Canadian-Italian filmmaker Tamara Black chatted about directing the short film “The After School Club.” She is also a writer, producer, and director.
Black opened up about exploring mental health, trauma, and friendship through the female lens.
What inspired you to direct “The After School Club”?
Alex Love Kink (writer and cast) and I knew we wanted to collaborate on something – the tricky part was deciding what that would be. We created presentations for one another on topics we wanted to explore as filmmakers and aligned on several themes.
From there, Alex (who is always a wealth of ideas) came up with five loglines that we ranked and started developing the top two concepts with the intent of applying for grants.
We gravitated towards the Canada Arts Council because they are very artist focused and their intake questions allowed us to explain our intent behind making this film.
We wanted to approach a political satire from a YA drama lens, in a way that felt as high stakes as a real political race. We also delve into emotional regulation and how it’s perceived across social classes.
Certain characters are allowed to get away with certain things and their positioning in the school hierarchy affects this.
We came up with three really fun characters to put at odds with each other, and an ensemble of supporting characters to represent different high school archetypes (with our own twist). This made casting really fun – the performances in this film are incredible.
In your work, can you talk about the importance of exploring mental health, trauma and friendship through the female lens?
A unique part of filmmaking is having the ability to fully realize a world that only exists in your head. A lot of content I consumed growing up made me feel less weird and less alone, and that’s one of the reasons I was drawn to this art form.
I’m sure a lot of people can relate to this, but for someone with an anxious/overthinking brain, filmmaking is the best kind of storytelling.
A way to spin your negative experiences into something that may inspire others. For me, a good idea always starts with a question. I like using art to unpack things that perplex me or take a deeper look at things I’m afraid of.
If something is sticking in my brain that makes me uncomfortable or insecure, I try to grab on to that and discover why. From there, the possibilities are endless –with characters, scenarios and worlds you can build to exemplify what you’re feeling.
What did this short film teach you about yourself?
This project reiterated for me how important trust is in any team endeavour, and especially in filmmaking.
With a lot of my previous projects, I would wear multiple hats or save time by doing certain things myself, which is pretty standard for indie filmmaking.
With “The After School Club,” I wanted to challenge myself to step back and focus on directing. We had such an incredible producer team (Olivia Flanagan, Maria Miloshevych, Jessica To and Sam Buzza) that allowed me to focus more on the creative aspects as opposed to logistical. That, and a phenomenal AD team (1st Carl Figueiredo and 2nd Kate Kologryva).
We really took time finding our HODs, and everyone understood the vision from the onset.
My rule is always: stress in prep so you can have fun on the day. Or at least have energy to better tackle the many unexpected challenges that indie sets will throw at you.
Since my team was so efficient, it allowed me to focus on the more creative and introspective parts of the process. I think telling this story allowed me to close a chapter of my life in a way.
High school was a complicated time for me, as it was for a lot of us, and exploring the identity struggles and moral dilemmas the characters faced in this film allowed me to reflect on a lot of my own experiences.
What do your plans for the future include?
I’m really enjoying balancing both producing and directing right now. I have a lot of projects in each realm that I’m excited about, including three new comedy specials that I’m producing with Director Brent Hodge.
I feel the whole concept of embracing different roles didn’t really click with me until this past year. Being a good filmmaker is not linear and there are many pathways to your “dream” career.
In the next few years, I’d like to direct an episode of television and produce a feature.
How does it feel to be a filmmaker and creative in the digital age?
There are certainly many challenges with the way technology is progressing and the lack of guardrails surrounding different advancements. In any role, I think it’s always important to think critically about your process and constantly iterate.
It feels daunting sometimes – we’re in an age where you can access information and be in contact with someone at almost any time.
While there are a lot of positive uses for technology, it’s also important to block out the noise and just go sit at a coffee shop with a journal sometimes.
How do you use technology in your daily routine?
These day, I think most of us are using tech 24/7, whether we like it or not. I don’t want to ever feel consumed by technology, but I like the organization it can provide in a meaningful way.
Anyone who knows me knows that if something isn’t in my calendar, it doesn’t exist – to the point where I (perhaps) overuse it. I love certain apps for habit tracking as well.
I’ll also separate my creative and professional endeavors into different tools for efficiency, so that I’m more dialed in on whichever area I’m working on. With many different projects and clients, you have to make sure you’re allocating your time effectively.
I’m all about color coding, tracking and using whatever tools feel right. I also almost always have AirPods in, which I should probably reevaluate.
What is your advice for young and aspiring filmmakers?
Consistency is key. There’s no single “right” way to navigate this business – it’s about staying true to your values and doing what feels right for you.
I try to stay open to inspiration –especially when it comes from unexpected places – and I’ve learned to say yes to the things that scare me and embrace the challenges that come with them.
Growth also means learning how to have difficult conversations and setting boundaries when necessary.
I’ve found that trusting your intuition is always important – when something doesn’t feel right, there’s usually a reason.
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
I love this question. In short – whatever you want it to. I like to look at things on a micro and macro level.
A successful day for me is one where I learn something new, spend my time and energy on projects that both excite and challenge me, and do so in a sustainable way where I don’t burn out.
Thinking longer term, I’d love to continue using both my directing and producing skills on larger scale projects and break into Television directing.
On the producing side, I hope to continue collaborating with creatives I admire and telling impactful, funny stories with heart.
What would you like to tell our readers about the short movie “The After School Club”? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
Everything feels larger than life in high school. Your relationship to success and achievement doesn’t define you or your value as a person.
To learn more about Tamara Black, follow her on Instagram and visit her official website.
