The Landing Platform

At the age of 26, and living in a tiny flat above his failing music store, Jacob is questioning his life choices. He's never felt at home on Earth, and has never had much luck with romance.

However, when Astra, a woman from the stars starts communicating with Jacob through his boombox, he feels as if she is the answer to all of his problems. After Astra visits him in a dream, Jacob is convinced it is a cryptic message telling him that she wants to meet him. So he sets out to build a landing platform on the roof of his shop so that the two lovers can be united.

Unfortunately, the construction of the platform proves to be a bit of a nuisance to Jacob's downstairs neighbour and frenemy, a retired policeman named Stew, who tries to steer Jacob away from his potentially life threatening infatuation with Astra, and show him that the answer to his loneliness does not lie beyond the stars, but is closer than he realises.

The Landing Platform occupies an early 1990s setting that evokes the whimsical and naïve nature of that era, while also taking influences from the hyper realistic works of auteurs such as Wes Anderson and Jean-Perre Jeunet, who have built similar worlds in their respective films.  Although the films subject matter of loneliness, isolation and the dangers of putting ones happiness into a single obsession is rather serious, we aim to use the wacky and irrational nature of our world to mask, as well as highlight the severity of these issues, so that they are on display in their most extreme form.

                              PRODUCTION DESIGN MOOD BOARD

                                 COSTUME DESIGN & MOOD BOARDS

                                        MAKEUP MOOD BOARDS

For us to tell this story we need your help. This film will be funded entirely on your donations and support and we can't do it without you! Our budget has been worked to ensure that each departments needs are met at every stage of production. You can see how our funds will be used on the pie chart below. 

 Your donations will help bring a truly unique vision to life.  For example, your contribution would be able to purchase specialist camera equipment, and help with production design that will make our story come to life! 

Any donation, big or small, will contribute to the creation of The Landing Platform. Should you not be able to make a contribution at this time, don't worry - you can still play a part in supporting our film! Every share on either our CrowdFunder, Instagram or Facebook page will help build attention and generate excitement for our forth coming production.

We care about this story and want it to be told! Help us make this happen and in the meantime enjoy browsing the fantastic rewards we have on offer!

DIRECTOR - HUGO DODD

Hugo has directed three university productions during his time at Arts University Bournemouth. This has allowed him to develop the necessary skills when working closely with both actors and crew members. The Landing Platform is Hugo’s brainchild. From the germ of an idea that has been floating around his head for many years, he’s been working closely with his crew in developing something truly unique and exciting.

"This is a dream come true. I’ve been dreaming up stories since I can remember, since I was a kid, and know how lucky I am to now be supported by such a talented crew in realising them. To my crew: I love you so much. At first I was hesitant to pitch The Landing Platform because, despite its childlike, quirky veneer, it’s a story about neediness. I was scared people wouldn’t understand.  When I found it resonated, even more so in a COVID-era world, I was overjoyed. We’re all a little needy, whether that be in relationships, friendships, whatever, 2020 has reminded us of that. I don’t want to over exaggerate the importance of a short film but this is our way of saying it’s okay to be needy. Let’s make it happen!"

LEAD PRODUCER - CHARLOTTE ROGERS

Charlotte is proud to be the Lead Producer on the Landing Platform.  Her love of filming started at an early age when as a child, her home was chosen for a TV shoot. She was allowed to sit very quietly next to the Director and was captivated, watching the story come to life. It was then she knew she had a desire to work in the Film and TV industry.  By studying at AUB, Charlotte has developed and refined her creative and organisational skills, producing a number of short films, animations and documentaries. She particularly enjoys the aspect of storytelling and raising the funds required to make a production happen. Charlotte’s aim is to foster an environment where creative aspirations can be fulfilled, on time and within budget.  

‘I am really looking forward to producing the Landing Platform and working with my talented crew on this film. When Hugo came to me with this concept, I knew his story had to be told. I have always been drawn to comedies, fantasies and romantic films, so I can’t wait to see the end result! My aim is to ensure that the production will be a great experience for everyone involved.’

