Dom Provost-Chalkley on MAGIC: Writing, Directing & Songs

Q and A

What inspired you to write and direct the MAGIC Short Film?

So I have been working on the feature film for three years. A producer sent me an email out of the blue asking me if I'd ever thought about writing and or directing a film. I had never. This was not on the agenda. But it just so happened that it timed out that I had been exploring storytelling a little bit over the course of that week and editing someone else's script. I thought, you know what, give it a go, say yes, figure it out later. And so I've been developing a feature film for the past three years. So what you see with MAGIC is a sneak peek at some of the themes and the energy of what it is that I've been working on.

Why set the story in London and why a single night meeting?

I knew it needed to be filmed in London because the contacts that we had access to were all based in London. I had my two main characters that I'd been developing for a few years. How about we start with that and we make them meet in London for one night only? I quite liked the concept of them crossing paths. I seem to have had loads of those experiences in my life, which probably is like no surprise because I'm that kind of person that just ends up having these weird and wonderful magical moments with people. It felt like an opportunity to explore that and the two characters within that context.

How did a memory by the Thames inspire a scene in the MAGIC Short Film?

I had a memory of my own experience when I was on a date in London, where I used to do those fancy parties with champagne and canapés. At the end of the evening, I used to bring Tupperware boxes and fill up with all of the food that people hadn't eaten because I didn't want it to go to waste. I had half a bottle of wine and I was ready to go. We ended up going down by the Thames and then had the experience of the tide coming in and us being stuck and not being able to go out. It was one of the funniest moments I had in London. I wanted there to be comedy elements in it. Comedy is an amazing way to pass deeper messages. Then it all started to make sense. Like Jo could lose her phone as a result of the tide, which would then help me to feed in some of the themes that I've been exploring in the future. It kind of wrote itself from there.

How did you approach writing and placing original songs in the MAGIC Short Film?

That was actually a big piece to why, when Louise reached out to ask if I had ever thought about doing writing film, she had said that she wanted to write a film with music. That was a request and she knew that I was a songwriter. I've been writing music since I was 15, in my bedroom behind closed doors. It's the form of expression that feels like the most vulnerable for me and yet the thing that actually lights me up the most. I felt like it was a great opportunity to put my music into a film, have a vehicle to get my music out there and actually push me to get some of those songs over the line.

The song at the end was written for the feature, but we decided to put it in the short because it fit with Taylor on the bus driving off and it brought that really filmic kind of energy. The beginning song that Taylor writes also was written for it. The other two songs sandwiched in between are from my catalogue of songs. I revisited them and changed some of the lyrics to make them fit even better. All of the lyrics are timed exactly to the story that's going on. I really geek out about how music sets the tone in film and how a good soundtrack elevates a project.

Was a feature always the plan or did the MAGIC Short Film come first?

The feature was always the plan. We had talked about who was going to direct the feature because I'd never directed before. I thought, I can't direct a feature film. Then Louise started talking about doing a short film so I could give directing a go, see if I liked the process, and have something to show people so we could fundraise and give a taster of what was in my head. It was a great idea because I realized through doing it that I actually really enjoy directing. It feels like the natural next step because you imagine it all in your head as you're writing it. Because it's so close to my heart and there are so many personal elements with the music how I want it to tie in, it felt right to pluck up the courage to do something new and give it a go.

How will the story and characters evolve in the feature?

There's only so much you can tell in 15 minutes. It's a real challenge to introduce characters, have action happen, and make people feel invested without much context. I'm excited to explore their backstories, why they are the way they are, and where MAGIC is going. We get little glimpses in the short that we expand on in the future. Jo is at an interesting time in her life where she has a little mini awakening at the end when she's not on her phone and all the synchronicities happen. When we meet her in the future, she goes on an amazing journey of exploration of herself as a result. I want to dig into the messy nature of life and human beings and the complexities that come with that.

How did Taylor Hickson become Jo and what did she bring to the MAGIC Short Film?

Taylor brought so much likability to the role. That was something I knew we needed but I didn't realize how much until Taylor embodied Jo. Jo is so relatable. Many people are addicted to their phones and social media. I've been both Jo and MAGIC. I wrote Jo from a real place of understanding because that was 100 percent me. Jo could be triggering and a little frustrating, but Taylor has this sweet innocence about her and so much likeability and kindness that you just fall in love with Jo. I gave her creative freedom to build the character. She sent Pinterest boards and screenshots of people Jo might look up to. It was a joy to bounce off her and develop the character together. Jo became someone I hadn't imagined until she added her magic to it.

