How a successful actor moved behind the camera with the help of Falmouth’s screenwriting master’s

“Around ten years ago, I was dared to adapt a Shakespeare play into a film script. I did it, really enjoyed it and eventually the screenplay was sold to a production company (and is currently in pre-production)”, he told us. “So, while that dare was rather fruitful, I felt that I was ‘blagging it’ somewhat. I’ve been reading screenplays and scripts my entire adult life, so a certain amount of knowledge has gone in symbiotically, and I’d also written a successful memoir, but I wanted to understand the bones of it.” 

After doing extensive research, Joseph was drawn to Falmouth’s course for both its legacy and global nature. “Falmouth had been offering online degrees for a long time, and not just as an emergency measure after Covid.  I also loved the way the course was structured and the fact that my peer group would be from all over the world”, he explained.  

Joseph excelled on the course, producing his first feature-length original screenplay for his Final Major Project. Entitled Signs of Life, the Lanzarote-based drama examines grief and kindness and was made by Joseph and his team on a tiny budget in 2024. “Thanks to the strength of the script, we secured an incredible cast and crew including Oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley”, Joseph told us.