Now Then Talks

In this episode, we chat with writer and director Rosie May Bird Smith about comedy, creativity, and carving out your own path. From agency life to filmmaking, Rosie talks about finding her voice and the story behind her new short, Egg Timer. Hope you enjoy. ROSIE may bird smith is a British comedy writer & director with a strong, unique style and ability to blend humour with heart.’In 2025 Bird Smith was named Director to Watch by Ad Age’s Creativity Awards, following her earlier recognition by the British Arrows for Best Young and Emerging Talent, Creative Circle’s Best New Director, Cannes Young Director Award and Campaign Magazine as one of the industry’s Rising Stars.Rosie began her career as a creative writer, quickly gaining attention for her sharp wit and clever storytelling working on a range of high-profile films for some of the world’s largest and most influential brands. Upon shifting to the director’s chair, her first commercial project for supermarket giant Asda, received four British Arrow nominations, earned her a Silver Young Director Award and raised £5.9 million for charity. She has since gone on to direct work for many large household names including Müller Light, Andrex and Ginsters. Her work on Andrex, which encourages Brits to bust free from toilet taboos, went on to win Silver at Cannes Lions this year.Rosie is represented by Biscuit Filmworks in the UK & US and Tony Petersen Films in Germany.

In this episode, we speak with two-time Oscar nominee editor Saar Klein. He’s known for editing films such as Almost Famous, The Thin Red Line, and The Bourne Identity, to name a few. He also directed the feature film After the Fall.In our conversation, we discussed how he broke into the industry, his approach to storytelling, managing egos, and the importance of opening yourself up to the creative process.This episode is sponsored by The Gate+ and produced by Jack Kirkwood.Hosted by directors Craig Bingham and Ozzie Pullin.Saar Klein - BiographyFilm editor Saar Klein is a two-time Oscar nominee for his work on Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line and Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. The Thin Red Line was Klein’s second credit as editor, and alongside his Oscar nomination, Klein also received nominations from the ACE, ACCA, and OFTA Awards. For Almost Famous, Klein won the ACE Award for his editing and was similarly nominated for an ACCA and OFTA Award.Klein’s collaborative relationship with director Doug Liman began with The Bourne Identity for Universal Pictures, where the two relative newcomers introduced a new realism and energy to action that influenced the genre for years to come. Their partnership continued with films including Jumper for 20th Century Fox, Locked Down for Warner Bros., Fair Game, American Made, and most recently The Instigators for Apple TV, starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck.Klein also works frequently with director Terrence Malick, their first collaboration being the documentary Endurance, which premiered at Venice Film Festival. Their relationship flourished with The Thin Red Line, The New World, and Klein’s uncredited work on The Tree of Life, and the two continue to collaborate to this day. Other credits include Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s Asphalt City, which was nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival, Andrew Heckler’s Burden, which was nominated for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Antonin Baudry’s The Wolf’s Call for Netflix, and Dito Montiel’s Fighting for Universal Pictures.More recently, Klein worked on the Apple TV series Masters of the Air, directed by Cary Fukunaga and starring Austin Butler. Previously, Klein wrote, directed and edited his own film, After the Fall, winner of the 40th Anniversary Award at the Deauville American Film Festival. The film also premiered at Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for an Audience Award at SXSW Film Festival.Originally from Jerusalem, Klein eventually moved to the United States and received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. On his first job, he assisted editors Joe Hutshing, Pietro Scalia, and Hank Corwin on Oliver Stone’s JFK, then later returned to co-edit Stone’s U-Turn. Klein’s versatility across various genres and experience with big-budget studio films and European and independent cinema are a testament to his diverse interest and expertise in storytelling that he continues to hone with each new project.

In this conversation we speak to director, Margot Bowman. We discuss her love for animation, her approach to documentary and why club culture sits at the heart of everything she does.This episode is sponsored by the Gate+ and produced by Jack Kirkwood Hosted by directors, Craig Bingham and Ozzie Pullin.Born and raised in London, Margot Bowman uses the medium of film in all its forms, as a creative vehicle for telling powerful human stories, centred on emotional truths.Margot’s visually striking work is textured with thoughtful animation, CGI or archive that’s woven amongst her poetic live-action. This medium-agnostic approach to storytelling creates a rich visual language that reframes the familiar so that audiences connect with the story at hand in new and original ways.Growing up in Camden, Margot is consistently inspired by her home city’s legacy of club culture, creativity, freedom of expression and community. Formerly the Creative Director of Boiler Room, she has since directed commercials for major clients including Nike, Dr Martens, Carhartt, Space NK and Byredo, with narrative and documentary commissions from the likes of Channel 4, The Tate, Dazed and NOWNESS.Most recently, she co-directed Amazon Prime’s highly anticipated documentary feature The Tour, a 90-minute film about the relaunch of Victoria’s Secret’s iconic fashion show, reimagined through the lens of 20 diverse female artists from around the world.Her documentary Coming Home premiered at SXSW 2022, was awarded Best Short at the prestigious Palestine Cinema Days, and was shortlisted for the International Documentary Association’s films of the year. These powerful experiences in documentary are built off her natural ability to connect with people and bring their stories to screen with intimacy and style.Moving forward, Margot is intent on creating storytelling-driven work that sits at the heart of the cultural conversation. Her diverse creative background and innate understanding of the zeitgeist, accelerates her lyrical storytelling to create work that is contemporary, informative and delivered to audiences in a rich visual world that resonates in pop culture and beyond.

In this special live episode, we sat down with some of the industry's leading voices to reflect on the past year.We discussed the biggest challenges they faced, how they overcame them, the importance of nurturing new talent, and what it takes to survive in a rapidly evolving industry.Guests:Mayling Wong | EP @ Spindle - https://www.spindle.co/Henry Littlechild | Freelance Director - https://www.henrylittlechild.com/Charlie Roberson | Head of Talent & EP @ Rogue - https://www.roguefilms.co.uk/Nnena Nwakodo | EP @ Magna Studios - https://www.magnastudios.com/James Niklasson | EP Gate+ - https://thegateplus.com/Lisa Green | Creative Consultant - https://www.lisa-green.uk/Hosted by:Craig Bingham & Ozzie PullinThis episode is sponsored by Gate+ and produced by Jack Kirkwood.Hope you enjoy.

In this episode, we speak with Mother London creative directors Tom Colman and Derek Man Lui. We discuss the pitching process, how to present an idea to a client, and how to find the right director for the job.The podcast is hosted by directors Ozzie Pullin and Craig Bingham and produced by Jack Kirkwood.This episode is sponsored by The Gate+. We hope you enjoy.