Adam Deacon has had a fantastic 2012 as he moved between movies and TV as well picking up the Rising Star Award at the Baftas.
He is now throwing his weight behind the Industry Trust for IP Awareness’s ‘Moment’s Worth Paying For’ campaign in a bid to highlight the damage of piracy.
We caught up with him to chat about the campaign, the year he has had and what lies ahead.
- You are supporting a new anti-piracy campaign so can you tell me a little bit about it and how you got involved?
I was involved in the Industry Trust for IP Awareness’s Moments Worth Paying For campaign a couple of years ago and they asked me to come back and join them for the latest phase of it - when I heard what the idea was and how it was created by young people for young people, I said yes.
The idea for the new campaign was created by a couple of design students who were briefed to ‘tackle piracy in the film, TV and video industry’.
These two students came up with an amazing idea to showcase the value that you get from films by using the symbol of a receipt and that was then turned into an online quiz.
There are 10 films in the quiz - each has three clues, and each clue represents some ‘value’ that you get from that film. One of the films that features in the quiz was put forward by me - This Is England - it’s a favourite of mine.
- If you could send out a message to people to stop illegally downloading movies and go to the cinema what would you say?
To be honest, it’s a tricky message to get out there. I didn’t truly understand the impact of people accessing illegal downloads of films or TV shows until I started making my own films.
I’d literally have my producer saying to me 'if we don’t make the money back on this one, we won’t be making another film.; So if you’re a film fan, and want to see more movies getting made, you have to support the scene.
It needs to make their money back that they’ve invested in to make more films. I point my fans to FindAnyFilm.com because you can search for films in whatever format from cinema to DVD, Blu-ray and online and know they’re all above board. It’s a very clear and easy way to find any film.
- What more do you feel needs to be done to tackle this problem because it does have such a detrimental effect on the film industry?
In the UK film industry, it’s such a small circuit, it needs all the help it can get, so really it’s about putting the message out there to support the scene.
If Anuvahood didn’t get to where it did in the rankings, we wouldn’t be able to make another film. It’s about changing attitudes and cultures and making people want to pay that money.
The Moments Worth Paying For campaign seems to get the message out to young people, so if I can use my name to get the message out there I will.
- 2012 has been another great year for you as you have juggled movie and TV work as well as picking up the BAFTA Rising Star Award so how would you sum up your year?
It’s been an amazing year. The support that I’ve had and the recognition that the industry gave me with the BAFTA win.
Thank you again to all the supporters, it feels amazing. That’s why I do this, it’s the support that you get. But yeah, it’s been an amazing year.
- You made your directorial debut last year with Anuvahood so what directing plans do you have in the pipeline?
Literally right now we’re in the process of writing a new film. I just can’t wait to get the writing done, to get back on set.
I can’t tell you too much about it, but just to let you know, me and Michael Vu [the co-writer of Anuvahood] are working on it.
- You’ve worked in TV and movies over the past year so how do the two mediums compare?
I think film is a lot more, kind of intense. TV can be a lot more organised sometimes, it’s a lot more relaxed.
Whereas film, you tend to have to do quite a lot in quite a short time. I find TV can be a bit more laid back. They’re totally different, but I really enjoy doing both.
- Many of the films that you have done so far have been UK based so are there any plans to take on the U.S.?
What I’d like to do is merge the two, what we’ve been doing here in the UK and what they do in America.
That’s kind of what I’m in the process of doing at the moment, something that merges the American culture and the UK culture. As my Twitter followers say #HackneyToHollywood.
- Finally what is next for you going into 2013?
A lot of me getting deadlines done basically. There’s so much I want to do this year, the hardest thing is getting it all done together.
So a lot of writing and directing and music. We’ve just put a track out there called ‘Soldier’, so expect a lot of music out there too.
Adam Deacon is an ambassador for the Industry Trust for IP Awareness’s ‘Moment’s Worth Paying For’ campaign.
To find out more about the campaign, and to try your hand at a quiz that tests your knowledge of 10 iconic films, visit www.facebook.com/FindAnyFilm
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