Jack Howard’s The Second Time Around – Indie Filmmaking, Emotion, and Simplicity at HollyShorts

Three Key Takeaways

Embrace Simplicity: Jack Howard's unexpected production challenges taught him to trust simplicity, often leading to the most effective scenes.
Emotional Storytelling: With The Second Time Around, Howard aims to blend genre with deep human emotion, crafting a narrative that touches the heart before the head.
Indie Filmmaking Wisdom: Howard stresses the importance of ambition paired with smart decision-making, balancing creative scope with practical limitations.

Jack Howard is an award-winning writer and director hailing from Nottingham and now based in London. Known for his ability to skillfully mix comedy with profound themes, Jack has carved a niche in the film industry.

His short film, The Second Time Around, starring Caroline Goodall and Hannah Onslow, will be showcased at this year's HollyShorts Film Festival. With a rich background in sketch comedy, Jack's latest work is a testament to his evolving style and ambition. Alongside producers Ash Horne and Max Marlow, the film promises to leave a lasting impression.

What drew you to make this film? Why this story, and why now?

It started with two things. First, the idea of using familiar tropes to lead the audience down one path before revealing something much more human and unexpected. Second, an image: the opening shot. A camera drifting through the rain towards a quiet café, where a lonely waitress is closing up for the night. That shot has stayed exactly the same since the very first draft.

Film still from *The Second Time Around*

BTS shots from the making of *The Second Time Around*

On a personal level, I’ve had my own struggles with mental health, and several people close to me have too. One of my biggest fears has always been losing someone I love in that way - that they’d choose not to be here anymore. I wanted to explore that feeling through a story that’s handled with a light touch.

What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time?

The first night, the rain machine broke - which was kind of a disaster, considering the rain is the atmosphere of the film. We lost a lot of time, and that meant I had to rethink some of the coverage on the fly. A few scenes had to be done in one shot, not because it was stylish but because we didn’t have the time to shoot anything else.

Weirdly, those ended up being some of the most effective moments. It taught me to trust simplicity - sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of your own way.

Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you?

The structure of the whole thing probably says the most about me. It’s built like a comedy sketch - setup, shift, callback. It's just that the punchline isn't meant to make you laugh.

"I wanted it to hit people in the heart before the head."

What do you hope audiences take away from your film?

This film is essentially asking: what would you say if you had five more minutes with someone you lost? So I hope it creates a space for people to reflect on that - not in a big, dramatic way, but in a way that sneaks up on you. But more than anything, I’m excited for audiences to find things in it that I never expected. That’s my favourite part.

How has this film shaped the kind of stories you want to tell next?

Making this film was, in a way, me proving to myself that I could play in the same kind of arena as the films that have inspired me for years. Now that I’ve had a taste of that, I want to keep going and make a feature that does all of this on a bigger scale.

"Be ambitious, but be smart about it. You don’t need to fight your limitations."

What does it mean to you to have your film selected for HollyShorts?

It’s beyond an honour. HollyShorts is an Oscar-qualifying festival and they’re screening our film at the legendary Chinese Theatre. That’s absolute madness. I’m so proud of what we made, and to have it shown in a setting like that is surreal.

Where do you see this film going next?

We’re continuing on the festival circuit, and the film recently won the Iris Prize here in the UK, which means it’ll be shown on Film4. We’re also aiming for an awards run - we’re BAFTA-qualifying and hopeful for Oscar consideration too. Beyond that, I’d love to expand it into a feature or limited series. I think a longer version of this story could really break people’s hearts... in the best way.