One thing I’m trying to be careful of lately is the trap of writing things down and feeling productive instead of actually doing something measurable. Making lists about lists on top of other lists. I love transferring lists from my laptop to paper, then onto a notebook. This is definitely some kind of resistance as was set out in “The War of Art” by Stephen Pressfield. “The Art of War” is also a great read.

I can spend hours refining thoughts, tweaking messaging, drafting updates, trying to make something sound relevant, and then realise none of it has actually moved any of my projects forward.

Did people sign up?
Did it connect with someone?
Did it lead anywhere useful?

That’s becoming the lens I use more and more.

I’m trying to build an audience for a theatre show going to Edinburgh Fringe, while also trying to build a long-term audience for my work as a director, actor and artist in film and Theatre. And those things overlap, but they’re also different beasts entirely.

At times it feels exciting and other times it feels like I’m spinning plates while somebody keeps adding more plates that are on fire. It can feel like creative ADHD.

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Diary of a Mad Man — Heading to Edinburgh Fringe

The big theatre update is that Diary of a Mad Man is heading to Edinburgh Fringe theatre festival in August.

We’ve just signed with a really great PR company, which feels like a huge step. There’s suddenly a sense of momentum around it all now. Plus I’m learning my lines. Basically a 50 page monologue.

We also just signed off on the poster, which I’m genuinely excited about sharing. We’ve booked a really cool photographer to shoot promo images and we’re putting together a teaser trailer as well.

What’s been interesting is how much this process overlaps with filmmaking.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Jon Reiss (8 Above) and his ideas around your goals for a project. He talks about it in relation to film, but it is so relevant to theatre and I imagine any creative endeavour. You need to focus on your primary goal and you make your decisions around that goal. Is it -

• Impact

• Audience

• Career

• Money

And I keep coming back to this idea that audience building is probably the most important part of the whole thing now. If you want to keep making work independently, you need to know who the work is for and how to stay connected to those people over time. How to provide them value. To meet them where they are at. That’s the real goal.

The Almost — Feature Film

At the same time, I’m deep in development on The Almost.

Right now that means:

• fine tuning the outline

• location hunting

• shortlisting cast

• building the pitch deck

• and trying to pull all the moving pieces together without losing sight of why I wanted to make the film in the first place

I have a really cool teaser trailer that I am looking forward to releasing.

Film development can feel strange because from the outside it can look like nothing is happening. But actually lots is happening. A lot of problem solving, a lot of questioning. A lot of trying to make sure the foundations are solid before pushing forward. The furious paddling beneath the water. I’m learning to trust that part of the process more instead of constantly feeling like I need visible progress all the time.

Artistic Feeding

I’ve also been thinking a lot about the filmmaker Tarkovsky and about the kind of input we take on board as artists.

I am reading his brilliant book, “Sculpting in time.”. It’s so good and I highly recommended it.

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As artists and humans we need to protect what goes into us creatively.

Not endlessly consuming content.
Not scrolling for inspiration.
Not trying to optimise every second of the day.

Actually feeding yourself properly as an artist.

Films. Books. Conversations. Music. Walking. Silence. Observing people (I love having a coffee and just observing the craziness of human behaviour).

Because I’ve noticed when I’m stretched too thin, depth disappears first. And depth is the thing I care about most in the work. Genuine artistic depth. And reading Takovsky’s book, or watching his films, or watching a David Lynch film, or even Cassavettes helps create that depth. It is food for the soul.

The Hard Part

The hardest thing right now is honestly being pulled in different directions constantly.

Writing. Directing. Producing. Marketing. Audience building. Funding applications. Social media. Admin. Emails. Trying to actually make good work underneath all of that.

As independent filmmakers/theatre makers/artists we’re expected to be creators, marketers, producers, PR people, distributors and entrepreneurs before we even get near a set.

It’s a lot. But I love it.

I also find this new landscape strangely exciting. Nobody really knows the rules anymore. We’re all kind of figuring it out as we go. So I’m trying to approach all of this as an experiment.

Build the audience.
- Make the work.
- Stay connected to why I’m doing it.
- Keep going.

That’s where I’m at right now anyway. Keep pushing forward in all directions. In an honest and authentic manner. And enjoying the journey. Cus if we’re not enjoying the journey, what’s the point? Onwards.

No one is coming to save it.

Not the perfect producer.
Not the funding.
Not the “right time.”

