a few films. Grayscale for My Rode Reel, Sempre Piu for Unscene, as well as two other short films Little Miseries and Daughters. I’m also in the very early days of my second feature film, Jett.
Where do you see yourself in a few years and what would it take for you to consider your career a success?
In a few years I aim to be working in film in the UK. Creating new work over there. A success? I consider each finished film a success. But a true success would be working full-time in film.
If you couldn’t do this anymore, what career path do you think you would have followed and why?
Before I wanted to become a filmmaker, I aspired to become a novelist. I’ve written a few books. Yet to be published. I don’t know, I guess I’ve just always loved stories and creating them. I can’t see myself doing anything else.
