In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Amy O'Hara who is a Development & Production Exec at Film 4. We began this podcast as people who are actively working at making our own TV and Feature Film projects, but the pathway towards this goal is extremely rocky, murky, difficult etc... So we brought Amy on to help break this process down for us/you all. This conversation includes:

-What are Development and Production Execs?

-How do they find, develop and nurture new and emerging talent?

-What do they look for in filmmakers and projects?

-How do you submit projects to Film4?

-What does payment look like when developing a feature with Film4?

-What does a good development process look like?

-We also cover a bunch of listeners questions too!

Amy O'Hara is a seasoned Development and Production Executive who joined Film4 in October 2021. Her career in the film industry has been marked by a strong commitment to nurturing new and emerging talent. Prior to her current role at Film4, she held the position of BFI NETWORK Talent Executive at Film Hub North, where she closely collaborated with aspiring writers, directors, and producers, overseeing a diverse slate of films.

Amy previously worked at Film4 company from 2013 to 2016, serving as the assistant to the late Sue Bruce-Smith, who was the deputy director at the time. Between her two tenures at Film4, Amy gained experience at the International Distribution company STX, where she served as a Marketing Executive, focusing on UK Productions.

With a track record of championing innovative projects and diverse voices, Amy O'Hara continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of UK storytellers at Film4.

Nuggets of the week

Oz: Guy Ritchie's Kingdom: Master Your Life and Own Your Game

Marcus: The Deepest Breath - Netflix/A24 Documentary

Amy: Sharon Van Etten - Quiet Eyes | Past Lives (song)

Annie Dillard - The Writing Life

'How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.'

Credits

Music by Oliver Wegmüller

Socials

Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast

Twitter: @DirectorsTake

Amy: Twitter (X)

If you have any questions relating to the episode or have topics you would like covering in future releases, reach out to us at TheDirectorsTake@Outlook.com.

E127 - How to make a movie at Film4 with Amy O’Hara

The Directors Take Podcast