It’s just you—pushing it forward, one small decision at a time.

And that’s the work.

Making four short films, before making a feature film taught me that more than anything else.

1. Writing Is a Daily Practice (Whether You Like It or Not, and I don’t)

I’m a reluctant writer.

Staring at a blank page is uncomfortable. The thought of having to write a script, a substack post, an email, or even a Whatsapp message is daunting for me.

That feeling never really goes away. What does change is your tolerance for it, and that is through being consistent with your writing. Every day! Whether you want to or not. Just show up and write something, anything. It’s a muscle and it needs to be worked

Three pages in the morning. Notes on your phone. Half-formed ideas in a notebook. A rough beat sheet. A messy outline.

None of it needs to be good. It just needs to happen.

The work will compound, I promise.

2. Preparation equals Freedom

On low-budget shoots, time is everything.

If you don’t prepare, you realize it pretty quickly. On a low budget shoot every second. You can’t afford to be figuring it out on set.

But there is a balance:
Have a plan. Know your shots. Understand your scenes.

Then be ready to throw it all out.

Because something will change. And when it does, your job is to adapt without hesitation. Give space for those “happy accidents” that happen in the moment. People feel that having a plan is creatively stifling, or too prescriptive, but it creates freedom. You need to have a plan to be able to throw it away.

3. Stop Trying to Make a Mini Feature

Short films are not small features. They’re their own thing.

An 8-minute film that knows exactly what it is will always beat a 25-minute film that’s trying to be something bigger.

Keep it simple. Focus on the idea. Respect the form.

You’ll make something stronger—and it’ll actually get seen. It’s much easier for an audience to engage with an 8 minute short as opposed to a 25 minute short. I’ve done both and while both played at festivals and won awards and audiences really engaged with them, the 8 minute one is the short that really connected.

4. Actors Don’t Need Perfection—They Need Truth

The best moments I’ve captured weren’t “performed.”

They were honest.

That comes from trust—and communication.

Some actors want space.
Some want direction.
Some need reassurance.
Some need precision.

Your job is to figure that out quickly. But that comes about by listening to actors, in conversation before the shoot, in rehearsals and on set. Actors are sensitive beings and need to be handled with care and attention. Your film depends on their work.

There’s a whole separate piece on how to work with actors properly—I’ll come back to that.

5. Constraints Are the Work

At this level, limitations aren’t an obstacle. They are opportunities.

No money. Limited time. Small crew. Finding creative ways to manage these obstacles can elevate the film. They also focus the mind onto what’s really important. Fewer locations, smaller cast, a really strong singular idea and vision, keeping it simple.

Smaller cast and crews means you are more nimble to react in the moment.

Less money means you have to be smarter about what you shoot and how you shoot.

Less time makes you focus on what shots you need to capture and whether you combine shots to save time and money.

Always be listening and observing. These skills will serve you well. Opportunities will present themselves, you just need to have your antennae up.

6. Finishing Is the Real Skill

This is the big one for me

Ideas are easy to write down. Planning a shoot is exciting. Finishing is where most people fail.

Every short I completed gave me something more valuable than the film itself: Proof.

Proof I could get to the end.
Proof I could solve problems.
Proof I could keep going when it got difficult.

Building proof and credibility in the eyes of financiers, industry and collaborators. Financiers/funders want to invest in people that get work completed, and in projects that get finished. You can’t do anything with a half finished film.

7. Each Film Is Just a Step

I used to think every short had to define me, win awards, get distribution. They don’t.

Each one is just a snapshot of where you are right now.

You’re not trying to make a masterpiece.

You’re trying to get better. Learn from every film. Keep what worked, throw away the rest.

Final Thought

Those four short films weren’t a stepping stone.

They taught me how to trust my instincts, how to finish what I start, and how to keep moving, regardless of budget or circumstance.

And eventually, that gave me the confidence to make a feature.

If you’re waiting for the perfect idea, the perfect setup, the perfect moment, it’s not coming.

Make the film. Learn the lessons. Then make the next one.

Rinse and repeat. And most of all enjoy the process. Making films is a privilege and so much fun.

Smile and be in the moment.

