Daniel Rusteau

So how do you usually introduce yourself?
I’m a writer / actor. Who is more of a writer. That’s what I’ve been saying the last two, three weeks. Mainly because I’ve been having meetings with producers.

But did you start as an actor that then got into writing, or have you always been both?
I started writing in school and then stopped because I thought I wouldn’t be allowed to write – you just assume that you won’t be allowed.

Then I was acting, training. And then I heard about a bunch of writers, and I was like, ‘wow, they look like me!’ So then I started writing, and I preferred writing much more.

I realised that all my heroes in film and tv were the writer-directors, not the actors. I had a natural knack for storytelling, structure; I read a lot of books but I just didn’t know the name of these techniques.

Writing came along because I wanted to write myself the cool roles, but then I ended up just preferring it.

Did you go to school for drama?
I did a degree at uni; I didn’t do a postgrad, but I should’ve really, because the way this industry works in as far as postgrad to agents [is that] if you’ve got that accredited drama school on your CV, you get the better agent. There’s the number one agent, there’s the better agent, and the higher up the list you are the better chance you have of getting into the good auditions.

So I didn’t go, which I think was good because I ended up going to a part time drama school, and I struggled to get acting work, which made me want to write more, which made me find my true passion in writing.

Is there anyone in your family that’s creative as well?
(laughs) No! Though actually, my older sister is creative; she acts a bit. I’ve always said that my Mum’s a creative that never found her art; she’s a creative at heart and loves the arts, but she just never found her thing. My Dad does photography, but not the artistic side; he just loves photographing events and family events. So I’m not really sure where that came from.

Did they put you into any classes or anything like that when you were young?
No, my Dad is into films, so loving films as a kid with him made me want to be involved with that. And I think the only way you can be involved in something is what you can see.

When you said, ‘I’m going to go off to uni to do a drama degree,’ were your parents supportive?
Yeah, my parents have always been supportive in all my career stuff. Any new thing I’ve done, they’ve always been very, ‘go for it, go for it.’ My parents were of that generation when you went out, and were like, ‘you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.’ And you got a job and just worked it for the rest of your life.

So it was always my Dad that instilled in me to find something you love and do that. You know, when I was young, that’s when computers were kicking off, so I told them, ‘I want to get into computers – there’s money in that.’ And my Dad said, ‘Do you like computers?’ And I said, ‘No, not really,’ so he said, ‘well, then, that’s not for you.’

What was your first brush with the industry?
I did a bunch of shorts, and then I got an indie film for two days. And I loved it. That was a few years back, but I had already started writing by then. I remember the writer was on the set; he was just sitting in the corner, and I remember thinking that he wasn’t doing anything but that I would rather be him in this situation.

So when you did start writing, did you have a bias for a particular medium?
Growing up, I preferred film, but now tv has become what it has become. Even before Netflix, there have been some really good things on tv that was inspiring me to want to go into it.

But I started writing plays because, well, I figured, it’s just the talent, promotion and the venue. And I used to promote club nights at uni, so I thought I could just do it myself: I could write the script myself, I could find the talent and the venue, and I could promote it – and I could definitely do all of that.

Do you choose what something’s going to be before you write it?
I usually have the idea, and then I let it sit for a while. Then I know that it’s going to be a short film or a web series or whatever. And I talk to people about it. Even now, I’m converting a feature into a play, and I know it’s going to be so much more impactful as a play. But yes, before I start writing, I always know what it is I’m going to write.

How did you arrive at web series?
There was a big series called Brothers With No Game. I knew actors who were in it, and we were so amazed by how they were doing. Season 1 was out, and we were all talking about it, and then I was in Season 2.

Then a friend of mine, who is an actor, told me he wanted to make a web series, and did I want to write it? So we talked about it, and then we made it. It’s a little web series called Redemption’s End; it’s a dark drama, which we learnt isn’t good for online. It’s a four part thing about these guys who are desperate for money so they steal dead bodies and sell them on the black market.

So how did your stuff end up on BWNG’s YouTube channel?
Getting cast in BWNG (Season 2) has very much been pivotal in everything that happened later. While I was in that, I put another play on, and they came to that. They said that they were opening up their channel to other creators, so come chat to us if you have any ideas.

I went off and brainstormed for a couple of days; lots of dating comedy ideas – and I liked one of them, Wedding Dates, which I eventually made.

Obviously, it still needs to fit with their audience, in terms of story types, casting, tone, but funnily enough, everything that they do is what I want to be doing anyway.

I stupidly do everything myself. I write it, I direct it, I produce it, act in it. I’ll hire shooters and editors and sound guys, so all the technical stuff is taken care of.

Do you have the same team all the time?
It rotates – it’s all about availability. But yes, pretty much. It’s a pretty loose team, and everyone’s out doing their thing.

