Flesh of My Flesh

by Holly Dalton in Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom

We did it
On 12th December 2019 we successfully raised £6,662 with 142 supporters in 28 days

A psychological thriller following a brother and his little sister, during a global famine surviving on their isolated farm.

by Holly Dalton in Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom

 New stretch target

The extra money we raise will go towards:

- Helping out the costume department source more fabrics and materials to bring Tom and Violets "Live stock" to life.

- Bringing the post apocalyptic world to screen through production design.

- Enable the DOP to capture the action with the best lenses.


"In the years following a worldwide famine, 19 year old Tom and his 9 year old sister Violet live out their days surviving on their farm. With the arrival of a stranger, Tom must face the cost of maintaining the illusion of their lives."

For approximately eight years the world has suffered an undefined environmental apocalypse that has resulted in a famine, due to the failing of most food crops. The cost of this vague plague has progressively rendered most species of animals extinct. As a result of the lack of resources and subsequent violence and chaos, the world’s population has drastically decreased.

The characters live on an isolated farm in the middle of the countryside. To survive and sustain the farm, Tom and Violet have constructed makeshift adaptations, such as a rain purification and collection system. With the lack of animals and crops, Tom must also find alternative ways to feed him and his little sister.

The film questions whether a selfless act is in fact selfish when it comes at the cost of harming innocent outsiders; is selflessness and morality intrinsically linked?

While the narrative is influenced by current environmental concerns, the vague environmental apocalypse that has decimated Tom and Violet’s world is merely a vessel through which we can explore the human condition, and the idea of the family unit and social circle as taking full precedence over those considered to be outsiders; is an ‘at all costs’ mentality morally sound when protecting the ones you love?

Tom’s moral logic is also something that can be questioned by the end of the film, in terms of whether or not his willingness to do whatever it takes to enable Violet’s survival is simply a facade through which he can morally rationalise securing his own survival. In essence, would the sensitive, empathetic Tom still have been capable of reluctantly turning to controversial food sources if Violet died or had never existed in the first place? 

 

Through creating a sympathetic victim and villain as opposed to the traditional purely sadistic, villainous antagonists of the horror genre, we dismantle the superficial good vs evil dichotomy, exploiting the forgivable motivations of our lead characters to create a disturbing frame of empathy. The cynical realism of this portrayal of human instinct and morality within the horror genre can be viewed as pertinent within our current society in which there is a lack of urgency towards environmental issues such as climate change, the rise of the far right-wing, and a lack of empathy surrounding the refugee crisis.

Meet SUNITRA, the DIRECTOR and CO-WRITER of our film. She was first immersed in the creative industry at three years old where she was classically trained in a variety of dance forms and music for over fourteen years. Here her creativity, knowledge, and passion for the arts, theatre and performance was born. At the age of twelve she saw the film, “Pan’s Labyrinth”, which ignited her passion for film and directing with its fantastical horror themes. At the age of seventeen, she studied broadcast media in Singapore for three years, working on producing, directing, and editing. After interning at an advertising production house, editing for Netflix campaigns, she decided to move to the UK to pursue her love for filmmaking. During her time at the Arts University Bournemouth she has developed her skills through directing and producing several films. She decided to write this film because she wanted to create a story with a poignant core featuring elements of social commentary that explore the human condition. The film questions whether a selfless act is in fact selfish if it comes at the cost of harming innocent people.

Meet HOLLY, our PRODUCER. During her time at Arts University Bournemouth, she has found her passion for organising productions and has produced several film projects from a variety of genres over the last 4 years. Her journey to film began when she was 8 years old where her curiosity landed her onto the set for the TV show “Where the Heart is”. After sitting with the director and watching the action unfold on the monitor, seeing her street turn into a film set left her in awe of the magic (and hard work!) that goes on behind the scenes. Holly was drawn to the story of Flesh of My Flesh for its dark themes and how it acts as a social commentary about today’s society. Seeing the project from start to finish is going to be a challenge but getting to the final result will be her ultimate reward.

