AGENDA
NEWS
Forty and fabulous How his YouTube series Forty Minutes With put Dominic Danson on top in our annual Filmmaker of the Year contest D ominic Danson isn’t chasing the algorithm. While the rest of the online video world scrambles to keep things short, fast and
it delivers high-end results with a small, yet agile crew. From branded content and commercial case studies to award- winning shorts and YouTube originals, his work is a masterclass in modern indie filmmaking: self-led and polished. That’s why he was a clear winner in the YouTuber category of our annual awards, and why he was chosen as the overall MPB Filmmaker of the Year. The judges were blown away by his interview show that feels more broadcast-ready than most actual broadcast content. “The show is produced to a proper TV standard,” begins Danson. “That’s very deliberate – we wanted it to be pick- up ready for streamers.” The series is a showcase of what he does best, capturing real people and telling stories with clarity, empathy and polish. Though officially launched in 2022, the pair had been honing their craft behind the scenes for years. “We’d built up a bank of work just from interview-based content we’d done professionally. We just thought – let’s back ourselves and create our own thing.” And they did just that, launching new films just weeks after their daughter was born. “Apparently, having a baby and starting a business in the same year
“No clickbait cuts or viral gimmicks – just broadcast-ready conversations, crafted with intent” wasn’t stressful enough,” he jokes. But the momentum has never ceased. From their Suffolk base, they have travelled all over the UK and Europe – including London, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands – to shoot various projects. Their niche is well-defined interviews and case studies with cinematic qualities. “A lot of our clients want something really specific and can’t afford to get it wrong,” says Danson. “So instead of hiring a local generalist, they hire us – the interview people – and we handle the whole thing. We travel light, shoot smart and bring it all home to work on post.” They own the majority of the gear they use, including Sony A7S III and FX30 cameras for most projects, occasionally stepping up to Red or combining formats where needed. Forty Minutes With was shot mainly on Red with Sigma cine lenses, but Danson’s eye is firmly on Blackmagic for future episodes. “I’d love to shoot an entire season on Blackmagic,” he says. “We’ve made moves to see if we can make that happen. I just want that consistency, and the in-camera image is beautiful.” His approach to editing is equally considered. Like many others, he’s made the jump from Adobe Premiere to DaVinci Resolve. “It’s just better. Everything’s in one place now – editing, grading, audio, even AI features like voice isolation and auto mix. It’s all there. I still use Adobe After Effects for motion graphics, but for everything else DaVinci is home.” As a filmmaker who started out making showreels for drama school grads, then narrative fiction, doing zero-budget 48- hour film competitions, Danson admits he
snackable, he’s been leaning hard in the other direction – slower, more spacious and deeply human. His YouTube series Forty Minutes With is a long-form, sit- down interview show that gives smart people the time and space to really say something. No clickbait cuts or viral gimmicks – just beautifully lit, broadcast- ready conversations, crafted with intent. It’s a format that’s resonating with audiences, clients and industry insiders alike. Built from a decade of interview experience and a meticulous approach to independent production, Forty Minutes With is the culmination of a journey that started with journalism, traversed drama school, weathered a financial crash and then, eventually, wound its way through showreel production, marketing and a self-taught education in filmmaking. Now, with a homegrown production company – Twelve Noon Films – he runs alongside his wife Jo, 41-year-old Danson is carving out a niche as a director and interviewer who understands story and structure. Like so many indie productions,
SETS APPEAL A great location, lit to perfection, was the stunning scene for the series of award-winning interviews
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