The Dead Dog
by helen in Bristol
We did it
On 10th May 2016 we successfully raised £11,120 with 34 supporters in 28 days
This dark, comedy short explores an under-threat public house, The Dead Dog, through the eyes of its most flamboyant regular – The Duke.
by helen in Bristol
The Dead Dog - a short film:
Background information:
Inspired by the broken-down but beloved boozers of their youth and the startling rate of closure amongst rural pubs, Helen and Sam originally wrote this black comedy as a feature. They are hoping that this film will pave the way for the full feature as well as being enjoyed as a stand-alone short.
The Dead Dog has been selected as an iShorts3 project, supported by Creative England and the BFI Net.work. http://creativeengland.co.uk/film/ishorts
Story:
The Duke is hell-bent on saving The Dead Dog from the forces of gentrification that he feels pose a threat to his community and its traditions. To do this, he tries to prove the pub's worth by nominating it in the national contest, 'Britain's Best Boozer', blissfully unaware of just how far it is from winning this title.
Seemingly descended from aristocrats, part of a long line of moneyed – then bankrupted – eccentrics with several lifetimes' worth of tall stories to spin, The Duke is an ex-con with nowhere else to belong. He's like an exotic bird amongst the simple folk of the village and, as such, has become their drunken prince and the pub his castle. He swaggers through the pub like a walking blend of Gandalf and Keith Richards.
The Dead Dog pub, centuries old and steeped in local history, is now a faded, dilapidated hot-bed of oddity. It is fitted with improvised furniture, frequented by weirdos, powered by a temperamental generator and has only life-threatening home brews on tap (which have been made with whatever ingredients fell off the back of that day's lorry).
Things can only go badly....
Film Makers:
Josh Hyams - Producer, Revolution Films.
Josh Hyams is an actual, real-life, successful film mogul. He responds to blackmail so well that he has embraced this project more wholeheartedly than we ever could have imagined, when we turned up at his house in the dead of night. He is producing this film of his own free will.
Helen Bolter - Director / Writer
Helen Bolter's death, in 1993, both inspired her creative trajectory and launched the mid-nineties acid house scene. Though she is now merely a collection of skull fragments, she remains one of the most promising British film-makers on the circuit.
Sam Thomas - Writer
Many thought it impossible to crossbreed a gibbon and a King Charles spaniel, let alone secure their offspring a British passport. What fools these doubters have been proved to be, as for over thirty years this king of the beasts has been swinging from tree to tree, writing comedy and urinating on bins, all under the union flag.
Saba Kia - Producer
The new Saba Kia goes from 0 to 60 in just six seconds and features power-assisted steering, heated seats, a snow globe and comes in a charming range of colours including Essex Orange, Educational Failure Red and Fingered at Tina's House Party Purple.
Erline O Donovan - Editor
In 1981, Erline O'Donovan was voted Gibraltar's favourite baker, having built a fully-functioning primary school out of tiger bread, which is still used to this day. Erline likes sherbet and mongrels and sometimes combines these loves with such gusto that the authorities have to be informed.
What will we do with the money raised here?
We still need to raise about £3,000 in order to go ahead and make our film. We need money for camera and sound kit, lights, travel expenses for cast and crew and posh stuff like edit suites and chocolate hob nobs. We need extra money to sound-proof the basement so that we can "keep" Josh for a bit longer without alerting the neighbours...
Why should you support us?
We have absolutely no idea.
CREDITS for video:
Gary, Gary, Gary - Rob Tofield.
Director and Writer - Helen Bolter.
Writer and Voiceover - Sam Thomas.
Producer - Saba Kia.
Director of Photography - Simon Waldock.
Editor - Erline O'Donovan.
Composer - Darryl O'Donovan.
Rewards:
We will make a best effort to provide the reward but delivery is not guaranteed.You acknowledge that your contribution (whether financial or otherwise) does not entitle you to any rights in or to our Project, including any ownership, control or intellectual property rights.
Rewards
This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.
£5 or more
£5 Reward
Our sincere and heart-felt thanks. We promise not to kiss you.
£10 or more
4 of 40 claimed£10 Reward
Two button badges one with The Moirae Films logo on it and one with The Dead Dog picture on it.
AND
a copy of the script emailed over to you
and, of course, a big thank you from us.
£15 or more
£15 Reward
A DVD copy of the film
AND
2 button badges, one with The Moirae Films logo on it and one with The Dead Dog picture on it
and a huge thank you from us!
£25 or more
0 of 20 claimed£25 Reward
A cotton tote shopper bag with The Moirae Films logo on it
AND
a copy of the script emailed over to you
AND
two button badges (one of The Moirae Films logo and one of The Dead Dog logo).
£30 or more
2 of 25 claimed£30 Reward
A 350ml, stainless steel water bottle. BPA free and environmentally friendly. Comes with The Moirae Films logo printed on the side.
Plus, two button badges, one with The Moirae Films Logo on it and one with The Dead Dog picture on it.
Also, a copy of the script emailed over to you and
a massive thank you from us all
£30 or more
6 of 25 claimed£30 Reward
A limited edition pint glass with 'The Dead Dog 2016' engraved on it
AND
two button badges, one with The Moirae Films Logo on it and one with The Dead Dog picture on it
AND
a copy of the script emailed over to you.
Plus, whopping thanks from us as a team.
£50 or more
2 of 10 claimed£50 Reward
A pint glass engraved with 'The Dead Dog 2016' plus a water bottle with The Moirae Films logo on it, plus two button badges with the logos on them
and a copy of the script emailed to you
OR
A pint glass engraved with 'The Dead Dog 2016' and a cotton tote shopping bag with The Moirae Films logo on it, plus two button badges with the logos on them, plus a copy of the script emailed over to you.
Please note this reward has two options and, within one donation, only one option can be chosen, not both.
£50 or more
5 of 100 claimed£50 Reward
An invite to the LONDON screening of The Dead Dog for you plus one guest
AND
a pint glass engraved with 'The Dead Dog 2016'
AND
a copy of the script emailed over to you.
Plus, our heart-felt thanks.
Transport to or within London is NOT included with this reward.
£100 or more
4 of 30 claimed£100 Reward
An invite to the London screening of The Dead Dog for you plus one guest
AND
a pint glass engraved with 'The Dead Dog 2016'
AND
two button badges with the logos on them
AND
a cotton tote shopping bag with The Moirae Films logo on it
AND
a copy of the script emailed over to you
£200 or more
£200 Reward
An invite to the London Screening of The Dead Dog for you plus one guest
AND
a hip flask engraved with 'The Dead Dog 2016;
AND
a pint glass engraved with 'The Dead Dog 2016'
AND
a cotton tote shopping bag with The Moirae Films logo on it
AND
two button badges with the logos on them
AND
a copy of the script emailed to you
Transport to or within London is not included in this reward.
£500 or more
£500 Reward
An invite to the London Screening of The Dead Dog for you plus up to three other guests
AND
a visit to the set of The Dead Dog short film
AND
a hip flask engraved with 'The Dead Dog 2016'
AND
a pint glass engraved with 'The Dead Dog 2016'
AND
a cotton tote shopping bag with The Moirae Films logo on it
AND
two button badges with the logos on them
AND
a water bottle with The Moirae FIlms logo on it
AND
a copy of the script emailed to you
Plus a massive thanks; maybe an awkward hug.
Transport to or within London is not included in this reward.
£5,000 or more
£5,000 Reward
A stroke of Sam's beard.
This reward is strictly limited to ONE beard stroke only.