{"id":977,"date":"2023-03-24T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-24T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dbiw.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=977"},"modified":"2023-03-24T01:46:13","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T01:46:13","slug":"in-conversation-with-tom-stoker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbiw.co.uk\/wordpress\/blog\/in-conversation-with-tom-stoker\/","title":{"rendered":"In Conversation with Tom Stoker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Written by Harry McPhail and translated by Iwan Thomas <\/strong><\/p>\n

Scroll for Welsh <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Tom Stoker is a third year Film and TV student. In this interview we are primarily discussing the newest video on his YouTube channel<\/a>, the video is titled The Road to Barry Island<\/a>. In this video he took a bucket of sand from the North of Wales, starting in Llandudno, to the South of Wales, ending at Barry Island. This was the first video I watched on his channel, he had shared it on his Facebook. I watched it with my flatmate because we had nothing better to do, and we were quickly hooked. We worked our way through all the videos on his channel and by the end I thought, \u2018I need to interview this guy\u2019, I mean what\u2019s the point in writing for a newspaper if you don\u2019t interview people you think are cool. So, I did. I feel I started the interview with the question on everyone\u2019s lips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

H: Why a bucket of sand?<\/p>\n

T: The bucket of sand thing. I\u2019d planned the whole trip and the day I was going to set off […] I went past Ambassadors with the buckets and spades and I thought, that\u2019d be a good idea […] I thought it\u2019d add a bit of a funny element […] I thought it\u2019d get people interested; like, he\u2019s walking with sand – what\u2019s wrong with him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

H: Are you playing a character [in your videos] or is that the real you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T: I like to think so [that that\u2019s the real him], also, I mean it\u2019s difficult isn\u2019t it, to film yourself and be completely normal. It heightens your awareness of everything you are doing. […] I hope it is. What do you think?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

H: It came across as really real. I do wonder if videoing things helps you to slow down and actually vocalise the things that are in your head, things you wouldn\u2019t get to say \u2018in real life\u2019.        T: Yeah, I remember sometimes, if you are on a lonely stretch of road, you could have a big moment or a big realisation but because you are not recording it or not writing it down, you could forget that revelation. It\u2019s kind of lost on the road there.
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H: Would you say you\u2019re quite disciplined in your video ideas or are you more led by inspiration?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T: I think I can be quite impulsive if I\u2019m really into an idea. Once I\u2019ve had an idea I know I\u2019ve got to do it. You could have ten ideas in a day, it\u2019s easy to be like \u2018I\u2019m going to do this, or, I\u2019m going to do that\u2019. Like, being in uni, you hear a lot of people talking like, \u2018I\u2019m going to do this\u2019, and I\u2019m like \u2018are you?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T: I just love telling nobody what I\u2019m going to do until I\u2019ve done it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

H: I wish I was more like that. If I have something I\u2019m doing I have to announce it to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T: I have to tell no-one. For this walk, I didn\u2019t tell anyone, like, I didn\u2019t tell anyone and then I put a post on Instagram saying, \u2018I\u2019m walking across Wales and my mum called like \u2018what\u2019s this walk that you\u2019re doing\u2019. Like if I\u2019d told people when I had the idea, which was like 3 months ago, every family gathering, people would be like, \u2018so what\u2019s this walk?\u2019 I don\u2019t want to talk about it. […] I just want to keep it in my head and work hard until it\u2019s done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

H: Were there any observations you made on that walk [in The Road to Barry Islan<\/a>d<\/a>] that weren\u2019t caught on camera?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T: What I didn\u2019t include enough was how much I found it difficult. I wanted to make it light-hearted. […] I wanted to make it about the things I\u2019d seen and the positive experience I had been having.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T: To be honest I found it quite difficult. I was quite miserable a lot of the time. But that\u2019s what made it so good – 8 hours of the day could be horrible, but then you find yourself on top of a mountain and you think, \u2018I\u2019ve never felt this good\u2019. I remember this old lady saying, \u2018I remember you two days ago up North with the sand\u2019. They\u2019d been driving down the road as well and they were like, \u2018what are you doing!\u2019 I was just like, \u2018just trying to walk.\u2019 A little interaction like that, because I hadn\u2019t seen anyone in three days, it gave me such a lift. You never get that lift from just seeing someone in the street in your everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

