Hosted at BFI with Patrick Russell (BFI), Dean Beswick (Gorilla Gorilla) and Ajay Parekh (EVCOM & Kabuki Productions)
Talking Pictures made a welcome return to the BFI this November with Talking Heads & Innovation, an evening dedicated to exploring how one of the most familiar formats in corporate film has continually evolved through more than a century of technological change.
Few industries have embraced innovation quite like film. From the early days of celluloid to the rise of sound, colour, videotape, digital, DSLRs and now AI, each leap forward has reshaped the way stories are told. To make this vast topic more tangible, the evening centred around a single, enduring client brief: filming an interview. Through this lens, hosts Patrick Russell (BFI) and Dean Beswick (Gorilla Gorilla) traced how filmmakers have responded creatively to each wave of technological advancement and how the talking head has remained a remarkably powerful tool for communication, connection and storytelling.
Patrick brought a number of wonderful historical yet remarkably innovative (for their time) films to life, offering rare insight into the creative and technical leaps that shaped the evolution of the talking head. The programme featured a carefully curated selection of clips illustrating this journey. Early examples showed how intertitles in the silent era allowed words to complement images, before sound brought real voices to screen with films such as Housing Problems (1935). The arrival of colour added visual flair and ambition, as seen in ICI’s This Is Colour (1942), while 16mm film opened the door to more spontaneous and widely distributed productions like Shown By Request (1947). By the 1990s, brands such as The Body Shop and BP embraced video formats like Beta, SP and Digi to tell more authentic, documentary-style stories. The introduction of DSLR cameras then brought a cinematic look to the corporate interview, and today, smartphones and user-generated content have democratised filmmaking once again, proving that storytelling skill and authenticity remain at the heart of effective communication.
Bringing the discussion into the present, Dean Beswick offered a contemporary perspective on the talking head, exploring how modern filmmakers are using digital tools and creative approaches to keep the format dynamic and emotionally engaging. He showcased its evolution through examples from his time at Jacaranda, including work with The Body Shop, and shared creative case studies where over forty employees were commissioned to create their own user-generated content, demonstrating the power of authenticity and participation in modern corporate storytelling.
The evening concluded with an engaging and enjoyable conversation and Q&A session hosted by Ajay Parekh, EVCOM Board Member, before guests made their way to the Bricklayers Arms for a well-deserved beverage to round off a thought-provoking night.
“It was an incredibly enjoyable night with a wide range of members from BFBS, Rocking Horse Pictures and The Edge — amongst many others. Most attendees said it was a refreshing opportunity to focus on the craft rather than the business, which made for a truly inspiring and collaborative atmosphere,” said Kai Duggal, EVCOM Executive Director.
EVCOM would like to extend a huge thank you to Patrick Russell, Dean Beswick and the BFI for hosting such an insightful and inspiring evening, and to all our members who joined us to celebrate creativity, innovation and the enduring art of the talking head.