Student filmmaking can be a gruelling fight between the image in your head and the realities of your budget. Edwin Osei Amoah demonstrates in his new ATVA short film, Path of Kings, how limitations can be your greatest strength.
Osei Amoah brings the film to AirTV’s annual awards night (the ATVAs) at Macrobert Arts Centre. The event on 8th May showcases the best the society has to offer and the next generation of filmmakers.
In Path of Kings, two brothers vie for the throne upon their father’s death. It is a battle between opposing ideals as one prince dreams of lifting his kingdom out of turmoil through innovation, while the other wants to stick with tradition.
Osei Amoah said: “I wanted to show the natural progression of how they end up fighting. I wanted to show that war isn’t good, and violence isn’t human nature. There are these two brothers fighting each other and trying to represent their ideals. They can either bring their kingdom into a new light or bring another long year of suffering.”
The second-year film and media student spoke about some of the many influences on the project, each more lavish than the next. Anime Vinland Sega, brutal drama series Vikings, Netflix’s star-studded The King. All brilliant points of reference but with budgets simply out of reach for an independent filmmaker.
Yet what’s more important for a young creator than making the best of what you have? Studying in Stirling affords you many advantages: gorgeous scenery, intense history, and historical settings that are perfect for a medieval flick. Budget saved.
“I’ve always wanted to make a medieval type of film, especially being in Scotland, it would make sense. Then I was like Stirling would be the perfect location especially with like the Outlaw king, Robert the Bruce, and the Wallace monument.” He said.
Path of Kings isn’t the first time Osei Amoah has tried to get this story made. For his final project in college, he created a film based on the same idea, but he faced COVID restrictions and limited equipment.
This time around Osei Amoah had more experience and resources to work with. He explained that coming back to the idea allowed him to see how he had improved as a filmmaker.
“I could be more intentional, like actually just directing and not even focusing too much on the camera. I was able to see my vision come to life. I’m quite a visual thinker and I can always kind of picture how things are going go and how I want them to go.”
Still learning
Being “intentional” with his work is very important to Osei Amoah. The director spoke about how he needs to ensure every aspect of the film makes sense creatively. Even for things you might not think about, like the poster.
“I spent like four hours trying to figure out how I wanted the poster to be. I knew it wasn’t going to be a picture from the film, so I needed just the title and some images. It took a long time, and I was very intentional with everything.”
Putting hard work into the little things is part and parcel of being a student. But it is also important to remember that this is only the beginning. Osei Amoah highlighted the high expectations that students can sometimes put on the learning process. He said:
“I can be quite self-critical sometimes. I look back on my work sometimes and I’ll be like it’s not good. But I realised that obviously I’m still learning. I don’t have the best equipment. I know that I can now improve.”
AirTV is the perfect example of this spirit of learning. Over the years they have produced talent that has gone on to succeed in the film and TV industry. At their recent alumni night, past members returned to campus to talk about their experiences since leaving Stirling. Who’s to say this year’s crop won’t be doing the same in a couple of years?
Osei Amoah echoed this sentiment by encouraging anyone thinking about joining AirTV to take a leap of faith.
“The first thing I would say is just join AirTV and see what it’s all about. My own experience is always going to be different from someone else’s experience. But you’re always going to be welcomed into such a great community of like-minded filmmakers, people who just want to have fun and make films and get into the industry.”
Tickets for the ATVAs are available to buy here. To read more on this year’s ATVA entrants visit brignews.com
Image credit: Edwin Osai Amoah
Film and Tv Editor at Brig Newspaper. Currently studying Journalism and English at the University of Stirling