H: What\u2019s next?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T: Oh God! I\u2019ve got an idea of what I want to do in the Summer but it\u2019s just in my head at the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

H: Would you prefer not to talk about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T: Yeah. […] I struggle with that. Telling someone. Then something will happen, I\u2019ve hurt myself or for some reason I can\u2019t do it, and I know they don\u2019t care, they don\u2019t care at all, but I feel like I\u2019ve let them down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

H: What about your \u2018Learning 30 Songs\u2019, are you happy talking about that idea?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T: Yeah, I filmed it all in early January. It\u2019s making a piece of music every day for 30 days. Hopefully that can form the soundtrack of the film [the mysterious future film].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T: It\u2019s quite similar in terms of themes. Just trying to keep going and being consistent every day. Instead of being a physical endeavour it’s more of a creative endeavour. I found it quite mentally exhausting, making something every day. There\u2019s a lot of self-doubt. It gets to a point where you are thinking, this is just rubbish. It\u2019s more of a journey of just being a bit kinder to yourself in terms of not judging my creative output that much. Just make something and whether it\u2019s good or whether it\u2019s bad, still giving yourself as much of a pat on the back. Whatever the quality of the work, just as long as you turned up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Something that really struck me from our interview was the extent of what we don\u2019t see in videos generally, but more specifically in Tom\u2019s videos. We were given the highlights of his trip, but in actuality those highlights were surrounded by tough times. I feel the key thing that stuck out to me was that sense of endurance, which seems to be Tom\u2019s primary topic of exploration. The idea of pushing through the tough times and keeping the end goal in sight. I found it inspiring watching his videos; it made me want to try something for 30 days. Whether I do anything, I guess we\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Sgwrs<\/span> gyda<\/span> Tom <\/span>Stoker<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>

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Mae Tom <\/span>Stoker<\/span> yn fyfyriwr Ffilm a Theledu<\/span> yn ei<\/span> <\/span>d<\/span>rydedd flwyddyn. Yn y cyfweliad hwn rydym yn trafod <\/span>yn bennaf <\/span>y fideo <\/span>diweddaraf<\/span> ar ei sianel YouTube, <\/span>o\u2019r enw<\/span> <\/span>\u2018<\/span>The Road to <\/span>Barry<\/span> Island<\/span>\u2019<\/span>. Yn y fideo h<\/span>o<\/span>n aeth \u00e2 bwced o dywod o Ogledd Cymru, gan ddechrau yn Llandudno, i’r De, gan orffen yn Ynys y Barri. Hwn oedd y fideo cyntaf i mi wylio ar ei sianel, <\/span>cafodd<\/span> ei rannu ar ei Facebook. Fe wnes i ei wylio gyda fy nghyd-letywr oherwydd doedd gennym ni ddim byd gwell i’w wneud, <\/span>ond<\/span> roedden ni wedi gwirioni’n gyflym. Fe wnaethon ni weithio ein ffordd trwy’r holl fideos ar ei sianel ac erbyn diwedd meddyliais, ‘Mae angen i mi gyfweld y boi hwn’, rwy’n golygu beth yw’r pwynt ysgrifennu ar gyfer papur newydd os nad ydych chi’n cyfweld \u00e2 phobl rydych chi’n meddwl sy’n c\u0175l. Felly, fe wnes i. Rwy\u2019n teimlo ddechr<\/span>euais<\/span> cyfweliad gyda\u2019r cwestiwn ar wefusau pawb:<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

H: <\/span>Pam bwced o dywod<\/span>?<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

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T:<\/span> <\/span>Y bwced o <\/span>d<\/span>ywod. Roeddwn i wedi cynllunio’r daith gyfan a’r diwrnod roeddwn i’n mynd i gychwyn […] Es i heibio i Lysgenhadon gyda’r bwcedi a’r rhawiau a meddyliais, byddai hynny’n syniad da […] Roeddwn i’n meddwl ei fod’ ch ychwanegu ychydig o elfen ddoniol […] Roeddwn i’n meddwl y byddai’n ennyn diddordeb pobl; fel, mae’n cerdded gyda thywod – beth sy’n bod arno?<\/span> <\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

H: <\/span>Wyt ti\u2019n chwarae cymeriad <\/span>[yn dy fideos] neu <\/span>y ti go iawn yw hyn? <\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

