Face to Face with... Paul Gay

Former director at Hungry Man, Paul Gay (left), recently announced the launch of his new production company start-up, Waspface. Executive producer Tim Nunn worked with Gay at Hungry Man and recently left Smuggler to reunite with his old friend and colleague for the venture. Here, Gay tells us what they hope to achieve with the company and why now is the right time to create a new buzz.

How did you come up with the name Waspface and what does it mean?

We spent months searching for a name that sounded right for our new production company. We tried out hundreds of names but eventually settled on Waspface when I stumbled across the word in a poem by Ted Hughes. We tested it on a few close friends in the industry and they all responded positively.

We like the name because it’s memorable, intriguing and immediately suggests a strong visual identity. We also like the fact that the name has a slightly humorous quality, a little like a playground nickname.  

You’ve both been in the industry for years, so why was now the right time to launch?

Tim and I both have a lot of experience making commercials and we’ve both worked at some of London’s top production companies. I directed for over eight years at Outsider and was there from the launch so I know what its like to be at a production company starting off from scratch.

Tim spent more than ten years working at HLA as head of production and then exec producing for Hungry Man so he understands what makes a successful production company tick. With our combined experience it seemed to make a lot of sense to launch our own company.

Also the industry seems to be recovering from the tough conditions of the last few years. Of course in the current economic climate you can’t take anything for granted, but we have noticed an increase in the amount of good scripts and opportunities.    

You both worked at Hungry Man, but what are you most excited about to be working together again?

We both share the same goals and attitude so it’s going to be great to be able to work together as a team again. Of course there are bound to be challenges and hurdles to overcome, especially starting up a new production company, but in a way that’s what makes it so exciting.   

What are your official titles and responsibilities?

Initially we will be a director and producer team and share in all the major decisions associated with starting a new production company. As the company develops we may find ourselves in a position where we will be representing other directors. In this instance, Tim will continue to produce but will also adopt a more managerial role, ensuring that each director has all the support and assistance he/she requires.

One of our aims at Waspface is to develop long form ideas for TV dramas so I will also be working with writers and pitching ideas to TV executives.

What’s the overall Waspface ethos?

At Waspface we want to work with the best creative agencies and produce a high standard of work. As a director you can’t make a great commercial if you’re given a poor script. One of our goals is to maintain a position where we can make choices. If you find yourself in a position where you have to take on every script you’re sent, the standard will fall quickly and it simply becomes a race to the bottom.

How big would you like it to grow and what talent are you looking for?

We’re keen to keep Waspface small, working with a small group of talented directors. Finding directors with a true individual vision takes time and patience. We’re confident that if we produce a high standard of work we’ll attract the right kind of director.

Will Waspface become known for a certain style?

The majority of my work tends to be dialogue and performance-based. I’ve always enjoyed working in this area so I can’t imagine that there’s going to be much of a departure from this style of work. However, it’s difficult to say if that’s the type of work Waspface will be known for as other directors may join us with completely different sensibilities.

Where do you see the company in five years?

If Waspface is producing a high standard of creative work and representing four or five top directors we would have achieved everything we set out to do.