What training have you received?

I started out studying history. The history of cinema class was at 7 in the morning, so I slept through the most important first films ever made, but thanks to that I spent more time studying those films.  I was already into photography and writing short stories, so I had a short stop in Art school, but alas I had been bitten by the film bug. So I took a 50/50 chance and I applied to only one film school in New York City, The School of Visual Arts, and soon I received my eject ticket out of the Andes. My emphasis at the film program was in directing and editing.

Does your budget limit what you can explore in your films?

I’ve gone out without any budget to film what I need, because I couldn’t wait around for grants or investors to make a film. Working with a budget is the best way to go, but it shouldn’t stop you from being creative. I also do “sketch films” to vent ideas. For me making films is a necessity, and budget limitations can make you very resourceful, which can be a good practice.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a low-budget filmmaker?

It’s to do with filming on your own, and doing sound. Set channel 1 at a higher level, so it picks up low sounds. And set Channel 2 at a lower level, so the levels won’t peak if there is a high sound. Then in post you can add twice the same channel to audio 1 and 2 in the timeline.

Most significant moment in your career so far

It is great when you don’t expect much because then everything that happens is an authentic ecstatic moment. Being invited to amazing film festivals around the world has so far been my highlight. This past year I became very good at interviews, Q & As, and I even won 3 prizes.  So I’m very satisfied with the film Gogol Bordello Non-Stop because it has been playing around the world from Northern Finland to South Africa, to a corner in Mexico, Israel or Kosovo… I find it beautiful that all these people share a film in common and get the same kick out of it.

You’ll die happy when…

When I make a couple of projects I have in the oven.

www.guespa.com

What training have you received?
I studied Music Production at Salford University, then took acting and improvisation classes from Charles Verrall in London. Writing-wise , I have had a great script editor, Gorel Halstrom, worked closely with the Script Factory and have also had the pleasure of working with two fantastic directors of photography, Kyle Heslop and Gavin Fry.

Does your budget limit what you can explore in your films?
It’s inevitable that it would, even if it was a huge budget. The imagination always exceeds the end results, but I am fairly happy that I have explored some  interesting worlds so far and will continue to do so whatever the budget.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a low budget filmmaker?
“Just go for it” from Ken Loach’s longtime producer, Rebecca O’ Brien, and “Whatever happens, keep making films” from Michael Palin. I have been blessed with some very hard-working and talented crews and actors and I always listened to their advice too.

Most significant moment in your career so far…?
Getting good feedback from the aforementioned and also from Ricky Gervais. My parents both died a few years ago and this definitely kick-started my desire to get on with the work as well. There’s nothing like death as a reminder to us to get on with our lives.

You’ll die happy when…
I’m really not happy about dying but in my lifetime I aim to achieve the brilliance of such films as The Shining, Mulholland Drive, Jacob’s Ladder and Brazil, to name just a few

What training have you received?

I graduated from the Northern School of Film and Television in 2006 with a BA in Film and Moving Image. Most of my film knowledge comes from watching films, studying them, and reading about them. I really started to learn once I’d left the security of film school and started making them by myself.

Does your budget limit what you can explore in your films?

I’ve never had the privilege of a budget, as all of my films have been self-funded. I can only go with the ideas that I can afford to make, and it gets incredibly frustrating having to hold back, but I’ve learned a lot about storytelling from having my resourcefulness tested. Having no budget doesn’t so much restrict what I can explore thematically, as much as the ways that I can explore them, but it teaches a lot of discipline. Having said that, I’m working on various ideas that are unfeasible without funding.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a low-budget filmmaker?

That any young filmmaker should simply get a camera and make a film of any kind, and keep practising. I know that sounds simplistic but I think that’s the best advice anyone could give. Funding options are especially limited for first-time filmmakers and it’s hard to get off the ground, so I took out loans to buy my own equipment and just started making them. I recently read Mike Figgis’ book on digital filmmaking and I’d highly recommend it to anybody starting out in independent films.

Most significant moment in your career so far?

I’m still very early on in my career, but finishing my first short was pretty significant. Leaving film school is daunting and there are no set paths to follow, but once I’d made that first move, I found some momentum. There were only two of us on the crew and we hardly had any money, so we developed the idea around the locations and actors that we had available to us. The film ended up being short-listed in Zone Horror’s CUT Short Film Competition. It was the first time I’d been acknowledged professionally and it was a good feeling.

You’ll die happy when…

Truthfully, I find it hard to imagine myself ever feeling satisfied. If I died tomorrow, I’d be pretty disappointed.

www.youtube.com/whenthelightsarelow ■

What training have you received?

I did an HND in Media Production with Business Studies at Farnborough College of Technology. I think I’ve learnt how to make films by making them and listening to other filmmakers speak about their experiences. I like to flick through books like the Stanley Kubrick archives and put on the CD of an interview with him from the 1960s. I would say that more of my training has happened while working in Soho, London, as an editor. I completed an Avid course which helped me to move into the world of editing.

Does your budget limit what you can explore in your films?

I think to a degree that more money may just allow the filmmaker to make a more polished film and get to work with certain people. A great film does not have to have a high budget to work. One example of this is the Straight 8 film event. Everyone who takes part shoots on the same stock and with the same rules, so your great idea will stand out and entertain those who watch it. I think part of the appeal of something like filmmaking is that there are rules; these do not take too long to master. The hard bit is getting your film seen and understood by as many people as possible, and bending the rules to help create your own unique style that no one else can execute.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given as a low-budget filmmaker?

To just get out there and make the films you would like to make.

Most significant moment in your career so far?

This is a hard question to answer. I like to think that as I look back at my career and life that my first screening at Raindance will always hold a special place in my heart.

You’ll die happy when…

I think I am pretty happy with what I have done. I would just like to be able to continue making the films I would like to make. I find it a great challenge to see what an audience responds to. I think it’s all based around what we should be giving them, mixed with how we can challenge them. ■