Just a Man Short Film

by Just A Man Short Film in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Total raised £1,510

£2,000 target 4 days left
75% 32 supporters
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 11th February 2025 at 12:00am

Our goal is to make a compelling short film that follows Desmond, a sock puppet who is desperate to cling to his once flourishing fame.

by Just A Man Short Film in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

What is this project?

Desmond was once on top of the world as a famous Hollywood actor however success has been hard to come by recently as he has descended into his addictions. Currently, his life is in tatters, stuck in the past and unable to go through the day without his trusty vodka bottle. Unfortunately for Desmond, a documentary crew is there to give him all the attention he craves as he prepares for the audition that could potentially lead him back to the big leagues. As he nervously waits for his chance, Desmond comes face-to-face with reality, he'll never be relevant again. He expects the role to be his, and we leave him waiting for the callback; a call that will never arrive.

The story is told from the point of view of the documentarians, who provide an observational lens on Desmond's character and life. By making this POV choice it allows for a non biassed exploration of him, not only his achievements but the lowest lows of his life and career. We aim to create a comedic juxtaposition between Desmond's bravado and personal monologue running through the film contrasted by his temper, his desperation and his failures.

The film critiques traditional notions of masculinity, highlighting how societal pressures can lead to emotional fragility; Desmond's machismo is a facade that crumbles under the weight of his insecurities. Driven by a fundamental desire for acceptance—both from others and himself—Desmond's journey resonates universally, illustrating that beneath ambition and ego lies a deep yearning for validation. The film also satirises the entertainment industry, prompting audiences to reflect on the superficial nature of fame and the true value of success. 

The film delves into several core themes, ultimately portraying the complexity of fame, addiction, insecurity, and the fragile male ego. Deep down, Desmond is just a man, not a star nor a legend, he's just a man with complex flaws and insecurities, searching for the same thing everyone else does.. acceptance. 

Why Support Us?

We are an ambitious group of students working on our passion project—a bold short film that aims to serve as our stepping stone from student filmmakers to professionals. Our final graduate film represents the culmination of our skills, creativity, and dedication that we have developed over our years on the Edinburgh Napier’s BA Film course. Our film also stands out because of its bold creative choices as we demonstrate a unique blend of comedy and adult themes through the perspective of an innocent vessel (a sock puppet), a risk that we knew would make our film unique. By taking creative risks and stepping outside the box, our goal is to make people laugh while telling a meaningful story. This project wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of those who believe in us. Your contribution will help bring our vision to life and enable us to present our work on a professional level, including at film festivals. 

Who are we?

Just a Man's team is built up of a group of fourth year student filmmakers from Edinburgh Napier University. We aim to make people laugh and reflect upon the ridiculousness of the world that we have built and look at Desmond through our eyes. Through a combination of high-level techniques and individual skills, we are confident in our ability to make this film great.

Meet the team!

Mary Hanna

Director and Story 

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Hey everyone I’m Mary Hanna, director and story creator for Just A Man! As a director and writer I have always been heavily influenced by comedy and horror and I wanted a story to sort of mesh the two. I started studying film with a passion for practical effects and comedy, where sketch can meet in the middle with short film, as that is where my interest in film has always lied. Just a Man is that exactly! A mix of film and sketch, comedy juxtaposing drama. Taking inspiration from writers such as Dan Harmon, Ricky Gervais and Raphael Bob-Waksberg I came up with the story and character of Desmond. A tragically comedic man desperate for the limelight, this being my original concept gave me the means to work this into the mockumentary genre.

Desmond’s character is pulled from so many influences of mine and hopefully people can recognise glimpses of that yet see the individuality of the character, maybe in themselves.. We all secretly can relate to Michael Scott or Jeff Winger or Bojack Horseman (though he’s pretty rough) but nevertheless we do. The story I created was to be funny, satirical, observational but also a little relatable to the vulnerability of wanting to be accepted by everyone.

I have worked on a few other films that I am very proud of such as Don’t Be A ****, another comedy which I wrote and directed, as well as being involved with the Hen Film Festival. I can’t wait to start shooting on this project as I have so much love for this film, the genre and themes but also our main man Desmond.

