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December 4, 2024
Lola Tartaglia-Baker
‘I just wake up knowing I'm meant to be something’
After talking to Rajab Mamood it's difficult not to come away feeling inspired. At the age of 21, he has founded not one, but two companies. He’s also worked on the set of major Hollywood productions, including the recent Indiana Jones and Barbie. Not only this but he’s made some truly stunning short films and has a very gripping idea for a feature film in the works. Being only one year older than me, I just had to meet this guy and find out how he’s already made major connections within the film industry and produced such astonishing work.
It all started when the new James Bond film ‘Skyfall’ came out in 2012. RJ went to see this movie with his older cousin and left the cinema realising the powerful emotional impact films can have on a person. When the next Bond movie, Spectre, came out in 2015, little RJ was excited. He headed to the cinema with his cousin only to leave 2 hours and 28 minutes later disappointed - RJ claimed he even could have made the film better. Now the thing to know about RJ is that he’s proactive; and so for RJ this wasn't just an empty promise. He rallied his younger siblings and cousins and began directing them in his own little home-produced version of Spectre. When he showed his dad and his teacher they were taken back at how well the 13 year old had executed it; his teacher commended him and his dad recognised the potential in him straight away and enrolled him on a short course in film making at Midlands Art Centre.
RJ held his own with his older peers. After pitching his film idea and it being shot down in favour of the older student, RJ continued to push for them to make his short film as well. RJ, encouraged by his dad, wasn't gonna let anything stop his film being made, even if he ended up doing a lot of the work on it himself (which he did). He taught himself pretty much every step of the process as he went along. We get glimpses of future RJ in this determined kid who will stop at nothing to get his story told.
Rajab Mamood went on to attend university where he chose a media studies course. After a year of this he found that it was just not inspiring him. RJ was messing around applying to stuff online when he got an interview to be a sound trainee on the Indiana Jones film. His interview didn't go according to plan and unfortunately, he ended up not getting the job. For most people this would be it, opportunity over, go home, end of. Arguably RJ is not “most people”, and he decided that ‘this couldn’t be the end of [his] story’. RJ then got in contact with the talent coordinator, Sophie. RJ messaged her almost every day, reminding her how much he wanted to work on this film, reminding her that he’s free whenever and he's happy to do any job she wants to give to him. Eventually he got a reply: ‘you are very persistent Rajab’ she wrote ‘and we now have something for you’. The same day RJ dropped out of university. Within 2 weeks he’d moved out of uni, drove with his dad and uncle to london to room hunt, signed a lease and began working as a Grips opp.
RJs life had been flipped, he was now living alone in London, working in a job he’s never done before. But if you've met RJ you’ll know he can get along with anyone and it wasn't soon before he’d made friends throughout the studio. He actually made such good friends with one guy in the arts department that when his 6 month contract ended and shooting moved to Italy, he was offered a job in the department and carried on working on the set.
RJ isn't just persistent, he’s also creative. He’s passionate about telling stories that make his audience feel things. He aims to create something truly astounding that stands the test of time.
RJ spoke a lot about projects he’s worked on and projects he’s got planned for the future and his enthusiasm was contagious. I don’t wanna tell you too much about the feature film he’s working on because nobody reading this would forgive me if I ruined this film for them. What I will talk about though are the short films he’s already made. When I asked him what he was most proud of he told me: his short film ‘Lady Macbeth’. This short film was written and directed by RJ and shot in just one day. RJ managed to secure funding which enabled him to work with some great equipment. The short emotional piece uses some really interesting angles and some very conceptualist images to create a divide between the individual and the cold, faceless industry. The music and acting is also phenomenal. It's definitely worth checking out.
Something particularly heart warming about not only the production of ‘Lady Macbeth’ but also ‘A Brothers Productions Films’, RJs company, is how involved RJs dad has been. RJ spoke a lot about his family and how important they have been throughout this process, his dad in particular. Not only was his dad the one to enrol him in the MAC film course, but also supported every bold decision he made and believed in him every step of the way. His dad was a producer on the Lady Macbeth film.
RJ has also set up a charity: A Local Arts Blueprint CIC. Having been supported by his amazing family, and, having met some great mentors working in the film industry, RJ wanted to give the same thing to other young artists. He wanted young artists to have someone believe in them the way that his dad believed in him. Believe in them just because of them, just because of who they are and their passion and their talent. A Local Arts Blueprint works to connect young artists to funding and other young artists. RJ wanted to take out the stressful and corporate side of film making so that young artist’s creativity can flow. He wants to ensure that their vision stays intact. He hates “box office” decisions, believing that they crush all the beauty out of an idea. ‘Ideas come as a whole’ he said to me ‘when someone's vision is changed to fit a mould or tick boxes, the creativity is squeezed out and it becomes empty and soulless.’ Having recently left his finance job RJ is hoping he now has the skills and knowledge to really get the ball rolling with both ‘A Local Arts Blueprint’ and ‘A Brothers Productions company’.
RJ is someone you need on your team. His energy and passion are contagious and he has the ability to inspire everyone around him. I think anyone who’s watched his short films are expecting some great things from him.
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