CO-PRODUCER - MOVANU SHAFEEQ 

Movanu’s combined love for photography and a knack for telling stories, along with a never ending stream of HBO on his home telly, led him onto the path of being a filmmaker. As a child he busied himself with multiple short films and freelance work, which gave him some very valuable perspective and awareness of the multiple roles involved in a film production. He has honed and polished these skills during his time at AUB, and hopes to use them to bring the idea of The Landing Platform into reality. In his future endeavours, he wishes to explore social and humane subject matters through his works, and bring about awareness and change in his home community.

“The Landing Platform’s story of loneliness resonated deeply with me and is what drew me to this particular project. The challenge of producing such a personal and emotive subject matter set in such a fantastical and creative world excites me and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!.”

1st ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - MONIQUE SCARLETT

Monique is the First Assistant Director for The Landing Platform. From a young age she has been interested in visual arts, starting out creating short videos she would upload to YouTube. Since then she has gone on to both 1st AD and Produce numerous short films, gaining an abundance of knowledge in the production area. She plans to take the world by storm creating films with thought provoking messages and gripping imagery.

"I believe there’s a dreamer inside of us all and this story encourages us all to follow what we believe in, no matter who’s trying to bring us down. It reminds us that these desires can’t come true if we don’t act on them, wishing can only get you so far."

PRODUCTION DESIGNER - AMY CURTIS

Amy is the production designer for The Landing Platform. Having various art department experience from building an 8ft crucifix, filling a corner shop with originally designed food packaging and turning a village hall into a bowling alley, as well as being an art department trainee for high-end tv, Amy has a passion for bringing fictional story worlds to life.

"Drawn to the colourful 1990s Wes Anderson aesthetic and juxtaposing themes of isolation and loneliness, I’m very excited to be designing and building the world of The Landing Platform! The story and characters really resonated with me and through the design I can’t wait to bring it into fruition, making Jacob’s fantasy of building a landing platform for his star-crossed lover a reality."

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY - JAKE GRUBB

Jake is the director of photography for The Landing Platform. He has been making films since he was 12, in educational and corporate settings, also recording live events such as TEDx talks and corporate announcements. He has recently been director of photography on several university productions, developing his abilities in the camera department. Jake has a fondness for the science fiction genre and dark humour, with a love for bringing them to the screen.

“I absolutely loved the script when I read it for the first time. Hugo’s vision of the film following in the style of Wes Anderson resonated with my own vision of The Landing Platform’s aesthetic, with its cartoon-like overtones to offset the more depressing elements of the story. These two elements together excited me and pushed me towards working on this film.”

GAFFER - MEG SHARP

Meg is our gaffer, and is in charge of the lighting department for The Landing Platform. After 2 years of studying film at university in Colombia, Meg moved to the UK looking to gain a more cosmopolitan understanding of film. Throughout this period, her enthusiasm for photography, and previous experience as a cinematographer on various fiction and documentary productions, led her to further explore the importance lighting has on effectively telling stories. Meg is passionate about light and the way it shapes the world around us, and hopes to be able to show this through her work; in both film, and photography.

“When presented with this script, I was immediately enthralled. Its themes of loneliness and reclusiveness appeared topical and deeply relatable in this time of uncertainty for us all, seeming like the perfect story to tell at present.  Hugo's creative take on these issues and the quirky aesthetic of the film seemed to offer endless opportunities in terms of collaboration with other departments, which instantly caught my eye. By working closely with Amy (Production Designer), and Jake (Cinematographer) I hope to help bring the vision together and deliver the world of The Landing Platform on screen.”

CAMERA OPERATOR - DYLAN TILLYARD

Dylan is the Camera Operator for The Landing Platform. From a young age, he has been fascinated with film production, especially within the camera department. Dylan has been developing his camera operating skills by working on several personal projects, commercial videos and university productions. He is confident that he can do a great job on The Landing Platform Film.

“I am very thrilled to be the Camera Operator for The Landing Platform. Having worked with Hugo before, I fully trust his vision. I am very excited to be able to help visualise this story and work with such a talented crew!”  

