Surviving the UK Film Industry: Interview with Benjamin Sarpong-Broni

✨Episode 8: British actress Grace Saif joins us for a searching conversation about acting, identity and the structures shaping British film and theatre. We dig into colorblind casting, representation, class, and how economics and fear are stalling bold stories. Grace speaks about her Kenyan roots, voice work, the indie game world, and what real cultural storytelling could look like when artists own their platforms. Chapters 00:00 Intro — Grace Saif on process and craft 14:00 The limits of colorblind casting and class perception 32:00 Acting, culture and the British industry’s blind spots 48:00 Black British stories and African narratives 1:00:00 The stagnation of UK theatre and creative risk 1:13:00 Games, indie storytelling and direct-to-audience creation 1:16:00 Advice for young artists finding their own lane 💡 Back our show: We're looking for misfits who could donate as little as 5 pounds. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1593674721/unwritten-making-a-tv-show-without-a-studio?ref=5vk9qy 🎙 Hosted by Michael & Imeldha Subscribe for new interviews every week with voices shaping culture. 📲 Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & X: @HauteHonnah @michael.honnah #GraceSaif #GraceSaifInterview #britishactress #ActingInterview #behindthescenes #actingjourney #UKTheatre #BlackBritishCulture #RepresentationInFilm #ColorblindCasting #creativeindustry #independentfilmmaking #HauteHonnah #MichaelHonnah #UKFilm #britishcinema #voiceacting #GamingAndFilm #culturalconversations #KenyanRoots #FilmPodcast #ActingPodcast #filmmakingpodcast #blackcreatives #actingcommunity #artandidentity #storytelling #actorslife #CreativeDialogue #filmculture

✨ Episode 7: You can’t make a great show without a great cast but how do you actually find them when you don’t have a studio, a casting director, or endless budget? In this episode, Michael and Imeldha break down how they cast an entire ensemble from scratch: thousands of self-tapes, no gatekeepers, and a whole lot of belief. 💡 Back our show: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1593674721/unwritten-making-a-tv-show-without-a-studio?ref=5vk9qy 🎙 Hosted by Michael & Imeldha Subscribe for weekly episodes on film, culture, and the DIY grind of making it happen. 📲 Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & X: @HauteHonnah @ michael.honnah #EmptyTalk #HowToBeSeen #CreativeJourney #FilmIndustry #UKFilm #IndieFilm #BlackBritishFilm #CommissionerCrisis #Filmmaking #Storytelling #Podcast #CreativeProcess #MakeYourOwnWay #BustAGutProductions #Filmmaking #TVProduction #IndieTV #ProducerLife #Streaming #TVIndustry #MakeATVShow #Kickstarter

Join us for Episode 6 of Empty Talk as host Imeldha and Michael sit down with producer Ana Garanito — whose credits include Hijack (Apple TV+), Concrete Cowboy (Netflix), In the Long Run (Sky) — to uncover what it really takes to get your show seen in 2025.➤ We dig into: the changing TV landscape, budgets & streamers vs broadcasters, how to build audience before greenlight, why marketing becomes your biggest ally, and how to make a TV show without a full studio behind you.🎬 Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM-Gj-I8Eko&t=18s💡 Back our show: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1593674721/unwritten-making-a-tv-show-without-a-studio?ref=5vk9qy🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe and hit the bell for weekly filmmaker interviews and behind-the-scenes insights.

✨ Episode 5: How to Get People to See Your Work Everyone says “put yourself out there” but what if no one’s watching? In this episode, Michael & Imeldha get brutally honest about why so many creatives feel invisible, how the TV industry lost touch, and why the internet is now the real frontier for artists, filmmakers, and weirdos trying to make their own lane. They talk about the fall of commissioners, the streaming crisis, and the power of DIY culture plus why Unwritten and Empty Talk are proof that you don’t need permission to be seen. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and drop a comment on how YOU get your work seen. Apologies for the late upload x 🚨🚨OUR KICKSTARTER IS LIVE!!! PLEASE DONATE HERE🚨🚨: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1593674721/unwritten-making-a-tv-show-without-a-studio?ref=5vk9qy\ 🎙 Hosted by Michael & Imeldha Subscribe for weekly episodes on film, culture, and the DIY grind of making it happen. References: https://deadline.com/2025/06/uk-culture-secretary-lisa-nandy-on-dramatic-shift-in-tv-commissioning-1236421533/ https://deadline.com/2024/09/pact-death-mid-budget-broadcasters-edinburgh-tv-festival-1236083403/ https://deadline.com/2025/01/bbc-alarm-uk-scripted-funding-crisis-productions-stuck-in-limbo-1236266257/ https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/youtube-ofcom-report-bbc-itv-b2798599.html https://www.advanced-television.com/2025/09/10/report-sluggish-growth-for-uk-tv-production-revenues/ #EmptyTalk #HowToBeSeen #CreativeJourney #FilmIndustry #UKFilm #IndieFilm #BlackBritishFilm #CommissionerCrisis #Filmmaking #Storytelling #Podcast #CreativeProcess #MakeYourOwnWay #BustAGutProductions

