From Stage To Screen- My First Film

How different is Theatre to Film?

After working on my first film which was quite amateur on my part, it was a good learning experience and eye opener to the differences between theatre and Film.

With film I was my own team, costumes designed sourced and budgeted by myself, which is a challenge for me as numbers have never been my strong suit. Film seems to be more relaxed although there are jobs to do during the shoot; continuity checks and costume changes, there isn't the urgency as in theatre. I enjoy both so much but they are so different, so its nice to divide my time between the two.

This film was called Nutshell directed by Larry Ramjutton.

The characters involved are;

Lee played by Jordan Lee

Paige played by Rachel Crowther

Jamie played by Nick

John played by Diego  

The brief I was given.....

Proposal
Nutshell

Production Format: DSLR Video

Duration: 10 minutes

Log line:

A lonely teenager becomes infatuated with an older young woman who unknowingly leads him on,

but her self-destructive behaviour and turbulent past is stopping from them having a meaningful

relationship which leaves the young man shattered when she rejects him.

Themes:

The themes in this script are about falling in love with the wrong person and miscommunication in

relationships. The script also touches upon the issue of domestic violence/abusive relationships and

“traumatic bonding”- which is the complex psychological love/hate link created between abusive

partners and their victims, of which Paige is suffering.

Outline:

Paige is 23 and works as a supervisor in a sports shop. Depressed, alcohol dependant and still reeling

from her disastrous relationship with her estranged ex-boyfriend, she goes out almost every night

drinking herself into numbness. Lee, 18, is studying in sixth form. He spends his time between

studying and religiously training in boxing, carving out a perfect version of himself. He is fixated on

ending his loneliness by getting a girlfriend though he tries too hard and has serious self-esteem

issues. His pursuit of physical perfection through training borders on obsessive.

A chance meeting and a surprising initial chemistry sets Lee dazzled when Paige, under the influence

of a hangover and flirting games with her friends, flirts with him when he enters her store looking for

running shoes, setting off a series of eventful and seemingly meaningful encounters between the two.

In his naivety Lee feels the relationship is leading somewhere and falls into love sickness, mistaking

her drunken honesty and flirtatious façade for sincerity.

Eventually, a more sober Paige puts Lee in his place when he sees her again after a night together.

Paige's cruelty breaks Lee, who emotionally dived in head first and is shattered by her rejection. A

disillusioned Paige then succumbs to the charm of her abusive ex-boyfriend whilst a distraught and

angry Lee breaks down. When Paige's ex-boyfriend comes back into the picture, it is clear to Lee that a

lot of her problems were a result of her past relationship and he comes to the painful realisation that

he is in no position to help or have a functioning relationship with her.

Characters

There are two central characters, Paige and Lee and the story is told through Lee's point of view.

Secondary characters are Jamie, Paige's ex-boyfriend and her work manager and co-worker.

Researching each character and investigating their profiles I came up with some designs..............

A few rough sketches of my initial designs, these always change when sourcing but you get the idea....

(Click on the image to zoom)

And now the film in photographs......................

Working hard on set.....
....well ok looking at the menu at Cafe Boscanova,
many thanks to them for letting us use their space.   

We managed to film in an open sports shop.....

many thanks to Priory Sports for that!!!

I was promoted :)

...working the boom

This film was a great learning experience, working with such a talented team helped me understand the basics of film, I'm still learning and its fascinating.

A massive Thank you and Well done to all the cast and crew and especially to everyone at the locations putting up with us!!!

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