T: <\/span>Dwi\u2019n licio meddwl felly [dyna\u2019r fo go iawn]<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>H<\/span>efyd, dwi\u2019n golygu ei bod hi\u2019n anodd yn tydi, i ffilmio dy hun a bod yn hollol normal. Mae’n cynyddu eich ymwybyddiaeth o bopeth rydych chi’n ei wneud. […] Rwy’n gobeithio ei fod. Beth yw eich barn chi?<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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H: <\/span>Daeth i’r amlwg fel rhywbeth go iawn. Tybed a yw <\/span>fideoio<\/span> pethau yn eich helpu i arafu a lleisio\u2019r pethau sydd yn eich pen, pethau na fyddech chi\u2019n cael dweud \u2018mewn bywyd go iawn\u2019.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

T: <\/span>Ydw, dwi’n cofio weithiau, os ydych chi ar ddarn unig o’r ffordd, fe allech chi gael eiliad fawr neu sylweddoliad mawr ond oherwydd nad ydych chi’n ei recordio neu ddim yn ei ysgrifennu, fe allech chi anghofio’r datguddiad hwnnw. Mae’n fath o goll ar y ffordd yno.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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H: <\/span>A fyddech chi’n dweud eich bod chi’n eithaf disgybledig yn eich syniadau fideo neu a ydych chi’n cael eich arwain yn fwy gan ysbrydoliaeth?<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

T: <\/span>Rwy’n meddwl y gallaf fod yn eithaf byrbwyll os oes gennyf syniad mewn gwirionedd. Unwaith y byddaf wedi cael syniad rwy’n gwybod bod yn rhaid i mi ei wneud. Fe allech chi gael deg syniad mewn diwrnod, mae\u2019n hawdd bod fel \u2018Rydw i\u2019n mynd i wneud hyn, neu, rydw <\/span>i\u2019n mynd i wneud hynny\u2019. Fel, a bod yn y brifysgol, rydych chi’n clywed llawer o bobl yn siarad fel, ‘Rydw i’n mynd i wneud hyn’, ac rydw i fel ‘ydych chi?’<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/span> <\/span>T<\/span>: <\/span>Dwi wrth fy modd yn dweud wrth neb beth rydw i’n mynd i’w wneud nes i mi ei wneud.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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H<\/span>: <\/span>Hoffwn pe bawn i’n fwy felly. Os oes gen i rywbeth rydw i’n ei wneud mae’n rhaid i mi ei gyhoeddi i bawb.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

T<\/span>: <\/span>Rhaid i mi ddweud wrth neb. Ar gyfer y daith gerdded hon, wnes i ddim dweud wrth neb, fel, wnes i ddim dweud wrth neb ac yna rhoddais bost ar <\/span>Instagram<\/span> yn dweud, ‘Rwy’n cerdded ar draws Cymru ac roedd mam yn galw fel ‘beth yw’r daith gerdded hon rydych chi’n ei gwneud ‘. Fel pe bawn i wedi dweud wrth bobl pan gefais y syniad, sef 3 mis yn \u00f4l, bob teulu\u2019n ymgynnull, byddai pobl fel, \u2018felly beth yw\u2019r daith gerdded hon?\u2019 Dydw i ddim eisiau siarad amdano. […] Rydw i eisiau ei gadw yn fy mhen a gweithio’n galed nes ei fod wedi’i wneud.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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H: A oedd unrhyw arsylwadau a wnaethoch ar y daith gerdded honno [yn <\/span>\u2018The Road to <\/span>Barry<\/span> I<\/span>sland<\/span>\u2019<\/span>] na chawsant eu dal ar gamera?<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

T: Yr hyn na wnes i ei gynnwys ddigon oedd cymaint roeddwn i’n ei chael hi’n anodd. Roeddwn i eisiau ei wneud yn ysgafn. […] Roeddwn i eisiau ei wneud am y pethau roeddwn i wedi’u gweld a’r profiad cadarnhaol roeddwn i wedi bod yn ei gael.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>

