Just Do It: Interview with Director Scott Mann

I recently went one on one with Scott Mann. Scott is the award-winning film director behind Heist, The Tournament, and Final Score, and is also the co-founder and co-CEO of Flawless, a neural net film lab specializing in groundbreaking visual AI technology for film and entertainment.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Scott: I grew up in the North of England, in a working-class family and since childhood I have always loved art, science, and creativity. I was a smart kid, but quiet and was bullied which led me to spending a lot of time alone, with my head in a computer or watching movies. As I got older, I began chasing the dream of becoming a Hollywood filmmaker which was a long journey, littered with many failures and setbacks. For example, the first feature film I tried to make took me three years of blood, sweat and tears and ultimately fell apart and didn’t happen, principally because I was a first-time director, and no one wants to take a risk and bet millions on an unknown, unproven rookie. This seemed like an almost impossible hurdle to get over but this whole failure fundamentally educated me. I had fallen into a trap of chasing what was expected, through a system of permissions, which would never risk a young unknown outsider from my background with the responsibility of whole film production. I had to do it myself, carve my own way. 

I went from trying to seek out a producer to becoming one; to understanding how the business of films operated. Rather than “staying the course” and seeking what the British film financing community wanted us to make (largely arthouse films), myself and my film school friends decided to lean into the stuff we actually loved. Genre movies. We threw around some crazy concepts and came up with an absurd action-packed Brit flick called “The Tournament”. 

I used what little resources I had and tried to demonstrate my own and the project’s potential value by shooting a short trailer. Paid for with credit cards and pulling many favors, I designed it to sell the concept, experience, and potential of the movie. It was months of work just to create this two-minute demo, but worth it. 

Exactly a year after the death of my first feature project, I went back to Cannes 2005 film festival. Armed with a small portable DVD player and big set of headphones, I was able to skip past all the middlemen and permission granters and steal two minutes of buyers’ time to show them this project. The response was phenomenal! In fact, the very first person I showed it to was so blown away he offered to pay me $1 million for the movie on one condition – that I didn’t direct it. But, knowing that I needed to direct my first movie more than any amount of money, I refused. I took the longer, harder path, but the one that I’d learned was more important. 

I ultimately managed to ‘pre-sell’ the film based on the trailer and our script paving the way into production, which became my directing debut movie at the age of 26.   

Despite this achievement, I’ve always had stifled success as I climbed the ‘Hollywood’ ladder. Personal highlights would be when a mega-producer bought my first movie and courted me into a three-picture deal (starting with his $60M Seven Samurai remake), working with Robert DeNiro on Heist, moving to Los Angeles and meeting, mingling, and ultimately working with incredibly talented folks I’ve admired since childhood. With these highs came some lows including films being dumped to DVD, picture deals being cancelled and far too often being rejected for the jobs I most wanted but rather being pushed towards the ones I least wanted. 

I’ve always loved science, computers, technology… and in my own style of filmmaking I’ve heavily leaned into emerging digital tech, VFX and animation. I realized my movies turned out okay, but what I think I am actually best at is inventing methods and systems involved in the filmmaking process. For example, making a movie about a speeding bus in only 17 days, or filming a movie in a football stadium packed with 35,000 people, in an empty stadium with only 20 extras. I think it's the magic of the movie making process that excites me the most. The invention and creativity, being unafraid to try the new, to innovate. That’s what led me to Flawless.

The combination of seeing how broken the 100-year-old dubbing methods were harming my own films, how limited and localized the global film market has become and discovering the incredible work of emerging computer vision, made me realize that science had come up with a new era of technology that the film industry simply couldn’t compute. But its potential was world changing. 

I told a few colleagues about my own interest in this emerging tech at the time and how I’d love to explore its capabilities further but almost universally my peers rejected the idea that I could possibly develop something of this magnitude. They questioned if I’d ever be able to take it somewhere and that I’m not in tech, nor an entrepreneur. Their responses ultimately fueled my determination to prove them wrong and to do things my way, so I stopped looking for approval and just got on with it. 