Sean Dinwoodie

Writer

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Hi, I'm Sean Dinwoodie, the Writer for Just a Man. I'm predominantly a comedy writer, so when I was asked to join the Just a Man team, it felt close to my work in previous years. My comedies have always had a cynical edge, marrying serious themes like insecurity and addiction with silly absurdist humour. Just a Man is no different. The most significant challenge of writing Desmond is that he's a sock-puppet. Countless times, I've written something that would work if Desmond were human and realised that it wouldn't translate. I'm also excited by the mockumentary genre, as I haven't written one before. The challenge is balancing archival, interview and day-to-day while attempting to give Desmond pathos when writing him as a thoroughly unlikable character would be significantly easier.

Ina McKiernan

Director of Photography and Co-Producer

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Hello everyone! My name is Ina and I am the director of photography and co-producer for the Just a Man short film. I cannot express how excited I am for this project, it involves so many wacky components while still engaging in some heavy source material. To balance a film such as that takes a lot of consideration and having the wonderful team to help manage that is just incredible. I am most excited about exploring the mockumentary style through a combination of visual techniques. I plan to use the Sony FX6, a classic documentary camera in order to give it the real feel of an observational story. With that and the combination of all the team’s work, I think we’re going to be able to create a truly hilarious and compelling piece of film.

Jack Weir 

Co-Producer

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My name is Jack, I’m am Co-Producer on Just a Man. This project initially garnered my interest with its distinctive portrayal of themes  of substance abuse and the follies of fame through Desmond, a raggedy sock puppet. This allows for effective contrast, a yin and yang effect that allows for cleverly balanced genre conventions of absurdism and realism. Having produced Under the Gorse last year, an expressionist art house short film, I am excited to challenge myself with this altogether different surreal dark comedy short film this year.

Jessica Hynes 

Production Design

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Hey everyone, I’m Jess, and I’m the Production Designer for ‘Just a Man!’ This film has a truly unique style and tone, and I can’t wait to bring that to life through set design, props, and costumes. I’m especially excited about creating Desmond, our main character who happens to be a sock puppet! I’ve been diving deep into puppet-making techniques and materials to ensure Desmond aligns perfectly with Mary’s vision while being practical for our set. 

Alex Lennen

Head of Sound

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Hey I'm Alex and I'm the Sound Designer / Recordist for Just a Man. I’m very excited to work on this project since from a sound perspective, there are lots of opportunities for creative sound effects. Trying to convince the audience that this puppet really exists will be a challenge, and sound plays a huge role in selling this illusion. I’ve had experience with these kinds of characters before on Mr Balloonhead Man, and so I'm looking forward to expanding on what I learned on that film. #FreeDesmond

Gerogina Ramsey

Editor

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Hi im Georgina and I am thrilled to be the editor for Just a Man, a project that perfectly combines my interest for comedy and documentary filmmaking. This mockumentary offers a unique opportunity to experiment with storytelling through humour and creative editing, and I’m excited to bring Desmond’s chaotic journey to life in a way that’s both hilarious and emotionally engaging!

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Rewards

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

£10 or more

£10 Reward

Your name will be featured in a shout out on our social medias and in the credits of the film!

£20 or more

£20 Reward

A credit in the film, a shout out on the instagram, and an early preview link for the film!

£30 or more

£30 Reward

You get a shout out on the instagram and a credit in the film, early access link to the final film AND access to our behind the scenes gallery!

£50 or more

£50 Reward

Not only will you get all the previous pledge rewards, but you will also get an signed official Just A Man poster!

£100 or more

£100 Reward

All the previous pledge rewards, including the signed official Just A Man poster BUT ALSO a personalised thank you video from the crew!

£200 or more

£200 Reward

Incredible! All previous pledge rewards (signed official poster, personalised thank you, all early access links and more!) as well as an invitation to our cast and crew viewing and an associate producer credit in the film!

£500 or more

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£500 Reward

WOW! You are officially Desmond's favourite person! All the other pledge rewards are yours, including early access links, a signed official poster, a personalised thank you and an invitation to the cast and crew viewing. TO TOP THAT OFF you will receive one of the original Desmond prototypes and an executive producer credit in the film!

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