In this episode of The Directors' Take podcast, your hosts Oz Arshad and Marcus Anthony Thomas are joined by Film Hub North's very own Ben Taylor, a BFI Talent Exec. With BFI Network funding being one of the most widely accessible funding pots for aspiring filmmakers in England, we decided to bring on one of the people who has a say in which projects are successful, all in an effort to demystify that process for each one of you. This chat covers:

-What is the job of a talent exec?

-When should you be reaching out to a talent exec?

-The barrier of having to apply with a producer.

-What criteria do you look for in the successful applicants?

-Is the industry becoming more diverse?

-What level of support do they offer filmmakers at various levels?

-How are you bridging the gap between shorts and features?

-The North/South divide.

-We also cover a bunch of (fun) questions from you guys!

Ben Taylor went to college in Nottingham and then migrated to Sheffield University to study, and it is here that he became involved in the Sheffield Doc fest. He then migrated again, but this time to Scotland when he took on the role of a Screen Executive at Screen Scotland, working across scripted and factual funding for film and television alongside supporting festivals, distribution and training.

He has also held roles as BIFA's Talent and Training Manager, Creative Europe MEDIA Officer for Scotland and was responsible for launching Glasgow Film Festival’s Industry Focus strand and at Crossover Labs managed the Interactive section at Sheffield's programme. Now he is a BFI Talent Executive at Film Hub North supporting filmmakers in the region through funding, events and guidance.

Nuggets of the week

Marcus: Short Hand: A guide to making a short film Podcast

Oz: Nathan Bryon - Black Prose Podcast

Ben Taylor: Krzysztof Kieślowski: Three Colours Trilogy

Dark Matter: Independent Filmmaking in the 21st Century by Michael Winterbottom

German Artist Hanz Hemmert

Credits

Music by Oliver Wegmüller

Socials

Instagram: @TheDirectorsTakePodcast

Twitter: @DirectorsTake

Ben's Twitter: @imbentaylor

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.

E110 - Demystifying BFI Network Funding with Film Hub North’s Ben Taylor

The Directors Take Podcast