Written by Joe Jackson on Jan 19, 2022. Posted in General Interest

Smith & Herbert podcast to offer valuable film industry insight

Two industry experts have joined forces to create a podcast for emerging film talent. The new venture - titled Smith & Herbert: Inside Film - will be hosted by film finance strategist Emma Louise Smith and BBC Sport commentator turned film industry advisor Garry Herbert MBE. The pair’s new project aims to inspire and champion emerging talent across the film business, interviewing established industry figures and in turn dispensing knowledge and advice to the next generation of filmmakers.

“We have upcoming guests who are the film world insiders in casting, acting, production, film finance (to name just a few, not all) who are sharing their tips and knowledge of how to get onto the inside track,” Emma explains. “They also share their stories from along their journey to entertain and engage the audience and give the feeling of being an 'insider'.”

Emma and Garry (left and right) with The Location Guide's founder Murray

This new podcast marks a fascinating collaboration between the two talented and experienced hosts. Emma sits on the International Advisory Board for IEFTA, a Monaco-based not-for-profit organisation that supports and develops talent from emerging countries. She is also an executive producer with her own projects - animated docudrama Pour the Water as I Leave and documentary Latin Four Plus - currently in production and post-production, respectively.

Garry, meanwhile, has a remarkable CV that shifts across fields and disciplines. He won an Olympic gold medal as a coxswain, steering Great Britain to victory at Barcelona 1992, before training as a barrister and being called to the bar in 1995. After balancing a day job as Goldman Sachs Wall Street Banker with sports commentating duties for the BBC, he now advises talent in the film, music and sport industries.

Together, the hosts of Smith & Herbert: Inside Film hope to create a helpful resource for emergent talent, challenging the boundaries that typically prevent new voices from accessing what is a rewarding yet notoriously tough and precarious industry. “We are asking our guests to share their top tips for those breaking into the industry, in whatever field or capacity - often these tips are gems of advice that apply to anyone, in any professional walk of life,” says Emma. “We are speaking with emerging talent, asking them about their journey, and what that feels like to be standing on the edge of their career taking off, to inspire those a few steps behind on their path.”

Emma and Garry show support for Producers Without Borders

The first episode of the series was recorded at FOCUS 2021. Examining the Oscars, NFTs and the art of persistence, the podcast’s debut episode features BAFTA and Academy Award-winner Gareth Ellis-Unwin (producer The King’s Speech), Mark Foligno (executive producer The King’s Speech), Kayvan Mashayekh (founder Producers Without Borders) and Irina Albita (co-founder FilmChain) as well as The Location’s Guide’s founder Murray Ashton. You can listen to Episode One - Smith & Herbert: Inside Film here.