Film Director Col Spector

Award-winning film director Col Spector is part of an exciting new wave of British filmmakers quietly making their mark on the industry.

His first film, New Year’s Eve, a critically acclaimed short starring Keira Knightley, set the tone for his subsequent projects Someone Else, an observational comedy set in north London and compared by critics to Woody Allen’s Manhattan, and his latest film, Honeymooner, which premiered this year at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

I caught up with him to talk London locations, creative casting, great British actors and how to get that film idea from the page onto the big screen.

How did you get started in the industry? Is it something you always wanted to do, or did you wake up one day and decide to start making films?

‘I studied film at the London College of Communications, then I started out working for the BBC as a researcher, then quite quickly I was directing – mainly for the BBC and a little bit for Channel 4. Then I wrote and directed a short film with Keira Knightly and Steve Mangan. That won a couple of prizes, then I was signed up to direct commercials through Ridley Scott’s  production company.

‘From there I did my first feature film as writer/director, which was called Someone Else, starring Steve Mangan and Susan Lynch. Steve Mangan is such great casting for something like this, a delicate comedy. Obviously the script has to be there but casting is so crucial – if you miscast, it absolutely fails.’

Is the casting process difficult as a writer? You must have an image in your head of how you want the character to look – can that be hard to emulate?

‘You do have a character in mind, of course. But this is something about the nature of cinema – you can’t hold onto that too tightly, you have to be open to great performances. Sometimes watching an actor do a read-through of the script can be really exciting, and you just think, wow – this person is extraordinary. Other times  it can take a little time to readjust from what you thought the part should be. You sometimes have to learn to let go of too concrete an idea, because you’re never going to find that person, and often you actually find something far better.’

Tell me a bit more about Someone Else, your first feature film. It’s been compared by some critics to Woody Allen’s Manhattan…

‘Yes, one reviewer did mention that – which is nice, as Manhattan is one of my favourite films! The story was developed from the short film I made, and was influenced by various ideas about men and love. I think we’ve seen a few films about love from a woman’s point of view, and not so many from a guy’s perspective.’

What’s the story behind your new film, Honeymooner?

‘I met a friend of mine on the day he was meant to get married – he got dumped before his wedding and he was just baffled about why it had all happened. That was the starting point really.  The idea of a guy offering a woman everything he thought she would want – security, commitment, a nice two-bed apartment in Primrose Hill…and she turns him down, and he just doesn’t understand.’

What did your friend think about you making a film based on his love life?!

‘Well, I’m not sure, we haven’t really gone that far! I mean, that story was just the starting point, the rest is all made up. So it’s just that little bit of truth, that was the springboard for everything else.’

Both your feature films are set in London. Where did you film them and was there any particular reason behind choosing the locations?

‘They’re all set around Camden, Belsize Park, Hampstead, because that’s where I live and it just works when you’re making a film on a small budget if you can just shoot out of your own flat. Also I like it as a space, its not too busy, it just feels appropriate. The characters seem to fit in in that area.’

Where is your favourite place to watch films in London?

‘I love the Curzon in Mayfair, but they do leave the lights on a bit too much during the film. If can you excuse that, it’s a wonderful place, a really old fashioned cinema. That’s my favourite place to watch films. I’m not such a fan of those Everyman ones where people bring in drinks, because it gets a bit noisy when people are chinking glasses.’

What would you say are your all time favourite films?

‘I love Manhattan. It’s an exquisitely made film, funny, always inspiring to watch as a filmmaker – how less can be more.

‘Also Old Joy, which is a Kelly Reichardt film, I think it’s a masterpiece. It’s a simple film, about two old friends hanging out. It’s funny, serious, touching and beautiful.’

So you’re a fan of character-driven, beautifully shot films rather than more plot driven?

‘Actually, I wouldn’t say that – I think that if you’re aware of the how well something’s made then that can be a problem. But Manhattan is the exception to that. It’s almost anti-aesthetic in some ways. It’s not trying to be too flash, and I love that.’

Have there been any recent films that have particularly inspired you?

‘I thought Greenberg was amazing, the Noah Baumbach film with Ben Stiller. I thought The Squid and the Whale was wonderful as well, another Noah Baumbach. I don’t know where to begin! I loved Where the Wild Things Are. I was a huge fan of the book but I loved the way they took it and made it their own.’

Are there any actors that you’d love to work with?

‘I worked with John Henshaw on the first movie, I’d love to work with him again. He’s one of my favourite British actors. I think Kate Winslet is an unbelievable actress, and I’d love to work with American actress Parker Posey. Paul Giamatti (the guy who was in Sideways) is great, and I really like Charlyne Yi, she had a small part in Knocked Up.  Oh and John C Reilly – let’s put him into the mix as well.’

So what’s next for Honeymooner?

‘It premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival, we’re doing the film festival circuit and then its out in cinemas in the UK in January 2011.’

Do you have any advice for budding filmmakers?

‘I think that the two crucial things you need to bear in mind with filmmaking are script and cast. The script doesn’t cost any money, it’s just the cost of paper really, but you really have to get a good script, that’s your starting point.

‘With casting, I think there are lots of amazing non-professional actors out there. Britain is full of great characters and we don’t tap into that enough. You can create amazing scenes with people who’ve never acted before. If you have a script you should try to be creative with casting.

‘The most profound piece of advice I have for anyone wanting to make a film is – buy a diary, write down the date you’re going to shoot it, and give your word that you will stick to that. You can set other deadlines before that to help you reach your goal, but you must never ever change that date. The worst thing anyone can suffer is procrastination. That’s the death of creativity. If you really believe in your script, then there will always be a way of getting it made.

‘On a more practical level, get some actors in to read your script. Cinema can be a very illusive medium, and just because something theoretically works, it doesn’t mean it’ll work on screen.’

What’s next for you and where do you see yourself in a year’s time?

‘I’m working on another relationship comedy, and I’m really hoping that someone will call me up and ask me to direct a film of theirs. So I’d like to be busy in a year’s time!’

www.colspector.com