THANK YOU SHOOTERS 💛
After 27 years, the Shooting People community, founded by Cath Le Couteur, Jess Search and Stu Tily, has now wrapped.
Thank you to the thousands of filmmakers and creatives who made extraordinary work here over the years, and for building such a generous, open-hearted space of collaboration, advice, invention, playfulness, grit and community.
We’ve kept a couple of key things online for anyone who’d still like to use them:
- Resources: A handpicked list of fantastic organisations out there building spaces, offering support, and helping all kinds of independent work thrive.
- Funds and Opportunities: list of funds, schemes and opportunities for filmmakers developing new work.
- Short Film Highlights: Award-winning New Shoots shorts from the community, available to watch.
Keep making the work.
Keep backing each other.
Onwards, always.
Cath & Stu, SP
Stephen Woolley
(Oscar-nominated Director/Producer - The Crying Game, Carol)“Whenever I turned up at an event over the 27 years, I was always struck by the enthusiasm and passionate good-natured revelry that was fostered. It was closer to the atmosphere of a punk gig rather than a filmmaker gathering. Shooting People were unique in our industry for their inclusive tenacity, and will be missed by a generation who will never know them.”
Suzie Davies
(Oscar-winning Production Designer - Saltburn, Conclave)“I did my first feature film via Shooting People. I found a post wanting a production designer in 2008. It was a fantastic young team… you didn’t have the heavy responsibility of a Disney or a Netflix behind you and that was immensely freeing.”
Alice Lowe
(Actor/Writer/Director - Prevenge, Hot Fuzz, Sightseers)“Shooting People helped me connect with other creatives when I had no access to the industry. It made me feel less alone. That kind of community is invaluable.”
Lanre Malaolu
(Director - The Circle)“The support and exposure from Shooting People has been brilliant, a creative platform that genuinely nurtures filmmakers.”
Christine Vachon
on shooter Duncan Raitt’s Ant & Len(Oscar-nominated Producer - Far From Heaven, Carol, Boys Don’t Cry)
“Extremely sophisticated visually. The animation is seamless and looks great. A very cute short that manages to effectively tell a story despite being under two minutes in length. Well done!”
Asif Kapadia
(Director/Writer/Producer - Senna, Amy, The Warrior)“When Shooting People started in 1998, I was fresh out of film school and like many was searching for a film community. I was there in the early days, in the audience at Q&As, at gatherings in pubs, screenings of shorts, I was on the stage talking about filmmaking. There were books, panels, masterclasses, parties, essentially film-related raves! It was always fun, a community, a fantastic ‘just do it’ vibe, which came from above, from the people running Shooting People.”
Rich Peppiatt
(BAFTA-winning Director/Writer/Producer - Kneecap)“I’ve been a Shooting People member for a very long time. Having sat in these events before listening to so many great filmmakers, I’m very proud to be able to feedback and help others now myself.”
Jack Thorne
(Emmy-winning Writer/Producer - Adolescence, Wonder)“My first short was crewed through Shooting People and it went to Sundance. I loved being part of shooters, I’m gutted to see it go.”
René Lorraine
(Director)“Though I love making documentaries, I have never really watched them, and Shooting People helped inform my filmmaking practice as it showed me some of the best documentaries in the UK and beyond – allowing me to see what these filmmakers are doing and take notes! It changed my perspective.”
Werner Herzog
on shooter Pinny Grylls’ Peter and Ben(Director/Writer/Producer/Actor - Fitzcarraldo, Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Grizzly Man)
“Peter found a new born lamb abandoned in a ditch. ‘Ben’ is now a full-grown sheep with ambitions to move into Peter's house with him… This short film Peter and Ben has a wonderful human touch to it.”
Tiggy Bayley
(Actor/Writer/Director)“I love SP and its community. I’ve been a member since I made my first ever short film. In a world that’s increasingly individualised, it’s so important to feel a part of our communities. I’ve made so many SP friends who have been with me on my journey, from sound recordists, to composers to colourists. I can see how my work has improved over the years.”
Amber Akauna
(Director)“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know other filmmakers. Talking about work we've done in the past, our hopes for our careers as well as share thoughts on films we’ve seen. I feel like I have made lasting connections.”
Danny Boyle
on Shooter Kate Sullivan’s Walk Tall(Director/Writer/Producer - Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, 127 Hours)
“Re-invents the public information film, and improved my daily posture, through perfect unison of character and form. As George would say, ‘Well, there we are’. Quite wonderful.”
Christoph Warrack
(Producer)“As a young independent filmmaker, discovering Shooting People was like stumbling off the windblown heath and into an online / offline glastonbury of likeminded folk – collaborators, supporters, mavericks, party people and fellow makers. I crewed every film I made over 11 years with Shooters' help, and many of those I then produced through Open Cinema. Despite everything the art form and its dysfunctional industry could throw at us, the fires were lit in the hearts of countless thousands of filmmakers. Undying love and green shoots.”