Sam turnbull: a talk with the director

Sam, congratulations on completing production and post-production on your short film “Tommy the Superhero” Now that the final touches are in place, how does it feel to have reached this milestone in your filmmaking journey?

It feels great! A proper sense of accomplishment that’s for sure. Not only is it the final film I will probably make with my university, capping off three years of learning, but it is the first time I helmed a film with les professionals on board! Having been so close to this story for a long time, it is gratifying to sit back and watch it five months later and wonder how it ever came out of my head in the first place.

As the writer and director yourself, tell us about the inspiration behind creating “Tommy the Superhero”, what sparked the idea for the story? 

I suppose the initial idea came from years ago when I was thinking about all the superhero films that kept on coming out one after another. I wondered if any actually took the ‘dressing up as a superhero in the real world’ idea and stuck with it to the end of its run time. Films like Super (2010) or Kick-Ass (2010) come close, but both deviate and end in a big unrealistic final third act. It was then I realised that if such a film was to exist, to still be satisfying, it would have to be about something else entirely and wear the mask of a superhero film. A couple of years later, when it was time to make a film for my dissertation, I revisited the idea, and Tommy the Superhero was born.

How was your experience collaborating with your university pals and the House26 Productions Team?

It was like a clashing of two different worlds that’s for sure - but I’m so glad I could make it happen. At university, it’s always been a level playing field. Everyone goes to the same classes and knows as much as everyone else, or at the very least we can all look at each other and go “you’re a beginner? Me too!” On House26 Productions in the past, I have been a learner, absorbing as much information as I can either as a runner, or AD trainee. To then helm a project that involved both these worlds was a tricky balance, but it went well, and it was great to see my uni friends learning from House26 just as I had.

In what ways did your background and experience in production running and assistant directing inform your approach to directing “Tommy the Superhero”? 

I suppose the biggest way it impacted the production was through an organisational standpoint – unit bases and cooked meals for the crew is not something I have seen done before on a student set, but something I was used to seeing on other productions. Ultimately, I think I knew to emphasise crew care, making sure there was a roof nearby and food under people’s noses. I’ve left a fair few uni sets soaked and starving, including some of my own,  and I knew TTSH needed to be different.

How did you navigate the challenges of shooting on a limited budget? Any tips for aspiring filmmakers facing similar constraints? 

The best answer is probably good people, as a good crew will make things work regardless of budget. Another good answer is the location! TTSH was written to be made in Lancaster, making use of local locations such as bridges and monuments. Using the spaces around you is a money saver.

It is also worth noting that a lot of the kit we used was from my uni, so maybe a tip would be to befriend a uni student and make a film with them – lots of kit at your disposal then, and you don’t have to pay 9 grand a year for it.

As a filmmaker, how did you balance staying true to your creative vision while also being open to collaboration and feedback from your team? 

I was lucky enough that after talking with Sammy on call and having several meetings with my uni crew, there was a cohesive vision going into the production across the board. Taking feedback from other people is the only way good films get made – I knew going into TTSH that to truly make the most of this opportunity I needed to listen and make use of the ideas of the more experienced around me.

Looking back on the journey of pre-producing, shooting and now editing “Tommy the Superhero” what were some of the most valuable lessons you have learned? 

I think my most valuable lesson was definitely about the actors – forming a good relationship with them was crucial, and I spent a lot of time in rehearsals with them, chatting to them and soothing them over any worries they might have. For those who were less experienced, I found constant encouragement on set to be a good tactic to boost their confidence.

In terms of post-production, I learnt that it is true what they say that the story is re-written in the editing room. Sometimes, to make the edit better you have to be flexible and lose some of the darlings you had wanted to keep.

As the writer and director, what do you hope audiences will take away from Tommy’s story?

The main message is definitely that asking for help can never be a bad thing, even if you’re a superhero. An audience member will hopefully watch the film and take pity on Tommy for the majority. In the end, I hope to leave them with a glimmer of hope that because he took the brave step to ask for help, things are going to get better.

Lastly, what is next for you? Do you have any aspirations or exciting projects on the horizon?

Well, I graduate from university soon so I am about to make the incredibly difficult transition in life from being unofficially unemployed to officially unemployed, a role I intend to take very seriously.

But, I aim to get back on more sets as soon as possible, such as more productions by House26, and try and make my way as an Assistant Director so I can continue to learn how sets operate and how much needs to be considered. For my own projects, I have a load of unexplored scripts sitting on my laptop which are itching to get made someday. Hopefully, once I find my footing outside of university I can turn my attention to one or two…