Interview with Carl Reason
We caught up with newly-signed Movidiam Talent Director/Editor Carl to talk about his work, and his route into the industry.
Who is Carl Reason?
I am a writer, director, and editor, with a focus on narrative filmmaking and human-led stories. For over 7 years I have had the good fortune to work with some of the world’s biggest brands, charities, and agencies; crafting story-led videos, specifically in the branded video and documentary space. While my work has taken me across Europe, Africa, Asia, I am now based in Hackney, where I work freelance as a director & editor. Alongside the commercial work, I am also directing a feature documentary about a disabled man’s world-first trek up to Everest Base Camp — on horseback!
How would you describe your style?
While I will adapt my aesthetic to each individual project, and what is needed to tell the story, my overarching style is very much a careful mix of cinematic scale, and delicate human-led focus. I like to play within the form of film, using sound and visuals in tandem to build worlds that invite audiences in, creating a broader level of engagement that focuses on the creation of empathy and understanding.
Further to this, I like to use the language of film to tell the story, rather than relying on voice-over or on-screen graphics / text. Symbols, sound motifs, match cuts; these are all tools at my disposal that I use to show, rather than tell.
When filming, I am highly pragmatic, calm, and love taking a leadership / mentor approach to work with both the crew and client to solve creative problems. I really believe that anything is possible with film, and that every problem has a simple solution, no matter how complex it may seem in the moment.
How did you come into directing?
Ever since I was 14, I knew that I wanted to be a filmmaker; I loved to tell stories, build immersive worlds, and create interesting characters. Yet as a teenager with a handful of scripts, I soon realised that I would have trouble getting anything made. So, with a small group of friends, I started to learn how to use DSLR’s, Premiere Pro, FCP and the like, and began a journey of becoming a self-taught filmmaker.
After working on several festival shorts, music videos, and promotional content, I realised that I was pretty alright at this directing thing. I began to take on jobs where I had a lead in directing content, while also writing, directing, and editing my own charity-led projects on the side too.
You’ve travelled all around the world making content — which has been your favourite place to film? Why?
This is a very tough question! Especially as I’ve had the opportunity to meet some incredible people through my work that have really brought some very random areas alive; whether that be footballers in Ho, Ghana, or a student and her caring mother in Northern Sri Lanka.
But if I had to pick one, I’d have to go with Everest. It was a bloody hard slog filming up there, and the conditions definitely affect what you can film. But the magic of that mountain, the aura it radiates within general society, and what we achieved up there — it all added to the incredible experience of filming, and the importance of the story I am telling about the trek.
What would be your dream filming location?
I’m going to cheat and pick a region….
I really want to spend more time in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically West Africa. The area is massively mis-represented by Western media, and even Western brands (and charities). Yet it hosts thousands of different languages, cultures, and a thriving film industry.
Tell us about your Zedmill brand — how important do you think personal branding is these days?
Zedmill is my name / brand when it comes to directing and producing large scale projects. I really believe in the power of video and film to tell stories that touch audiences and create impact; whether that be creating a cultural moment for a brand, or breaking down prejudice towards a community.
Working in storytelling, you soon realise how important perception is, so brand identity is definitely important. For me, it is about sharing with the world what my passions are, and the stories I have told. I don’t believe in creating a false persona to get work, I’d rather much be myself and attract like-minded clients to create great work.
You’ve done a considerable amount of work for charities — how important do you think social responsibility is when making content?
While you have no control over the ethics of your client, you do have a certain level of control within the creative process in the ethics of how you tell the story at hand. What I love about my job, and the clients I’ve worked with, is how the content being made is helping to break down prejudice or create positive social change.
When working with real people, and real stories, I have a delicate and personable process that is all about building trust with the subject(s). My job is to collaborate with them in creating a story that fulfils the client aims of the video, while maintaining the truth of their story.
With social media today, I feel that truth is not only important, but necessary to create trust with customers, as untruths can so easily be debunked.
Is this difficult to balance with, for example, the needs of a client?
In today’s climate, brands do not want to be seen as untrustworthy or unethical. I tell brands that as long as you are honest with your audience, film & video are the best mediums to work with. Why? Because they are great at creating a sense of style, feeling, and empathy, that allow you to sell your brand values.
I feel that the movement by brands to empower traditionally under-represented communities (women, people of colour, LGBTQ+) through proper representation is great, and is something that can be seen especially with the major fashion brands. My only hope is that it doesn’t become just a trend, but something that stays with the industry and grows to include a wider representation of all voices within our society.
What are your creative goals for 2020?
To release my feature documentary, and to make my name as the go-to director for narrative and human-led stories for branded video and documentaries.