T: A dweud y gwir roeddwn i’n ei chael hi’n eithaf anodd. Roeddwn i’n eithaf diflas llawer o’r amser. Ond dyna beth oedd yn ei wneud mor dda \u2013 gallai 8 awr o\u2019r dydd fod yn erchyll, ond wedyn rydych chi\u2019n cael eich hun ar ben mynydd ac yn meddwl, <\/span>\u2018Dwi<\/span> erioed wedi teimlo mor dda \u00e2 hyn\u2019. <\/span>Cofiaf<\/span> yr hen wraig hon yn dweud, \u2018Rwy\u2019n cofio amdanoch ddeuddydd yn \u00f4l i fyny i\u2019r Gogledd gyda\u2019r tywod\u2019. Roedden nhw wedi bod yn gyrru i lawr y ffordd hefyd ac roedden nhw fel, \u2018beth wyt ti\u2019n wneud!\u2019 Roeddwn i jyst fel, \u2018dim ond ceisio cerdded.\u2019 Ychydig o ryngweithio fel yna, oherwydd doeddwn i ddim wedi gweld neb mewn tri diwrnod , rhoddodd y fath lifft i mi. Dydych chi byth yn cael y lifft yna o weld rhywun yn y stryd yn eich bywyd bob dydd.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n

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H: Beth sydd nesaf?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>

T: O Dduw! Mae gen i syniad beth rydw i eisiau ei wneud yn yr Haf ond mae o jyst yn fy mhen ar hyn o bryd.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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H: A fyddai’n well gennych beidio \u00e2 siarad amdano?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>

T: Ie. […] Rwy’n cael trafferth gyda hynny. Dweud wrth rywun. Yna bydd rhywbeth yn digwydd, rydw i wedi brifo fy hun neu am ryw reswm ni allaf ei wneud, ac rwy’n gwybod nad oes ots ganddyn nhw, nid oes ots ganddyn nhw o gwbl, ond rydw i’n teimlo fy mod i wedi eu siomi.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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H: Beth am eich \u2018<\/span>Learning<\/span> 30 <\/span>Songs<\/span>\u2019, ydych chi\u2019n hapus i siarad am y syniad hwnnw?<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

T: Do, fe wnes i ffilmio’r cyfan yn gynnar ym mis Ionawr. <\/span>Dwi\u2019n<\/span> <\/span>creu<\/span> darn o gerddoriaeth bob dydd am 30 diwrnod. Gobeithio y gall hynny ffurfio trac sain y ffilm [ffilm dirgel y dyfodol].<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

T: Mae’n eithaf tebyg o ran them\u00e2u. <\/span>O ran<\/span> ceisio dal ati a bod yn gyson bob dydd. Yn hytrach na bod yn ymdrech gorfforol, mae’n fwy o ymdrech greadigol. Roeddwn i’n ei chael hi’n flinedig iawn yn feddyliol, yn gwneud rhywbeth bob dydd. Mae yna lawer o hunan-amheuaeth. Mae’n cyrraedd pwynt lle rydych chi’n meddwl, sbwriel yw hyn<\/span> i gyd<\/span>. Mae\u2019n fwy o daith o fod ychydig yn fwy caredig i <\/span>chi\u2019ch<\/span> hun o ran peidio \u00e2 barnu fy allbwn creadigol cymaint. Gwnewch rywbeth a <\/span>ph’un<\/span> a yw’n dda neu’n ddrwg, daliwch i roi cymaint o ganmoliaeth i <\/span>chi’ch<\/span> hun. Beth bynnag fo ansawdd y gwaith, cyn belled \u00e2’ch bod <\/span>rhoi popeth iddo<\/span>.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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Rhywbeth a\u2019m trawodd yn fawr o\u2019n cyfweliad oedd maint yr hyn nad ydym yn ei weld mewn fideos yn gyffredinol, ond yn fwy penodol yn fideos Tom. Cawsom uchafbwyntiau ei daith, ond mewn gwirionedd roedd yr uchafbwyntiau hynny wedi’u hamgylchynu gan amseroedd caled. Rwy\u2019n teimlo mai\u2019r peth allweddol a ddaeth i\u2019m rhan oedd yr ymdeimlad hwnnw o ddygnwch, sy\u2019n ymddangos fel prif bwnc archwilio Tom. Y syniad o wthio trwy’r amseroedd anodd a chadw’r nod terfynol yn y golwg. Roeddwn yn ei chael yn ysbrydoledig gwylio ei fideos; gwnaeth i mi fod eisiau rhoi cynnig ar rywbeth am 30 diwrnod. P’un ai a wnaf unrhyw beth, mae’n debyg y cawn weld.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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