Ella Jones is London-based award-winning film and TV director who started off as an actress and script editor for David Farr’s Amazon show “Hanna” before turning to directing.

Ella won ‘Best Comedy Director’ at the RTS Craft Awards 2020 for her work directing the second season of ENTERPRICE (BBC3) and was nominated again for the same award in 2021 for BACK TO LIFE. ““Enterprice” was also nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award for ‘Best Comedy Programme’ where Ella’s comedy miniseries FULLY BLOWN (for BBC3/Studio 71) was nominated for ‘Best Short-Form. Her other notable work for television includes HBO’s horror-comedy series THE BABY, comedy-drama BACK TO LIFE for BBC and Showtime, and PANDEMONIUM for BBC1. 

Ella’s most recent success comes with SWEETPEA, which she directed and exec produced for Sky and Starz with See-Saw Films and Fanboy. Starring magnificent Ella Purnell ,“Sweetpea” became an instant binge-worthy classic, receiving raving reviews from Rotten Tomatoes and The Hollywood Reporter. We had the pleasure of speaking with Ella and discussing what went on behind the screens and what’s next to come for her.

Ella Valentine: Hi Ella, thank you so much for talking to us! I’m sure you’re very busy given the success of Sweetpea! Did you expect people to get as addicted to the show as we are?

Ella Jones: Hi Ella, thank you so much for your kind words! The thing is that you never know how people are going to respond. Obviously it’s something I’ve worked on for so long, I’ve been attached to the show for a couple of years and I’ve put so much time, energy and emotional energy as so has everyone else who worked on the show. By the end you’re like I’ve seen the show hundreds of times and I’m really proud of it but I have no idea what people will think and I can only hope they’ll enjoy it. So it’s been such a joy having it out in the world and having such a wonderful response.

Ella Valentine: Talk us through the process – when did you come across Claire Skuse’s book and how did the series come to life? 

Ella Jones: The book was optioned by See-Saw Films who are the production company behind the show. They then approached Kirstie Swain, the creator and writer of the show to work with her in an adaptation for it. Kirstie was already looking to get involved in a project about female rage and the project really clocked with her. I came on board a little later after Kirstie had already written a first draft and I interviewed as a director and met with Kirstie and Patrick and presented my director’s vision on how I’d bring the series to life. And from there, because things always take a while, I got to get involved in the development process and therefore in the creation of the next five scripts. And that was a lot of fun!

C.J. was very hands off because she was busy writing the other novels for the series and was happy for us to take the central character and the story and run with it. Essentially, our TV version of the book was quite different due to us wanting to explore what makes somebody become who Rhiannon is in the book, that coming of rage of a serial killer as we like to call it, whereas in the book she is already fully formed and we thought there was a fun journey to go on before we even got to that. So in a sense it’s more a prequel and it’s pretty much its own thing and C.J. is very happy with it which we are thrilled about because both projects can stand alongside each other and have their own merits.

Ella Valentine: When did you first speak to Ella Purnell about the role and what were you looking for when casting Rhiannon? How did Ella win you over?

Ella Jones: First and foremost, I would just say that Ella is the most amazing actress I’ve ever worked with genuinely and I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve gotten to work with her. She is incredibly talented but not only that, she is extremely hard working. She really cared about the show and about everyone involved and she’s a wonderful person on screen and off. She is a great team player too, she got on with everybody and that sets such an important tone when you’re making something and you’re all on set together in very intense circumstances, to have people who are respectful and kind and caring and positive and she was all of those things.

I first spoke to Patrick Walters who is an exec at See-Saw and who had met with Ella and had mentioned “Sweetpea” to her as a potential project and she really liked the idea and the character and really responded to the script. And then both Patrick and I sat down with Ella and this was really early on so she was the first person we cast. It was basically just a conversation and we realized we were all on the same page. Ella already had visions about the type of shoes Rhiannon would wear, the kinds of trousers and we had so much fun getting into that detail and talking about how all that might work so it was really brilliant to get her on board. And she’s obviously an executive producer of the show like I am and she was heavily involved in Rhiannon’s look, her hair, her make up, outfits and what was going to be in Rhiannon’s bedroom. She had a really valuable perspective, like when she was looking at the script she was always seeing it through Rhiannon’s perspective.

Ella Valentine: You touch-based on Rhiannon’s wardrobe. Can you expand a little on the decisions behind it, especially her staple jacket. Since I watched the show I’ve been on the lookout for a jacket like hers!

Ella Jones: We liked the idea that her wardrobe was kind of like an office version of a school uniform. And that the jacket was both nicely nondescript but also a bit slasher! And we explored her wardrobe subtly changing over the series as she grew in confidence. We didn’t ever want it to feel like a big cheesy ’She’s All That’-type makeover, but more a subtle trying on of new identities as Rhiannon grows in confidence.

Ella Valentine: Rhiannon’s character is very relatable (besides the murder urge, let’s hope). What are the challenges when directing a sympathetic character with a sinister secret?

Ella Jones: That’s a really good question and it’s something Ella and a I talked about because obviously for her as well, she has to carry all that complexity in one performance and I think she does that incredibly well. One of the things that really attracted me to the project was the idea of this kind of “Breaking Bad” journey where you’ve got this morally complicated character that you start very much rooting for. And as a result you’re kind of being tested in your own morality in how far you condone this person’s behavior. And I really liked that the fact that the journey Rhiannon goes in Season 1 challenges the audience’s own morality.

