Category Archives: Interviews

INTERVIEW WITH

Domenico Lopresti

Performer Producer

Interviews, ,

Domenico

Domenico Lopresti

Performer Producer

Interviewed – April 2020

 

Hi Dom, thank you so much for answering our questions today. Why not start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

I am a freelance performer from Bristol and have been working out of the South West for just over ten years. As well as working freelance, I also manage Aim Low Productions producing both live and recorded media.

When and why did you form Aim Low Productions?

Aim Low first formed back in 2013, when I first started my professional training in Bristol. I knew that there were ideas I wanted to explore, and when I was just starting out there were a lot of creative friends and colleagues who I wanted to work with (some who wouldn’t consider themselves “creatives” that still work with the company today). But rather than waiting for permission from someone else, it made more sense just to go for it and start our own company. Through that we were able to start making work right away, both live and recorded, as well as on and offline. There was also a lot of naivety involved as, had I known what an undertaking creative producing would be, it might have been a bit overwhelming.

Aim Low has been a part of your life for a long time. How has the type of output you produce shifted through the years? And how have you kept audiences engaged during those transitions?

That’s a really great question that I would also be really curious to get an outside perspective on, as often the focus tends to just be project-to-project, exploring whatever the work needed.

I would say the biggest change in the output, from when we started to now, is a lot of the work that is produced now feels like it has a consistent artistic voice. Although this is something that would have been great to have since day one, I don’t think it would have come about as organically without being prepared to take chances and risks on different projects and mediums. This also means the work has a style and feel that is unique to the company that people want to be involved with.

Over the years, we have been really lucky that by making diverse work we have always had an audience with really diverse tastes. We have also succeeded at developing fans of the company that are interested in all of the work we produce, not just one aspect of it. This has meant that there has never really been a transition period as it is only something we have started thinking about in retrospect now that there is a body of work to reflect on.

You’re a very versatile man – you act, write, direct, produce, design, film, teach…and the list goes on. How do all your different crafts inform each other in your work?

If I’m completely honest, it is a little daunting to be described like that but I am incredibly flattered. I definitely try not to view all of these as separate crafts. Having a solid and practical understanding of what is involved in each role definitely informs all the work I do. Something that I have always been incredibly thankful for is having such a passion for specific stories or projects where I was willing to try my hand at a number of different jobs. I think that as the industry shifts and changes, and the tools for creating media become democratised, we will see fewer people working in only one specific role throughout their career.

A lot of your work is very ambitious in its design – the graffiti that appeared around Bath for hero without a face, or a number of the visual elements in Paying the Piper, for example, but it is often achieved with little to no budget. What inspires your approach to your method of creative problem-solving, and is it limited or helped by financial restraints?

Creative problem-solving is definitely helped by having limitations, be they monetary or otherwise, but it definitely doesn’t feel like that when you are in the middle of it. A big part of the creative process for me is avoiding the instinct to try and hide the fact that budgets were low or ideas were compromised, when actually the creative decisions that come about by embracing those things are some of the most engaging elements. It is a tough voice to silence but once I found that I could get over that hurdle, it was much easier to also embrace the ambitious nature of some of the work at the same time. Once I had gotten there it was a real joy to discover that there were things that I could get away with that other companies just couldn’t. It’s a really exciting wave to ride.

Aim Low operates from your base in Bristol – what are the benefits of being a creative in that city, as opposed to London, which everyone seems to automatically gravitate towards?

I love being in Bristol as I find the city really inspiring. Part of why Aim Low projects are so diverse is also down to the city being so diverse and that being reflected in the city’s creative output. There is something really accessible about the work being produced here that I think helps people feel that there is no barrier to entry when it comes to working as a creative. This is something that I have really come to appreciate more now that we have been showing our work further afield and touring with work.

What were you up to before the theatre shutdown?

As a company the shutdown has really taken away with one hand and given with the other. On one hand we were in the middle of some design and promotional work for another company that is still hoping to launch soon, as well as a live project collaborating with an artist we have worked with before. Both of which have had to be delayed until we are able to get back to functioning more normally. On the other hand we have some larger film projects we have been working on over the past few months, so we have been able to take more time in the pre-production phase. That thankfully has felt like a real luxury – being able to take more time than we would have had lockdown not taken place.

How have you been coping with this new existence of social distancing and staying indoors?

I would be lying if I was to say that it hasn’t been a challenge, but we have been very fortunate to be able to use this time as an opportunity rather than a hindrance. We have also been lucky that a lot of the equipment that we use for podcasts and video production have come in handy when remaining social online. That being said, it definitely feels like we are being held hostage by our internet router and as soon as the lights stop flashing we’ll really be in trouble.

What’s your top tip for other creatives struggling with quarantine life?

The importance of having a routine both daily and weekly is something that over the past few years has proven invaluable and over this period of time has really put me in good stead. This has been as simple as keeping meal times at the same time everyday, waking up at the same time and having clear time set aside for when work should start and stop. It has also been really necessary to keep reminding myself that, although this is an opportunity, it is important not to expect too much of myself either; which I think is a trait a lot of creatives share. There is no need for anyone to be putting extra pressure on themselves in what is already a difficult time.

What’s the first thing you’re going to do once the lockdown is lifted and we’re allowed outdoors again?

The first thing would definitely be a BBQ, I would love to catch up with friends and family over food. But, as great as Bristol is, I have sorely missed being able to travel outside of the city and soak up somewhere different for a while.