This is my first post and basically an introduction to who I am and why I have started a Substack (cus says that what filmmakers need to be doing ;-)). And I totally agree with Ted. It’s just taken me about a year to write this first post. The thought of having to write has been the biggest obstacle. As filmmakers (NonDē/Independent) today we are expected to be creators, funding gurus, marketing genies, mini PR firms, distributors and then actually have to go and make a film. It’s a lot, a lot and I get it. We are in the great unknown of this new filmmaking landscape. Pioneers looking to plant our flags. It’s overwhelming and can be very distracting being pulled in so many directions. I want to use this Substack to help connect with a new audience and to share my journey going forward as a filmmaker and actor. Being an actor of 15 years gives me a unique insight into directing and writing. I have written, directed, acted and produced 3 short films and a feature film (aWake). I have also helped create 2 other short films. Have played at festivals worldwide, being nominated for and have won some awards along the way. Some projects were made with financial support (grants), some private investment, some crowdfunding, but always having to top up with my own money. I see it as an investment. I am going all in on myself and am willing to back that journey with my own money. It’s daunting, but you have to have skin in the game. It sure does teach you how to use your resources wisely

This year (2026) I am aiming to make a feature film (The Almost), which is based on the play (A Fear And Loathing Actor In Dublin). A 5 star show that I brought to Edinburgh Fringe in 2019. Co-incidentally, or not, I am also bringing a new one man theater show (Diary of A Mad Man) to Edinburgh Fringe this year. Ed Fringe is one of the biggest theater festivals in the world and the level of theater is next level. I have brought my experience of working in theatre to my filmmaking and it greatly informed making my debut feature aWake. More of that in later posts. Both projects sit on top of years spent writing, acting, producing, directing, fundraising, problem-solving, and learning through trial and error, and error and trial.

I am sure this Substack will develop over time, but time to get it going to start with.

I’d love to connect more with fellow filmmakers, and will be writing for fellow directors, producers, actors, and theatre-makers who are navigating the same terrain: how to get projects made, finished, and seen when resources are limited and the path isn’t obvious and for film lovers and anyone interested. Feel free to reach out at any stage if you have any questions, want to learn more about me, my journey or future projects, or would like to support current or future projects via financial investment or any in kind support. I love helping fellow filmmakers any way I can. And I want to see everyone doing well. A stronger community is great for all.

I am sports mad, especially rugby. And played Rugby league for Ireland and represented Ireland in Touch rugby. Winning a silver medal at the European Championship. I have also worked extensively as an athletic High performance coach. All of it informs who I am and what and how I do.

I would be commonly described as a “grafter” - (a very hard worker, someone industrious, dedicated, and willing to put in long, difficult hours without complaining). My dad was a proper entrepreneur and I have definitely picked up that spirit.

I would say my biggest superpower as a filmmaker is getting things completed. We all have “great ideas”, but it takes an inordinate amount of will to bring it from idea to finished project. Having a touch of delusionalism also helps in this regard ;-D.

I love being on a film set or on a theatre stage. Collaborating with talented people to tell stories is such a joy and the real reward. Though it is nice to play at festivals and for people to actually see your work. If no one see it is there a point? There is power in creating art for the artist, but the real power is when other people engage with the art. IMO!

What I’ll be sharing:

Making my debut feature aWake
How we actually got it financed, shot, and completed — the decisions that helped, the ones that didn’t, and what I’d change if doing it again.

Directing actors — from an actor’s perspective
Practical insights into communication, rehearsal, on-set psychology, and how directors can create conditions for truthful performances under pressure.

What directing, writing, producing and acting in three short films has taught me
Learning from mistakes, festival realities, the skills and systems that transfer to features and the power of reflection.

Directing a short film for someone else
Moving from directing my own projects to someone else’s script.

Wow! Finally post 1. How many more of these do I need to do?

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Looking forward to sharing my journey.

Please share if you feel it can help anyone in any way. And more importantly reach out and say hello.

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Mark

Learn more about me and my work at -

https://www.markmcauley.com, or at my film production company https://www.zoologyfilms.com

I am an Irish filmmaker and actor working in character-driven narrative cinema. My work is grounded in psychological realism, performance, and emotionally intimate storytelling. Coming from a professional acting background, my directing process is actor-led, collaborative, and focused on developing truthful performances within a strong visual and narrative framework. I am interested in stories that explore identity, masculinity, vulnerability, and human connection, and grief (which I have dealt with in a number of projects. .

My one man theatre show (Diary of a Mad Man) will have its world premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe festival 2026, at Assembly (Roxy Boxy). My debut feature film (aWake) is now available to watch on Amazon Prime UK. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0DVYZSH5Q

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