My Story

My life is quite fittingly broken up into three acts. Firstly, there was my early life when I realised I was a little different from my peers, then my time in university where I found my passion and realised my potential and finally, post-graduation, trying to find work and learn what it takes to be a filmmaker. As such, I think using the three-act structure for this autobiography would be best.​

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Act 1

The first thing that came to mind when reflecting on my early life was that five-year-old me would be surprised to know I'm now somebody that writes for a living. I hated writing and would do anything to get out of doing my work. I would protest to my parents, but since my childhood dream job was to be a police officer, my Mum would point out that I would need to learn to read and write; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do my reports. I soon change my dream job to being a WWE wrestler. My Mum, always with a great comeback, again pointed out that I'd still need to learn how to read to review my future contracts.

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When I was in primary school, it was noticed that I wasn't progressing at the same speed as my peers. ABC would be ABD, the dreaded pen licence would elude me, thanks to my crude handwriting that took years of scholarly research to decode, and everyday words would be misspelt. It was an embarrassing conversation for my parents when asked why I kept writing things like "do the history s**t" in my homework diary. I promise I meant to say sheet.​

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It was clear something was wrong, but nobody could say what. So, the tests began. I sat down with a specialist who identified learning difficulties in young people. After testing how I would process information in different forms, they could confidently diagnose me with moderate dyslexia.

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I'm so thankful to have been lucky to have such supportive parents who explored every possibility to discover the cause of my barriers. Thanks to them, I was able to gain the support I needed, having access to extra one-on-one sessions to go over things such as spelling. They'd give me the tools I would need to catch up, such as little rhymes where the starting letter of each word would make up what I was trying to spell. I still say, "Because Eagles Can Add Up So Easily" when spelling 'because'.​ I wouldn't always have the luxury of this support. In high school, I learnt that not all teachers would be so supportive. When taking my GCSEs, the staff, whose job was to inspire, would actively discourage me from taking more academic subjects. They didn't try hard to hide that this was because they feared I would harm their precious pass rate statistics. They saw me as a "C kid" if that, and I believed them. ​

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I coasted by on Cs and moved to college, studying media, film and graphic design. I have always had a deep interest in cinema since a young age. My Dad played a crucial role in my inspirations. The first film I remember him taking me to was TMNT (2007). He would introduce me to Tarantino as he sat me down to watch Pulp Fiction for the first time and Sam Raimi with Evil Dead. When I got older and was "too cool" to go to the cinema with my Dad, I would continue to go with my friends. On reflection, the Woman in Black (2012) might be the most influential film I have ever watched as it would kick start a weekly tradition of going to the cinema. We saw everything from films forgotten to time to cultural milestones, such as The Avengers (2012).​

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Again, I would leave my college aiming for Cs, but this time, something was different on my report card. Next to film was the grade B. It was the first time I got anything higher than a C in a prominently writing-based subject. It was the first time I thought that maybe I was worth more than a C.​

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Act 2

After college, I moved on to university, studying Independent Filmmaking. I participated in weekly practical sessions and thought-provoking classroom discussions exploring all aspects of filmmaking. I'd be introduced to the actual influences of my craft. Continuing to watch my childhood favourite, Quentin Tarantino, as I matured, I realised there was more to his films than the ultra-violence showcased, noting what I believe to be the real key to his success, his characters. They felt like real people, having honest conversations about everyday issues. These characters are what make his films so engaging. We want to see the Bride "Kill Bill" or  Jackie Brown escape with the money. If we didn't, the fight scenes, for all their flashy action, would mean nothing to the audience. ​

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Next, I began to look at the work of John Carpenter, my favourite film of his being The Thing (1982). I was initially drawn to the practical effects on display, but as I watched more of his work. I realised it wasn't the gore that kept it relevant but how he built tension and suspense. Audiences don't dare look away as the low-angle camera stalks an unsuspecting babysitter before raising the knife. The build hooks the viewer, keeping them locked on the screen and ensuring his films can be watched again years later and thrill a new generation.​

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Lastly, there was Stanley Kubrick. My lectures championed his creativity relating to problem-solving, such as building a set in a Ferris wheel to simulate a space station. He would pioneer the idea that "if it could be written or thought. It could be filmed". Again, I found more to him than just his creativity. I was drawn to his dedication to fulfilling his creative vision, maximising storytelling through a careful balance of performance, music and narrative camera work. Each shot and action is meticulously planned to the last detail. I knew if I wanted to make film my career, it was no longer good enough to coast by like I was told in the past.​

