Ian Curtis: Sorry I've Got No Head

18 November 10

24 November 2010

This week, I thought I'd include the actors in the cast by asking them their thoughts on The Awards, which are now less than a week away and what their experiences are of being nominated for other awards in the past.

Good luck everyone. See you on the other side!

Children's Bafta Blog from Ian Curtis on Vimeo.

19 November 2010

This is the first blog I’ve ever written. I don’t tweet; I’ve never even read a tweet. It sounds like something my lisping Granny would have offered me on a visit. While I may be a virgin to the worldwide sound off, I am not new to the award nomination process, and indeed to the Children’s BAFTAs. In the last three years I’ve been included in more than a few and have learnt to master the face of dignified resignation. (A note to other nominees, the more wine you consume on the night, the harder this is to pull off). Not winning is very close to winning something you’re horrified about, as I experienced when I was a teenager and won a distinction for the student who attempted to try the hardest. Walking out onto the stage to the sound of death knell hand claps, all my win gave me was the title of ‘Swat’. That and a ten pound WH Smith voucher, which barely compensated my humiliation.

In my late twenties I began writing and directing short films. I duly posted these off to all the major film festivals, a little glint in my eye as the postmaster stamped all my jiffy bags headed to far away exotic film festivals and Bradford. I was fortunate enough to be shown in quite a few but was gutted that the major festivals of Edinburgh and London past me up. I believed it was their duty to support me, a young bloke funding his own shorts, trying to get his voice heard. And they were good! OK, they might need a bit of a script edit. Perhaps there are one or two too many lingering shots on a DHHS form as a statement about the problems of benefit dependency in this country, but come on! The KINO Festival in my home city of Manchester did look after me (God bless you), but with a name like Ian Curtis, they couldn’t really turn me away.

Sorry I’ve Got No Head has been nominated at the Children’s BAFTAs three years running

But next came a win! Albeit ten years later. We won a Scottish BAFTA for Blowout. And not only that but Armando Iannucci himself gave out the award. And he liked it. He used the word ‘funny’ and the show I directed in the same line! A Swat? No. Superior? No, actually. Just really, really happy.

Since then Sorry I’ve Got No Head has been nominated at the Children’s BAFTAs three years running. FM, the series I co-wrote, has been nominated at festivals all over the world. Sadly, I’ve not (as yet) been able to slap Larry David on the shoulder and say, “Better luck next time”. That said, despite the lack of gongs, I firmly believe a nomination is more than enough. Sitting there for three hours anxiously wondering if your name’s going to be called out is a waste of a nice evening out in your polished shoes. Just being there means that you’re in the fold, the community. And this in itself is ample compensation for the younger man who stood outside looking in.

At the moment we’re in the last week of pre-production for SIGNH, a great programme with truly lovely people. The writing is superb, the cast are amongst the best comedic actors on the circuit and the returning crew are bursting with warmth and energy. I’m happy because a nomination means the show is watched and enjoyed and recognised. And being offered a third series by CBBC, when returning and new commissioning has suffered such a knock, is a real win to me.

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