New stretch target
The extra money will go towards better locations, better food for cast and crew, extra money for each department and a better salary for cast.
King of Salt is a short social drama about a man who searches for his estranged daughter after fifteen years in prison.
by KING OF SALT in Bournemouth, England, United Kingdom
The extra money will go towards better locations, better food for cast and crew, extra money for each department and a better salary for cast.
Hello from the King of Salt team!
Who are we?
We are a group of students from Bournemouth Film School in our final year, with King of Salt being our graduation project.
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King of Salt is a short film about Jim, a man sentenced for murder who is being given his first day release after fifteen years in prison. Upon release, he tries to find his daughter, Lucy, and make amends with her for having left her as a child.
The aim of the film is to show that redemption is for everyone and that time, especially when lost, is incredibly precious. We hope that this film raises awareness on what it is like for convicts when they re-enter the world.
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Eleanor Lodge - Producer
"Hello and thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in King of Salt! My name is Eleanor and it's my pleasure to be the producer of this short film. King of Salt caught my eye very early on in the selection process, it's themes of forgiveness, self-improvement, family and time are all something that I can relate to and hold close to my heart in regards to values. In my eyes, everyone deserves a second chance, and that is what Jim faces in our film; a second chance at a good life."
Alex Howat - Director
I am the writer/director of the project and was inspired to make this story from the experiences in my family life and meeting our lead actor Brian Croucher. When I first met Brian, I was fascinated by his extensive acting career, starring in many iconic TV Cop dramas from the 70s and 80s, as well as his small stint in prison for a minor offence. I wanted to bring his experience and personality into the project, as a means to create an authentic vessel for the story.
In my own family, I experienced my grandfather distancing himself from the rest of his family and the immense regret he had to come to terms with at the end of his life. Through this film, I intend to try and prevent others from going down the same path.
Samuel Hilaire - Director of Photography
Hi, my name’s Samuel and I’m the Director of Photography for our short film, “King of Salt”. Working with Alex (our Writer/Director) over the summer and watching his concept grow and develop into a deeply intimate and authentic story has been extremely rewarding and inspiring. I’m committed to staying true to the untold yet socially relevant story of Jim (our Protagonist) - visualising his emotional and mental state of mind, utilising the plethora of cinematography skills and methods I have developed whilst being here at AUB. To be working on such an honest, authentic film with a truly talented crew has been, and will continue to be an amazing journey.
William Wilson - Gaffer
Hi, I’m William, the Gaffer for King of Salt and I’m in charge of the lighting department. I work very closely with the Director of Photography to ensure the world that the camera is capturing has the right tone and atmosphere. I was drawn to work on this film because of the moving themes in the script and because it is a grounded, character driven story.
Harry Bonham Carter - Cam Operator
Hello, my name is Harry Bonham Carter and I am delighted to be the camera operator for this film. As soon as I heard the pitch, I knew I had to be part of the camera team in some form. The style of visual storytelling we’re going for is trying to convey the characters empathy and isolation, by utilising a combination of extreme close up and wide shots, in conjunction with using a shallow depth of field. This is a project that has great potential and I’m excited to push this further!
Lily Soede - Production Designer
My name is Lily Soede and I am the Production Designer for the short film, “King Of Salt”. After reading the script over the summer I was immediately intrigued. The way in which Alex displayed photography and art throughout the script, to create such emotion and visual aid, made me eager to be a part of this project. Working with Alex previously, has enabled us to develop a good understanding of each-others styles. I believe we have a similar outlook and vision in terms of the design of this film. My interest is to focus on the main character, Jim, and to understand the decisions he makes in the film thoroughly. Focusing on certain details in the design, to display his state of mind in a visual manner. I am very excited and proud to be a part of such an important project and the message it carries.
Daniel Patton - Sound Designer and Sound Editor
I’m Daniel Patton, third year film student at Arts University Bournemouth. Sound design is a role I got more interest and passion in doing through the three years I was in university. Understanding the vision of the world and helping to realise it through sound is something that brings great satisfaction to what can usually be a stressful role.
I wanted to join this project when I read the script. The world of King of Salt had a clear vision and I wanted to help explore that with sound. King of Salt is a character driven story, but the task of realising this world of London and to do it in Bournemouth will be a challenge, but it’s a challenge I am both willing and ready to take on.
Wiktor Skwarczynski - Editor
My name is Wiktor Skwarczynski and I am the editor of King of Salt. As an editor, I always look forward to working on projects that are different than my previous ones. King of Salt not only fulfils that role but it also focuses on experiences that are hardly spoken about. I believe that not only I am fit for the role but I will be learning throughout the process which is the ultimate goal.
Francesca Hodge - Costume Designer
Hi, I am Francesca Hodge, also known as Fran, I am a level 6 Costume and performance design student from AUB and will also be the costume designer on short Grad Film ‘King of Salt’. I feel so fortunate and excited for this opportunity as it will be my first experience of working on screen and what better way than to be involved with this challenging and engaging story. I love its gritty realism and its potential ability to truly move an audience.
Tamara Richards - Lead Makeup Artist
My name is Tamara Richards and I am a Freelancing Makeup & Prosthetic Artist. I am in my final year of my degree in Make-up for Media and Performance. I am the Head Hair & Makeup Artist on this Production and I believe this film has great potential and can't wait to help bring these characters to life!
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Brian Croucher as Jim Hereford:
The script was written around our lead actor Brian Croucher who has an illustrious acting career, starring in classic TV crime dramas and science fiction in the 70s/80s: Blakes 7, Doctor Who, Public Eye, Out. He is probably best known for his long time role in Eastenders as Ted Hills.
Through Brian’s own short time in jail for a minor offence, he gave the script an authentic voice, bringing his first hand experiences to develop the character and story’s nuances.
More to come!
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We wanted to explore the perspective of the older generation, as we felt they have not been given a strong enough voice in modern cinema. It is often hard to imagine our grandparents lived just like us, and that the rash, immature decisions we make in our lives were mirrored by the older generation. We will all inevitably get to the end of our lives at some point, where we can only reflect on what we have done already and no longer have the power to turn things around, and by making an audience empathise with somebody in this position, they hopefully can realise the importance of the decisions they make in the present.
Through the crew’s personal experiences with Grandparents' vices and estrangement, we have channelled their voices into this film, after they expressed immense regret about being absent from their children and grandchildren's growth.
This is a film dedicated to them, and their regrets.
Our aim for this film is to hopefully stop future generations from going down the same path as them. We have used our protagonist Jim, as a representation of these figures in our lives, and allowing younger generations to empathise with his situation.
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The film will heavily focus on exploring its main character Jim, and we want to utilize every creative sound and visual element of the film to enwrap the audience in Jim’s point of view. As he has been locked up for 15 years, we want to portray the recognisable everyday world as a completely alien environment, using stylised elements to visualise Jim’s overwhelming emotions and thoughts.
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We have taken influence from a variety of filmmakers and artists such as Lynne Ramsey and Michel Gondry, who focus on enwrapping the audience in the lead character's point of view, as a means to draw parallels between the characters and the real lives of the audience.
Photographers such as William Eggleston also manage to portray everyday elements in a fresh and extraordinary way, through very close attention to detail on framing and saturated colour.
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