Umbra-Short Psychological Horror Film through NYFA

Aim

Support us in creating a mind-bending psychological horror film that speaks to the fear in all of us. Can you accept, confront or deny it?

The deepest shadows hide the darkest fears... 

A group of young adults suffering from a range of fears, including claustrophobia, anxiety, alcoholism, hallucinations, and mental health, find themselves partaking in an experiment surrounding fear. But, when it all goes wrong, the group is in a fight for answers as one of their fears and beliefs create's something beyond their imagination, the Umbra. They are forced to join together to overcome their fears, otherwise, they’ll never leave at all.

WHO & WHY 

As a young creative group of filmmakers, we are overjoyed to finally see and be a part of the creative arts and industries flourishing again. We want to be a part of this and now is the time to act. 

Umbra follows a group of young adults as they strike upon, what seems, a shred of hope. With the need for money or to be rid of their fears, which range from claustrophobia, anxiety, alcoholism, hallucinations, and mental health. The group decides to take part in a covert experiment on the mind, but not all is as it seems. Our film speaks to those suffering from mental health, loneliness, and isolation in a modern world, while also forcing us as the filmmakers and you as the viewer to reflect upon your own.

Our team is determined to create a realistic-in-depth study of the mind; focusing on reuniting people through the effects of trauma fears and mental health. Everyone in our group knows someone or they themselves have experienced anxiety, feelings of isolation, or a form of mental health problems, therefore this film will not only be made on a realistic level but it is strongly meaningful. We want to create something that expands the depths of creativity and demonstrates our abilities, with a film that challenges your mind, beliefs, and soul, whilst highlighting the issues around mental health awareness.  

DO YOU HEAR SOMETHING? 

Music sets the tone, the feeling, the suspense. It helps you connect on an emotional level, which is why we are working with synth score and sound design with the aim to create our own original track. We want the characters to feel followed, using sound cues to emphasize this feeling and capture the tone of the film. 

THE TEAM

This Project contains a wide range of skills and experiences put together by 16 individuals across the UK from a variety of different backgrounds. As a small crew, our creative team is going to manage many roles overseen by our 6 heads of department: 

Director Luke Morgan, I  Luke started his work in youth theatre backstage, eventually transitioning to performing as an actor. After studying for a degree in Acting at Newcastle college. Luke worked on numerous plays as both an actor and a director and in his final year worked almost exclusively in directing, creating two plays and a short film all of which achieved outstanding grades. As a member of NYFA and the Set-Ready course, Luke hopes to continue to develop his skills as a filmmaker and expand his directing talent.

Producer Rachel Morris I Started to study the position of Producer in Media and Communication, Rachel has been able to create independent short films, trailers, and a variety of short TV programs in a vibrant environment. Further experience as an assistant cinematographer to advertise ‘Classic Motor Cars’ and taken on the role of stage manager for a 4 part production with ‘Castaway Productions’ in 2019. 

Writer/Marketing Manager Josh M.A Smith I  Josh found his strength for screenwriting through a mixture of practical elements and analysis of existing films and their screenplays. Applications to a variety of award-winning short film directors to enhance his experience through professional feedback. Took part in SetReady in 2021 as Marketing Director, BTS Photographer, and 3rd AD of 'Marmalade Droppers'. 

Director of Photography Karina Whelan I  Filmmaker, editor, and photographer based in Devon. Karina has experience filming various projects including short films and documentaries. She believes the film is a potent tool to present, educate and entertain audiences worldwide, and showcasing these stories is extremely important to her.   

Editor/ Sound designer Josh Brady I  Josh is an experienced editor and VFX artist. From a young age, he has been inspired by the emotion film can convey. He has edited since he was 12, mainly using Adobe’s Premiere Pro and After Effects for 11 years. Josh was inspired by sci-fi and the astounding visual effects, making him motivated to create something new and extravagant with his team. 

Gaffer/1st Assistant Clapper/ Boom Operator Peter Ghaly - Peter is a passionate and driven student of film from London with experience in filmmaking from pre-production to post-production. He aims to demonstrate his dedication, hard work, and creativity for the art.  

Gaffer/1st Assistant Clapper/ Boom Operator Connor Roy - Collaborated as a writer, director, cinematographer, and editor in a short 3-minute piece. Studied drama and performing arts in school and college, performing Robin Hood pantomime in The Lights theatre. Connor's aim is to create character stories with a strong message that can be portrayed in a realistic point of view that the audience can relate to as well as subvert society ideologies and genre tropes whilst paying respect to both sides. NYFA is a great opportunity to learn from others and the inner workings of the industry to create something to be proud of. 

Cast & Characters

Amelia Margaret Griffiths as JESSICA -  Actress based in London/Manchester. Has 12 years of acting coaching, including playing Medea in a run of Medea at the Edinburgh Fringe. Furthermore playing 'Zoe' at National Theatre Connections in the production of Bassett.
"I can’t wait to start working with the Cast and Crew of The Umbra."