EDITOR - CALLUM THOMSON

Callum is the editor of The Landing Platform. He has been making films since he was 11 years old, and in 2018, decided to attend university to continue his creative development. Callum is an enthusiastic editor, who love the aspect of assembling the separate elements of a project into the final film. Over the past 3 years, Callum has become a well established editor, editing a total of 4 films, with this particular production being his 5th. He believes his outstanding quality as an editor is the amount of time and care he puts into his work, and his drive to make sure that his final cuts are the best they can be.

“Hugo approached me about the possibility of editing his film and I was very excited. Out of the collection of films it was one of my favourites due to the creative and interesting idea. I really enjoy science fiction films and the way it ties into the themes of loneliness is really clever and relatable for everyone. I am really looking forward to working with Hugo in bringing this great piece together, and also working with the rest of this very talented team.”

SOUND - JOE DOMENET

Joe is head of department for production and post sound along with Charlie White for The Landing Platform. After reading the treatment for this film he was dead set on working on it! From the wacky story line and surrealism, it was apparent that Joe would be very interested. After working on several films, and multiple running jobs in the industry (both in production and post sound), he feels this an amazing project to focus all his creative knowledge of sound that he has acquired over the years.

“I am over the moon to be a part of this project with such an amazing crew! I have no doubt this film will be a great success and look forward to seeing it come to life!”

SOUND - CHARLIE WHITE

Charlie is also head of the department of sound, along with Joe Domenet. In his young career, he has worked on several films and documentaries. In the last couple of years Charlie has found a love for sound, and its ability to add depth to a story. He was eager to work on a film that would offer a wide range of possibilities when it came to the sound design, and The Landing Platform does just that. He can't wait to collaborate with the extremely skilled crew, both on set and in the sound studio.

"The Landing Platform is different to any film I've worked on, it offers so many opportunities to do something fresh and new, and to take creative risks. Hugo is a bold director, and I can't wait to work with him and the rest of the crew." 

COSTUME DESIGNER - DANIELA BURNASKA

Daniela is one part of the Costume department. Having undertaken many projects as a costume designer, ranging from a police investigation unit in the 80s, to 18th century pirates, and even a documentary contemporary production, she has a broad range of experience in depicting various time periods and characters. Mainly through minor and specific details in her character's designs. With her previous work for the production company Dema Film, and some professional practice as a costume standby for both short and feature films, Daniela is confident in her skills, and is excited to portray the quirky 90s characters of The Landing Platform.

"As a romantic dreamer who wishes to escape this world from time to time, I deeply connected with the script. Tackling important and complex ideas of isolation, mental health and the negative effects of today’s escapist culture, this project gives an interesting new perspective, and I cannot wait to bring its characters to life through costume!"

COSTUME DESIGNER - MELANIE LUFF

With a background of fine art and textiles, Melanie developed her skills designing costume at Arts University Bournemouth. She was inspired to go into costume design due to a lifelong love of fantasy films and couture fashion. Melanie has since designed for a variety of film, television and stage productions. Including a 1980s detective drama, a gothic Treasure Island production, and a fairy-tale inspired dance show. She also aspires to pursue costume design in music, but is first eager to realise the contemporary and sci-fi characters in Hugo’s inspiring short film.

“After reading the script, I immediately knew I wanted to design for this film. I really connected with the imaginative concept and instantly began to envision the costumes we could create to bring the story to life. Also, the emotional message is really important and relevant, as it is a reminder that life can get the better of anyone and how we have to look out for those who are struggling.”

HEAD OF MAKEUP - CHARLIE FORSHAW

Charlie is in her final year of Makeup for Media and Performance at AUB. An aspiring prosthetic and wig maker, she is inspired by SciFi franchises such as Star Wars, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To date, she has created mermaid characters, wigs for fairies, and most recently had the opportunity to work on a music video for Deep Purple titled Nothing at All; as Head of Department. In this music video, she designed and created a character representing Mother Nature, as well as makeup applications to the cast. In the future, she hopes to work in television and film, creating more monsters and aliens with her makeup skills.

“What excited me most about the film was the character of Astra, being interested in SciFi I couldn’t wait to start putting my ideas into action. As Head of Department for makeup, I hope to bring to life the creative vision of the characters. I can’t wait for people to see what we have envisioned so far!

On behalf of all those behind The Landing Platform, thank you for your support and interest in our film!