Breakdancing lessons

Eyebrow help centre

Fine syrups

Gumbo's workshop

Johnny B's bungalows

Student flats to rent

Depression centre

Healing potion

Where's the Money, Ronnie?

" I had no idea what the film was going to be about on the same day that I started shooting Macca's Men. I thought it would be a good start to pick up some costumes and wigs from a fancy dress shop. This is where I got hold of the set of false teeth for Macca in the film. I couldn't believe the quality of them because I bought them as a last resort.
The actor Paddy Considine came round to my house after I had bought the costumes and he started to try on all the different wigs and hats, but when he put the teeth in, they just seemed to be perfect. Nothing else worked apart from the teeth. Once we knew the teeth were right, we started to talk about making the character.
When Paddy put the teeth in his mouth, he reminded me of somebody from my youth who had a really bad affliction with his teeth - they looked like tombstones. You got the impression that if he had more confidence then he would have gone and done something with himself.
So we created Macca with similar characteristics. That is where the idea stemmed from. Paddy and I started improvising that morning and within an hour, we had got the teeth in his mouth, he had all of his cousins and nephews together and we had started to make Macca's Men. So at 8am, we didn't know what we were going to write about and by 9.30am we were down the park making Macca's Men. "

" I have worked with children recently with my new feature film A Room for Romeo Brass . So working with children on Macca's Men was easy. We also did this on the spur of the moment and had a lot of energy to put into it. We did not really have a plan and I think that kids enjoy working that way.
Children really respond if you get them involved with activities which involve bursts of energy. They make it up as they go along. They simply got on with what they were doing and didn't specifically have lines to do. It was really funny because although it was a film, they wanted to be on the best team, so they were genuinely having mardies and people were getting upset.
That's the beautiful thing about kids - they don't stop being themselves. It's difficult when you try to make them act. Or try to hold them or focus them down to something which they are probably not capable of doing. "

" From my experience of making Macca's Men, I would advise people to work with your family and friends. This is because you already have got a repertoire and a relationship with those people. I think that one of the most difficult things with making short films is when people work with people that they don't particularly know.
People choose actors who they don't have a relationship with and do not have a history with either. However, Paddy, myself and Paddy's nephews all had a natural rapport and understanding when we went out and shot the film because Paddy is my friend and Paddy is close with his nephews. I am fortunate of course in the fact that I have got an actor to work with, who is obviously a very talented actor.
People tend to stop being themselves on films when the cameras start rolling, when you need them to be themselves. Although Paddy is a very talented actor, I do not think this is absolutely vital because the characters that you and me know could be just as effective in a short film. You will find that there are characters in your family who are absolutely hysterical and when the cameras are not rolling are just naturally funny.
It is great if as a director you can find a way for them to feel comfortable with being themselves. If you can manage to do this as a director, then you have got a way of getting a performance right every time. "