Self-portrait | short film

Aim

Help us tell the story of an artist who couldn't tell his own.

Overview

Logline: After a mysterious disappearance of his painting, an artist puts his mind to recreating his lost work.

Genre: psychological drama

Runtime: 7 minutes

Status: in development

The story

"Self-portrait" depicts a battle of an artist against the world. It portrays someone whose work never comes to fruition, despite their mastered skill and undeniable effort, thereby stripping the creation of its meaning and taking the joy out of the process.

It goes without saying that art of any kind is rather goal-oriented. Even when an artist doesn’t prioritise pursuing larger audiences, they still strive to bring their pieces to completion for their own sake. With a surreal twist, 'Self-portrait' discusses the importance of progress and outcome over the process of creating itself. And while the latter is what brings pleasure, for the main character, it’s the former that drives artistic fulfilment. Nevertheless, the two are crucial to survival as an artist, and 'Self-portrait' explores what ensues when one is stripped of both.

Leading role | ARTIST

Character arc: from resilience to defeat

Despite what might seem like common sense, the artist has devoted his whole life to creating. He is passionate and goal-oriented — the two qualities that, combined with his devotion, should be a guarantee for success. Unfortunately, the world has never worked in his favour, and now, even creating itself isn’t a reliable source of artistic fulfilment.

Realisation

In "Self-portrait", camera work plays a crucial part in the narrative. For the majority of sequences, the viewer watches the events unfold through long, static shots, and without unnecessary perspective changes. This introduces a painting-like quality of the image, where the viewer is allowed to study whatever part of the picture they feel most drawn to instead of being directed where to look at.

Colour and light are equally important for the storytelling. Throughout the film, the viewer is guided by the light coming through the window, enhancing the visual details as much as the emotions and states experienced by the artist. The warm hues of sunlight represent the artist’s burning passion while the coldness of moonlight foreshadows its extinguishing.

The storytelling is further amplified by sound design. The lack of music allows the sounds of everyday life to take the spotlight, bringing the viewer closer to the artist’s experience and letting them immerse themself in his world.

Moodboard

The team

Dorian Niemoja | Producer, Writer & Director

"Hi, my name is Dorian, and I’m the creator of “Self-portrait”. Some might say that I took on one too many jobs in this project; but, hey, what is life without being overworked, am I right? Jokes aside, I’m thrilled to bring this piece to life!

Coming from an acting background, I have always been fascinated by the human experience, which is why a lot of my pieces are centred around it. In my work, I often focus on the naturalism of raw emotions while weaving in surrealist elements to my storytelling. I like to think that they enhance each other through their contrast.

On a more serious note — my third favourite animal is a dog, and my last listened song: “Mr. Capgras Encounters a Secondhand Vanity: Tulpamancer’s Prosopagnosia/Pareidolia (As Direct Result of Trauma to the Fusiform Gyrus)” by Will Wood and the Tapeworms."

Rafael Alessandro | Production Consultant

"Hey! I am Rafael. I was “Self-portrait”’s first fan back when Dorian told me about his new script idea for the first time.

As an artist myself, I feel like I can personally relate to the story told in this debut project of Niemoja Picturehouse. I am sure that everyone who expresses themselves in a creative way will be able to identify with the underlying theme of this short film in one way or the other.

It is a deeply personal story and I am thrilled to see it come to fruition. (And maybe shed a tear?)

Anyway, my fifth favourite colour is grey and the last Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode I watched was called “The Oolong Slayer”."

Rosa Thorn | Director of Photography

"Hi! My name is Rosa and I’m a 24 year old filmmaker from the Netherlands. In 2022 I graduated from film school and have been doing a lot of photography and some film projects since! I like to focus on the visual aspects of still and moving images and translating ideas to an actual product. I see myself more as a creative person than a technical person on a set, I love to experiment with lights and camera techniques. For “Self-Portrait” I will be taking the DOP role upon me.

Fun facts about me: I love doing solo long distance hikes. This year I did a week in Scotland and wild camped along the way. I try to do one every year :) And my favourite song is James by Oscar and the Wolf!"

Maaike Grytsje | Art Director

"Heyy, I'm thrilled to share that I'll be responsible for the set design and decorations of “Self-portrait”! Four years ago I've started set design and anything related to that game with a course on production design. Now I am about to graduate from my Film and Music studies at the Univeristy of Groningen. I love turning characters and spaces from written format into a tangible film experience. Give me a line or two and I'll run away with ten thousand ideas of execution.

When it comes to taste, I suppose I like my movies like I like my coffee; dramatically bittersweet, with an unnecessarily extravagantly decorated picture on top.

I currently own 64 unburned candles, and  continuously seek an excuse to expand my floral dishware collection."

Elsie Cooke | 1st Assistant Director

"Hi, my name’s Elsie and I am going to be 1st ADing on “Self-Portrait”.

I am a film production student, and have just finished the first year of my degree. I have always been one for meticulous organisation, so was pleased to find a career path where that’s actually a good thing!

I’m so happy to be a part of this brilliant production, and I can’t wait for you all to see the finished product!

Some random facts about me are that I hate peanut butter, and I have a random obsession with pigeons!"

The budget

46% - camera, light, and sound

While we already have a good base, we’re still missing some of the most crucial equipment. From lights and microphones to additional camera batteries, these are all things that will allow us to achieve the best-quality visuals and sound, elevating our storytelling to the next level.

It is the biggest chunk of the budget. At the end of the day, "Self-portrait" is our first independent project, and we’re starting almost from scratch!

20% - production and locations

We’ve already started our search for a location that will do the story justice, and we must admit that it looks promising! However, rental prices in the summer aren’t the lowest, which is why, despite the film being set in one location, it will cost us a significant portion of the budget.

On top of that, considering that our crew will travel from all around Europe, the place needs to be easily adaptable for accommodation!

8% - art department, costume, and mu

We allocated the smallest part of the budget to the art department. Our crew is more than happy for us to use items they already own as props, set decoration, and costumes, and some of them can be easily borrowed from friends.

However, to fully satisfy the art department, we will also need to pay a visit to a few local charity shops. After all, we’ll need a proper painting kit as well!

13% - catering

With ten-hour-long shooting days and a tight schedule, the cast and crew need to be properly fed. And we’re not talking snacks!  For everyone to not only feel comfortable but also be able to concentrate entirely on the task at hand, we’re aiming to provide at least two meals a day.

As this is something we’re not willing to compromise on, catering has taken a fairly significant portion of the budget.

13% - travel

Once again – a larger portion of the budget as we strive to fully cover everyone’s travel expenses during the shooting period. This mostly means travelling to and from location, but also the transport of set decorations and props.

Additionally, despite it being a passion project, we’d love to be able to offer at least partial reimbursement to those travelling from further away.

Moving forward

Having come to an end of the development stage of the film, the production team has just launched this crowdfunding campaign. Having met the financial target, the production stage will start latest by the end of August 2026.

After the post-production, the film will premiere directly on YouTube in autumn 2026.

Following the premiere, the team will submit the piece to a range of British and international film festivals, such as: Glasgow Short Film Festival, London Short Film Festival, Bolton International Film Festival, or: Aesthetica Film Festival, all of which being BAFTA-qualifying festivals.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 30th September 2026 at 12:00pm