Writing ‘Iscariot’ with Leeds BA Student Joshua Humphreys

In the crime short, Iscariot, Alex Bennett must prove to a detective that he had nothing to do with his wife’s sudden death. But is he telling the truth?

Written by Leeds student Joshua Humphreys, who also worked on-set as Script Supervisor, the project was a collaboration between a group of BA Content, Media and Film Production students:

• Director & Production Designer: Kim Muchiza
• 1st AD: Leibonie Hutchinson
• Producer: Katie Wyles
• Director of Photography: Ráquan Cameron-Williams
• Sound & Editor: Michael Carey
• Gaffer: Sahar-Imaan Sajid

In today’s blog, we spoke to Joshua to find out more…

Firstly, as the writer for Iscariot, how did you come up with the idea?

At the start of this project, we all had an opportunity to draft an idea for the production.

In the end, it was my idea, and Kim’s (the Director’s) idea, which was set in an interrogation room with two detectives, without much else said.

I decided to start the writing process with the inspiration that Kim’s idea had left, and Iscariot grew from there!

How would you define your style as a writer?

I’m not too sure, really, as everything I’ve written so far has been very different!

With Iscariot, the genre had been chosen beforehand, so it was my job to learn and adapt throughout.

But I usually enjoy character-led stories, as for me, the audience engage more with the film when they engage with the characters.

How do you approach writing a character like Alex Bennett?

Alex was written as a person who had anger issues, but at the same time, was driven and hard-working, especially when it came to his job.

This all made him an interesting character to write, because I needed to show both his motive and his innocence. I approached him by just bullet-pointing all of his personality traits, who he is as a person, and worked from there.

You also worked as Script Supervisor for the project. What did this teach you about the writing process?

That continuity is important! We had an issue on the second day of filming, when Taylor (who plays Jordan) forgot to bring his watch, which he’d been wearing the day before.

In the end, we had to adapt, hiding his wrist from the camera entirely!

Studying BA Content, Media and Film Production, when did you know that writing was your passion?

For me, it’s just something that I’ve always enjoyed doing. I find it enjoyable and expressive.

Even through the summer, I’m going to be writing with one of my close friends in London – and hopefully, we’ll make it into a reality!

And how has your time on the course helped you to grow as a creative?

Over the past two years, I’ve learnt a lot. The main thing has been learning how to work professionally and efficiently on set.

It’s really motivated me in way, to be more productive and get on as many sets as I can.

Finally, what are you most looking forward to in your final year?

I’m really excited for it all! Even though I know it will be a challenge, I’m ready for it!

We’ll be working on creating a brand to gain a loyal following, so I’m intrigued and curious about what I’ll end up choosing.

Plus, creating our Graduation Projects. It feels like the work is becoming more professional, and in that way, harder – but I’m excited to get started!

• Joshua Humphreys studies BA Content, Media and Film Production at our Leeds campus. This course is also available in London.
• Find out more about Iscariot on the official Instagram page!