Filmmaker Marcus Lyall creates visuals for concerts – he has worked with The Rolling Stones, Oasis and Bon Jovi, and co-produced The Chemical Brothers' concert film, Don't Think. Here, he tells us why he can't work without team spirit and Turkish kebabs...
Full name/age/job title:
Marcus Lyall, 40, Partner at ML Studio.
What does your job involve?
Directing, designing, writing, organising, researching and briefing.
Five things you couldn’t work without...
1. Uniball Eye Micro pen.
We order these in bulk. They all get stolen by our freelancers and clients. We order more, like Barclays. It just feels right. The way the ink runs. Nice grip. Once you get used to them, there is no substitute. I only use black ones, but there are other colours in the Viking catalogue. Like Kubrick, I am a stationery fan. Apparently he used to hang out in Ryman’s all the time. Ever seen his index card system? Every aspect of whole feature films planned out on little cards. Very inspiring.
2. Lamb shish from Mangal Ockabasi, Hackney.
Maybe not so much now. But our last studio was bang next door to this esteemed Turkish eaterie. So close in fact that the charcoal dust from their chimney used to coat our work tables and bung up our computers. We used to eat Friday lunch there religiously. Working on the [Chemical Brothers’] Further DVD, we ordered so many kebabs from there that we gave them the catering credit. A Hackney legend still beating off the stiff competition. Important for the next item.
3. Team spirit.
You can’t hope to do it all yourself. It’s just impossible. We have wonderful people here who we try to keep very happy. We ask a lot when the going gets hard, so having a great atmosphere is important.
Late starts. Red wine. Mid-afternoon chocolate treats. Pep talks. Group hugs. Occasional croissants. Nice seating. We all eat lunch together every day. We spend a lot of time doing this stuff, so we try to make things as enjoyable as possible.
4. Adobe After Effects.
I’ve been using this app for 18 years now. Sad but true. For everything from storyboarding to animation. We’re making billboard posters with it at the moment. Not the quickest or the cleverest thing out there these days.
It’s shaped the way we do projects. Not always for the better. When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. But it’s nice having somewhere where you can turn on some music and sink into a semi-autonomous state for an hour or two. Quite soothing after a long conference call.
5. Internet forums.
Very geeky, I know. I am constantly amazed by the special interest groups out there, and the knowledge they have. There are people who collect police-issue torches, for instance. They have a forum. You never know when that bit of knowledge will be needed, but when you do, someone will have an opinion on it already. A constant aid to procrastination. My favourites are “time management” forums. Spending time on forums discussing time management. A true paradox.
Don’t Think is out in cinemas tonight only. Find out more, and visit ML Studio’s website.
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