On My Time

Aim: The BFS presents a neo-noir thriller set during the roaring 20's. A revenge story of wits and cunning between villains and victims.

London, Soho, 1920s is home to our brothel madam, Sybil, who is arrested for the murder of one of her employees. She finds herself sat opposite two detectives who are committed to imprisoning her. Enraged and determined to prove her innocence, she takes revenge into her own hands by destroying the lives of those who took from her.

'On My Time' takes place in Soho, London, in the 1920s. It is a character piece that focuses around a vengeful character who lives a criminal life, therefore the film will combine both the dark and grimy aspects of the underbelly of London whilst complimenting that with the vibrant elements from the ‘roaring twenties’. Our main character is a woman who feeds off malice and feels comfortable in a dangerous setting, she won’t see it as nefarious and dark, rather she sees it as a place to thrive.

The directing vision will take inspiration from the work of those such as Guy Ritchie, who creates jigsaw puzzle stories peppered with likeable characters and intriguing dialogue. 'On My Time' takes place (for the majority of the story) in one interrogation room, whilst this appears as a challenge, it allows every department to creatively build tension and carry out key plot points with impressive techniques that’ll result in pure grandeur.  

Overall, the concept of this film is to create a morally grey piece that allows an audience to look into the creation and execution of two villains going toe to toe. It is a story that allows each character to show their most vulnerable sides whilst acting on their most evil impulses. It may have flamboyant themes, but the film’s intention is to demonstrate the consequences of the human condition.  

'On My Time' is a project that lends itself to a Neo-noir tone and setting. This gives an exciting challenge for the camera and lighting department, to work with light and shadows to create contrast and depth. Chiaroscuro is an Italian term stemming from two words Chiaro which translates to light and Oscuro which means dark. Films like Bladerunner, The Tree of Life, and Casablanca use this technique excellently and we hope this style and quality of filmmaking will be present within our film too.  

When approaching the technicalities of achieving this look, low-key lighting was a visual style that would deliver the tone and story of the film to a faithful level. With the brothel scenes being set at night, this allows us to use practical lighting to create a true sense of obscurity, by casting shadows in drastic and creative ways. This sort of style can also be seen on display in our promo video.  

Like many neo-noir films, 'On My Time' deals with an anti-hero character who we flip-flop between deciding is a hero or a villain. As a result, the camera should be able to tell that too. Often in a protagonist and antagonistic conversation the frame is weighted in favour of the protagonist. With my approach, we will dance this line having it sway either way while also using scenes of balance. 

For 'On My Time', our aim is to contrast the two main locations. We will do so by using harsh greys and blues, which allude to the claustrophobic space of 'The Interrogation Room'. Whilst 'The Brothel', with its warm red tones and gold highlights, will bring a sense of comfort to the audience. Throughout the two locations we will strive for a perfect realism by using period accurate props, leading to an immersive set design for the audience to get lost in.  

Within the Sound Design for this film we aim to give you subtle cues helping guide you to unravel the mystery within. What you see may deceive you, so listen for the hints that will show you each characters true inner feeling through close up sounds of murder and ambient tension. We seek to give a captive audio experience that makes you just as uncomfortable as you are intrigued, noticing familiar cues in the space and sounds from different times to inform your investigative decisions.

So, where are your donations going? Below is a proportional spending graph for ‘On My Time,’ that Breaks down exactly where each pound of our budget has been allocated. Each department will be given their total spending budget which is then used to bring roaring 1920’s to life. The pie chart shows Art Design, Hair and Make-up and the cost of keeping our cast and crew safe and well treated are the primary sources of our budget and where the majority of your donations will be wisely spent.     

Every donation brings us closer to our goal of funding the film, enabling us to create a polished, detailed film. Our priority when budgeting this film was the casting, by casting professional actors it would enable us to reach the illusive heights of professional quality films by bringing true life to the characters. Following the casting is the production design, easily the most substantial part of the budget, this heavily stylised film requires an attention to detail unmatched by stereotypical student films. Help us create an intriguing world and show the hidden side of 1920’s London.

'On My Time' is a film that challenges not only its creators, but it’s audience too. Presenting two morally ambiguous characters to clash head on with one another, we intend to cause an audience to question their own moral compass as they are guided into supporting a truly malicious character. This film will demonstrate that an individual cannot be purely heroic or purely villainous and show how a character’s (or person’s) situation is far more influential when making a decision to act. Nothing is solely down to our nature and under the right circumstances all of us can be a little bit evil – and I’m sure this film will show that some find it rather enjoyable to be.  

The Director & The Writer - ROSY BIRCHALL

Since wanting to go to film school, it’s always been my aspiration to not only write but direct a graduation film. To be given both those opportunity and have that film be screened at the BFI building is beyond a dream.  

My ambition for this project is to produce a film that takes us on a journey of moral ambiguity. I’ve always wanted to show depth in ‘villain-hood’ and I believe this story allows me to delve into that side of a character. The story is one that’ll be challenging, but I am beyond excited to step up to the task and create a thrilling mystery that’ll be an adventure during all aspects of production. 

'On My Time' holds a special place in my heart due to the characters it studies having been in creation for many years and to work with such a dedicated, talented and creative crew to bring them and their story to life is an honour. 

Producer - TOM WRIGHT 

Throughout his time at Bournemouth Film School, Tom has helped several students tell their stories, focusing on developing these stories in an early state and bringing them through into the final stages of production. Using experience from the MA shoots over summer, which he co-produced and 2nd Assistant Directed, he hopes to provide a clear pathway for the crew to flourish.   

