Q: When did you first get into filmmaking and how did you learn/refine your skills?
A: I started making the Beta Band music videos with a DVD camcorder the record company bought me. I tried to make them more like short films than music videos.
Q: Where did the idea for Pitch Black Heist come from?
A: Watching a great film noir called Rififi years ago. There’s a half hour bank robbery in which any sound triggers the alarm, so the film is silent. I thought of trying it with light triggering the alarm. Also I knew pitch black would be cheap to shoot.
Q: At what point did Michael and Liam come aboard? Did their involvement help get the film made?
A: I had made a previous short film called Man on a Motorcycle with Michael and it was a fruitful collaboration so he was on board straight away for PBH. Michael and I discussed who could play the Liam character while we were having a writing session and Liam's name came up.
Q: How close to the script is the finished film? Is there anything you'd change about it in retrospect?
A: The finished film is pretty much the script. I had planned to cut the bar scenes in with the rehearsal scenes using flashback, which didn't work in the edit. Unusually there is nothing I'd change.
Q: How did you ensure Pitch Black Heist found an audience?
A: The usual route – apply to film festivals and hope for the best. I hope as many folk as possible see it on the big screen.
Q: What's next for you?
A: I'm writing my first feature now and plan to shoot, hopefully with Michael, this time next year...