I had the pleasure of chatting with Denise Alder last year about how she got into film and specifically directing and commercials.

She studied at Central St Martins and is a director I've worked with for years, since the early days of Cherryduck. Always very experimental and understandably, given her art background. She's worked at some great places such as Rankin & Karmarama  and tonight her debut documentary Rodney Ps Jazz Funk goes out on BBC 4. How far she's come!

In this episode I speak to top lads and directing team Dan + Crinan (The Queen) about their approach to practical effects and how they achieve such wizardry!  They've certainly got the work to prove it.  

 They explain how they met, ways of working and surviving a prison stint (a case of mistaken identity) whilst doing a recce in the Middle East, not something you learn at film school I suspect!? 

Dan and Crinan AKA The Queen are geniuses with practical effects. The directing duo also has some insight into prison conditions in the UAE which is not for the faint-hearted. 

Richard gives us his pearls of wisdom about transitioning from a stills photographer into the world of directing, and mighty fine pearls they are too.