Three years ago, I reached out to world-renown scientists (Christian Theobalt and Hyeongwoo Kim) who wrote the most mind-blowing scientific paper I’d ever read. They were a little shocked I reached out to them directly the way I did and even more shocked when I traveled over 7,000 miles to their German lab to pitch them my idea - to plug this tech into the creative industry, to use it to change the world of content. Needless to say, they were receptive to my idea, and we got to work making this dream a reality.   

Adam: In your experience, what are the common qualities among those who have been able to enjoy success in the entertainment industry?  

Scott: The most common qualities I see are hard work, passion, talent, and resilience which are critical to keep going beyond failure. However, I think the biggest single factor in achieving ‘success' is luck. 

I’ve always thought the entertainment industry is a bit like a casino. You play at the table, but luck dictates your hand or the roll of the dice. Sometimes it works out, more often it doesn’t. But creating the opportunity to go again, to keep trying, and having the will and resilience to keep trying, is what every successful industry player has in common. I think it's likely that’s what most successful people have in common. The will power to keep trying, in life’s game of luck. By law of averages, if you keep trying, eventually you’ll roll a seven.   

Adam: What advice do you have for those either trying to break in or advance?

Scott: Just do it! Don't fear failure. Exercise the muscle of movie making in whatever way you can as often as you can. Every movie you make, makes you a better filmmaker. Don't add hurdles and don't ask for permission (unless you need a permit of course!)    

Adam: What are your favorite memories and best lessons from your career as a director? 

Scott: Working with Robert DeNiro is high up there. I remember meeting him for the first time. 

I Skyped with him initially from my home in Manchester. I was so nervous, but he was lovely, and we bonded over script issues and fatherhood stories. He invited me to his Tribeca office in New York the following day and we sketched out a script together. I had to pinch myself, having the opportunity to work with such a legend, he was incredible and wonderfully encouraging and empowering. He helped me grow up as a director, made me realize how much an actor needs a director, and that I have a responsibility for everyone on set regardless of their status. You need to step up above yourself and take the role, be who they need you to be (friend, father, foe, etc.). I think the same goes for running a company. 

Adam: How did you come up with Flawless and know it was worth pursuing? 

Scott: The idea of solving the 100-year-old dubbing problem was one that I knew needed a better solution. I’d seen my own films ruined through this process and understood that it was a huge barrier for filmmakers and audiences around the world. But I understood how difficult human faces, specifically mouth movements, were to deal with in films and there was simply no way to practically address this.

I had come across a scientific paper, written by Hyeongwoo Kim and Christian Theobalt of the Max Plank Institute, and was blown away by it as it presented new ways to create visual imagery. I’d never heard, let alone understood, how neural networks and AI really worked or functioned, but I understood very well how standard film, animation and VFX worked, and this was completely outside of that box. 

It sent me down a rabbit hole and it’s a moment I’ll never forget. It was a weekend, my kids were at a friend’s birthday party, and I asked my wife if I could hang back at the house to work on writing down these thoughts and possibilities, just to get it down on paper. I remember sitting alone in my office writing out the idea, of a way to utilize this technology for the masses. As I put it down, it all felt so obvious and inevitable, how fundamental it was going to be in changing the entire content industry. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited by a single idea!  

Oddly enough, personally, I kind of felt that I’d finally found my place. Not many film directors understand the business of the international distribution and sales market (something I learned from my Cannes days and first filming experience), have love for science, and have the required VFX/workflow understanding along with storytelling, filmmaking requirements, and knowledge. I felt I was uniquely positioned and that this, the crossover of science, academia, and filmmaking, was my calling. It was everything I loved but it was a HUGE undertaking, which scared me especially as most of my peers told me not to do this, that I’d fail, stick to films, someone else is probably already doing it, etc.  

Ultimately, I knew deep down, that I had to give it my best shot. This technology was inevitably going to make its way into the film industry, whether it happens now or 10 years down the line. I was certain of it, and I’d been lucky enough that my nerdy, curious nature had led me to get an early glance. I could handle the failure if I’ve tried fully, but I knew it would kill me far more if after knowing all this, if I hadn’t taken the opportunity because I was fearful. 

Adam: What advice do you have for others on how to come up with and test business ideas?

Scott: Find a problem that needs solving. The bigger the problem the better for the business of it and more likely it can be implemented. Also, don't get stuck in the now. Think of where the world is going to be, and project forward a little and look at potential growing or fundamental problems. 

