Written & Directed by JOHN CLARK
PRODUCED BY SAM BARNETT & JIM WRAITH
An aspiring autistic photographer is plagued by a painful memory that exacerbates his persistent struggles with unemployment and negotiating the job interview process.
ABOUT THE FILM
SNAPSHOT is the debut film from John Clark and was funded and supported by the BFI Network. Snapshot is based on John Clark's lived experience, of trying to gain employment as an autistic adult. The film includes a debut performance from Josh Ward, whose real-life experiences mirror the character and themes presented within the film.
The film won Best International Short Film a the Wigan & Leigh Film Festival, and also screened out of competition at the BAFTA Qualifying Bolton Film Festival as part of the Film Hub North Showcase. Other festival highlights include the BIFA qualifying North East International Film Festival, Catalyst International Film Festival, Romford Film Festival and Mansfield Film Festival where it received 4 nominations including Working Class Voice Category, Best Lead Performance, Best Editing, and the Heart Of Mansfield (Top Prize). It was release on Omeleto earlier this year.
ABOUT THE FILMmakers
John Clark is a Writer and Director who first garnered national attention with his candid, introspective short documentary; Asperger's: And What Of It? a paraphrased edition of his surrounding work of his lived experiences as an Autistic Adult. It was screened at The National Autistic Society's Autism Uncut Film Festival in 2017, and from there applied for funding through Film Hub North for what became the short Snapshot, his professionally credited Written and Directorial debut.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH JOHN
Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
Many thanks for having us! Snapshot is my professionally credited Writer and Directorial debut. Before this, I had made a series of self-produced short films, with one in particular that led on to the development of Snapshot. The short; Asperger's: And What Of It? is a paraphrased film of my similar work of the time which was entered into The National Autistic Society's Autism Uncut Film Festival in 2017. Gaining nationwide attention as a Finalist in the Aspiring Filmmakers category. It is a candid, introspective short documentary of my lived experiences as an Autistic adult.
Tell us about the genesis of Snapshot and your motivation for making this film.
Whilst residing in South Yorkshire, I'd meet Sam Barnett (after being introduced to him) at Sheffield Showrooms over a series of Coffee meetings about the (then) possibility of creating a short film together. I'd discussed my lived experiences of unemployment and regaled tales of various disastrous job interviews as an Autistic adult, and wanted to highlight the lack of support Autistic adults such as myself face, due to perpetuated stigmas and stereotypes about those with the condition. Only 22% of Autistic adults are in any form of employment due to these barriers, and not only did I wish to highlight this alarming statistic, but I also wished to create a visually immersive experience that put the audience directly into the subjective world of an Autistic person, and their direct experiences with sensory and communication difficulties, amongst the intrusive thoughts as a result of pervasive mockery, scrutiny and misunderstandings. From there, Sam introduced me to his small creative team, where we put together a funding application into Film Hub North which we were successfully awarded for. We're still working together on future projects!
Throughout, DOP Jim Wraith helped with in kind support from Sheffield Hallam University, with kit hire, crew and locations, all proving highly beneficial as a further utilising of our resources.
What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Snapshot and how did you overcome them?
We were greenlit for funding in January 2020. 3 months later...As a result of the occurring events, we then had to develop Snapshot over a series of Zoom meetings. It was a blessing in disguise, as it gave us a real opportunity to flesh out the story into what you see today. Film Hub North were incredibly supportive of me and us, especially through a rather difficult time in everyone's lives. Though the film went through constant development right up until the final cut! The real challenge came from utilising our limited resources. £10,000 leaves little margin for error! Auditions were Self-Tapes and Zoom calls, and further development was remote, until we were finally able to film over 5 days in April 2021, still under COVID guidelines of that given time, which meant we didn't really have enough time for on-set rehearsals, or blocking. COVID also meant we were running on a skeleton crew of about 8-10 people, who all appear in Snapshot at some point. I cameo twice! From script to screen, we all really had to think on our feet. The Bus sequence was originally set on a Train, but the Train company quoted a third of the budget! Such a sequence (which has been seen as something of a highlight) was also supposed to be a flash-in-the-pan moment when one Interviewer asks; "Getting here's not a problem for you, is it? No?" We also spent a year remotely editing Snapshot, where we evolved the idea of using the Bus sequence as a Turning Point for the film. Originally, it would cut straight from Ian's bedroom to the Interview, but it didn't feel right. You know in your mind when you're that involved with the creation of a deeply personal story to you what works, and what doesn't.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.
