Haute Honnah presents Empty Talk is a podcast where they talk, debate, review and create film and TV content mainly from Britain.
Imeldha Eloni and Michael Honnah are two freelance filmmakers from the UK creating an exciting space for new and interesting stories in the British film and TV industry. Their company, Haute Honnah, was founded in 2019.
How to 'Be' An Actor: Grace Saif on colorblind casting, class and finding identity on screen
✨Episode 8: British actress Grace Saif joins us for a searching conversation about acting, identity and the structures shaping British film and theatre. We dig into colorblind casting, representation, class, and how economics and fear are stalling bold stories. Grace speaks about her Kenyan roots, voice work, the indie game world, and what real cultural storytelling could look like when artists own their platforms.
Chapters
00:00 Intro — Grace Saif on process and craft
14:00 The limits of colorblind casting and class perception
32:00 Acting, culture and the British industry’s blind spots
48:00 Black British stories and African narratives
1:00:00 The stagnation of UK theatre and creative risk
1:13:00 Games, indie storytelling and direct-to-audience creation 1:16:00 Advice for young artists finding their own lane
💡 Back our show: We're looking for misfits who could donate as little as 5 pounds. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1593674721/unwritten-making-a-tv-show-without-a-studio?ref=5vk9qy (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1593674721/unwritten-making-a-tv-show-without-a-studio?ref=5vk9qy)
🎙 Hosted by Michael & Imeldha Subscribe for new interviews every week with voices shaping culture.
📲 Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & X: @HauteHonnah @michael.honnah
#GraceSaif #GraceSaifInterview #britishactress #ActingInterview #behindthescenes #actingjourney #UKTheatre #BlackBritishCulture #RepresentationInFilm #ColorblindCasting #creativeindustry #independentfilmmaking #HauteHonnah #MichaelHonnah #UKFilm #britishcinema #voiceacting #GamingAndFilm #culturalconversations #KenyanRoots #FilmPodcast #ActingPodcast #filmmakingpodcast #blackcreatives #actingcommunity #artandidentity #storytelling #actorslife #CreativeDialogue #filmculture
24 Oct 2025
Why We Didn’t Hire a Casting Director | How to Make a TV Show Without the Studio
✨ Episode 7: You can’t make a great show without a great cast but how do you actually find them when you don’t have a studio, a casting director, or endless budget? In this episode, Michael and Imeldha break down how they cast an entire ensemble from scratch: thousands of self-tapes, no gatekeepers, and a whole lot of belief.
💡 Back our show: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1593674721/unwritten-making-a-tv-show-without-a-studio?ref=5vk9qy (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1593674721/unwritten-making-a-tv-show-without-a-studio?ref=5vk9qy)
🎙 Hosted by Michael & Imeldha Subscribe for weekly episodes on film, culture, and the DIY grind of making it happen.
📲 Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & X: @HauteHonnah @ michael.honnah
#EmptyTalk #HowToBeSeen #CreativeJourney #FilmIndustry #UKFilm #IndieFilm #BlackBritishFilm #CommissionerCrisis #Filmmaking #Storytelling #Podcast #CreativeProcess #MakeYourOwnWay #BustAGutProductions #Filmmaking #TVProduction #IndieTV #ProducerLife #Streaming #TVIndustry #MakeATVShow #Kickstarter
20 Oct 2025
How to Make a TV Show Without a Studio — Interview with Ana Garanito
Join us for Episode 6 of Empty Talk as host Imeldha and Michael sit down with producer Ana Garanito — whose credits include Hijack (Apple TV+), Concrete Cowboy (Netflix), In the Long Run (Sky) — to uncover what it really takes to get your show seen in 2025.
➤ We dig into: the changing TV landscape, budgets & streamers vs broadcasters, how to build audience before greenlight, why marketing becomes your biggest ally, and how to make a TV show without a full studio behind you.
🎬 Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM-Gj-I8Eko&t=18s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM-Gj-I8Eko&t=18s)
💡 Back our show: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1593674721/unwritten-making-a-tv-show-without-a-studio?ref=5vk9qy (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1593674721/unwritten-making-a-tv-show-without-a-studio?ref=5vk9qy)
🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe and hit the bell for weekly filmmaker interviews and behind-the-scenes insights.
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