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A surprising influence for me was music, which has always been a passive interest. But that interest would become an obsession when one Christmas morning, under the tree, was a record player. I'd quickly build a collection of over 200 albums, ranging from classic swing to modern metal. The songs I'm drawn to more than anything are the ones which tell a story, such as the work of David Bowie, the Smiths and Bob Dylan. In three to five minutes, you can be transported to an alien plant of isolation or feel the pain of a mourning lover. They can open the listener to emotions that some films fail to do in over an hour. I started writing with music playing in the background; I now type this as Kate Bush plays on the turntable.

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I poured all these influences into the main two projects of my final year. First was my honours project, a short film called The White Room. This was the first time I would be writing and directing a short film, and to be brutally honest, it shows. There were plenty of mistakes. Rather than running away, I embraced them and took them as lessons to learn from. I think the White Room taught me more than anything; it's good to fail.​

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My hard work and self-awareness were recognised, earning an excellent mark for the module, but I was the most successful in what I saw as the bane of my existence growing up, writing.

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Coming to university, I thought the writing course would be a bit of a "write-off", but the opposite occurred. Writing became a passion; my course allowed me to write what I wanted. My creativity was encouraged, and I did everything possible to improve, reading Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, Sid Field's Ultimate Guide to Scriptwriting, and Poetics by Aristotle. I would seek out other theories and structures, such as the Hero's Journey and the importance of Cause and Effect. Taking everything I learnt, I would write my first feature script. The script would not only earn me my highest module score, but it would also be the highest mark for the module in my year. ​

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Thanks to my writing, which others would try to hold me down for, I graduated from university awarded a First with Honours. I had proven to myself that I was more than a "C Kid".

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Act 3

The world I graduated into wasn't something I or anyone else knew; the film industry shut down with the pandemic. Work was scarce, but in the confines of my room, I could continue working on my writing and exploring new art forms, trying my hand at photography. After countless rejections, I found work; I became a film teacher at a college which specialised in teaching learners with barriers to learning. As previously mentioned,  moving through the education system was never easy for me, and now I was standing in front of a class of kids in the same position I was in.​

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I knew how they felt and the power I had to inspire them. I worked with my class, explaining the basics of cinematography and storytelling. We would create adverts for the college, showcased on the website. I would be the person they would confide their worries to, knowing I would do everything I could to get the right help. ​

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Around this time, I found a contemporary writer-director who inspired me greatly. A friend, Jack Clark, asked if I would be interested in working as a photographer at a screening event in Manchester for an independent feature film he co-produced. I jumped at the chance, and it was at this event that I met Brett Gregory, the writer and director of Nobody Loves You and You Don't Deserve to Exist. Here was someone who directed a feature film without funding or support; people laughed when he said he would make a film. I learnt a lot from him, most notably the importance of doing and learning.

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Leading up to this, I became stagnant and comfortable; I stopped writing. Two years since graduation, and I hadn't directed another film, but in 2022 that changed. I became a student again, learning by consuming as much art as possible. I found new influences such as Robert Eggers and the Daniels (Kwan & Scheinert). I began reading again and attending a scriptwriting society and monthly film festival, both of which I would become a team member. ​

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I loved teaching, but it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. I handed in my notice and became a freelance filmmaker. Dusting off the cobwebs, I directed two short showreel scenes for actors I knew, operating as a one-person crew. At the same time, I began crafting my second narrative short, Bespoke Dad, a ten-minute family drama. Initially, I reached out to the BFI for funding. I was unsuccessful, but I still got some great feedback. Out of a hundred and forty submissions, we were short-listed to the top thirty. I would self-fund the project, gathering a small team of exceptional creatives. Through fantastic teamwork, I am proud to say I wrote and directed my first good film. Finishing postproduction in 2023, the short is now making its run in the film festival circuit. Bespoke Dad would lead to the formation of Prickle Productions, joining together to continue working together and tell the stories we wanted to tell.​

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I feel like my story is that of perseverance. Starting as a person who let the thoughts and opinions of others limit their self-worth to a passionate filmmaker who will never stop aiming to grow.​​​

       Thank you, Thomas Jackson