Meet IZZY, the CO-WRITER, SOUND DESIGNER, and PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER of Flesh of My Flesh. Through collaboratively developing and writing the film's narrative, attention to delicately implemented horror sound design will be able to be woven throughout this project. She aims to subtly compliment the darker themes of this contemplation on the extent of human empathy, whilst also exploring the whimsical aural qualities of a world experienced through the naivety of a child. She also wishes to highlight the haunting aura of a sonic landscape stripped of natural, animal sounds.
Izzy has worked as a sound designer and production sound mixer on a number of films both inside and outside of her studies at the Arts University Bournemouth, and wishes to pursue this creative area alongside screenwriting, as she grows in the wider film industry.
She also has also spent time on placements at a number of production houses in Bristol, during which she gained valuable creative and industry experience, from activities such as, assisting in the sound design and re-recording mixing of an independent feature film.

Meet AMBER, our PRODUCTION DESIGNER for Flesh Of My Flesh. Her creative spark ignited at a young age which carried her through years of studying art and graphics. Her experience working on various sets while studying Media Production at college allowed her love for film to grow. However, it was not until university when her true passion for Production Design developed greatly. She has been studying the subject now for 3 years at Arts University Bournemouth.From working with the director, Sunny, on previous productions, Amber is excited to be working closely with her again, not to mention the rest of the extremely talented crew.

Meet IONA, a third year film student studying cinematography at AUB, and the DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY for ‘Flesh of My Flesh’. Being very creative as a child, Iona has always had a passion for storytelling. Her combined background in music and dance has contributed to her passion for film, with her specific interest in cinematography deriving from years of studying and experimenting with photography, both within and outside of school. Shortlisted for an ‘Amnesty International UK Young Photographers’ competition and being an alumni of the ‘BFI Future Film Academy’ at Southbank London, Iona understands the value of using a camera as a tool to explore a subject of importance, sometimes in the hope of leaving the viewer questioning their own morals and beliefs. When she first heard about ‘Flesh of My Flesh’, Iona was eager to get on board as she enjoys watching psychological thrillers and saw an exciting challenge in creating an atmosphere of suspense and uncertainty through cinematography.

Meet HARRISON, the CAMERA OPERATOR for Flesh of My Flesh. He’s a passionate Cinematographer who has experience in all camera roles, as well as an interest in Documentary, Commercial and Music videos alongside. He looks forward to shooting this film because he loves watching Horror films, especially because of their closeness to the viewer, which as a Camera Operator gives him a significant presence in the film. Furthermore, he is deeply drawn to the environment and the challenges it faces from climate change and rising human populations, which makes him feel particularly engaged with this subject and the story which is used to convey such issues. Included in his experience of filmmaking, he has worked on a number of Film Production Shorts from the Arts University Bournemouth in roles such as Cinematographer, Gaffer and Best Boy. Other films he has shot outside of university include Not Found, which is a Short Horror film set in virtual reality and won Gold award for best student film at the Virgin Spring Cinefest. He hopes to make more fiction films in the future, with his passion for storytelling in Cinematography ever-growing. And with this film, he aims to collaborate with the DOP to make something which he believes can win awards too.

Meet AUSTEN. As the GAFFER for Flesh of My Flesh Austen is responsible for the lighting. His interests lying in photography and experience in gaffing narrative short and feature films with a cinematic style. Flesh of My Flesh caught his attention due to its alternative feel and potential for interesting, creative lighting set ups. Austen is looking forward to working with such a talented crew.

Meet RAQUEL, she is a dedicated 1st ASSISTANT DIRECTOR who has always been passionate about film making and has been Assistant directing short films for 3 years. She is a huge fan of the horror genre and anything creepy, so was immediately drawn to the script and its intense story. She is incredibly motivated to work alongside such an amazing team and is confident that she has the experience and skills to handle the unpredictable. She aspires to work hard to make an extremely impactful film, which hopefully will freak some people out.

Meet SELENYA, she is a third-year costume student and the COSTUME DESIGNER for Flesh of My Flesh. Throughout her academic year she has helped with making costumes for theatre productions, acting and collaborating in making live outdoor performance pieces in a day along with completing costume designs for theoretical film projects in different genres ranging from sci-fi to contemporary. She has a passion for film and bringing characters to life through her designs. The post-apocalyptic theme along with the environmental issues raised within the script has really cemented her interest in designing the costumes for this film. Inspired by the enthusiasm and hard-working attitude of the rest of the crew, she is determined to immerse the audience into the story through her costume designs.

