Interviews
MYCOMEUP Meets Young UK Film Director Sebastian Thiel
Jemima Hunter
May 17, 2021
Thirty year-old Sebastian Thiel is a growing writer, director and producer, who focuses mostly on documentaries and comedy. We’ve had the chance to catch up with Thiel about how he started out in the industry to how he’s progressed to the multi-award-winning position he stands in today. Recently, Thiel directed ‘Dreaming Whilst Black’ a half an hour comedy drama that follows a character named Kwabena’s job in recruitment, that co-insides with general racial ignorance from his colleagues and personal life, with an aim to succeed as a filmmaker.
It was not always an aspiration of Thiel’s to be in the film and media industry ‘I kind of fell into it’ the director exclaimed, as he mentioned that basketball was the initial dream, originally desiring to be an NBA player. When the sponsor pulled out of his basketball team, Thiel transitioned his energy into trying a new job prospect in graphic design. ‘I started doing T- shirts like having like some cool funny slogans on T shirts.’
Upshot Entertainment started in 2008, following an advertisement for Thiel’s T-shirts, where he videoed many comedic, thought-provoking episodes of Upshot Clothing being reviewed by rappers and artists. A particular comedy sketch started to gain attention quickly and later went viral, which was when Thiel questioned if he should change his career.
‘I think YouTube was a massive platform for me. I think I wouldn’t be where I am today, if it wasn’t for that platform on YouTube and being able to put out content and have just create an audience myself.’ Thiel mentioned that comedy is one of his favourite genres to work in ‘where the lines are a bit blurred.’
Born in Zambia, Thiel believes his upbringing influenced his work in the media industry ‘I think just that upbringing and those family values or African values, I would say, or Zambia values or that culture definitely played a part in who I am today.’ Being raised with certain Zambian influences, Thiel exclaimed ‘I do think it played a part into what I liked and what I found funny.’
When directing ‘Dreaming Whilst Black’, Thiel wanted to honour a journey in Adjani Salmon’s words and the previous web series that had been re-worked to produce the show. ‘So for me, the message was already in the work. And it was for me to kind of amplify that through a visual tone, style music, how it looks. And, and also grounding it in reality, and trying to not make it too loud in a comedy where it doesn’t feel right.’
After looking at feedback on Twitter, Thiel explored how people interpreted the storyline and general atmosphere of the BBC show in terms of things that people of colour might go through in the workplace, how to balance a nine to five and how scary it is to approach someone you might like. ‘Everyone can kind of pull what they want from it.’
With plans to commission the season with the BBC, Thiel wishes to enhance his career by learning more and aiming to produce more feature films. His advice to aspiring directors, ‘I would say, just to continue, don’t stop creating. I think that the more you create, the more you know, people see your work, they’ll understand what you’re about, the more you will attract opportunities.’
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