Filmmaker Spotlight - Lily Portman
Welcome to the Filmmaker Spotlight – this series shines a light on filmmakers, actors, editors, and more, as we ask them a few questions and uncover why they love what they do.
This time - Lily Portman
Writer/Director
Tell us a bit about yourself, how did you get into the industry?
I’m based in Worcester and I’m a 30 something queer mum to a vivacious 4 year old. I got into the industry through a lot of graft and a lot of damn good luck. I was an actor pre-covid and through a mutual acting friend met my now creative partner, Georgia Neath. She was after a writer for her Gallery 37 funded project and I was fortunate enough to catch her. Our first short, directed by Nadine O’Mahony, Dosed was created and we haven’t looked back! We realised we worked together very well, she’s the logical side and I’m the nutty one. We began taking projects to the Birmingham Film and tv market and realised we were probably going to keep doing that so decided to form our production company, Middling Women, to support not just ourselves, but stories from within the region that often get overlooked. We also work freelance in respective roles, I dabbled in script supervision and Georgia is a producer and production manager, so if you need either give us a call!
What’s something about working in the industry that outsiders would never expect?
Most people have another job. It’s a tough landscape, particularly at the moment, and you really have to hustle. Up until recently I was working part time in care. I know people that have been longlisted for Bafta’s who work in an office. Bills need to be paid and you gotta do what you gotta do!
Who or what inspires you in your work?
Lived experiences and people. Always people. I love talking to people and hearing their world view and what they’ve lived through. I am also a proponent of using comedy to soften the harsher things life feeds to us and that sometimes all we need is a really good laugh. It’s easy to fall into dark thought processes, especially with people like the grandad wotsit ruling one of the most powerful countries in the world, but being able to laugh at things takes back some of the power we might feel we’ve lost.
What draws you to a particular story?
It’s so subjective. I can be drawn by a whole host of reasons but it comes down to how it makes me feel. Does it resonate with me or something I’ve lived through. As the boulet brothers say, art is subjective, not everyone will get the same vibes and that’s the beauty of it!
What gaps did you notice in the industry that led you to create your own platforms, Middling Women and Middling Connect?
For Middling Women, it began as a platform for us to be able to make the work that we wanted to without having to wait for months to hear back from grants or competitions or crowdfunds. But we also saw so many other Midlands based creatives with the same issues and thought if we can help boost up other creatives through our company and tell brilliant stories from the region along the way, it’s a win-win. Similarly with Connect, we kept coming across crew who were struggling to find local jobs and producers who were struggling to find local crew and suppliers, enter us, the connectors! We’re still growing but we’re really positive about the future, we’ve worked with Fable and BBC already and we only launched Connect at the end of Feb this year!
Working in film requires collaboration, what does a “good” collaboration look like to you?
Being able to balance each other out and respect. You can have different creative views but if you respect each other and can communicate effectively there’ll always be a resolution. I got very lucky finding Georgia, we just vibe!
How do you balance your creative work with building something like a production company or database?
To be honest, I’m always learning. It comes down to time management but it can be difficult to know what to prioritise. I usually do admin first so my head’s clear for creativity and there’s no email nagging in my noggin. Plus me and Georgia share the admin load which is always helpful. I do find I work best in the evenings for some reason. Headphones on, whack on some Harry Styles or Fred, again and I’m off. But that’s just me, baby.
What’s one project you’re especially proud of, and why?
Listen, sometimes getting out of bed is hard enough, starting and finishing a project is a bloody miracle so I’m at least a bit proud of all of them. I do love a collaboration though and it brings me such joy when we come off a set and everyone has had a positive experience. That’s something special.
What advice would you give to people wanting to do the job that you do?
Be prepared to hustle and REACH OUT!!! Rome wasn’t built in a day nor by a single person, don’t try and build a damn city by yourself. Feedback on projects, advice for funding, any little thing just ask! And don’t be afraid of a single person because of their job title. Ask the question, the worst that can happen is they say no.
Favourite on-set snack?
I’ve just come off a feature and I ate so many goddamn biscuits that I want to say fruit. But that’s a lie. It’s biscuits. And Tenzig! Still waiting for that sponsorship…
Are you currently working on a project, or is there anything you’d like to plug?
My directorial debut short is currently doing the festival rounds, Quiet, do check it out if you get a chance. We’re moving into pre-production for a short that I can now announce is called Seeds! We’re also developing a feature so follow our socials and watch this space!!
