ON THE
SCENE fESTIVAL
On the
scene festival
Our Wayne
Our Wayne
Spotlight on...
Craig Bingham
Tell us about the story. What inspired you to make this film with Wayne?
My brother, Wayne, and I have never seen eye to eye. The friction between us has always been there but never spoken about. This short touches upon his life and picks at the scab of our complicated relationship growing up back home in Yorkshire.
(Director)
The film's aesthetic is so organic and visually stunning. What was your process? Did you focus on the interview or Cinematography first and what was your process to bring these together?
The interview came first. More of a conversation that needed to happen for some time. Afterwards, reflecting on his words and our conversation, I decided to go back up and shoot the film solo. See 'Our Wayne' completely, without any crew. No pressures. Find the pieces and moments that reflect him. I shot this all with natural daylight, hand held on sticks, gorilla style leaning into what was available. We shot at dusk for 6 nights, so every scene would feel rich with colour, really making the most of the suns sweet spot. I wanted it to feel almost dream like, but with a raw edge.
How do you handle the challenge of balancing the role of a filmmaker and telling a personal story?
It’s difficult. As as a film maker, I’m really drawn to emotion and vulnerability. I think it’s something we all connect to, so I can't help but explore it, even though it is so personal. But I think that's what's rare in filming these days, that vulnerability, that raw open exposed humanness. And it’s the one thing that speaks to people and connects with people. I had countless emails from ‘Brothers’ after putting this out saying how much they related to it. Sometimes I think you have to lean into the emotion and the story will follow.
Do you have any tips for a documentary filmmaker, especially one who’s wanting to explore a personal narrative?
I find a lot of filmmakers these days end up talking themselves out of an idea. They conceptualise and talk and over plan and by the time they want to shoot it the idea has become boring in their heads. I would say and always have jumped straight in and booked dates in before I knew what the film will be. I always seem to find the film as I'm making it. That way, you can't really fail. And you learn. And you seem to stumble on the best things that you just wouldn’t think of.
Are you working on anything new at the moment that you could share with our readers?
Strangely enough this film has really brought me and my Brother, Wayne, together and we're actually shooting a narrative short with him as the lead. The doc inspired me to write a new narrative around his life. A Yorkshire drama. It’s gritty, raw and I've already started shooting it. Going back up at the end of the month to finish it. It’s been interesting this time around watching our Wayne take direction rather than just being observed. It’s really exciting actually. There’s some crazy scenes. He’s such a presence in front of the camera.
"For me, it was a way to reconnect."
This film came after my brother and I had a rough falling out - to the point where I didn't think we would speak again. Shortly after, I was back home on the farm and found myself helping him on a roofing job in North Yorkshire. The drive to the building site took two hours there and back each day for a week, and it was in these silences that I began to really question what had gone on between us growing up. This was a very personal project to me, and for that reason I decided to shoot this solo with no crew. For me, it was a way to re-connect.
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