Written, Produced & Directed by TIM ASTLEY
The day begins, and so does the Plantman's work. This is a look inside a day and the life of a humble gardener. Plantman is a film about understanding and believing in our life choices and recognising the difficulties we face along the way; however big or small our impact, we can be proud of our achievements.
ABOUT THE FILM
Plantman was an official selection at the Wolverhampton Film Festival & Derby Film Festival. It first caught attention at our March 2023 Short Film Open Mic and was recently release via Klipist.
ABOUT THE FILMmaker
Tim Astley studied Film & English in Leicester, moved down to London to pursue a career in filmmaking. He has found a home in editing, but directing is his passion.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH TIM
Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your filmmaking background?
I’ve been interested in filmmaking for a long time, it became my life ambition to become a director from about the age of 16. It did take me a while to actually realise what that meant and how I needed to get there. I didn’t study practical filmmaking, my degree was in English Literature and Film studies, so it was very academic. I think that gave me a good grounding in the cultural importance of films and film history.
Then after uni I worked as a runner on set on some low budget features and shorts, and then I eventually ended up getting a role as a runner in a post-production facility in the advertising industry. I worked there for a while and trained as an assistant editor; this was like film school part 2 where I actually learned how to do something practical. Editing is maybe the most satisfying part of the filmmaking process because you see all the pieces come together.
I love editing, but directing is where I want to be - it’s the central role where you can use so many different skills beyond even your creativity. You have to think practically, you can have a great idea but there’s no use in it if you can’t actually do it.
Tell us about the genesis of Plantman and how you found your subject?
Sort of following on from what I was saying about thinking practically, I felt like I only really had one weapon as a first time filmmaker: me. I asked myself what could I bring to the table that no-one else could? I didn’t have a big budget, I didn’t have access to big names and I had basically no experience and no idea what I was doing. So I needed to make something only I could make.
As long as I’ve been alive my Dad has always been a gardener. He’s a rare example of someone whose passion is his vocation; which is basically my life aim because my parents always encouraged me to pursue something that I actually wanted to do - not just make money. Gardening also feels kind of similar to filmmaking as well in that you have to combine creativity with a certain physicality and have faith in what you’re doing is the right thing.
So bearing all this in mind, it felt like making a film about my Dad and what he does was the perfect film to make because it brought together my own sense of self, could be told my perspective and only I could make the film about my Dad. He also worked in a beautiful location with few to no other people around so we could shoot it very peacefully and it was at least going to look really nice. This meant that it could be heart-felt, true and have a feel of professionalism because we had a champagne location on a lager budget.
What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making of Plantman and how did you overcome them?
I think the most difficult thing was figuring out what story we were telling. I think I always wanted to do a straight case study and just tell Dad’s story of his journey but I was worried it wasn’t perhaps interesting enough so I kept trying to think of different general interest themes to give it a broader appeal. For example I was trying to tie together how gardening is an excellent way to relieve stress and help with mental health to give it that angle. But in the end I knew it just had to be his story that was the central theme, which as it turns out has a universality to it because it’s just as simple as: this is a man who knows what he likes, gets up every day and does it. That’s all something we can admire and relate to.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
This was tricky because I knew we had a good film, but it was pretty slow and soft so that it might not make the cut for a lot of big festivals. I didn’t really bother applying to the Sundances of the festival circuit because I knew it would be a waste of money, of which I had little. There was of course a small part of me that hoped it would be accepted and then somehow be nominated for all these awards but that’s just not how this works for most people.
So I decided to apply for more regional festivals that I had more of a personal connection to. We went to Wolverhampton Festival, for their first year, because that’s where my Dad is from and then we also went to Derby Festival because that’s where we shot the film. I didn’t have a huge audience at either screening but just the event of going up with my Dad and other friends and watching it on a big screen was so satisfying.
Then bringing it down to open mic nights (like the legends at Kino) in London has been amazing. Everyone is so keen to share their praise and exchange ideas, I think in part because they know what it takes to put one together so they appreciate it more. It’s a really lovely thing to be able to do.
Then through Kino I discovered the wonderful Klipist! They have put the film on their site which was so great because it has a platform dedicated to showcasing short films and new talent. It’s gone better than I could have expected really.
What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?
All filmmakers tell each other to do is go out there and start shooting which is great advice because the only way to learn is by doing. BUT - I am a big supporter of thinking a lot about different ideas. Have a long think about what you can bring to the table. What is it that you want to do? You will probably be restricted by budget and other resources, so you really need to dig deep inside yourself and think about what it is you want to do. Don’t just make a film for its own sake: make your film. Once you figure out what kind of film you want to make, then the right idea will become apparent - whether it’s a small drama about a piano teacher or a broad comedy about Instagram influencers, your voice can shine through any idea - you just have to figure out what it is.
Then the next thing to do, which I didn’t do soon enough the first time, is get people on board who will help you. Once you’ve got your idea, it probably won’t feel ready to shoot but filmmaking is the discovery of that idea through this medium so you kind of have to feel a bit out of control for it to work.
Then it’s those collaborators who will make the film what it is. Choose those people carefully. You need to be able trust them and they need to understand your idea for you to be able to execute it. Probably the best thing about filmmaking in my experience, is the bond I created with those I worked with - particularly if you all like and believe in the idea to begin with, because you watch it grow and develop as a team because of your co-operative work.
So in summation: have a great idea and find an equally great team, easy.
What do you think is the biggest challenge short filmmakers face trying to break into the industry?
For me it’s finding an audience and the person or people who will take me to the next level. You can make all the short films or low budget features you want but if no-one sees it, then you’re going to stay at the same level because like every business, it’s not a meritocracy. I’m not trying to peddle a cynical viewpoint here, I just think it’s important to know what you’re up against and not care. If you know how hard it is to get your feature made or break into the mainstream and you still want to make films, then you’ve already won because you’re dedicated to making it no matter what.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
I was really struck by “a film made entirely of mushrooms” when I came to the Kino Open Mic a few months ago - aka The Boat. It’s a stop-motion short film, with a kind of psychedelic jaunt. It was so creative, and it looked amazing. It was a simple idea, executed beautifully.
Continuing the theme of forest delicacies, I recently watched Pig for the first time. It was a great twist on the revenge thriller, and so great to see a quiet, lean film with such a resonant message. It really spoke to the depths of my soul!
One more that maybe not as many people have seen is, Sweet Smell of Success which again I watched only recently. It’s an Alexander MacKendrick film, who for many might be best known as the writer of the great filmmaking book: On Filmmaking. It’s extremely sharp and quick-witted, kind of Sorkin-esk, but it’s got a great ending.