The key thing me, Patrick and Ella talked about was just finding the right way in. I think again that’s why it was so important to start from a slightly earlier place than in the book, where we are staring from a point where she is almost an every woman. She is obviously unique in her own way and her experiences and what has happened to her are unique but that feeling of her not being seen or understood or valued are quite relatable so we really wanted to start from a point where people could go, yeah I get that, I totally get on board with the urge to fight back. And that kind of feeling like maybe everybody has their own secret kill list so when you get at the point of her first murder you’re with her, after she’s been knocked down and knocked down and knocked down you’re starting to feel like, go for it, stand up for yourself. That was a big part of it and Ella is so compelling as an actor that she really allows you to connect with her and empathise with her and she managed to be both, incredibly sweet and vulnerable one minute and then kind of terrifying the next and that’s totally key really.

Ella Valentine: You’ve done such an amazing job crafting the characters! Why do you think people are so obsessed with serial killers? 

Ella Jones: It’s interesting, isn’t it? I think we probably all look to art as a way to explore out deepest, darkest fears and thrills and desires and all of that and that’s where film and TV and books can be such an amazing space to explore things that you might think about in reality and can be safe to explore in your own sofa, from distance and you don’t have to hopefully face in reality. And I think there is kind of escapism there and there’s that kind of catharsis, and I guess a rollercoaster of a journey that you go on when you watch something that’s as high stakes and as thrilling that involves murder.

I think also we are interested in, well certainly I am interested in morally complicated characters, particularly female characters because we don’t see a lot of them in screen and what’s more morally complicated than someone that we like on one level and on another level someone who’s killing people which is fundamentally wrong. There is something kind of transgressive about seeing a woman kind of just going fuck it to the rules and the system and starting to get what she wants. I think that’s what is so exciting about the show that you really want for her but at the same time you’re going, maybe murder is not the way to this. Yes, definitely isn’t, don’t kill anybody.

Ella Valentine: How is “Sweetpea” different from the previous TV work you’ve directed and what are you working on next? Season 2 we hope!

Ella Jones: This is the first TV show that I have set up as a lead director and what that means is that I’ve established the world and the feel from the start. And that was such an amazing experience that I really, really enjoyed and felt very empowered by See-Saw and Fanboy, the production companies to do that. It’s a bit early for us to know about Season 2 but we are all crossing our fingers and very much hoping that we get to continue Rhiannon’s journey because we all care about her very much and we’re all excited about what might be next for her.

Ella Valentine: Which shows are you loving these days? And what inspires you? 

Ella Jones: Gosh, I always go really blank when I think of shows I’m loving, there are so many. I guess to try to muddle them together with what inspires me, what inspired me for something like “Sweetpea” are shows that have that kind of tonal crossover where they thread the link between dark comedy and drama, warmth and edgy, light and dark, that use wit or humour to explore often quite heavy themes but in a way that’s always really entertaining and fun. So I love shows like “Fargo” and “The End of The Fucking World”, “Succession”, they’re all amazing. This is quite different actually but I’ve just finished “Nobody Wants This” which I really enjoyed as a warm and cozy rom-com which is lovely for when the days get colder and darker and everything else.

Ella Valentine: I loved “Nobody Wants This” too! But back to thriller, do you have any advice for female horror and thriller directors on telling a story about a female serial killer? Any tips for getting into the killer’s mind? 

Ella Jones: That’s a really good question. I mean, there are a few elements when I think about bringing something to life and you’ve almost answered your own question which is all about getting into that main character’s mind and thinking about every decision that you make from that subjective point of view – where is Rhiannon in the scene, where is the character in the scene, who is the scene about, whose perspective are we with and that informs the shot choices, the details of the set, the framing, everything.

And also, in terms of working with actors I’ll do a lot of prep. Working with them I’ll sit down, we’ll do rehearsals and we’ll talk through the script and really kind of get into the depths of these characters’ stories. And that helps when you’re in the fast-pace of directing TV that you all have that fundamental understanding and you’re all on the same page.

Ella Valentine: It’s also important to not forget what makes them human but what is the cut-off line between human-like and monster-like? 

Ella Jones: Yes! Well exactly, that’s a very good question. I think that’s something that we are trying to explore with the show because even with the very question about the monster, without having to give away any spoilers, that’s one of Rhiannon’s final lines of the show, her desperately saying that she’s not a monster while arguably doing something quite monstrous. So in a way we are also riddled with those complexities and that’s human nature in its most truthful really where there isn’t that black and white dichotomy between good and bad, victim and bully and that’s what the show is exploring and something I hope people will take away from.

Ella Valentine: Another point probably worth mentioning is the effect bullying can have on the human mind. We’ve seen it in real life where we find out a murderer has been bullied at school. The series really shine a light on this important topic. Do you believe bullying can be the sole cause of a murderous behavior, such as Rhiannon’s, or would you say it’s something pre-existent in the human mind that got woken up/provoked?

Ella Jones: I think the whole thing that’s fun about Rhiannon is the question of how much she’s like how she is because of what happened to her and how much is innate in her – something we’d look to explore more if we go to Season 2.

Ella Valentine: I am sure we’ll get to see another season! In terms of your directing craft, was there a scene you found particularly challenging to shoot or one that you had the most fun making? 

Ella Jones: I particularly enjoyed shooting the opening kill list, the first murder and the fight with Julia and Rhiannon at the end of Ep.3!

Ella Valentine: What are you keen to do next creatively, or perhaps someone to collaborate with?

Ella Jones: There are so many amazing people making brilliant work that I’d love to collaborate with. In general I just always want whatever the next project is that I’m working on to be a challenge and something I’d be pushed to learn from and try new things and be brave, whatever that looks like specifically. I love building worlds and exploring characters so I just want to continue to do that but increasing scales hopefully.

Ella Valentine: Thank you so much again for talking to us today! We are excited to see what you do next!

“Sweetpea” is available to stream on Starz and Sky.