George, were you surprised when you received the news that your film was shortlisted for the Academy Awards? 

“Very. I never think I’m going to win anything so to be Oscar shortlisted was both surreal and amazing at the same time. It’s a huge honour to be recognised by the Academy in such a way and the whole team was really chuffed.”

How did you manage your budget and resources to ensure the project was completed successfully?

“Storyboarding and efficient prep was key. I shot the film in 5 days, shooting up to 40 setups a day. I also made sure the script was pretty contained and made sure we found locations which didn’t require a big move. All interior theater scenes were shot in three days, the exterior theater and park in one (the park was next to the theater) and the one note man’s house in one day. Storyboards were crucial to our efficiency. It’s good to have a plan and then on the day, if something better comes along you can throw the plan away, but it’s wise to have a plan.”

Are there any new genres you would like to explore in the future?

“I love action movies and sci-fi. My dream is to direct a big Hollywood movie like that. I love entertaining movies and I’d love to make audiences feel how I felt when I was a kid watching STAR WARS, DIE HARD, TERMINATOR and BACK TO THE FUTURE.”

If you could have received five tips previous to making this film, in order for it to have become successful, what would you have hoped they had been?

“I’ve enjoyed every second of this film’s success. There’s nothing like seeing your film communicate with the audience and THE ONE NOTE MAN has done that all over the world and across all cultures. I don’t think there’s a recipe for success and I certainly don’t think that way. I always go with my gut and tell the story I would like to see and then hope that others will want to see it too. No one can predict if a film will resonate with audiences. Success is defined differently by each of us. For me it’s people wanting to work with you again and again. Being hired to do what I love doing is my definition of success and I’ve been lucky enough to have been in constant work for the past 25 years.”

He also shared with us the following, we couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come!: 

“At the moment I am attached to direct a feature film comedy called CONCERTO which will shoot in the UK, early 2025. I am also developing A MUSICAL MAN (the feature film version of THE ONE MAN) which like the short, is a film with no dialogue. I am also developing a psychological horror feature film called UNBORN.”

Thank you again George for sharing these kind words and taking the time to share your experiences with us.