Interview - Noah Ball

 

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Where did your desire to become a filmmaker originate from?

Well, to be honest, it wasn’t until the final year of high school until I fully realised that it could actually be a job. It sounds obvious in retrospect, but in high school it feels as though you’re pushed towards having a job in academia in some way; without really being informed of any other options. But at the time my film taste was expanding, and I kept watching more and more different types of films, and then in college I got to do film studies. 

 

Did picking film studies make you fully realise that this was what you were wanting to do? 

It definitely made me realise that directing specifically was my interest. When I first began, I thought maybe being a film reviewer or even film journalist was the way that I’d be going; but when I got a taste for directing after making a 4 minute short film on the course, I quickly realised what my real passion within the film industry was, which is directing of course. 

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​​​​​​​Why directing, what made you think that you were fit to be a director; it is a lot of pressure after all? 

I guess I just kind of knew really. I felt that I had a strong sense of my own personal style, with certain things like expressive camera movement, self-destructive characters, and a bit of black comedy sprinkled throughout; which I thought could be expressed quite clearly and confidently through my own vision for what I wanted my own films to be; as well as already having a few elements for different stories that I could make, which I felt would work best as film rather than any other medium. 

 

You mentioned watching a lot of different films that caused this love for film. Are there any personal favourites or major influences on you as a director? 

The Evil Dead and then going into Evil Dead 2 are probably the two most influential on me. The way that first film was made, and how it began everyone involved’s careers I just think is so incredible; and then Sam Raimi with the second is just such a testament to his skill as a director in how every part of that film comes together so perfectly. Taxi Driver and Heat were big influences for me with the crime genre; as well as films like Bridget Jones' Diary, Midsommar, Dog Day Afternoon, The Edge Of Seventeen, and God knows how many more contributing to my love for film over the years. Also another that I kept going back to both as a child and now appreciate even more is Batman Returns. There’s just too many to name. 

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I know you’ve written most of your scripts for the short films that you directed, is there any particular writing process that you go through? 

It’s a bit difficult to nail down. I suppose a key thing I do is I’ll rewatch certain films or shows, or reread certain comics or books that were an influence on the idea. As it puts me in the mindset of that particular type of story. And another would be to have the overall narrative already planned out when I begin writing; a definitive beginning, middle, end. Obviously some of these aspects may change as I’m writing because they might not really work with what the rest of the film is; but it’s always good to have a rough outline. 

 

I suppose that links to my next question quite well, in terms of what your personal directing style is like? 

I think a big part of it is the balance of staying true to your vision but also letting the cast and crew add their own touches. You do need a clear vision for what the short film should be and stay true to it; but the cast and crew are there to help you and if they have different ideas that still work for that vision then it’s worth trying; however at the same time always be ready to put your foot down if you don’t agree. Like I said, it’s a difficult balance. Another key thing that helps me is by storyboarding every single shot; it showcases my vision clearly to the cast and crew so everyone can clearly see what the shot will be and then there’s less time wasted setting up on the day. I would also say that it makes the editing process a lot smoother as there’s an outline already there.