IamA filmmaker John Carney, director of Sing Street, AMA!

Hi Mr. Carney I love all of your films I'm a huge fan! Can I ask do you have any directorial advice?

Make a movie on your iphone. Start tomorrow.

Where did Falling Slowly come from? :~)

The ginger head of Glen Hansard!

How do you give direction? Do you keep it simple or go very in depth and complicated?

I keep it simple. The biggest direction is in casting the movie. You cast the person you think can do the job you need doing. I only ever got that wrong once.

Begin Again was like a love letter to indipendent filmmaking, with the main characters going on location to record. Was the film supposed to be a love letter?

Yes. It was. That's a good analogy.

Hey man! I just watched Begin Again. Loved it! When writing the script, how did you incorporate the many songs used in the film? Do you you write the songs in tangent with the script, or do the songs come before/after the story?

Hey duder! The songs tend to come at the same time as the script. That way the two things seem married. Bad films tend to cram in a bunch of songs in post production and then call that a "soundtrack".

is it right that Sing Street is based on your life growing up? Are you Cosmo?

I am not Cosmo. For a start I was way better looking that that kid in the movie! No, seriously, I wasn't half as confident as the kid in the movie. There's a lot of wish fulfilment in the film.

Did you have involvement with the Once Musical? If not, did you get a chance to see it?

I did indeed! It was great. I love where john tiffeny took the show

Would you ever hand one of your own scripts to another director?

I don't think so. Not unless I could be on set. Directing.

What was it like directing Kiera Knightly?

God love her, she does try.

What is your screenwriting process like, do you plan methodically or just jump straight in?

I try to write the story first. Like in prose style. Then pitch that to friends, family, taxi drivers, the dentist, whoever. See if I have something.

John, I have this really nasty plantar wart on my big toe. Any advice on how to get rid of it?

Foot hygiene is of particular interest to me.

What was it like going from a slick Hollywood production with A-List stars to a smaller, more intimate film like Sing Street?

It was great. It was what I needed after the madness of making a film in NY. It's a lot of fun. But a very different approach than what I'm used to

what were you like as a student?

I was a rubbish student.

Are there any parts of the film that are actually based on your own personal experiences?

A few. But not all of them. Ferdia is way more confident than I was as a kid. So there's lots of stuff I did in real life that he wouldn't be believable doing.

What music are you most enjoying at the moment? Any good tips?

No. Rock n roll is dead. It's all too safe and cosy for me these days.

Do you have any screenwriting advcie?

Tell the truth.

Do you ever miss the early days of The Frames?

Nope. I couldn't stand being in a band. It didn't suit me. And I wasn't the lead singer, which killed my ego! I was on bass. In the background! Hell!