Greg Hall comments on SMACK EDD.

“As a director there were two main focuses of utmost importance to me when approaching the script. Firstly I wanted well rounded, believable performances that are an honest portrayal of addiction but also a realistic reflection of working class characters. 

The unique rehearsal process I created for this project, along with frequent collaborator (and sister) acting coach Becky Finlay-Hall, utilised games, devising and workshop elements to assist the dedicated cast in crafting deeply drawn performances. 

Secondly, with the visual language I wanted to avoid the obvious of ‘shooting coverage’ and using ‘shot / reverse shot’ even though it was a dialogue heavy script. This forced us to approach the film from a fresh perspective, finding a cinematic language to draw out the subtext of the story. 

Cinematographer Nicholas Nazari was of utmost importance in getting under the skin of the script, creating sequences where the camera is motivated by emotional beats taking the audience along a dramatic journey.”