Meet RHIANNA, our MAKE-UP DESIGNER studying BA (hons) Makeup for Media and Performance. She’s always been fascinated by the quirky and unusual world of SFX makeup and Flesh of my Flesh allows her to focus in areas of makeup she may not have explored before. It presents new challenges for her and is excited for the outcomes. The storyline drew her in to wanting to collaborate on the film and its obscurity and she’s looking forward to working on this project.

Meet LUKE our EDITOR, he has been shooting and editing footage for nearly 10 years now creating a range of genre such short visual effects encounters to documentaries on social media and famous murderers. This isn’t the first post apocalyptic film he’s collaborated to create as Luke has participated in both residential and regional courses run by the British Film Institute (BFI). To pursue his film making career he enrolled into Art University Bournemouth studying visual effects although he changed course after the first year to film production, the first year of the Visual effects course gave him an insight into the pipeline of VFX but felt film would give him a more broadly satisfying experience towards his future in the industry. During his time of studying he has been able to gain experience experience with a multitude of advanced softwares including industry standard visual effects engines called Nuke. Advanced editing softwares such as Avid, advanced sound design software Protools and also gains valuable experience using Davinci resolve which has a variety of element including colour grading and visual effects properties, there is no post production issue that he can’t tackle.

With your generosity, we will be able to give each of our departments the tools needed to bring Tom and Violet's world to screen.

Budget Breakdown:

The funds we raise will support:

- Feeding our Crew

- Production Design in creating the world

- Camera and Lighting Department 

- Casting the best actors for the story

- Post Production

- Entering our Film in Festivals

 

We really appreciate every bit of support for our film! If you are unable to donate, don't worry! You can still help by sharing the project link or by following and our journey on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Finally...

Thank You!!! From everyone on the Flesh of My Flesh Crew!

(See we can smile!)

#GOTBEEF

Illustrations by: Irene Stamatiou

Graphics and Banners by: Emma Wade

Score by: David O'Brien (Audio Network)

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£20 or more

RAFFLE!

We have kindly been donated 2 lovely prizes from KyleighsPapercuts, Wimborne. Donate £20 and claim this reward to be in the chance to win either a Full Day Workshop (Worth: £95) or a Framed Family Tree in a black or white frame (Worth: £99). Will be drawn on the 13/12/20 during a livestream on our Instagram page at 15:00 (GMT). Raffle closes same time as the campaign @ 15:00 (GMT) 12/12/20. Will be drawn @ 15:00 13/12/20

£5 or more

Feed a Crew Member

After a long day of hard work our crew will be HUNGRY! By donating £5 you will have helped in keeping up moral on set by giving a crew member a hot meal. Thank you!

£10 or more

Flesh of My Flesh Sticker Pack

Includes 4 limited edition designs that include key elements from the film.

£15 or more

Signed Poster and Sticker Pack

Signed by the Crew and Cast of Flesh of My Flesh. Accompanied by a sticker pack that includes 4 limited edition designs.

£20 or more

Pre-Production Pack

See how our journey began includes A5 prints of initial concept art and the storyboard.

£25 or more

Digital Copy of the Film

A final digital copy of the film. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it!

£50 or more

Film Fan Pack - Digital

Show your appreciation for the film with your own Film Fan Pack! Included in the pack: Digital Copy of the Film - Digital Posters - Digital Copy of Behind the Scenes Photos

£75 or more

Film Fan Pack - Physical

Show your appreciation for the film with your own Film Fan Pack! Included in the pack: Copy of the Film - Signed Poster - Behind the Scenes Photos - Signed copy of the Script.

£100 or more

Screening with the Crew

Join us in watching the final film! (Disclaimer: You will receive and invite to the event in the Bournemouth/Poole area)

£200 or more

0 of 1 claimed

Key Prop: The Stranger's Sketchbook

Why no take a piece of the story away with you? A key prop used during the film, the Stranger shows Violet his sketchbook full of artwork. Will be given on a first come first served basis.

£200 or more

0 of 1 claimed

Key Prop: Seal Toy

Why not take away a piece of the story with you? A key prop used in the film, Violet discovers a plush seal toy in the Stranger's backpack, it has the name Freddie embroidered on the side as we find out it belonged to his son.

£500 or more

Name in the Credits

As a thank you for your generosity, your name will feature in our credits! One to tell the grandchildren (As long as the apocalypse doesn't happen!)

£1,000 or more

Executive Producer Credit

A HUGE thank you to you! You will receive an Executive Producer title in the credits.

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