Personally, I usually stick close to things around me. Anything in my world that I run into, that irks me as an issue, I often just think on how I can improve it. What could make it better? Does the current system work? What’s a possible solution? I think it might be in my nature if I open a kitchen cupboard and the doorknob is loose, even if it’s not my home (an Airbnb for example) I won’t close the cupboard until I’ve tried to tighten up the doorknob. There are so many potential improvements all around us every day and when I bump into one, I’ll often give it a little thought. But when I keep bumping into the same issue over and over - I give it lots of thoughts. 

I’ve tried to focus my thinking time on fundamental ideas that have a broad impact as the greater the market, the greater the potential, business, etc. But conversely, this also has a downside as the bigger the idea arguably makes it a steeper mountain to climb…sometimes.    

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Scott: I think inspiring others to see what you see and to never let up. You are the first and last line of defense and people will feed from how you behave. I always think of the Beatles lyric, “the love you make is the love you take.” You get what you put in.

I see it as my job to try and get the very best out of everyone, giving people enough space or resource to be the best they can be. Leadership and directing movies hold many parallels. You need to be many things to many people; you need to strive for the best from everyone to feed into the common cause. Creating something from nothing is difficult but when you achieve it, it’s very satisfying. Rallying everyone to take pride of the achievements as we step through them is very important. I think of a company as an organism, it constantly moves, evolves, and develops; it's a living thing.  

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Scott: I think being empathetic to everyone on the team and trying to see things from their view. People who have worked their way up in an industry build that skill well. Then, with that, try and guide teams with clarity and understanding of where they are going and most importantly WHY choices are made. 

I think people are a lot more understanding and get behind things in a much more motivated and inspired way if they own what they are doing. I think allowing systems for that, comes from the top of how you set up a company. 

When my partner, Nick Lynes and I sat down to set up Flawless, we both agreed on what we didn’t want it to become. We agreed on fundamentals we’d like to change in the world. How unfettered capitalism was not working but rather ruining the world and we wanted to help change that. We decided to use our company to try and lead by example of a better way. We both didn’t see success as becoming lonely billionaires at the top of the tree. We wanted to be far more equitable and fairer. To share the company genuinely and openly amongst those who are part of it. We still must operate in the playground of business realities, but by pushing for an ideal, I hope that Flawless can become more than the product it creates.      

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?

Scott: Just do it. Work harder than anyone else. Partner with and hire people who know better than you in some regard. 

Adam: What are the most important trends in technology that leaders should be aware of and understand? What should they understand about them?

Scott: The world, and life itself, seems to be in an increasingly perilous position and for the sake of our children I think we should be asking does the project add to our evolution or take from it? I think it's clear that a lot of large systems which have helped build up civilization as it stands now, are very flawed, if not broken, and require fixing and or/replacing. Unfettered capitalism and how we drive forward as society has caused a lot of damage, both to our society and planet. We need a rebalance and a lot needs to change in the world for that to occur. I think there is an increasing trend towards that aspect of any business starting up. Project forward. Does this give or take from the world? Ultimately, at the heart of Flawless and the business for content translation, accessibility is the notion that if we can all understand and share stories globally, we’ll better understand each other’s cultures. We’re all humans, sharing the same planet, and current content sharing tends to enforce the barriers that prevent us from understanding one another at both a micro and macro level. We see the differences more than the commonalities. I look at our product as a first version of the universal translator of Star Trek - allowing everyone to speak together, somewhat, creating new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.   

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Scott: When I was 19, I was about to attempt my first tv studio/gallery director experience. It was a huge opportunity, the biggest of my life at that time and I was a nervous wreck. But I remember my boss’ assistant, Pauline, who had always been very kind to me. She pulled me aside and said, “Just make sure you enjoy it, Scott. Enjoy this moment, this experience. However, it goes, whatever comes of it.” 

I think I most often remind myself of that advice. Don’t forget to enjoy the ride. Treasure the moments. Celebrate the small successes, learn from the failures, and don’t be afraid. I repeated Pauline’s words to myself at all the key moments in my life - getting married, having kids, stepping onto my first feature set, testing a movie, launching a company, etc. The journey is where you need to find happiness. It’s not at a destination.


Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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