Directing Sense and Sensibility: Georgia Oakley & Fiona Shaw on the BIG 2nd Feature, the Reality of Period Filmmaking & Cinematic Rigour

Filmmakers, welcome back to the podcast! Today we are tackling a literary masterpiece, but we are looking at it through a completely fresh, vibrant, and fiercely cinematic lens.

We are joined by the phenomenally talented director Georgia Oakley and the absolute acting titan, Fiona Shaw.

Georgia is fresh off the massive success of her BAFTA-nominated debut feature, Blue Jean, which won the Venice People's Choice Award. She cut her teeth making brilliant short films like Little Bird and coming up through the BFI Flare mentorship, and now she has stepped up to direct a stunning new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.

And what can you even say about Fiona Shaw? She is a true legend of the craft and a CBE. From winning multiple Olivier Awards on stage to dominating our screens in Killing Eve, Andor, Harry Potter, My Left Foot, and True Detective, she brings an incredible weight and mischievous joy to every single role she takes on.

In this episode, Fiona praises Georgia for putting a gauntlet down to a new generation—keeping the absolute integrity of Austen's original book while completely transforming it into a powerful filmic metaphor. Georgia breaks down the massive artistic and practical challenges of the shoot, including the terrifying moment they lost a day and a half of footage to a digital transfer error. We discuss her specific influences from European cinema, why casting an ensemble is exactly like building a football team, and her unique process of using iPhone test shoots with extras so her main cast has the absolute freedom to move naturally on the day.

A quick housekeeping note: This is part one of our Sense and Sensibility double-bill! This Friday, we are dropping an exclusive episode with George MacKay, who plays Edward Ferrars in the film. You absolutely do not want to miss his hilarious anecdote about a badly-timed trouser rip during a highly emotional scene.

Also, full video versions of both today's interview with Georgia and Fiona, and Friday's episode with George, will be available over on our TFP YouTube channel—so make sure you head over there and subscribe.

Let’s get straight into it. Enjoy the episode!

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

The Directorial Vision: Fiona explains how Georgia managed to keep the integrity of Austen's book while completely transforming it into a cinematic metaphor.

A Nightmare on Set: Georgia shares the terrifying reality of losing a day and a half of film footage due to a transfer error.