Day two of Journalism and Media Week concluded its Screen Yorkshire Day with: ‘In conversation with Diarmid Scrimshaw.’
Richard Knight, a friend and Screen Yorkshire host, interviewed the three-time BAFTA winner about his personal experiences in the industry. In an authentic and honest dialogue, the two light-heartedly discussed Scrimshaw’s time in the business.
Scrimshaw began his film career at 21, editing shorts before quickly discovering his skills were better suited to script supervision. He said: “A script supervisor is essentially the on-set representative of the editor; the role is to ensure continuity throughout the editing process.” This led to his work on the highly acclaimed British independent film This is England, directed by Mark Herbert.
“In that role, you work very closely with the director. You are sat next to them on set during filming,” he recalled.
The BAFTA winner admitted he had no ambition of ever becoming a feature film producer. He felt that a “typical producer” at the time represented a small subset of men from a certain background. Raised in Sheffield, Scrimshaw said, “I didn’t feel like a producer.” It wasn’t until a colleague suggested the role to him that he even considered it for himself.
“Always move into fear,” he advised the aspiring industry talent in the audience. He proposed that by leaning into the unknown and moving into spaces where you feel most uncomfortable, you grow as a creative.
“You learn a lot by being committed and making mistakes,” said Scrimshaw.
From his numerous awards and accolades to his Sheffield-based production house, Inflammable Films (which he co-founded with producer Anna Duffield), it’s clear that this approach has served Scrimshaw well throughout his career.
The talk continued with valuable insights into how a producer can elevate a feature film by working candidly and directly with the director. “Even the best directors have weak spots, and don’t ever include them in money talks,” he advised.
However, Scrimshaw also highlighted the challenges of independent film production. Managing finances and funding, dealing with workplace addictions, and addressing the needs of cast and crew members can make the role difficult.
In an exclusive interview prior to the session, Scrimshaw revealed to Yorkshire Voice that to feel connected to a project, it needed to explore the human condition and offer hope.
“The darkness within the human condition is often reflected in the films I’ve worked on. When there is darkness, light needs to be there.”
When producing a film, Scrimshaw considers the viewer’s capacity for witnessing the darker side of human nature. Stressing the importance of mitigating that impact, he said, “We don’t want to cause harm for the sake of causing harm.”.