I liked Wedding Dates a lot because I was like, these are all people I knew at uni; everyone knows these people, everyone has friends who are still like this. Are you doing any more?
I’d like to, I’d really like to. I’m a creative at heart, so I’ve always worked jobs where I didn’t have to do much and didn’t get much money out of it, but I was fine with it because I didn’t need much – just enough to cover films, gym, and not much else. I’m ok just having money to live hand to mouth, which is sometimes stressful to other people in my life.

Anyhow, when I got this job at Warner Bros, I was rich – for me, anyway! I was up at Leavesden, where they did Harry Potter, on [Guy Ritchie’s movie] King Arthur. It’s probably not to most, but to me it was the most money I’d ever seen. So then I did what you’re not supposed to do: I made my web series with that money.

Don’t worry, I know people who were still paying their credit cards off a couple of years after their first series’ dropped. But, you know, I think we all look at it as an investment in our careers.
Oh, for sure. It did so much for me as writer, and in terms of confidence and the contacts that I was then able to make.

I made Wedding Dates with that. Also, to be honest, I don’t think I’d do it the same way again. Now I’m trying to find investors or branding partners.

To level up?
That’s right. Now we’ve got this core little audience, cool little show, and it would be good to finally get some other things behind it. So that’s why I’d love to make it.

What are you working on at the moment?
Another short film that’s going to go on BWNG that’s very similar – a comedy, love story type thing. But it’s a really exciting time, actually; I’m working with Lime Pictures.

So you’re on the writer’s scheme?
Yes, they’re creating a new show, and they got four BAME writers to come on board. We did storylining, treatment work, and through them, I have meetings with agents set up.

I’ve also got two tv pilot optioned with two production companies, so it has been a crazy month. Now I’m taking meetings with agents, which is exciting, because I’ve got so many other tv shows that I’ve either written treatments or pitches for, also plays obviously. Some production companies will still take meetings or read your script, but some just can’t unless you have an agent for legal reasons, so I’m really excited to finally have that agent to pitch my work.

Is it weird that you’re getting paid to write?
So weird. But I’m so happy doing it. It’s exciting as well, because you can bring your fresh ideas to shows and, because you’ve got all these years of watching things, you know what’s a cliché and how you can twist it and make it a bit different. So yes, weird but very happy to be getting paid to write right now. Finally.

I’d love to get your opinion on the whole thing around diversity and having ‘open access’ BAME schemes and initiatives like that: do you generally think that they are useful or trying to address a problem, or do you think they’re just box ticking exercises?
I generally don’t think they’re just box ticking exercises. I think that tv and film is very much about who you know – we all know that. It’s a very hard industry to get into because you have to know the right people. Through accidents, I believe, and not through systemic racism or any of that, the industry is a very white and middle class because it’s all about who you know.

How did you get your job at Warner Bros?
My girlfriend’s flatmate works in accounts and she heard there was a job going on one of the movies. And I was very shy and embarrassed to be going there to tell people that, before I realised that everyone was there for that reason, because of someone’s best mate or someone’s dad or whatever.

So no, I don’t think it’s box ticking. Everyone I do meet generally does want to see a more diverse industry. I know people who aren’t happy about these sorts of schemes, which is strange.

They’re not perfect; for example, you could still end up with the same class of people, regardless of their skin colour. But I guess in a few years time, we’ll do another numbers check.

Many times people who make their first series and they think they’re the only ones. Then they come to an event like Raindance or a Digital Creators UK meeting, and they find that there’s pretty massive global community doing it. How have you found that?

It’s funny, because when you are making things, you think you’re the only one doing it, even if you are aware of other people. But there are so many, that’s the thing. You think you know every web series that’s happening, but you really don’t. There are so many niches and genres, which have hundreds of thousands of views, so something could be huge, but you’d never know, until you discover it years later when they’ve stopped making it.

You know when some things are good, even with the roughness around the edges; sometimes they’re badly shot, or sometimes they have some visual effects that are a bit dodgy, but you just love it for whatever reason. I love that you can always find new shows.

So what are you watching at the moment?
BWNG Network did this really cool show called How Did We Get Here? which is very dramatic. I’m really enjoying that one.

I have to say though that I’m not watching as much as I used to, and I think that’s because of this trend where you can tell a show that is based on something that someone else had already done.

Currently, right now, the only thing I’m watching is Broad City. There’s this other cool one called A Lesson Learnt; it’s very well shot.

Do you think that you’ll go to America eventually?
Yes. Well, yes and no. I have a friend who writes over there and it sounds amazing. I never wanted to go there without having something to say, something on my cv, and now that I’m finally getting somewhere, I want to stay here so that what I have to say can grow even more. I’m sure I’ll visit sometime soon to start doing the rounds.