From space travel to thatTwitterdebacle and a cybertruck that could“serve briefly ” as a sauceboat , there ’s no deny that Elon Musk has a knack for occupying the headlines . From humble beginning , he ’s had a meteoric rise in status to one of therichest people in the world(it saltation between him andJeff Bezos ) , and now a new documentary TV serial is taking a closer look at what happened along the means from the linear perspective of those tightlipped to Musk .
The Elon Musk Show , which bare its first episode tonight in the UK on BBC Two , was directed by Marian Mohamed , an award - winning documentary director who has antecedently worked acrossHouse of Maxwellandwon a BAFTA Craft award in 2021for her unveiling documentaryDefending Digga D. We catch up with Mohamed to find out more about the series , and what it ’s like endeavor to learn about someone so famous but who has mostly turned away from press interaction .
How did you come to directThe Elon Musk Show ?
The interviews include anecdotes of the business magnate taking dates home to “show them videos of rockets”, and literally showing them videos of rockets. Image credit: BBC/72 Films/REUTERS
I had just stop directing an episode on the BBC seriesHouse of Maxwell , and I hear that the BBC had commission 72 Films to make a three - part serial about Elon Musk . I was immediately captivate . My ears pricked up , he ’s someone I see in the headlines all the time . He seemed to be everywhere . I want to listen more about it , so although I was n’t involve in the ideation , I got require in the pre - production . I love making infotainment about things I know little about – doing a deep dive . And to take a deep prima donna into Musk ’s world with the 72 Films team , who are known forThe Trump ShowandJimmy Savile : A British Horror Story , felt like it ’d be an interesting process .
What were some of the most interesting revelations from your enquiry ?
I did n’t realise how many things he has going on at once , and maybe more importantly , how fast - move they all are . He ’s puttingchips in people ’s brains , buildingtunnels underground , and he ’s gotSpaceX , which was only founded in 2002 . It ’s amazing how quickly his companies have moved , becoming so domineering . This was a revelation to me .
It was interesting to discover about the resistance to SpaceX in the other days , and Obama ’s space policy . In the series Neil Armstrong come out in archive , he was n’t so sure about SpaceX in the other days .
There ’s a personal side too . We filmed insiders and relatives , and with that issue forth so much revelatory information . I did n’t realise the challenges Elon faced in his puerility , at school and at home base . It ’s not something he really speak about publicly .
How did you reach the archival clips that will sport in the show , and what are they of ?
We look everywhere ! Chasing old documentary rushing , and trawling the internet for footage , our archive producer Tracey Li adjoin director all across the world . As Musk start to get more noted , he began to exist a lot less in documentaries . It ’s laughable because in his unseasoned sidereal day he was followed around by camera crews , and when you see that footage it ’s fortunate . Nowadays , hebarely does TV interviews . He has a agonistic human relationship with the press so it ’s hard to retrieve fresh footage of him .
Some of the footage come from Maye Musk , his mother . Maye kindly sent us some personal pictures of the family . Some came from [ ex - wife ] Talulah [ Riley ] too .
We also went back to the rocket engineers who were with him in the very early day of SpaceX. They took so many image , and astonishingly , they let us raid their google drive . I had to go through around 200 pictures !
To see how he has germinate from a really geeky , awkward engine driver to one of the most influential , most - watched CEOs , it ’s really interesting to see that change in his personality in the archive footage . He says it himself at one point – it ’s a conditioned behavior . It did n’t seem to come naturally to Elon .
What do you hope people will take out fromThe Elon Musk Show ?
The heading of the series is to state the story of how Elon Musk came to be the richest man in the earth , tell by those who get it on him the secure . I think it ’s an entertaining story of a CEO ’s hike , and I guess he ’s a captivating character . We go from Silicon Valley to South Africa , to theInternational Space Station . It ’s a journey and it ’s a very tight - paced series where we ’re jumping between SpaceX , Tesla , and all ofElon ’s other mission .
Elon ’s climb only really lead off in the mid-’90s , and in that timeframe , there ’s been so many ups and downs and he is now the richest piece in the cosmos . I want the viewer to feel like , whoa , whiplash , that was quick .
We have Eruca sativa engineer , some of whom have never spoken before , distinguish us about what it ’s like to start a rocket engine party from scratch and cook theirfirst missions to the ISS . I hope we ’ve told that in an engaging way .
I was a chip queasy essay to empathise some of the very technological Eruca sativa data they were talk about . Especially in the edit , trying to explicate why the skyrocket are betray , etc . My editor program Ben Brown had some great ideas on how to still retain their argot and the science , whilst still presenting it in bitesize chunks so that a non - rocket engineer viewer can appreciate the present moment when a rocket does successfully go into orbit .
What do you revel most about documentary film filmmaking ?
I love that you could turn up with a photographic camera , go into citizenry ’s homes , work and lives , and they ’re ready to sit down with you and permit you in . They will separate you things they have n’t tell anyone before . They will evidence their story . That ’s the thing I have intercourse most – someone let you into their world . I love consultation . I roll in the hay have a chat .
With actuality - extend documentary film , I love that you ’re in the moment , learn about a moment along with the people you ’re filming with . I think it ’s much more exciting than dramatic play .
How did you get into it ?
I did a scheme with Shine TV 10 years ago , it was for multitude from underprivileged backgrounds . It was an apprenticeship scheme . I became a researcher , adjunct manufacturer then producer , and I directed my first cinema two year ago for BBC Three : Defending Digga D. I think the Shine boob tube scheme is still running but it ’s aimed at alumnus now , and I would n’t have get into goggle box without it . I was part of the first cohort .
What advice would you give to someone hoping to get into documentary filmmaking ?
contain out the Shine TV scheme , but there are more schema around now than ever ! I found that scheme on the Internet .
Watch stuff . If there ’s something you watch on the BBC or Netflix , and you ’re like , oh my god I need to make a film like that , do n’t be shy . face at the credits , reckon at who produced it , and meet them . That ’s what I did . Sometimes they do n’t reply to you , but that ’s fine . watch out a lot of films , get hold out what you like and what you do n’t , and then attempt to contact those masses .
If you are from an underprivileged , working - course or diverse background , sometimes you already live the photographic film that are made by people from a similar background to you . adjoin those citizenry on Twitter .
attempt to make a short film , have fun ! There are many sport student photographic film and challenger – enter . Sometimes the most interesting narration are in your backyard . Find those stories even if you do n’t yet have the resourcefulness to make those into films . Your ideas are your currency .
The Elon Musk Showwill melody on BBC Two in the UK at 9 pm on October 12 , and will be available on iPlayer after .