What was your intention around casting queer actors or allies?

At the beginning I felt passionate about casting a queer actor. It wasn't quite aligning and I didn't find who was supposed to play Jo. Then the casting director brought Taylor and when I watched her talk about playing a queer character in Motherland, the way she spoke resonated so deeply. She got it in such a deep way that it shifted my perspective. I also started realizing that a strong ally playing a queer character can be almost just as important. The minute I saw her it felt like it was always supposed to be Taylor. I can't imagine anyone else playing Jo.

What was it like to act in a story that you also wrote and directed?

It was a lot. There were many hats and I learned a lot about myself. It was terrifying the idea of acting in it and directing it because I hadn't done directing before. How am I going to switch between the two? Once I realized I was able to do it, there was a flip to like, okay, you can do this. We can be our own worst enemies telling ourselves we can't do something. When you break through that and realize you actually did do it, it's proof that anything is possible in a way. It was empowering.

What surprised you most while directing your first short film?

I discovered directing is a lot about building relationships and trust with your collaborators. I'm passionate about creating safe spaces and environments. I wanted everyone to feel valued and that we were part of a team. Every single role is needed for it to work. Earlier in my career I went into the belly of the beast in the capitalist making-something-for-profit world and I experienced how destructive that can be. I care about doing things differently from the foundation and about leading from a place of kindness and seeing the person behind the role. If I'm going to be in the film industry, I want to encourage people to create safe environments and not always put business first but think about our humanity.

Any standout behind-the-scenes moments from the MAGIC Short Film shoot?

The actual filming was three days. Working with the tides was a real thing. We considered superimposing the water but decided to work with the tides. It tied into a theme of the short about being in touch with the natural cycles of the earth and being less hooked to devices. The moments you see with Taylor and I laughing were real. We had two shots to get that jumping over thing with the water before it came up and it was going to be dangerous if we stayed. Taylor was game and she genuinely got stuck. Everything you see is totally real. We literally had soggy feet for the entire night as we kept shooting until 5 a.m. It was ridiculous and hilarious and totally worth it.

There was also a moment on the bus at the end when she looks around and, by pure serendipity, the shot we used showed a sign reading you belong here in pink writing. She literally turns and it says you belong here in pink writing. You can't write that. It was one of those magical moments that you cannot recreate.

What themes are you hoping MAGIC sparks in conversation?

I hope it finds the people it's supposed to find. I wrote something authentic to my experience and my journey and hope there's an audience it resonates with. I hope it opens conversation and honest reflection about our relationships to tech and the impacts of that. One blessing was that an actor who plays the houseless guy read the script and then went online to learn about what is happening in the Congo. That felt like affirmation. The genocide in the Congo is often spoken about as a silent genocide because people don't know much about it. It's fueling big tech businesses. If the story opens conversations around that, that would be a massive gift. I also hope it encourages people to intentionally disconnect from the online world sometimes and connect to each other and the natural world. More than anything, I want people to have a good time and feel seen through characters.

How can people support the development of the feature version of MAGIC?

We are fundraising for the feature. If you're interested in supporting the development of the feature, you can go to makingmagic.pictures. You can spread the word, share it with your friends, talk about it, and generate community support and energy. If you are able to donate any teeny tiny little thing, it will be so gratefully received and will go directly towards making the feature. We will be launching a fundraiser soon with goodies and things that might be of interest. Keep your eyes out.

What moments of support have meant the most so far?

It has consistently surprised me that people want to support this project. It's humbling and amazing to have it out and to hear people say it resonated or that they want to see more of these characters. We did an event in London for fundraising and witnessed fandoms colliding. At the end of that day on the boat we all stood on the top deck, held hands under the stars, thanked everyone, and did a prayer for MAGIC. The energy was generous and present. It felt like a massive big hug of support. People believe in the project in a way that feels like another whimsical dream.

Final thoughts from us

If you want to support the feature or hear more from Dom and the team, visit makingmagic.pictures and follow for updates.

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Until next time, hydrate for Lesbian Jesus and gay it up all over the place!

We sat down with Dom Provost-Chalkley to talk about the MAGIC Short Film, the leap from short to feature, and the surprising, serendipitous process of making something that feels, well, magical. This piece is written from our episode and collects Dom’s answers straight from our conversation, cleaned for clarity and presented here in full.