Directed by Neil Linpow | Written by Hunter Andrews
Having downloaded a self help program devised and narrated by the enigmatic MAX, we follow ASH, as he prepares to tackle Lesson 7: Confronting death. What begins as a seemingly innocent and melancholic trip to a near deserted hospital ward in the late night hours, becomes a twisting journey of anguish and manipulation.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I’m a bit like frankensteins monster to be fair, lol. I started off as an actor, and had a few decent parts in some things, but it all started to plateau and I got bored of the roles that were being sent my way. I was never going to have my name above the movie poster next to Brad Pitt, and I was okay with that, but there’s also only so many times you can play ‘the coach, or ‘the policeman,’ or whatever, before you’ve had enough. Whilst I kind of felt like I’d never had my ‘shot’ so to speak, I also didn’t want to live job to job anymore just to pay the bills.
I had been writing bits and pieces on and off, and a few director friends would often ask me to help them with their commercial pitches and treatments. Before long that led me in-house to a small production company. I really enjoyed working with the directors and found that my love of films and misspent youth consuming cinema aligned pretty well with understanding how to best position talent for commercial opportunities. From there I started Exec Producing on those campaigns and moved on to work for a bigger production company. I have been really fortunate to have been able to work with some incredible talent including Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind), Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), Colm McCarthy (Peaky Blinders), Sam Miller (I may destroy you) and Bobby Farrelly (Dumb & Dumber) amongst others. I also get to work with some really exciting up coming talent every day too.
It inspired me to continue to explore my own creativity and write stories that interest me. Then in turn, collaborate with some of the amazing talent I have met over the years to try and get these stories made. Part of it was an opportunity to play some of the parts I never had the opportunity to play, and part was because I found that having a creative outlet for my own ideas made me more focused and better equipped to guide the careers of the directors I look after in my day to day.
So your day job is as an Executive Producer? Can you explain what it is that you do and how it's different from a traditional producer?
I work primarily in advertising so it’s bit different to traditional film. But, my role is about the creative development and overseeing of projects from the initial pitching process through to final delivery. I build relationships with advertising creatives and agency producers, and look for opportunities that would best fit the roster of directors my production company has. From there, I work with our directors to further develop those ideas through a pitch and into production.
A traditional producer generally runs the logistical aspects of the shoot organisation and management. They are responsible for the money. Budgeting, crewing up, and running the day to day production. I work very closely with the producer on commercial jobs so that we are able to push the creative as far as the money will allow. Working in tandem with a producer, and understanding how to break down a script and budget allows us to pitch realistically together, and has been really helpful when I’ve had to physically line produce my own films too.
What was your inspiration behind Lesson 7?
Writer Hunter Andrews and I had been kicking around a feature idea about a ten-step self-help program that preyed on vulnerable people for a while. We thought an interesting approach initially would be to make a proof of concept that also worked as a short film in its own right.
These days we’re all so reliant on creating shortcuts and life hacks. So much of what we do and what we trust is digital and anonymous. Our phones have become our most trusted confidants. We let it into our psyche and desires. We trust the apps we download, the audiobooks, podcasts and life guides we listen to. It’s the place we look to find the answers to both our passing whims and our deeper more existential life questions. We wondered what it might look like if someone was able to abuse that trust. Just how malleable could a vulnerable person’s identity be, and how far could they allow themselves to be pushed in the pursuit of freedom from the constraints of modern society?
How did you balance acting, producing and directing at the same time?
I think fundamentally it’s about surrounding yourself with amazing people that you trust, and that care about your film as much as you do. That, and meticulous planning, so that you are all united in what it is you are trying to make. That way you’re able to maximise your time on the day concentrating on the execution of those creative choices.
That’s not to say I’ve managed to nail all that though. Lol.
To be honest, so far both the films I’ve finished were one day shoots and each came with their own unique set of problems. I found that the producing side of it all is actually the most stressful, and having someone that can take the shoot day stress off your shoulders is invaluable. You really don’t want to be worrying about whether the lunch is going to turn up on time, or if there’s enough toilet paper in the portaloo when you’ve only got 8 hours in a derelict hospital location with no heating or running water, and 6 pages of script to shoot.
As far as the acting goes, I’ve always been able to look at myself on screen objectively and see the character, as opposed to myself. That helps, because it means I can watch playback and concentrate on whether we’ve got what we need for the story, as opposed to being worried about whether I am pulling a stupid face in a scene. I usually am.