✨ Episode 4: How to Find Your Voice as a Writer Everyone says “find your voice” as a writer… but no one really explains how. In this episode, Imeldha & Michael break it down honestly and answer some of the biggest questions we've been asked about creativity, storytelling and working together as a couple? Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and drop a comment sharing how YOU found your voice! 🎙 Hosted by Michael & Imeldha Subscribe for weekly episodes on film, culture, and the DIY grind of making it happen. #HowToMakeATVShowWithoutAStudio #podcast #indiefilm #ukfilm #blackbritishfilm #filmindustry #writingtips #creativejourney #podcast #findyourvoice #writingtips #filmmakingjourney #storytelling #indiefilm #creativeprocess Bust-A-Gut Productions, 2025. Bust-A-Gut Productions [online].

✨ Episode 3: How to Find Your Voice as a WriterStruggling to find your unique voice as a creative? You’re not alone. In this episode, Amanda and Michael dive deep into the challenges and joys of writing with authenticity. From battling self-doubt to embracing cultural identity, they share personal stories and practical advice for anyone trying to stand out in a crowded creative world.If you’re a writer, filmmaker, or creative trying to figure out your style, this one’s for you.Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and drop a comment sharing how YOU found your voice!🎙 Hosted by Michael & Imeldha Subscribe for weekly episodes on film, culture, and the DIY grind of making it happen.#WritingTips #CreativeJourney #Podcast #HowToMakeATVShowWithoutAStudio #Podcast #IndieFilm #UKFilm #BlackBritishFilm #FilmIndustryBust-A-Gut Productions, 2025. Bust-A-Gut Productions [online].

In this episode, Michael & Imeldha sit down with actor, writer, and comedian Benjamin Sarpong-Broni. From the hustle of auditions to the grind of creating his own work, Benjamin opens up about the real highs, lows, and unexpected turns of carving out a career in film and comedy. It’s a candid, funny, and honest chat about what it really takes to keep going in the industry. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like trying to break through as a creative, this is the episode you need to hear. 🎙 Hosted by Michael & Imeldha Eloni-Honnah.Subscribe for weekly episodes on film, culture, and the DIY grind of making it happen. #HowToMakeATVShowWithoutAStudio #Podcast #IndieFilm #UKFilm #BlackBritishFilm #FilmIndustry Sponsored by Bust-A-Gut Productions, 2025.

We’re Back! After a 2 year break, the podcast returns with a new goal, mission and question. How To Make A TV Show Without A Studio?We’re Imeldha and Michael. Best friends, writing partners, business partners… and husband and wife. After years working with BBC, Netflix, Amazon, and even Idris Elba and Lenny Henry, the industry chewed us up and spat us out.Two years ago, we were flying. Jobs lined up. Future secured. And then—gone. No work. No projects. Nearly two years of silence. The industry that once celebrated us now ignored us. It was exhausting, demoralizing… we almost quit.But then we made a choice: we’ll do it ourselves. We’ll make the TV show we wanted to see and build the industry we dream of, for the misfits, the outsiders, the bold voices British Film & TV too often ignores.We’re making Unwritten, and in this podcast, we take you behind the scenes of every step: writing, casting, crewing, producing—showing you exactly how to make a TV show… without a studio.

Imeldha and Michael look back at all of the great moments of season 1. They also give us an insight into what's to come next season.

In this episode, Michael and Imeldha discuss the journey of the film that introduced them to the film industry - PRPL. They discuss how the journey burnt them, rocked them and made them lose their way but also the wonders that have come from it!VIOLET TRAILER IS OUT NOW!Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWtSqfzInWE&t=2s