Life & Work with Toby Kearton

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Toby Kearton.

Hi Toby, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in the countryside outside of London, I was 6 years old when I realized film was my calling. The behind-the-scenes bonus disc documentaries taught me the intricacies of the production process and got me hooked on the idea of telling stories for a living.

I learned it was a job that existed, but I had no idea how to get there. It occurred to me the best way forward was to create my own little stories. A few years later, I found myself at school persuading the teachers to make a movie for a class project rather than write an essay, to which they finally yielded. I had a crack at stop motion animation with my Dad’s still camera using Lego figures for a geography project on ‘saving the planet,’ and after a screening for the class with a strong and positive response, I felt a sense of empowerment that has never left me since.

I decided to use my time devouring every movie I could find, highlighting the TV guide, and staying up to watch the classics from the master directors, Hitchcock, Ford, Lean, and Wells, studying their craft endlessly. I bought the book ‘1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die’ and made the checklist! At 15, I made my first short film with my dad, which got me into a short course at the BFI’s Film Academy. From there, I got my first job on set as a runner and, from that experience, applied to film school in Los Angeles. It was never a grand plan to move out to LA. I just wanted to learn the American way of moviemaking.

I was lucky enough to get accepted to the New York Film Academy on a scholarship based on the homemade short film I had made and found myself studying and making films both in New York and Los Angeles. Today I find myself working as a freelance writer/director both in LA and London, directing Shorts, Music Videos, Commercials, PSA’s and recently my first directorial effort in the long form, a TV pilot for a proposed series.

I have come to learn life is too short not to pursue what you love. The journey is so incredibly challenging and it continues to be, but I regard knowing what you want to do with the rest of your life is a blessing as most spend their entire lives figuring that out. I’m very grateful that I found my passion in my work and even more grateful to those who have supported me in my journey so far.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Especially after film school, spending three years continuously creating, crafting a producing work and once you graduate it all eventually comes to a standstill. You’re on your own to navigate your path. Film school gave me the opportunity to hone my craft and find my voice creatively.

Now I just had to find a way to execute it. Being one of so many filmmakers out there is a challenging and daunting prospect, I just had to prove myself through my work and attitude. I have learnt having an attractive attitude will get you far. Being positive and adaptable as a director will carry you to new heights, especially when it comes to working on larger projects with more at stake for you and your production.

What I find challenging is the fact that, as a director, you have to prove to a group of people first in order for them to give you permission to execute your craft. It’s not like being a musician or painter who can execute their craft continuously and can improve through constant practice.

For us directors, we have to prove ourselves to practice, which can be a struggle to find new ways to improve and become better at what we do.

Thanks. What else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
It’s important to demonstrate your versatility as a filmmaker. I value crafting character-centric stories with meaningful themes that can allow an audience to find themselves in the characters. I specialize in narrative filmmaking that revolves around important topics. I have recently explored in my work the mental health among veterans, Type 1 Diabetes, and the lack of funds in the creative arts.

I am most proud of my unique take on historical dramas in the short form. As a student of modern history, I have had a keen interest in approaching the ‘period film’ from a more personal standpoint. It is very difficult to explore a character arc in a short film due to the lack of time given, however war is a catalyst for change in behavior and thought as it deals with the most dramatic stakes imaginable: Human life.

I favor this genre from a storytelling standpoint as, despite time passing, we haven’t changed our mentality towards human conflict, as it is still occurring as I write this. I am interested in the exploration of morality during the fog of war and the search for human decency, and it seems audiences are too.

These shorts have been selected at both BAFTA and British Independent Film Awards qualifying festivals and have given me the opportunity to become the latest member of the association for British screen Directors: Directors UK.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I have finished shooting a pilot for a proposed TV Series, “Livin’ with the Devil” produced by Emilia Böhme and Praveen Srinivas. This is my first long-form directorial assignment, which has given me a great opportunity to learn how to adapt creatively to the medium of TV.

The story follows a pair of international students who, after breaking up, are forced to live together while separated. It was a pleasure to work with actors Anastasia Aush and Praveen Srinivas in crafting a truthful scenario of two ex-lovers navigating in the search for self. I wanted to tell this particular story as I believe the opposite of love isn’t hate. It’s indifference. Exploring the parallels between love and hate for a human being you were once bound to, offers a great deal of dramatic and comedic value!

I would love for our show to create a discussion with those who have found themselves in the circumstance of ‘living with the ex.’ Through the making of this project, I have learned this to be a common occurrence for so many young people today. I hope ‘Livin’ with the Devil’ gives those who have shared a smiler experience permission to feel less ashamed about their relationships not working out.

We’re only human.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tobykearton.com
• Instagram: @tobykearton
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirectedByTobyKearton
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobykearton/
• Twitter: @tobykearton
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TobyKearton
• Other: https://letterboxd.com/tobykearton/

Image Credits
Natalie Pack and Joshua Higgins