Introduce Yourself : Passionate about storytelling by Geoff Hall

Hello to the Stage32 community. My passion is for storytelling and so after a time of reviewing other people’s work as an Arts Editor, I thought it was time to I started to write something of my own. 4 books and 3 short films later, I’ve embarked on the perilous journey to write and direct my first feature as well as have my first novel published.

The script and the novel are complete, with the novel going into the editing stage as I write this. The feature has proven a little more of an interesting journey, having many promises of finance from investors, who sadly were short on delivery.

At times like that, you begin to doubt your sanity. Maybe I’m an idiot, maybe it’s because of the trafficking theme that investors baulk at it? Maybe it’s because it’s my first feature? But the script has been read by many Heads of Department, who’ve heard about the film and wanted to meet up. After that I showed them the script and they loved it and have come on board. These are experienced people, so they know what they’re looking at. Of course the naysayers came out from under the rocks and the woodwork too and said, “oh maybe they’re just flattering you bacuse they want the work.” So, I gently and graciously responded with a few words about professionlism and people who have a professional reputation and want to keep it. The naysayers disappeared.

We are still working to attract the development finance, but I’m (ever) hopeful that one day soon it will come. People have asked me when I will call it a day, because if I was any good I’d have been successful by now. Yes, those pesky naysayers again. But throughout this process I have learned one major lesson. NEVER. GIVE. UP. When I think of all the films that took quite sometime to be made, it seems the ‘trick’ is to carry on. Somewhere out there, there’s an investor who gets it, who wants to support what you've got. So, it’s been 4 years and counting, but then, who’s counting? It seems to me that that job is only for the naysayers, who like to justify their judgments with mathematical prowess!

I’ve learnt so much going through this process and will continue to learn more. I’ve built a small community of yay-sayers around me, including the good people of Stage32, and so I want to say a big thank you for being here with me on this perilous journey and to encourage you to never give up on your passion to be a storyteller with an audience.

Please check out my loglines too and you can see what I’ve been working on whilst trying to get this film, Seeing Rachel, off the ground.

Best,

Geoff