Arcade Content co-founder, the multi-talented Will Nicholson chats to Screen Africa about how he got his start in the industry, the highs and lows of producing, his current passion project, and the constant battle between his creative and business sides…
What is your background and how has it shaped your career?
Since quite a young age I’ve been torn between my creative and my business sides. The one bullies me when I pursue the other, so I seem to be a slave to trying to make both of them work. I suppose this has led me to producing, which is a curious balance of the two.
What are you currently working on?
On the commercial side of things, an exciting campaign for a major international brand that I wish I could tell you more about, but I had to sign an NDA. On the passion side a science fiction short film that explores the impacts that technology might have in making our base reality indistinguishable from computer simulations.
What’s a day in the life of Will Nicholson like?
I snooze at least three times before getting up, scroll through Twitter while I eat breakfast, and then get stuck into what the day has for me. Being a producer makes it hard to chip away consistently at long-term goals, because when production commences on a big project you generally have to drop everything until after the shoot. But I try my best to keep focused on the long term and not just the urgent. I like to end the day with a few lengths in the pool, a beer with the boys, or a YouTube marathon with my lovely girlfriend.
As one of the founding members of Arcade Content tell us what led to the making of the company?
I approached the managing director of Egg, Colin Howard, with the idea of a branded content arm of Egg Films and it turned out he had been entertaining the same idea for some time. This was aligned with the thinking of our third partner, the brilliant Lebogang Rasethaba, so we combined our skills and resources to painstakingly create something the three of us are really proud of.
If you could with work with one director, local or international, who would it be and why them?
I’ve had a creative crush on AG Rojas since he burst onto the scene early this decade. His work is weird, uneasy and I don’t know of many other directors who have succeeded as well in navigating both commercial work and passion projects. On the local front, if I start listing the directors I admire I’ll inevitably forget someone and hurt their feelings, but I count myself lucky to work with Kyle Lewis – watch this kid, he’s only getting warmed up!
In addition to producing, you direct and write short films in your free time. Which of the three do you enjoy most, producing, writing or directing?
This is a question I grapple with every day of my life – again that Jekyll-and-Hyde battle between creativity and business. I think I might have the biggest aptitude for producing, especially in the commercial setting, where directing is to a large extent about how much your “vibe” resonates with a broader audience. However, my next short is an experiment in pushing myself into more commercial territory as a director.
To date, you have predominantly worked on commercials and short films. Any plans for a feature in the future?
Maybe. I’ve watched several friends go through the long haul of development and financing hell and I have immense respect for them, but I can’t say it’s made me fired up to do the same. I’m also not currently in the position to take an extended sabbatical required to do a feature properly. Say what you want, but money is a factor.
What’s the toughest part of your job?
The stress is pretty hardcore. If you can’t handle pressure then producing really isn’t for you.
What has been your career highlight(s) to date?
In the three years since we kicked off Arcade I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with several amazing agencies, clients and crew, but on a pure enjoyment level my highlight was producing 011 Beats for VW via our friends at Ogilvy, with Kyle Lewis directing. It was three consecutive nights of shooting in downtown Joburg, in the dead of winter, flying drones and even locking off Nelson Mandela Bridge to get some epic shots. Couldn’t have done it without our incredible production team.
Do you have any local mentors? Why them?
I’m lucky to have a few but in the film space it’s definitely my partner at Arcade, Colin Howard, who is also the MD of our sister company Egg Films. His focus and consistency is mind blowing.
How do you stay inspired?
I don’t. Someone told me years ago that inspiration is an unreliable muse, so I don’t wait for her/him anymore. But you can do things to lure inspiration into your life: seek out unusual experiences and savour the creative work of those around you.
What advice do you have for young people wanting to follow in your career footsteps?
Firstly and most importantly, unless you’re really in love with the medium rather do something else. Film is fun but tough.
Secondly, learn from the best. Don’t start by chasing a pay cheque – that will come. My entrance into the industry involved five months of an unpaid internship at a production house that didn’t need me, while I worked six shifts a week at a restaurant to cover my rent until I eventually got a stipend. If you can delay leaving the nest while you get your foot in the door, take advantage of mom and dad’s kindness!
Finally, try as quickly as possible to do the thing you want to do. Don’t get stuck in assisting or interning for too long if that’s not what you want: it’s good for a year or three but after that you need to find ways to take on the mantle you’re aspiring towards. If you want to be a focus puller, then you must pull focus!
What do you attribute your success to?
100 per cent privilege, luck and support from family and friends. 100 per cent hard work, focus and determination. 100 per cent trying to constantly learn from those around me.
What next for Will Nicholson?
I need to make that damn short film!
If you weren’t working in film, you would be…?
Probably somewhere in advertising, with a strong attraction towards the digital frontier. Or maybe I would have studied business science and tried to work for a consultancy, like a career advisor advised me to do when I was seventeen. To this day I find myself wondering what that parallel life might have looked like…
