Thatching Eggs: A Film Finalized During Lockdown
by Anna McNutt
At 24, freelance producer Max Marlow has skyrocketed past the clouds and is paving his way to sit amongst the stars. A former Goldsmiths student, Max completed his BA in Media & English in 2017 before working his way into the UK’s film industry and obtaining credits in the recent Star Wars and Kingsman series. He is now producing his first 3-D animated short film, Thatching Eggs.
As we enter a new reality of working from home, arranging Zoom calls, and organizing online events, I send an avalanche of questions to the inbox of an old friend in North London.
Max Marlow, 24, was putting his foot in the door of UK’s competitive film industry before even graduating Goldsmiths. Aside from producing an award-winning short live action film titled The Face of Chance, and having a following of over 10k on Instagram for his short versed scripts, Max’s most notable and recent credits include Asset Assistant on Star Wars Episode IX and VFX Production Assistant on the upcoming Kingsman prequel.
His latest venture? Making his first ever 3D animated short film.
When Max and I first met at university in 2014, there was a subtle rivalry between the tidy Media & English students and the less refined lot from Media & Communications. He was in the former, I in the latter; in other words, I was dabbling in the darkroom on campus and writing poems on the back of photographs while Max was reading his required English literature list and developing original ideas for feature-length films.
We met at a mutual friend’s party along with copious amounts of boxed wine and Cher’s angelic voice playing off someone’s laptop, but despite the happy atmosphere, this slight difference between our studies arose and I immediately made the sweeping and rather immature assumption: this guy must think he’s better than the rest of us.
But in fact, Max’s ambition is innocent and full of hope. Ever since I’ve known him, he has been dreaming - of creating characters, building worlds, and making movies.
That’s not to undermine the fact that Max is also remarkably driven. As disclosed in our interview, it was the hard work and persistence that helped him acquire opportunities at companies such as Paramount, Lucasfilms and Twentieth Century Fox. Read, in his own words, more about Max’s upcoming animated short film, the journey post-graduation, and how lockdown has affected life both personally and professionally.
Q: Alright, tell us, what’s the secret? How did you get this far?
A: Hah, I won’t lie, getting a job in film, or even the internship, was not easy. Whilst university is a formative handful of years to find oneself, it is also a launch-pad – the force of which is wholly dependent on how you use your time. You’ll never get as much free time as you do at university.
It was the mountain of unpaid internships and student films I contributed to during my final year at university that got me my first job in film – a 6-month paid internship at Paramount Pictures, which I had to book a day off from to attend my graduation.
Star Wars worked out the following April because I kept spamming the studio with my CV. I actually spent several months after Paramount without work, but I’m happy to say that simply sticking to my guns and keeping my head up through the process has helped me land feet first in a galaxy far far away as a result.
Q: What is your current project, Thatching Eggs, about?
A: Thatching Eggs follows a lonely satellite dish on a London rooftop forced to mother a bird’s egg that has fallen from its nest. I began developing the idea for a short film during my final year of studies inspired by Pixar films.
The satellite dish is its own character much like the lamp in Luxo Jr. Limited by finances, I also chose to approach the film with an 80s Pixar style which means plasticy and simple, like Knick Knack.
After nearly 4 years, 15 international animators from LinkedIn and now-made Facebook friends, and a couple pounds spent here or there, I’m proud to be submitting my first 3D animated film to BFI’s Future Film Festival this August!
Q: What were your expectations going into this?
A: I had no idea what I was getting myself in for. I never made an animated film before. I guess I expected a perfect render and my vision to come across clearly illustrated in the final work, however, budget, timing and geographical restrictions meant for miscommunication and glitches. In terms of actually making the film, I’m proud to say we achieved our goal in breathing life into a setting as simple as a rooftop, and telling a sweet short story in the process.
Q: How has the lockdown affected you, personally?
A: Well, as lockdown has put the UK film industry on pause since late March, of course, it’s affected my career progression. I am very fortunate to have been eligible for the furlough scheme, and so I’ve luckily been supported during this time financially.
Q: What about the film?
A: The film has been in production since late 2016, all that needed to be done during the lockdown period was VFX, music, edit and sound (so basically all of post-production). Luckily, the work could be done remotely and people were eager to get their hands on a project. I ventured onto LinkedIn and Facebook to assemble a crew, which turned out to be pretty easy!
Actually, this time locked away has almost indirectly acted as a blessing. I’ve finally found the time to crack down on half-finished projects and focus on myself for the first time in a while. The pandemic itself is terrifying, but – and though there has been a lot of bad that has come of it – there’s an undeniable silver-lining to the world stopping for one moment, and we have to be grateful for this too.
Q: What has been the most difficult part (pandemic aside)?
A: The most difficult part in making the film was the time-zone difference between myself and the animation team based in the United States. I’d get a play-blast (a grey animation test) sent over at 3 AM, get back to it by mid-day, then get told the feedback’s been received the next morning.
Part of the reason the film took so long to make was the fact that no one on it was awake at the same time as me. That’s not to say they weren’t a great team, what actually made the entire process so enjoyable was that collaborative element. I met so many cool people in the process of pitching-to and bringing-on others to help finish this film. I’ve been keeping up with what they’ve been doing since Thatching Eggs and am always amazed by their creative growth. It’s inspiring and I look forward to working with them again on projects in future.
Q: Does this mean you’re thinking of making Thatching Eggs into a long form film?
A: I have an animatic produced (moving storyboard) for a second animated short I’d like to put together - but Thatching Eggs was only ever intended to showcase my ability to make an animated film. I’d be content with winning a couple awards and moving on, but who knows if I’ll ever return to it again.
Q: If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
A: The key is in the name. Make. Films. I know so many filmmakers from university who have ‘this great idea’ but still, to this day, never make a single film. Either they’re still developing it or they’re too busy right now. I don’t know how to animate and here I am talking about an upcoming animated short – 4 YEARS after having conceptualized it. If you haven’t got the gear, if you haven’t got the skill, if you haven’t got the faintest idea where to start – find someone who does. Get online, crew up and make magic. Or shit. Just make something.”
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