麻豆约拍

The Break returns to 麻豆约拍 Three Sunday 12 February with five new original short film monologues by up-and-coming writers.The Break II is an exciting collaboration between 麻豆约拍 Writersroom and 麻豆约拍 Drama Production to make five original short monologues for 麻豆约拍 Three, written by up-and-coming BAME writing talent from across the UK.

Here one of the directors, Nour Wazzi talks about her experience marshalling two of the short films: Maya Sondhi’s The Package, Chino Odimba’s Scotch Bonnett.

I was thrilled when the 麻豆约拍 first contacted me to come in for a meeting. After spending years trying to get my voice heard, it felt rewarding to have a broadcaster like the 麻豆约拍 reach out to me. Rejections are a big part of this industry so it’s all the more gratifying when something good happens that recognises you in some way.

I’d made a couple of Film London backed shorts and recently completed a short thriller to showcase my versatility. This led to 麻豆约拍 Producer Rachelle Constant seeing my work and championing me. I’m immensely grateful to her for giving me this chance. This would be my first paid narrative job as a Director, and it felt good not to be working for free for once!

Going to my first meeting at the Beeb, everyone made me feel at home. They called me back to pitch on 10 shorts. This was an amazing opportunity as I was given the space and time to give my take on each project. The hilarious, honest and heart-breaking Scotch Bonnett by the talented Chino Odimba and the touching, suspense-filled The Package by the incredible Maya Sondhi were eventually selected for me.

Being a thriller The Package was closer to my sensibilities than the comedy of Scotch Bonnett’. However as an Arab living in the UK, I connected with Scotch Bonnett’s central theme of identity and found a way to make it personal. Chino was clear with what she wanted to convey, and I wanted to best interpret her vision. Script development mainly dealt with progression of character and my desire to break from the monologue to visualise key moments. In the end Chino was onboard with this more eye-catching direction and we all felt it helped add dynamicm to the film as a whole. 

At the start, The Package was a very different film and like the other chosen four in the series was a monologue to camera. As with Scotch Bonnett, I’d suggested a more cinematic take on the story, but it would require a complete rewrite of the script and no monologue. I was ecstatic when Maya and the 麻豆约拍 went with my direction. Even though TV is a writer’s medium, Maya was very open-minded and nailed it on the first redraft. I just love the central message of this film, which comes at a very pertinent time.

We were fortunate to have the unyielding support of the hardworking team behind Doctors, allowing us to use their sets, props and crew. We were also lucky to have BAFTA nominee Tony Miller BSC as Cinematographer on board. Plus I had Rachelle and Executive Producer Anne Edyvean in my corner. They were with me all the way - on set, in the edit, grade and sound mix. 

In terms of process, after I’d done my in-depth scene prep, I broke down my shots and moved to the floor plans. I use a brilliant app called ‘Shot Designer’ that I’d recommend to all directors – it keeps my shots, floorplans, location refs and storyboards (by Dan Schaefer) in one unified place to easily convey my vision to all departments.  

One of my favourite parts of the process was the casting and rehearsals. The casting sessions helped figure out which lines and intentions worked and which ones needed to be tweaked. I had a great time bringing the characters to life with Leonie Elliott and James Floyd. They each brought something unique to the table and were a pleasure to work with. We got on so well I convinced them both to rehearse at my home - which I’ve never done before. I’d recommend it as it further personalised the rehearsal process and meant we had an instant rapport on set.

With unit moves, night-time lighting set-ups and a low loader, there would not be a lot of time to get the coverage I wanted. We had one day per film and only nine hours on set (continuous day) – we’d lose at least three hours on moves and set-ups so I’d be lucky to have six actual shooting hours. I needed my bases covered before I stepped on set, so I prioritised key shots and scheduled their shooting order. I’ve been first AD (Assistant Director) on a number of shorts and a couple of features over the last few years so I like being in control of my own schedule. I also had a brilliant Line Producer Trudy Coleman who bent over backwards to help me achieve my vision.  

I had a terrific post-production team with Molinare, graphics by Mr Kaplin and offline editor Abo Talooni. The edit was the most challenging process and we made bold choices. There was a lot of experimentation in Scotch Bonnett and with a steer from the execs we ended up disruptive, punchy and fun with the edit. Working on the music (with composer David Saunders) was quite a process of exploration to find a place everyone was happy with.

The Package was about cutting back – assembly was 10mins long and we ended up losing half of it! I would’ve liked to draw out a few moments but you always need to make hard choices. We were really pleased we could include great music from Adele, Jungle, Skepta and AWOLNATION.

Even though you never have enough time, I love the feeling of being on set and the need to think on your feet - it’s the one place I feel truly liberated. I finally let go, place trust in my cast and crew and allow my instinct to kick in. You pick your battles and there are always hitches along the way but often the best things come from the unexpected and this was no exception.

Overall, the opportunity to direct for The Break II has been terrific, and I hope it will open a few doors. Everyone’s intentions were always in the right place and they went above and beyond to make them happen. This kind of dedication can be the difference between a good or bad production.

I wish there were more platforms like The Break to help emerging BAME writers and directors to showcase their work. The 麻豆约拍 have done an excellent job and provided a much-needed opportunity for all of us to be seen and heard. It’s a tough business that’s not for the faint-hearted, and we can use all the help we can get!  

Nour Wazzi is a director for The Break II

• The Break will be available to watch from 12 February (one film per week) from 12 February at 6pm on  and . 
• Find out more and watch interviews with the creative teams on the