‘Having helped during the development of ‘On My Time’, I am elated to see the amount of support from classmates and tutors throughout. I believe this story holds a powerful message and the ability to take the audience on a tumultuous ride into the troubled underworld of 1920’s Soho. Due to the nature of this film one of my primary ambitions is to provide a calm and secure atmosphere during all aspects of production.’ 

Producer - HENRY SAIT 

Henry has worked on numerous projects as a Producer during his time at Bournemouth Film School. Working with people from all backgrounds through the University, he is excited to put his skills from the last three years of BA Film Production into practice. With credits on films such as ‘Yesterday, 2019’ Henry is a welcome addition as an up-and-coming producer.  

“For me, ‘On My Time’ is the epitome of Noir Cinema, a genre that delights in its own Mystery and lack of communication with the audience. I will always remember being on the edge of my seat while watching classics such as Hitchcock's ‘Vertigo’ (1958) and Scott's ‘Blade Runner’ (1982) and trying to work out each character's true intentions before the film itself told me. ‘On My Time’ aims to craft a Detective crime thriller that pays tribute to classic noir films, while also reinventing the genre with important parallels to today's modern life. As a Producer on this project, it has been amazing to see how engaged and committed this crew are in telling this enjoyably yet twisted story.” 

Director of Photography - DAMOLA OTEGBOLA 

I am Damola Otegbola, your cinematographer taking you on a visual tour of the beautiful world that this team is working to create for this film. Being a nerd through and through, and what the kids call a ‘visual learner’ it’s no surprise that in this film I plan to deliver an experience that with every pause can create a ‘wallpaper’ frame. Being set in a Neo-noir context we plan to use low key lighting and striking composition in a very creative way that I am sure the viewers would love.   

Gaffer - EDWARD CRUMPLER 

I'm Edward and while at AUB I've specialised in cinematography. Visual storytelling is such a crucial part of filmmaking so being able to create visuals that not only bring another student's script to life but also leave a lasting impact on the audience is something i have enjoyed doing over the years and is something I hope to continue to do with On My Time.

My interest in the film comes from a desire to try work within several genres of film before leaving university and a Crime/Neo noir film was the perfect opportunity for that. After reading the script and looking at the visual inspirations, I was even more interested in the project. I could picture how I would want to shape and manipulate the light through old and new techniques to bring this dark underworld, of a normally vibrant and roaring 1920s Soho to life. 

Production Designer - RALPH LEMING 

I am Ralph and I am doing the production design for 'On My Time', for me, most of the films creative aspects are fascinating. Such as the time period of the 1920’s, the different dark and detailed environments, which will be so much fun to design and create. This thriller is a warm but chilling story that I can’t wait to visually bring to life and immerse the audience within its world. I aim to achieve all of this through colour and shapes within the spaces that I can fill with details to bring character and history to the films world and environment.

Sound Designer - RONNIE NIGHTINGALE-TIMOFEJEVA

I'm Ronnie and I am the Production Sound Mixer and Sound Designer for 'On My Time'. From picking apart music scores to creating my own funky sounds, this specialism brings out the most creative mindset I have. I enjoy both the subtlety and grandeur sound can bring to a project and seeing just how much we don’t pay attention to it in our everyday lives. It has been a challenge to understand and create things that can evoke awe and wonder from the audience, and while the journey can send you mad, it's all part of the experience to make films sound just as interesting as they look. 

I see a lot of potential to create something unique with 'On My Time', the lack of knowledge and abstract nature of our narrative opens up so many possibilities of creating subtle symbolism that you may only truly understand on your second watch. I hope the ambiguity and tension of this story will also ring through its soundscape and you have fun picking at the various meaning and hints you get along the way. 

Editor - JACK VAN DEN HEUVEL

I’m Jack, Film-Editor, Script-Editor and Narrative Concept Developer for 'On My Time'! 

After studying video production with a focus on being a Jack-of-all-Trades back in The Netherlands, my home country, I decided to take things up a notch and specialise as a Film-Editor in the UK. Through the academic years, I’ve become fantastic friends with the 'On My Time' Director, Rosy. Helping with the narrative development of 'On My Time' caused me to fall in love with the setting, the characters, and the raw passion behind the project. 

The aspects of 'On My Time' that excites me are the fluidity and widespread potential of translating the narrative onto the big screen. The 'On My Time' mystery-revenge story, met with the visually titillating 1920s and Neo-Noir genre, will be a welcome challenge to craft and thrill the audience with! 

First Assistant Director - ENZO KALETTA 

I'm Enzo, 1st Assistant Director for 'On My Time'.

Originally from Germany, I've spent a couple of years in Canada developing a passion for film production, before ultimately deciding to pursue it professionally. The Arts University Bournemouth has allowed me to turn my passion into a practical skill set which I've been refining with every project I've been a part of. 'On My Time' will be my biggest project yet to helm as a First Assistant Director and I can't wait to help to bring this amazing story with many of my talented colleagues to life.

My desire to be part of this production comes from my likings on similar puzzle-esque films. The "mind-game" genre has offered me some of my most memorable film watching experiences and I'm excited for us to try and condense that experience into a precisely crafted, suspenseful and thrilling, neo-noir short film.

From all the crew on 'On My Time', a huge thank you for supporting and believing in us and this project!  

This project successfully funded on 8th December 2022