The Character: Jessica is in a relationship with Alex and is the only one without any major fears, phobias, or trauma, therefore providing more support for Kitty. 

Kitty Sharland as ALEX & 1st AD - 20-year-old actress, currently studying drama at the University of Manchester. Has written and directed a short film for local Young Filmmakers competition judged by industry professionals including David Yates, winning first place. Performed in Drama Society Productions and played the lead in a short, written by MA Screenwriting students. The film will be premiered in late May at the UOM FILM Festival. Last year took part in the Breakthrough into Acting course with the NYFA and learned the actor's craft and how to navigate the business of acting. 

The Character: Alex is the vision of innocence and purity yet has a dark fear, with the hopes things may improve and the last plea for help she bravely enters the unknown, but will she reach her breaking point?

Lauren Dyson as HARRIET - Based in West Yorkshire, Lauren trained in acting at CAPA College where she studied, acting on stage/screen, scriptwriting, and directing. During this, she also directed a New Views competition. Her most recent roles include short plays performed at Slung Low in Leeds called ‘Postcards from the Ages’ and ‘Rebecca’ in ‘The Party’. Currently attends weekly classes at Acct4TV in Leeds and gained her spotlight membership. She is excited to make her on-screen debut in ‘The Umbra’ and gain credits for an official showreel.

The Character: Rocking a bohemian style, Harriet is a person who couldn't care less what others think of her. Once her mind is set, there is nothing that can change it, and is up for anything.

Max Garland as TOMAS & 2nd AD - Max is currently at Oxford Brookes University. He has performed in theatre productions throughout school and University and has played protagonist roles in 2 student films ‘The Loop’ and ‘Rosey’ and 1 short film. Max believes storytelling is incredibly powerful, that can reveal a range of emotions and change opinions. Max is determined to collaborate with a creative team with different skills to bring meaningful stories to life. Overall creating a thought-provoking experience. 

The Character: Appearing in dreary items, Tomas is drastic and irrational, hence landing himself in the experiment, although there is more behind him than others believe. 

Luke Milligan as MARTIN - Acting for the last 5+ years, ranging from theatre to film and TV. Most recently finished a three-night run of The Westwall Players: Trilogy. Luke’s aim is to improve his skills as an actor and build upon them and use these skills to teach others who may be struggling or who also want to become professionals.

The Character: Anxiety ridden to the point he has become isolated, stressed, and struggling with his social life, Martin looks for some relief from his struggle and last resort.

Abbas Ahmad as JORDAN - Abbas is 22 years old and holds previous modeling and extra experience, with the hopes of becoming a fully-fledged actor. Abbas’s extra roles include the incredible Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Hollyoaks!

The Character: Attempting to escape his past addiction, Jordan must first confront them to heal old wounds. But will he ever escape his guilt?

Honor Douglas as CATHERINE

Professonal Actor as DR DUJAS

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

This is a choice, your choice. We want you to choose to invest. Every donation is vital, it helps us get closer to achieving our goal and we want to take this moment to thank you for being a part of this. We also want you to know where the funding is going: 

• Equipment Hire

We are required to hire/rent cameras, lighting, and sound equipment. We have a contract with ProCam through the National Youth Film Academy and is major to gaining the right resources!

• Locations

We will require fees to rent studios, public location fees, and accommodate a unit base to set up. These come at a cost, but as you all know, it's worth it. 

• Set Design

This department is key to establishing the environment on screen. We will need to allocate costumes for all 8 characters and props to create the eerie set of the lab test unit. 

• Catering

We need to feed a team of 16 people for 5 days during shooting. This is vital for energy and a happy hardworking team. 

• Film Festival Entry Fee

ITS TIME! We aim to reach as wide an audience as possible. Yet film festivals come at a cost. The donations will help us make the dream a reality. 

• Marketing 

This will be towards any posters, flyers, and extra content for marketing the screenings. 

• Professional Actor/Actress 

We require to hire a professional actor/actress (+40) for 3-4 days and pay them at least the minimum wage. The remainder of the team is doing this out of sheer passion and will not be taking any money from the campaign. 

• Travel

Most of the cast and crew will be paying for their own travel into London, however, we will have potential travel to different locations to shoot and transport equipment. 

THE JOURNEY 

We believe in our message and want people to speak and be honest to themselves and others, but we need you to help us. How? It’s easy, follow us on our creative journey, donate what you can, like and share our posts, pages, and media!

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SPECIAL THANKS  

 UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH & CROWDFUNDER

This project couldn’t have been done without the National Youth Film Academy’s Set Ready program 2022, which brought together the most talented assessed, and skilled professionals to make a film prepared for the big screen. 

We are incredibly thankful to be mentored by the brilliant, Fiona Bavinton, known for her writing, visual effects, and producer roles in a catalogue of films; along with a fantastic producer Clare Cahill. Their guidance allows us to create a top-quality film, making sure every donation is being cared for and used to max capacity, so each pledge is worthwhile.

This project successfully funded on 6th July 2022