How I Found A Script At The London Screenwriters Festival… And Now The Film Is Complete!
I have been directing TV commercials, virals and music videos for a decade. But of course I really want to tell stories not sell hamburgers to obese kids.
If there is one thing I love about the industry of film making it is the team you build and work with. The writer being the backbone of the project. Coming from TV commercials, the writer is king. I answer to the creative team at the agency. I do what they want. They hire me. So, this has given me respect for the writer, I will listen to their vision.
I wanted to meet writers and find a short to make so I came to the LSF and acted as if I had a sandwich board on my chest that read:
DIRECTOR OF TV COMMERCIALS
DESPERATE TO MAKE A SHORT FILM
SHORT SCRIPTS WANTED
I met people, as you do at the festival, and gradually the short film scripts came flooding in. I felt honoured to read people’s work and to be trusted with someone’s baby is quite something.
But… I had stated when talking to people that I would be able to raise around £5k – and the scripts that came in included a zombie apocalypse, car crashes, Battle of the Somme recreations, road movies across Europe etc. Now I am not against a zombie apocalypse or a road movie but I have 5 grand. Most short filmmakers have even less, actually much less. I needed a simple story with minimal locations and a small cast.
Then it arrived. I met up with LSF delegate and producer Sean Langton and he told me of a short script called ‘Ups & Downs’. Over 48 hours, it tells the tale of a relationship between two brothers, one with Down’s syndrome. Simple, emotional and ‘do-able’. Oh and also the length of the script. It came in at 10 pages and we eventually got it down to 9.
A short film of limited budget is a tough ask if it is over 10 mins, plus festivals often favour ten min shorts as they can programme more.
So, we made the short. A simple film.
And I have signed up for another LSF. Again I am looking for another short film. Here is my ad for it:
DIRECTOR OF TV COMMERCIALS AND ONE SHORT
SEEKS SHORT FILM SCRIPT
ANY GENRE
LIKES: STRONG FEMALE LEADS / AN ENDING / STIRRING EMOTIONS
DISLIKES: OVER 10 MIN SCRIPT / IMPOSSIBLE BUDGET REQUIREMENTS
So, whilst ‘Ups & Downs’ does the festival circuit, I am looking for another short. Please feel free to contact me directly or hopefully we will bump into each other at the festival.
Cheers
Stuart Fryer
Monty Films
Stuart@Montyfilms.co.uk
www.montyfilms.co.uk
PS. After we make the second short film, the aim is to make a low budget feature. So in 2015 I hope to have a new sandwich board attached to me… fingers crossed n’ all that…
Posted by a member of the London Screenwriters’ Festival team.