That said, doing it for much more than a one day shoot where you are also directing and producing on no budget is not appealing. It’s tough going. For my latest short film I’m finishing up, I decided to stay behind the camera. I love working with actors, and I really wanted to shoot with some that weren’t me. And to be fair, I don’t think I could have pulled off playing a 20 something year old female football player anyway. Haha.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
Keep making stuff. As often as you can. I think the biggest road block for most filmmakers is procrastination. It’s never been easier to go out and make something yourself, and if you’re smart about it, there’s no reason why you can’t make something that stands out, despite budget limitations.
Unless you are lucky enough to secure some kind of funding, the likelihood is that your short (like Lesson 7) will be entirely dependant on the favours and goodwill that you can pull together through your network of friends and collaborators. So have a look at the resources that you already have, and try to work with those when you are writing your script. Have access to a great location? Set your film there. Friends with a great actor? Write a kick ass part for them. I think when you write with no limitations, the budget can quickly spiral, and that’s when short films end up just living on the page indefinitely.
Keep your short, short, and ideally achievable in a one day shoot. It’s easier to get people to lend you a day of their time than it is 2 or 3.
Build relationships and payback your favours, be it in kind on other people’s projects, or on loyalty when you have paid work to offer out. All simple stuff, but all things that I have found incredibly helpful in getting my own little films made.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
I made my first short film in 2019 and did the whole traditional festival circuit thing. I was really lucky that it was selected for a couple of BAFTA qualifying festivals, but it was also passed over by a lot of them too. Most of these festivals also want your film to be exclusive, and the notification of selection dates are often 6 months down the road, so you are really limited when you are planning how and where you can release your film.
In truth, I had one amazing connection at Cambridge film festival where the producer behind the acclaimed ‘County Lines’ liked my film and we’ve since made another short (currently in post) together. That was great, but, I ultimately found that the online release of the film was far more impactful than its festival run. It opened it up to a much wider audience and meant that the film could be picked up by a number of short film platforms.
So, I decided this time that I wasn’t going to do the festivals, barring one or two that I particularly liked. Instead, I went straight to the same places online that had liked my previous film and hoped that they liked this one too.
It’s been great to see the positive response, and to be able to control the release of the film. I am so grateful that the film is finding an audience so quickly.
Does your film have any landmarks that you can discuss (awards, special screenings, etc.)?
The aim is still to explore the wider story, so we are talking with a couple of production companies about developing the it further. I see it as a feature, or as an anthology series, where each lesson follows a different character. It’s a slow burn process though. We’ve won awards at the Infinity film festival (Best Sound & Best Director) and there are two other festivals we are waiting on, with a hope that we can screen with them. Like I said though, we’re not really exploring festivals this time around.
Where and how did you release your film online, since you found it more impactful than the traditional festival circuit?
I put the last short film, ‘Time,’ on Vimeo, and sent it out to a number of short film platforms including Shots, Little Black Book, Beyond the Short, Film Shortage, David Reviews and Discover Film. It gave me a diverse spread of audience, from the more traditional short film curators, to those in the advertising community too.
Two part question: How far along are you in the development process of turning Lesson 7 into a feature or anthology series? And do you think the strategy of making a short film as proof of concept will help you in the pitching process?
It’s early days to be honest. Hunter has been so busy this past year with feature projects, and in my spare time I have also been writing my first feature film (another single location thriller) with Warner Bros that is scheduled to shoot this Autumn with the brilliant Matthias Hoene directing.
We have spoken to a couple of production companies that are interested in developing it, but we’re still figuring out the best route to go. Whether it’s episodic and covers a wider breadth of Max’s ’pupils,’ or if we keep it intimate and focus on one persons journey over a feature length.
Either way, I think that the short film builds intrigue and hopefully gives people a sense of what that wider story could be, hinting at the lessons that led us to this point and posing the question of whats still left to come. If people finish the short and want to know more, then I think it’s done its job.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
I love lo-fi thrillers. I recommend that anyone who’s never seen ‘Blue Ruin’ goes and watches it. Not only for the film itself, but for inspiring and aspirational way they went about making it. Two mates that believed in each other. It keeps the belief going that it’s possible.
I also love films that are contained to one or two locations, so I’d say ‘Moon,’ which does that incredibly well, and ‘Right at Your Door’ which I think kind of went under the radar, but is a really great example of tense storytelling on a limited budget.