Film Freeway can be costly! But we divided the remainder of the budget into attempting to hit the bigger festivals, before the local ones. Any selection was a win in our eyes, and for a low-budget debut, getting into 8 out of a possible 38 is quite the achievement! It is ridiculously competitive! All of the firsts were highlights for me. Snapshot premiered at Wigan & Leigh and won its award. We were unaware there was going to be any awards there, leaving me (ironically) speechless! Seeing Snapshot on the big screen for the first time sinking into my seat, was something of an experience too. My first panel interview at Romford Film Festival, where I was bricking it on the inside, but managed to explain how the film came to pass. The Omeleto selection also meant the world to me. The comments in particular. Reaching a further and wider audience, and having many Autistic people (and friends, family and Carers of Autistic people) deeply resonate with Snapshot was one of many other goals we set out when making it. The 5 star review on UK Film Review. Being selected here as well! Revisiting my old place of studies to screen the film and inspire Aspiring Filmmaking Students. Because of how this story is semi-autobiographical, there will always be that personal touch and deep gratitude for every success and accolade Snapshot has received. Especially with the rest of the cast and crew, who all have a personal connection with Autism too.
What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?
If writer's block rears its ugly head, write what you know. Yes, it's old hat, but it works. Even if you strip back the content, and amplify the context and underlying ring of truth with what your story's core message is, it should strike a chord with many. Kill your darlings. Also cliched, but true. You may very well have spent an incredibly long time setting up an exquisite shot, but if it's only served purpose is aesthetic, and doesn't help drive the story, cut it. It's a Short Film. You don't have long. When Snapshot's first pass was 22 minutes, it was far from engaging. Each scene needs to drive the next, progressing the story, and cementing its core arcs and messages until the very end.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
For similar short films, I highly recommend Pennywort, which tells a similar story from the perspective of a Young Autistic Woman. One scene in particular deeply resonated with me. Attempting to articulate Snapshot's vision was initially difficult. So, I was asked to cite past Films of inspiration or similar to what I had in mind. Films that we all have a mutual love for, such as; Pi, and Jacob's Ladder cropped up. Both have had a long lasting impact, because they tell compelling subjectively driven stories that help the audience get inside the mind of each character. I'd also recommend Tyrannosaur as that's also been a huge inspiration on the kinds of stories I wish to tell. Raw, subjective and unapologetic at times. A view of the world that sometimes needs a lens over.
What are you working on next?
With Hidden Pictures North, we are currently working on a Documentary Project that will emerge next year.
I also moved to Peterborough, where I shared Snapshot and am currently chasing funding for a Combined Arts Project with Metal Culture, examining how Deaf, Disabled and Neurodiverse communities within the city feel pigeonholed within a dichotomy of being branded as either Lazy Scroungers on the Benefits system, or put on pedestals as Paralympian Superheroes with unrealistic presumptions and expectations.
And finally, I currently tinker with my Feature Script which serves as an elongation of Snapshot that hopefully emerges some day! There's still a lot that needs to be said about Autism.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.
We had our premiere in the Peckhamplex in October 2022 where we screened our film to not just the cast and crew but also those that are part of the community, charities and those who contributed to our crowdfund campaign. After that, we got good news after good news with various festivals. We managed to get into a decent amount at the end of the day. Highlights include meeting some great likeminded filmmakers at the Leeds International Film Festival and seeing some great horror shorts there. The South London Film Festival was another highlight as it unexpectedly snowed heavily that night! At the end of the day, every festival was great as I got to see some awesome films and meet some talented people.
What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?
I think that it is great to be ambitious and you should have a lot of ambition when it comes to making your short film but be realistic and know your limitations. I see too many short films that are very clunky and rushed because they tried to cram a lot of big budget aspects into it with a small budget. London's Forgotten was ambitious and had many locations but it's not something I'm expecting to get all the time, and we had a decent budget to go with that. Also, take time with the script. As stated above, it took a year until I truly understood what London's Forgotten was. Don't rush into things.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
Oh, well, I'll recommend some good ones that fit in with the style of London's Forgotten for sure. I would say David Lynch films, such as Eraserhead and Muholland Drive for the surrealism. The Exterminating Angel by Luis Buñuel is also a good shout equally for the surrealism as well as using it for social commentary. Bullet Boy if you're looking for a grounded urban London story.
What are you working on next?
A proof of concept social-horror short film called Scelus! (Scelus is Latin for "To commit a crime"). I'm currently looking to shoot Scelus sometime within the next six months after I secure funding, and I couldn't be more excited to share the story with the rest of the world! The short deals with Riley, a 24 year old ex-criminal on community service, who plans to use his gift of seeing the dead to confront an entity in a run-down council flat before his curfew begins. I'm hoping to develop this short film into a feature to expand the world further.
