The Sausage Man in Castle Street from Syndrome Pictures on Vimeo.
We caught up with Joshua Gaunt of Syndrome Pictures, post-grad film student at Exeter University, and filmmaker about town. Josh has been an engine behind the Third Wave Collective films, and his development of digital filmmaking will continue in September with Tera Toma.
• Describe what you do?
I’m a digital filmmaker, editor and workshop facilitator in film and animation.
• How did you get into it?
I’ve always had an obsessive interest in things like film, stories and music, but I guess the obsession turned into a realistic direction when I was studying in Newcastle. Outside of my English Lit course, I would enlist in whatever filmmaking workshop was going on and tried to learn as much as I could about digital filmmaking.
I got around to thinking about whether or not I wanted to continue studying and saw the MA course down here at Exeter Uni. So here I am, in Exeter… five years later.
I tried a few dead-end jobs to get me through my time here, but they all drove me crazy. So, I started fishing around for freelance work, first through the Phoenix Media Centre and then through other contacts and it’s picked up from there.
• What skills do you need and how have you developed them?
Well, I think the list of skills needed in digital media is constantly evolving and endless. But these are mostly technical skills and the ability to keep up with a language that is constantly changing.
Essentially, all you need is time and determination. That’s mostly how I’ve developed and continue to develop my skills. Years in front of Final Cut Pro, years of watching and reading about films and years of putting what I think I know or understand into practice. Trial and error kind of stuff. It helps that there are so many artists and filmmakers in Devon because you can just dive in and collaborate as much as possible. Each film, whether it’s yours or someone else’s is a learning experience.
• What’s been your greatest professional achievement?
Managing to hang on as a self-employed artist/freelancer without going (completely) nuts trying to juggle everything else or slipping back into a dead-end job.
• How do you see the industry developing in Devon and Cornwall?
If we’re talking about creative filmmaking, there isn’t an ‘industry’ down here. But, I think low budget filmmaking has definitely taken off, especially in the past few years. The onset of HD, internet networking, video platforms and tapeless workflow has made an impact in Devon and Cornwall as much as it has everywhere. I definitely think that in the places where the money isn’t great but the ideas are ripe we’re going to see the real changes. I sincerely hope that this is one of those places. It would be a shame actually if the ‘industry’ came down here. It would really suck the energy out of the place.
If you’re involved in film, have a Devon and Cornwall connection and would like to feature on D+CFilm, email info@devon-cornwall-film.co.uk
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- Exeter Cinema Heritage | what cinema means projection - July 25, 2022
