Scottish producer, production designer, and filmmaker Michael G. Clark has carved a unique path through the creative industries, leaving an indelible mark on film, photography, and illustration. With decades of experience across multiple artistic disciplines, Clark’s career is a testament to the interplay between technical expertise and imaginative vision. From early experiments with Super 8 film cameras to founding his own production company, his journey showcases an unwavering passion for storytelling and the visual arts.
Both in Aberdeen he is someone I have found myself speaking to regularly on bith phootography and film making.
Clark’s work stands out for its meticulous attention to detail, a skill honed through years of practice in photography and comic illustration. His deep understanding of art theory and composition allows him to create visually compelling narratives, whether in the frame of a film, the layout of a storyboard, or the structure of a 3D animation. This multidimensional approach has become a hallmark of his work, blending artistic precision with the unpredictable challenges of indie filmmaking.
As an independent filmmaker, Clark has navigated the ever-evolving landscape of the film industry, adapting to technological shifts and the increasing accessibility of digital tools. His reflections on the industry’s changes highlight both the opportunities and hurdles faced by today’s creatives. Balancing the logistical demands of producing with the creative joys of on-set work, Clark embodies the resourcefulness and dedication that define successful indie creators.
In this exclusive interview, Clark offers insights into his creative philosophy, his influences, and the lessons learned from a lifetime spent behind the camera and in front of a blank canvas. Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker or a seasoned artist, his story is sure to inspire and provoke thought.
Can you tell us about your journey into movie making and how you got started?
I got my first film camera at 11. It was a super 8 fine camera with no sound – 20 years before the internet was officially a thing. Within 4 years I upgraded through better cameras and editing systems, creating short movie after short movie of the most mindless crap imaginable. I did enjoy the process, but my focus was more on the camera and building sets than the story. It took me a long time to work out I wasn’t a writer or director, I was everything else on the production side.
What inspired you to found Hats on Sticks Pictures in 2014?
After 2 features with Stirton Productions as a producer/associate producer, production designer, art director, sfx, marketing, legal, and stunt person I thought it was time I should try something myself. So Hats on Sticks Pictures was born.
How did your background in graphic design and comic illustration influence your work in film and photography?
Everyone is the sum of their parts, a film maker more so. I’ve worked in illustration since I ran away from school to join a comic and have been involved in one creative art or another ever since. It all builds up, a solid art theory background is a great help with scene composition and being a photographer for “cough” decades means very fast camera setups. When you’re in a midgie infested swamp and you have to get a pretty shot before the sun goes out all that knowledge is a life saver.
Which creative medium—film, photography, or illustration—do you feel most connected to, and why?
I love all of them, but in the last couple of years i’ve only really been a 3D modeller and animator, which uses all my production knowledge to make films and create a narrative that will affect people. Much like my reason for loving film making.
Can you walk me through your role as a producer and how it differs from other roles you’ve taken on?
The pure producer side of funding, hiring, contracts, permissions, rights and finding distribution is a massive part of any production and it’s usually all a producer does – for a good reason. It takes up all their time and is super stressful. In my capacity as a small indi producer it generally means that I do all that and all the other aspects of a production, outside writing, directing and sound and editing. The legal and funding side of the business is as important and the filming, but no one says “ooh, I have a fun meeting with my accountants today.” The difference is I only really enjoyed the fun bits: filming, creating costumes, shooting guns and blowing up stuff. The legal and financial bits I didn’t enjoy at all.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for independent filmmakers today?
I think the challenges haven’t changed, they are still funding and distribution. That’s the parts most indi film makers fail on most often. All the movies we’ve done received some level of funding and distribution, but it was not easy. The pure physical effort of doing either of those stops many productions. It’s nice to make a movie, but getting it out there, at the low level we’re talking about is a minefield of crap. Unless you’re prepared to spend twice the production budget on marketing, there’s no guarantee of anyone seeing the movie even if you do find a distributor. But indi film makers don’t make films for the money. Do they. Have I been doing it wrong.
How has the indie film landscape changed since you first started?
When I started digital film making was just taking off and getting a movie out there, amongst a relatively few productions, was not that hard. Now a cat could make a feature with an iPhone and be at Cannes looking for a deal. There’s sooooo much competition some film makers now only exist on the festival circuit. Never getting a film released, just going to festivals year after year. So, in summary, it’s a lot tougher now unless you have a good backer and an agent or distributor that supports you.
Are there any particular artists or filmmakers who have influenced your work?
Oh, millions! I’m a big fan of the Archers productions, so director Michael Powell and cinematographer Jack Cardiff. Amazing work. David Lean, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Hitchcock, Kurosawa, all hugely influential. But if I could make every movie look like Black Narcissus I’d be happy.
What are your goals for Hats on Sticks Pictures moving forward?
I closed the doors on Hats on Sticks Pictures in 2023, so I didn’t just move the goalposts I set fire to them and buried the ashes. I was doing 2 full time jobs and only one of those was making money, so I had to choose. A thing to think about when making indi movies and paying for a company while working in a different job, it’s not uncommon.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be.
Easy. Don’t piss about for years playing at making films, move to London or L.A., get a qualification in a production field, meet people who know people and join the right clubs. It’s never about how good you are at the start, just who you know. The talent can come later.
Check him out at the following places:-
X = https://x.com/Mikey_Clarkie
facebook = https://www.facebook.com/hatsonsticks
Website = https://www.hatsonsticks.com/
IMDB = https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1985482/
Youtube = https://www.youtube.com/@hatsonstickspictures4046/videos