/ Don't hate the media, become the media.Jello Biafra

Can you tell me a little bit how COCOABEAN came about, what was the inspiration behind your screenplay?

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As I mentioned earlier, this was a first-year informal university task simply utilising the new equipment that we’d been introduced to. I never imagined for a second that it would progress to the stage that is has and reach as many people as it has. During your first year at university you’re exposed to so many different types of people from varying backgrounds and who are of different races, religions and creeds and it’s such a beautiful thing. Since I was a child, I’ve always had an incredibly mixed set of friends and I just wanted to create a piece that showcased all of my newfound friends’ beauty and individual flare. I also wanted to toy with the notion of BAME, as at the time it was seen as quite a positive term, but I’ve

since recognised that it’s not always as positive. The goal was to capture everyone in their most natural essence, thriving, and then the poem, was to reflect the battle that people of colour have periodically faced. However, the main goal of COCOABEAN was to empower others to embrace their individuality and to unapologetically be themselves.

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When working on a short film like this how close where you able to keep to your script once you started shooting, did you allow yourself much flexibility?

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So with COCOABEAN we were literally working with a budget of £0 and wholly reliant on friends and extended others volunteering to participate. I set up an initial casting and was so overwhelmed by the amount of people who wanted to partake in the film – it was wonderful. I devised a fully scheduled shooting agenda, multi-rolling as the producer for scouting talent and locations, director, cinematographer and writer – managing to execute the full project in just one week. We filmed across 3 full days and focused on the lived experience whilst filming. It almost became a little club! Everyone got to know each other along the way. Having the devised plan allowed for me to keep to the script once shooting and ensure that each day had a specific focus.

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What has been the biggest challenge you've faced bringing COCOABEAN to life?

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I’d say trying to manage large numbers of people/talent involved and working around their schedules whilst also trying to maintain a timely shooting schedule.

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Since making COCOABEAN what has been the most valuable lesson you have taken from making this film?

The most valuable lesson I’ve taken from this film is that the making of a film is such a collaborative process. It’s absolutely essential to express gratitude and thanks to everyone involved – everyone’s role is significant in contributing to the bigger picture.

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Where did you passion for filmmaking come from?

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The BFI very much helped me recognise the path I wanted to follow and confirmed to me that a career in Film and TV was exactly where I both needed and wanted to be in. My initial passion stemmed from travelling the World, meeting people, experiencing different cultures and always wanting to capture those moments on camera or place myself in the shoes of others within scripts.

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To me, creative expression through writing is a means of escapism. I’m fascinated by creating content that has the ability to alter the human condition through my artistic direction/expression and working with other talent to do so. I see visual storytelling as an educational tool that alludes to exposing people to the skilful artifice of a creative mindset. I very much believe in the power of collaboration and that the film production pro- cess is a collective effort – where we all work together to manifest the vision of a creative mind. The beauty of life, is that we are united through the single most important truth that we are all human. Therefore, capturing the authentic moments and intricacies of someone’s behaviour on paper, I feel is a very powerful thing to be able to do. The power of writing is that we are able to create stories that allow for audiences to be educated / question their moral compass or details about themselves / our way of living, whilst propelling a narrative and that, is what I'm particularly interested in within my craft.