Dan Pringle (Film Writer / Director): From Satire to Soul Searching - Independent Filmmaking in BCP

Success on the South Coast is all about showcasing interesting people doing amazing things in the local community.

My guest for episode #14 is Dan Pringle, the Bournemouth-based Film Writer & Director.

Dan’s latest feature, the philosophical thriller DIE BEFORE YOU DIE recently landed on streaming platforms…

However, I wanted to dig into his backstory and find out how he made his award-winning debut K-SHOP, a hard-hitting satire on binge drinking culture…

Dan takes us through his journey, offering his valuable insights into independent filmmaking, while sharing loads of great advice for aspiring filmmakers.

Dan also recently helped setup and launch the BCP Film Office, and he gives his thoughts on how this new “centre of gravity” could be a game-changer for the region.

- - - CHAPTERS - - -

00:00:00 - Intro ("A sunny new podcast...") 00:00:26 - Guest Intro 00:02:07 - Welcome…  00:02:55 - Where Dan's love of Storytelling came from… 00:04:23 - Dan's earliest memories of movies & cinema 00:06:00 - Cinema as a spiritual place 00:07:00 - Dan's backstory & growing up near Elstree Film Studios 00:08:02 - Family history working in film 00:08:52 - Growing up 'round the corner from Kubrick's house 00:09:13 - How Dan's Dad mislaid a reel of Clockwork Orange 00:10:47 - Dan's move to Bournemouth - studying TV Production at BU 00:12:01 - Dan's view of success following completion of his course at 22… 00:13:42 - K-SHOP, Dan's debut feature film: "Sweeney Todd in a kebab shop" 00:15:51 - The inspiration for K-SHOP 00:19:57 - The million dollar Q: how Dan managed to make a feature film! 00:26:06 - Independent film sector vs Studio System vs Streaming 00:27:07 - How Dan met his Production partner, Adam J. Merrifield at White Lantern Films 00:28:55 - Casting K-SHOP & nominations for the 'British Independent Film Awards' 00:31:20 - Discovering Ziad Abaza, the lead actor of K-SHOP 00:33:13 - The audition process & the filmmaking moments you live for! 00:34:05 - The strength of K-SHOP's supporting cast & how Dan found them 00:37:36 - The Premiere and seeing K-SHOP up on the BIG screen around the world! 00:40:34 - Looking back at K-SHOP 8 years later… and how Dan has evolved 00:42:02 - Shooting K-SHOP across Bournemouth & beyond… 00:43:05 - Why K-SHOP was shot in Bournemouth 00:44:35 - The pros of working in the local BCP filmmaking community 00:47:37 - The challenges of working in the local BCP filmmaking community 00:48:46 - Dan's advice for aspiring filmmakers 00:49:30 - Importance of exploiting the resources and telling stories relevant to BCP 00:51:31 - Shooting 200+ locations for the BCP Film Office location directory 00:52:48 - Uncovering hidden locations in BCP: eclectic locations that surprised Dan 00:55:01 - The future evolution of the Bournemouth filmmaking community 00:57:51 - How the BCP Film Office provides a "centre of gravity" for the local scene 00:59:02 - DIE BEFORE YOU DIE - synopsis: a "philosophical drama" 01:00:40 - Teaming up again with Ziad… and co-writing the script together 01:02:27 - The shorthand Dan & Ziad's relationship Importance of having people you can trust in your corner. 01:04:56 - Working with local actors, such as Laurent C. Lucas (who stars as Ibrahim) 01:06:50 - A potential "Ziad trilogy"? 01:08:06 - Dan's next feature film project in development… 01:09:33 - What is happiness? 01:12:33 - Film recommendations: DEAD MAN SHOES (1996) and PERFECT DAYS (2023) 01:16:16 - What is success? Following Dan's "official recalibration": "Be a person of intrinsic value" 01:19:33 - Buddhist wisdom and talking philosophy with Dr. Ziad 01:22:10 - Life by Misadventure - We aren't the bad guys in each others stories 01:27:06 - Learning through World Cinema: understanding the Human Condition 01:28:52 - Thank you, guest links & wrap-up

GUEST Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-pringle-1b8142283 • Website: https://ww