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Up Close. Personal. In Depth.
Otto Bathurst
Behind the camera –
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Life Is Not The Movies"For me, life and the world is all about people, all about relationships, all about equality and all about brotherhood. A film set is a micro version of that, which is why I love my job and am very good at it - my commitment to those relationships and people and my love of collaboration equates to everyone being inspired to be the amazing everything that they are." Explains Otto Bathurst, Film and TV Director.
Film is a supremely powerful medium and it is the absolute responsibility of a film-maker to try to offer a different way. To stand back and watch brilliant people, being brilliant is an honour, which I deeply, and vocally appreciate. Many, many crew members have become life-long friends way beyond the job and often still tell me how much us working together inspired them and changed things in their life. |
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That is amazing to me and fills my heart far more than any viewing figures or critic’s glowing review because that is for life, and lasts way, way beyond the lights coming up in the auditorium.
Whilst by title I am the leader of the film set, I consider true leadership to be a willingness and enjoyment of also being the follower. Through stepping back, I am then allowing others to be the amazingness that they absolutely are.
And appreciation – that is huge, and is something that I am very dedicated to. For example, on the last job I did I got myself into a real pickle and couldn’t think of a way out. Time was ticking and I was totally stuck. A junior assistant whispered something in my ear. A brilliant idea, that saved the day and so I made very sure that the whole film set knew that it was this young kid that had helped us all out. That is huge and is so different from what most people experience in the film industry and, dare I say it, in any part of life.
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The media industry is an ugly world and I have seen and experienced multiple situations where basic decency towards another human being has been totally forgone, which is utterly unacceptable – whatever the industry. The pursuit of art, creativity, success or whatever excuse you want to to come up with, is never a reason to treat a fellow human being as less. Thus I value my integrity higher than any technical or creative skill I may have.
Film is a supremely powerful medium and it is the absolute responsibility of a film-maker to try to offer a different way.
Let’s be honest, humanity is in very dire straits and continues willfully and blindly towards self destruction – so, very big changes to the choices we are making are needed.
And that is my commitment; if a film of |