And Then It Was Thursday - Short Film

Produced by Farfetched Pictures and Lumalight Films

IN A NUTSHELL:

- It’s a hip-hop infused story about love, trust and re-connection.

- It’s written for and inspired by my little sister and my deep love for her

- It’s expensive to make films!

- We have brilliant original music!

- We are shooting in September.

- We have big ambitions for the film upon release! Be a part of our story :)

SYNOPSIS: 

Toni, an 18-year-old amateur boxer, can’t get to London for her boxing fight. Unexpectedly, her estranged older brother Rob appears, offering her a ride there. The journey starts out rocky, but eventually they begin to bond, the catalyst being their shared love for hip-hop. As they draw nearer to their destination, Toni’s trust is tested when Rob prioritises another commitment over his promise to attend her fight. Will they be able to grow together, or will old grudges prevail...

Keep reading below to see more details about me, the film and where your money is going. Also, consult the perks on the right of the screen; there are some pretty exciting things up for grabs (each perk includes the rewards from the previous perks!)  

This is a great opportunity to support ambitious, cash-strapped, up-and-coming young creatives! Everyone needs that first leg up :)

Please share this crowdfund with anyone you think may be interested in being a part of our story!

OUR BUDGET BROKEN DOWN:

This is where your money will be going. (in a nutshell of course, well a pie chart actually) The budget can be broken down into sections. These include:

Paying Cast (This is crucial due to how heavily the film relies on performances. Without good enough cast to successfully get that relatable dynamic on screen, the entire project falls flat)

Production design materials (to make sure we have all the props we need and that the character’s world feels detailed, rich and lived in)

Hair, Make-up and Costume (our actors need to look good on camera! We also learn a lot about the characters from our first impressions of them. By having detailed and well thought out costumes and make-up, we ensure that this impression is accurate and adds to the story )

Renting equipment (you cant shoot a film without a camera, or some lights (and you can't hear it without sound!) We need special, small and light weight equipmwnt in order to fit it all in and on the car. This is'nt cheap!)

Paying locations (if you have ever tried hiring somewhere for an event, you know the struggle. Locations are always a lot more expensive than they look!)

Keeping everyone fed and warm (we would quite like our cast and crew to remain alive during production, mainly because of the paperwork though... That being said, it is crucial that no-one works hungry, so by donating, you are putting food straight into the belly of a young filmmaker!)

Travel expenses (getting around London quite literally BURNS holes into your wallet. We've allocated a good chunk of our budget to making sure that we can get people and equipment efficiently and safely to each of our shooting locations.)

Insurance costs (INSURANCE! Sorry, I imagine that made you jump, as it did us. Hanging expensive equipment out of a car suprisingly costs a bit to insure...)

Submitting to festivals! (All our hard work would mean very little if we couldn't share the finished film with the world. The way we do that is through film festivals, and submissions costs are a very real (and sneaky) threat to our budget. By donating, you are helping us get our work and our names out there, quite literally giving us a little leg up in a notoriously difficult industry)

FURTHER INFO:

OUR FILMMAKING APPROACH:

Authenticity, Collaboration and Depth

As this is a character-driven film, we will tailor our production towards enabling authentic performances from our cast. A focus on chemistry will draw performances that reflect a genuine sibling dynamic, translating to the screen, the characters and subsequently the story. 

By choosing to shoot solely on-location we are able to lean into an authenticity that is reminiscent of early hip-hop. We are also adopting a heavily collaborative approach: each crew member involved with the project is experienced and driven, as well as absurdly talented, so their input into the creative process will inevitably lead to something truly special. 

‘Sampling’ is prominent throughout all of hip-hop and we want no less for this film. Each creative element is richly detailed and packed with references, leading to an even more relatable story that takes place in a world like our own: interconnected and meaningful. 

A key USP of the project is the stylisation of what can be quite a saturated and repetitive genre. By pursuing creative storytelling techniques, such as dynamic and motivated cinematography, and lyrically-rich original music, the film will become a deep, multifaceted audio-visual experience.

VISUAL APPROACH: 

The frame represents Toni’s mind;

Toni is our protagonist, so the camera will act as a window into her psyche. Active and energetic, the film uses a vibrant visual style inspired by 90s and 00s hip-hop blended with emotional cinematic techniques akin to British dramas. Our use of colour will be symbolic, with Toni represented by red, Rob by yellow, and hip-hop by orange (a mix of red and yellow and the element that brings them together.) We will also be open to smudging continuity in the name of emotional development. For example, the air freshener will change colour throughout the film as a symbol of Toni’s emotional state. This creative and emotionally driven approach to design effectively creates a world for the characters that is not only visually engaging, but emotive in and of itself. 

PROOF OF CONCEPT:

Think ‘Scrapper’ meets ‘They Cloned Tyrone.’

Both of these films have left a large impression on me since I first watched them, each significantly defining this project. 

‘Scrapper’ heavily impacted the narrative style of this film, the funny and relatable dialogue was incredible and was instrumental to how the characters and their interactions were written. It worked so well and was a key tool to hook the audience into a simple, yet profound and moving story. 

‘They Cloned Tyrone’ informed the visual style to a great extent; it is proof that a colourful, stylistic and visually rich cinematic experience can add so much to a written narrative. The film leans into its music and successfully pulls off an engaging, yet moving story.

Other films that have been inspiring are: ‘Fallen Angels’, ‘Rocks’ and ‘Everything Everywhere all at Once.’ These have had varying impact, but have each left a noticeable mark on the process of making this film.

MUSIC: 

As mentioned, Hip-hop plays a big part in this project; narratively, visually and aesthetically. The film will boast a banging, dynamic and interconnected hip-hop score with tracks from both Luthernist and Rainz.

CASTING:
Casting correctly will be crucial for this film, so we have brought on board an experienced casting director to get the best out of our auditions. These will prioritise actor chemistry thorough both group auditions as well as chemistry reads and will be taking place early during production. This leaves plenty of room for rehearsals, where collaboration and experimentation will be highly encouraged in order to get detailed performances from actors who know their characters well.

READ BELOW TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF OUR CREW:

Thank you for reading this far down, you are a true legend. Please consider donating to help us out, we would really really appreciate it!! Also, please share our crowdfund with anyone you think might be interested.

Lets make this happen, together!!!