Embers - Short Film

by Embers - Short Film in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Total raised £3,650

raised so far

62

supporters

What does it mean to save someone? To save yourself? Andy’s job is to fight fire, but what happens when the flames follow him home?

by Embers - Short Film in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

We're still collecting donations

On the 14th February 2025 we'd raised £3,650 with 62 supporters in 31 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.

The Story:

Andy, a firefighter and dad, spends a day with his son as he creeps ever closer to a PTSD attack. After a fire gone wrong, Andy is left feeling responsible and crippled by his guilt. Divorced by his wife, and distant from his son, can he come to terms with himself before it’s too late?

‘Meet the team’:

Ben - Director / Writer

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Hi, I’m Ben, director and writer for Embers. I started my filmmaking journey at the age of 13 and made my first drama film at 16. Ever since I have been looking at improving my craft of telling rich emotional pieces that are all personal to me. From films about friendship to romance and now a film about family this film will be another chapter in telling another piece of myself.

I have directed a large variety of projects including action, romance, horror and drama with a recent film being ‘Follow Them’ that reached a wide audience on YouTube and work with the Imperial War Museum and HMS Belfast to produce a film along side many of the crew on this project. One of my biggest projects will be released on Valentines Day in Cherish, a sci-fi romance travelling parallel universes.

My main strengths are knowing the connective tissue between each department and utilising emotional imagery with a layered soundscape in connection with a powerful script and bringing out performances that range from small and subtle to large and emotive. It is utilising my strengths alongside bringing out all the strengths of the rest of the crew that will make this film come to life and hit all the beats it needs to hit.

Lucy - Producer

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Hey I’m Lucy, the producer for Embers. My knowledge and experience for film making started at a young age from admiring a large range of films as a child, which built my passion for studying and creating movies. Over the many years of practicing film production, my skills have expanded through different roles, from editing short clips, to producing feature length films. 

My priority for Embers is ensuring organisation, planning and safety which will build the foundation for our film. An efficient set is so important for a great film, which is why my goal for Embers is to combine all of our experience and knowledge we've learnt at Anglia Ruskin University, and to maintain a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere for everyone involved, creating the best outcome for us, and most importantly our audience.

Lauren - Cinematographer

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As Director of Photography, I am responsible for the visual style and look for the film. My role includes collaborating with the director, managing the camera and lighting crews and making technical and artistic decisions. To ensure a polished look for the film, we will be using the ARRI Alexa Mini LF. This is a professional industry standard camera, used on many notable films across the industry.

I am very passionate about cinematography and visual language. I have worked on many projects as DoP over the years, in my time learning the craft of cinematography, I have been trained and used a large amount of equipment and cameras. I have collected a number of achievements and goals, including having my work screened in cinemas and selected for multiple film festivals.

Emily - 1st Assistant Director

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Hi there, my name is Emily, and I am the first assistant director for Embers. I have always had a passion for film and in 2022 I began my studies of Film Production at Anglia Ruskin University. In the duration of this course, I have gained experience in a variety of roles, but I have always been drawn to and in my opinion have achieved greater success in a directorial role. Projects I have been in these roles are ‘Alone’, a short horror I wrote and directed, ‘Trending’, a live games TV show, and ‘Cherish’, a romance sci-fi I was first AD for and worked alongside many of the same crew and director. As well as working on these projects, I also took part in a directing module in my second year where I learned industry standard practices of the AD role.

One of my strengths is my ability to manage time effectively on set as well as to keep the crew focused on getting the next shot. My goal for this film is to make sure that I reach these strengths while keeping the set as organised and efficient as possible keeping communication clear between the different departments.

Sam - Sound / Script Supervisor

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Hey, I’m Sam and I’ll be leading the Sound Department on Embers.

Over my years studying Film Production at Anglia Ruskin University, I found a particular passion for Sound, allowing me to explore various avenues of Sound Production within the filmmaking process.
I have had the opportunity to speak to industry professionals, working on a variety of short films (Cherish, Intro/Vert, Ephemeral), as well as working alongside organisations such as the Imperial War Museum and HMS Belfast.

These have allowed me to discover how to record and edit sound effectively to deliver the best sound possible.
I intend to work with my fellow crew to deliver a soundscape that captures the feelings of Embers, that allows the audience to delve within Andy’s subconscious and become lost within his psyche, to explore the mind of a Firefighter who struggles with PTSD. I believe sound can be used to deliver an incredibly immersive experience within this film, and I’m incredibly excited to bring that to this project project and bring this story to life.

Themes: 

Mental health, family, personal journey, personal development.

Genre:

Drama, action

Style and inspiration:

For the cinematography and visual style for Embers, we are taking inspiration from films such as Sunshine, Oppenheimer and Shutter Island.

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For Andy's PTSD attacks, it is important to create a distinct visual style, to separate Andy from reality, and capture what it feels like to have an attack. This will include using a mix of realistic and stylistic visual styles. 

We plan to incorporate lots of creative techniques in the camera work and lighting, like high contrast lighting, POV shots and using lots of practical elements to make the audience feel truly immersed. 

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As this film will be using VFX, we want to use practical, in-camera elements to ensure the film still feels and looks real, to enhance the viewing experience. Our plans to include practical elements in the film include creating small scale, controlled effects to create a sense of larger scale, techniques similar to using miniatures.

Our plan with your donations: 

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Key dates: 

Feb 1st - All major roles casted.

Feb 10th - All locations confirmed

March 3rd - Begin filming

POST PRODUCTION – 

Mar 17th - Rough cuts

Mar 24th - Fine Cut screening

Mar 31st - Picture Lock screening

Apr 7th - FINAL CRIT with draft Sound /colour /Graphic/Titles

Apr 14-25th - Sound and colour grading

May 9th - Films posted

Our contributors:

We will be working closely with the Cambridgeshire Fire Service to achieve a realistic depiction of an authentic firefighting sequence. With access to real breathing apparatus suits, fire engines and utilising their smokehouse training facility, in collaboration with real firefighters acting as stunt doubles, we will be able to create an authentic action set piece.

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Rewards

This project offered rewards

£5 or more

Trainee Firefighter

Receive a personalised thank you email from the team!

£10 or more

Firefighter

We include your name in the film credits, as a thank you for supporting our project! This package also includes all rewards shown above.

£20 or more

Fire Engine Driver

We send you a digital copy of the film! This package also includes all rewards shown above.

£30 or more

Crew Commander

We send you our favourite high quality screenshots from the film! This package also includes all rewards shown above.

£40 or more

Watch Commander

We send you our favourite photos from behind the scenes, showing our process of creating Embers! This package also includes all rewards shown above.

£50 or more

Fire Safety Officer

You receive a digital copy of the soundtrack from Embers, mixed and mastered by a professional composer! This package also includes all rewards shown above.

£75 or more

Station Commander

You receive a a digital poster, and a physical poster personally signed by the crew! This package also includes all rewards shown above.

£100 or more

Group Commander

We send you our commentary of the film, along with a director's script, with his original notes. This package also includes all rewards shown above.

£200 or more

Area Commander

We personally send you a physical copy of Embers! This package also includes all rewards shown above.

£300 or more

Assistant Chief Fire Officer

We give you the title 'Executive Producer' on our IMDB page! This package also includes all rewards shown above.

£500 or more

Deputy Chief Fire Officer

We include you in Embers! Become an extra and experience a film set! This package also includes all rewards shown above.

£750 or more

Chief Fire Officer

We send you an original prop from our film! This package also includes all rewards shown above.

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