Auto Italia asked Jess Wiesner, my long time collaborator, and myself to have a chat about Double Dip Concession, the most recent instalment of Auto Italia Live. It is published on Dazed Digital with some photos of Jess in my last Live contribution.

AK: I contributed to Episode 2 of the last series of AUTO ITALIA LIVE and you performed in my work, but this time you’ve been approached for a more editorial role, can you explain what you’re doing?

JW: Our team consists of Kate Cooper, Marianne Forrest, Richard John-Jones, Nathan Budzinski and myself, and our job is to work with the episode as a whole. We wrote a treatment, which was sent to all the artists involved and we wrote the promo and now it is up to all of you to create content. We then structure the programme from that content.

AK: Are you a content stylist?

JW: I would call myself a content stylist. It’s true, because we are not tampering with anything, we are just pinning all the hair forward from the back (laughs). That’s how it feels. I’m really enjoying it.

AK: Do you like it because there is no emotional investment in the role?

JW: I like it because I feel like I’m doing a technical problem not an emotional problem. Which is a nice break. I think I’d enjoy a technical job like adapting novels in to screenplays.

AK: You know I’ve always wanted to make a BBC 1 Sunday night serialisation of Iris Murdoch’s ‘The Bell’?

JW: I know. Who would play the drowning nun?

AK: I would cast Vanessa Redgrave as the mother superior, slightly reprising her role from The Devils. (laughs)

JW: Oh, that’s a good way to cast, to build on the other characters they’ve played.

AK: Maybe she should be caught masturbating with a cross, in the orchard.

JW: I’m not sure Iris had that in mind. Speaking of casting devils out of nuns, you have been casting actors today for your contribution to the episode, how did it go?

AK: I loved it, turns out I’m pretty good at it… or at least I’m pretty good at acting like I’m good at it. (laughs)

JW: Do you find it difficult getting other people to deliver your ideas for you?

AK: This is the first time I have cast professional actors for my work, in the past I have used artist friends and myself, so it was interesting today to put words that I have written in to professional mouths.

JW: Do you feel you have to give up some control?

AK: Working with actors? No, I want to work with their natural abilities and if they are good then we will go with what they have to offer. I’m very excited.

JW: Have you seen anything good on TV recently?

AK: Alan Titchmarsh was talking to the wrong camera for quite a while at the Chelsea Flower Show last night. He has a lot of eye bag skin…

JW: From the side…? Apparently eyelid lifts are the second most popular cosmetic surgery in the UK.

AK: I can see why. Everyone in London has eyebags. It doesn’t matter what age they are. I saw a 12 year old boy with eyebags bigger than mine.

JW: Maybe he had a blood condition?

AK: Maybe he watches too much TV?