This month, we caught up with actor and filmmaker, Nelson Ekaragha, to discuss all things film! We wanted to know about his most recent film, his filmmaking process so far and what tips he would share!
"Start now, mate. Honestly. When I was sixteen and in college and I could get my hands on a bootleg camera - I wish I took that camera with me everywhere. I wish I hustled the actors that I got to know at the time and that I started making projects then. I'd say start now."
How did you get into filmmaking?
(Laughs) Well, I didn't really have any choice. My older sister is a director so she's my biggest influence in that but I just grew up watching films and films and I had no choice but to watch whatever my older siblings were watching because I'm the youngest out of six. By the time I realised I was actually interested in getting into film, I had already watched about a thousand films.
I started editing at sixteen at college when I was a bit bored to be honest but once I learned how to do the technical points of making films, I thought okay cool - I've got the hard part of filming down, and so it began from there.
What is your most recent film about?
My most recent short film White Devils is a challenge on representation. It is conversation about the mindset that goes behind casting someone for a certain role and people challenging themselves as to why this person should look a certain way or be a certain way or why you even think of the person that you believe suits the character that you're casting and just challenging those thoughts. Also exposing that not only are there things like racism, stereotyping and gender inequality but also the fact that us who think that we're righteous in it might actually be a part of the problem and challenging why we think the way we think as well.
What inspired you to tell this story?
I'm around a lot of actors and filmmakers but specifically actors and we all have that story of feeling underwhelmed in going into our audition rooms. I feel like we're all in a scenario where once upon a time it was just nerves to go into an audition but now, it is genuinely feeling underwhelmed at the role we're going up for; we're not even motivated because it's the same kind of role we're always offered - nothing is specifically different, nothing is challenging. We often feel like we've been put into a box. But then I also felt like we kind of do it to ourselves. For example, you've got small opportunities for black people to make a film but then when they do get the opportunity, they end up doing the very thing that we always feel like we're stereotyped to be doing anyway so yes there's an overall problem but then the bit you maybe don't want to admit is that we partly play a hand in why we're constantly in this box as well so I wanted to bring that conversation to see and expose myself, is this the right thing to say? Am I making a good point? I wanted people to have that discussion.
What is your creative process like?
The first thing I do is I have my notebook and my mechanical pencil and I start writing all of my thoughts down whether it's in bulletpoints or brainstorms - and then when I feel like I've got something, I brainstorm that and write it down again in pencil as a treatment piece and then I start breaking down every individual aspect of it on paper; how I want it shot, what I want to influence it, the purpose, the arcs, the objectives, why it's happening and I almost split a conversation with myself into two characters. From there I type it up and then start filming which is very raw, gorilla style filming so sometimes I just grab a room in my workplace and give myself two/three hours to get the short if that's all I have. Then I get out of there as soon as possible so it's a bit rogue but it always feels like I'm in a heist movie whenever I'm making a short film.
"It's not good enough to say it's your favourite film - find out why it's your favourite film. If it's a DVD, get the two-disc special!"
What would I say to a young person wanting to get into filmmaking?
I know it sounds pretty cliche but the first thing I would say you need to do is love films. Watch your favourite film over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. It's not good enough to say it's your favourite film - find out why it's your favourite film. If it's a DVD, get the two-disc special! I was privileged enough to have a sister that never let me watch a DVD without a two-disc special. It wasn't good enough for me to just watch the film, I had to find out how it was made. Then YouTube was invented and so of course, it doesn't neccessarily need to be a two-disc special but it was detailed. I had to find out why I liked what I liked. Of course, studying film in college and university helped a little bit but that was mainly it - your favourite movie, watch it over and over again and let that be your base. Let that be your foundation, there's nothing wrong with that. You're genuinely going to end up having your own unique take on things naturally so don't be afraid to stand on somebody else's shoulders or somebody else's ideas and build from there. That's what I would say. And just do. Once you get a camera, start filming. Especially if you learn how to edit - start filming. Play around with the footage and see what you can come up with.
One lesson you've learned.
I've learned a billion lessons but one thing I've learned is have fun. Don't stop having fun! If you let things get to you, it will be too stressful. I would say hold onto the people that are also on it and that also have fun; those people are the ones you need around. Those are the ones that make you enjoy making your film and it gasses you up but it's a healthy gas. Like alright, cool, what about this idea? Work with people who think you're idea is not long but they actually want to do it. Also, open yourself up to their ideas as well - it might be better than yours, and that all comes with having fun because your defence is down and you're all on board.
What is the biggest challenge you've faced so far?
The biggest challenge I've faced so far in filmmaking was with my fifth short film, Softly Inside. My videographer wasn't about for that one so I had to shoot, act, edit, produce, write, direct - I had to do everything in that film. I had some special actors to help me but I've never worked so hard on anything in my life and that really strained every sinew because it was my most ambitious piece with the least help. That was a massive challenge and it took a lot out of me and there were ups and downs - there was extreme belief and extreme self-doubt during that process so I was battling with that.
How did you handle that challenge?
I thought about the subject matter. It was about depression and low self-esteem and so when I thought outside myself, I thought about what the project would actually do for other people - the fact that my project was about other people, that's when I was able to pull through. I didn't ignore what I was feeling but I did shift the focus and that helped me pull through.
"When I thought outside myself, I thought about what the project would actually do for other people - the fact that my project was about other people, that's when I was able to pull through. I didn't ignore what I was feeling but I did shift the focus."
What would you say to your younger self?
Start now, mate. Honestly. When I was sixteen and in college and I could get my hands on a bootleg camera - I wish I took that camera with me everywhere. I wish I hustled the actors that I got to know at the time and that I started making projects then. I'd say start now. I'd also tell my younger self, you're dope man. You have dope ideas. I would really encourage him. (Laughs) I'd really encourage him because I find myself going back to the whacky ideas I had back then or trying to be more myself then, in a creative sense.