What’s next for Aim Low?

In the short term, we have been making changes to the way our podcasts are recorded which people have really engaged with. In the medium term, we are collaborating again with Takyon (the street artist from hero without a face) on his first gallery event incorporating a lot of theatrical elements which we are really excited about. And finally in the long term, before the end of the year, we will begin production on our first feature film project.

What do you love most about the industry, and what frustrates you the most?

I love that collaboration and teamwork are such a big part of the industry. It is the kind of work that when embarked on with others really builds lifelong relationships, that unfortunately aren’t really a part of a lot of other professions. The flip side of that, however, is I really can’t stand the competitive culture of the industry as I really don’t see a reason for it in the time we live in. There is plenty of room in the arts for any kind of expression you want and it has never been easier for your work to be seen by an audience. There are no gatekeepers and people who aren’t currently working with you are not competition.

What advice would you give to fresh-faced Dom from 2013, about to embark on his Aim Low adventure?

Not to be afraid if something has rough edges to it. Both if it has a very raw personal edge to it or being too scared to let your working show through in something that’s finished. There is a really difficult period of time where your own output doesn’t meet your taste but that is not something that I have found an audience has ever really worried about.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions – stay safe and keep washing your hands! 

 

Interviewed by Ryan Mellish

Photography by Domenico

 

 

Find out more about Domenico and Aim Low here:
YouTube – Aim Low
Instagram – @dalopresti
Podcasts – Aim Low Podcast Network
Website – www.aimlowpro.com

 

 

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INTERVIEW WITH

James Ringer-Beck

Actor Composer

Interviews, , ,

James Ringer-Beck

James Ringer-Beck

Actor Composer

Interviewed – April 2020

 

James, you manage to juggle careers in both acting and composing, do you find they compliment each other? Or do you find it challenging to balance the two?

They have their moments! Its definitely opened my eyes more to both sides of the production table, especially when I might start writing six months before the first rehearsal. So my appreciation for all the pre-production work has really grown. The main problem I’ve found has been that composing and arranging takes up so much more time. A self-tape can take an hour, or a morning, but I’ve had days where I’ve only managed to progress a couple of seconds with a composition, which can be maddening at times and when I’m spending that much time writing, altering, re-writing, rendering etc it can leave me little time to pursue other activities. Not that I’m complaining – at last year’s Fringe I appeared in two shows and had written music for a third, all of which happened to be performed in the same venue!

Am I right in thinking, that you have trained to be an actor, but not in composition? How have you found entering both of these fields with different levels of qualifications?

Yes – although I set out to be an actor, I sort of fell into composing by accident. During my studying at East 15, my housemate Robyn Grant asked me to write the music for a piece she was writing, which then became Fat Rascal Theatre’s first show ‘Buzz: A New Musical’. I’ve since composed three musicals with Fat Rascal, and after that, two composing jobs with the Vaults in London and various arranging work for Capital Theatres in Edinburgh and other fringe shows. I’d say getting into composing is harder for me not having a real insight into that side of the industry, especially as I’m coming into it ‘late’.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

My girlfriend – especially recently with everything Covid-related. We live together and I don’t know quite how I would have stayed sane otherwise. She’s got an incredible drive, always pushing herself to be better. And yet somehow she’s almost always willing to listen to anything I’ve written.

Are you finding the connotations of lockdown creatively helpful, or draining?

As with anything, there’s good days and bad days. I’ve personally found it more difficult. There has been a wonderful push of creativity from all corners of the arts, and an equal number of tweets and Facebook posts either saying ‘be productive’ or ‘don’t feel pressured to be productive’. It can feel like there’s a pressure to supply this increased demand which I don’t think is necessarily helpful. Creating art, like the lockdown, is a marathon, not a sprint, and so for artists, I think it’s important to remember that if you don’t feel like creating something, that’s not a failure on your part, it’s just today is not a day for creating.

What is the piece of work that you are most proud of?

Last year I wrote music for a staged production of ‘Alien 3 – The Unfilmed Script’, which is probably about as out there as you could get. It was the first time I was able to create a musical world entirely from scratch and on top of that, was able to create an album of my work.

If you could perform one role, what would it be?

I would love to play Robin in ‘A History of Falling Things’ by James Graham. It’s a beautiful script about two people suffering from keraunothnetophobia – a fear of satellites falling from the sky – who start a relationship despite not being able to leave their houses. The whole script is uplifting and well-written and I fell in love with it the first time I read it.

What piece of advice would you give to people just starting out in their careers in the arts?

Make time for yourself. It can be very easy to spend all your time working to make money to support your artistic career and sometimes, self-care makes all the difference, and makes sure you can actually function as a human being.

What is next for you?

I’m due to be in Blowfish Theatre’s next show, ‘Now That’s What I Call… Getting Brexit Done!’, reprising my role as Boris Johnson. It’s going to be a follow-up to previous satirical musicals ‘Boris the Musical 2: Brexit Harder’ and ‘Now That’s What I Call Brexit’, both of which followed the lead-up and aftermath of the 2016 Brexit referendum. The next show looks to cover the 2019 General Election up to the Coronavirus. Now we just need to be allowed outside to rehearse…

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Stay safe and keep well.

 

Interviewed by Mimi Monteith

Headshots by Paul Nicholas Dyke

 

 

 

Find out more about James here:
Twitter – @JRingerBeck
Soundcloud – James Ringer-Beck
Website – www.jamesringer-beck.com

 

 

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