Executive producer Adam Thal says he knew he wanted to be in the business of filmmaking at the age of six. Since then Thal has achieved colossal success executive producing commercials in particular. He founded The Star Film Company over 14 years ago and is currently in the process of producing his first feature film through the company.
Describe the moment you knew you wanted to work in film and television?
I know it sounds clichéd but when I was about six I watched E.T. and I immediately fell in love with filmmaking. I took my dad’s handicam and would make home videos of everything. It followed me into primary school and then high school until I found out I could make a career out of it, and then pursued my passion as a business. It was only at AFDA that I found my passion in the production of the 30 second spot.
What exactly does the job of an executive producer entail?
The term executive producer in film is very different to executive producer in commercials, and so at present my role entails representing and marketing my stable of directors to advertising agencies around the country. I am also responsible for making sure the right teams work on the right jobs at the right time. I oversee my line producers on each project and try and put out fires wherever necessary. In this game you are only as good as your last job, so it’s extremely important to keep the quality and service level as high as possible every time.
As someone who produces both film and commercials, which do you prefer and why?
Commercials have taken over my life and the film side has taken a back seat, but with that said, I absolutely love commercial production. Every project is so different to the next one that we are always learning and exploring new things, places and people. Not many careers take you to Russia, Egypt, Kenya and Los Angeles to work.
You founded The Star Film Company, tell us what led to the making of the company?
I was sitting in a producing lecture in my honours year at AFDA, and my late business partner and I decided that we wanted to open a production house that didn’t follow the normal mould. We were young, energetic and hungry to turn the commercials industry on its head. We were very naive at the time, but I guess now with a company over 14 years old we did something right!?
What has been the biggest challenge in your career to date?
Probably when my late business partner Ryan Poole sadly passed away in a car accident in 2007. I hit a point where I was contemplating closing down the company or continuing in his honour. Luckily that’s when Tristan Holmes became my business partner and we decided to push on even harder in Ryan’s honour. It was the hardest time that led to an exciting rollercoaster ride.
What has been your career highlight(s) to date?
Being able to shoot in some of the most interesting places in the world. Some of our commercials have taken us to Russia, Los Angeles, Egypt, Kenya, Ghana and hopefully many more exciting places to come.
If you could have one filmmaking superpower, what would it be and why?
Hmm, I think filmmaking in general is a superpower. As producers we constantly feel like we are saving the world. Without the latest burger offering or the exciting insurance plan, what would people do?
What is your dream shoot location?
I would normally say an exotic island like Maldives but the logistics of shooting in a place like that would be a HUGE headache so my most ideal place to shoot, that has the infrastructure, would be Prague or somewhere else in Eastern Europe. Hollywood was a big bucket list location to shoot in and I got the opportunity to shoot there in February this year which was a great dream come true.
If you could remake any Hollywood classic with an African twist, which would it be and why?
I would definitely remake FAME because having gone to AFDA for four years and been on a campus with wannabe filmmakers and performers, I noticed the talent we have in this country that doesn’t get to shine. I am also a HUGE fan of musicals, and FAME with a South African musical twist in a South African setting would be amazing!
Who are your mentors? Why them?
One of my first mentors in this game was Deon Opperman. As one of the forefathers of AFDA he used to take Ryan and myself aside and give us one on one lectures. He was inspirational and one of the biggest motivations in us going out and doing our own thing. In life my biggest mentor is my father who has always guided me and in a non-pushing way led me on a track of running a successful business. He also backed me when I decided that I wanted to pursue Film Production as a business.
What advice do you have for young people wanting to follow in your career footsteps?
Follow your dreams and if you have enough passion, devotion and drive to being a success, then nothing will stand in your way. Also enjoy the rollercoaster rides. My wife gave me the best saying in life which sticks with me every day in business, “You have to experience the tough times in order to really appreciate the good times!”
Three people, dead or alive, that you would love to invite to dinner?
I always wanted to appear on the Oprah Show but then she cancelled the show, so I would definitely have her for dinner. I have had the privilege of having Harry Belafonte over at my house for dinner already, which was an incredible evening and lastly I would invite Steven Spielberg as his films were instrumental in my career path.
If you weren’t working in television what would you be doing?
That’s a hard one. I did drop out of Electrical Engineering to pursue my career in Production, so I would probably be doing something in that field or definitely something in computers, as I love all aspects of computers and programming language.
What next for Adam Thal?
We are currently in talks of producing our first feature film through The Star Film Company. So that’s an exciting new venture. On the sidelines, as a hobby, I’m hoping to complete my Private Pilot’s License this year, so if producing doesn’t work out for me, perhaps Kulula will hire me?!
