Hello! We are a small group of young professionals all studying Television Production. We want to create a powerful short drama which is both emotionally memorable and visually stunning. This film is very close to our hearts.
What is our short film about?
Who Spies on the Spy is a 10-minute short film which follows Oliver, a young Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officer and his struggle to understand his untreated PTSD and admit he needs help. But what is Oliver’s biggest fear and what is the memory his mind has repressed in order to create an illusion based on a false reality?
Why make this film ?
Many people have struggled with pain in their lives and this drama, although fictional, will look at how a traumatic experience can impact a person psychologically and play tricks - even on the most intelligent minds.
To help make the experiences of our CTSFO believable, we will be engaging with real life stories from serving and ex-service people so that we have a greater understanding of the very real impact of living with PTSD.
We believe this story is emotionally unique and extremely compelling. With creative and clever storytelling, technically stunning cinematic shots and impressive locations, we want to bring this challenging subject matter to life and create a visually appealing and inherently watchable piece of drama.
MEET our crew
Hollie Farrington - Producer & Writer
Tosia Szarmach - Director
Todd Norris - First Assistant Director
Sarah Waller - Production Manager
Deividas Kanis - Director of Photography
Matthew Sewell - Camera Assistant/ Runner
Daria Doxa - Sound Recordist
Bethany Farrington - Special FX Makeup Artist
We have all worked closely together on various projects, including Drama, Studio and Documentary.
why this film is important to us
Making this film is incredibly important to us as the subject matter is so sensitive. Hollie, our writer, wanted to highlight the physical, emotional and psychological consequences of trauma on a CTSFO officer, thanks to the sorts of situations they may encounter. She wanted to examine the impact of undiagnosed PTSD and explore the emotional influences this could have on well-being.
Shining a spotlight on PTSD and mental health more broadly
Mental health is incredibly important and this drama will highlight the struggles and vulnerability this officer faces - as he grapples with the rational and irrational, the truth and the illusion. We hope that the audience will connect emotionally with the film - and that it will have a powerful and lasting effect.
We want the whole film to be visually stunning. The locations will each have a connection to the film - especially Snowdonia, which will almost be a character within itself and play a large part in helping us to create the dramatic tone we are looking to convey.
our plan of action & Locations
The locations are exceptionally important for this short film and we believe this aspect will help our film to be a little different from other representations of a young officer dealing with PTSD - as he seeks to survive in the harsh conditions of Snowdonia.
1st Location - The most important location.
SNOWDONIA - We have secured an absolutely stunning location for our drama and will be using external shots filmed here throughout our film. We are extremely excited to be shooting in such a great location! Our crew will be staying in a hostel in the area for the duration of our filming there.
Location two - A church on the outskirts of London. We will be using the Church for both external and internal scenes. This will create a dramatic atmosphere that will be used for the scene at the end of the drama.
Location three - We are currently looking at Duxford airfield for the very beginning scene. This will set the scene for the rest of the film.
Budget and where you come in!
We really want to make this film a possibility, but if we are going to do this we really do need your help! We want this story to look and feel as realistic as possible and your generous donations will allow this to happen.
To make this film to the exceptionally high standard we want to achieve, we are looking to raise £2000. So...where is the budget going?
Let's have a look....
Production breakdown
Location One: Snowdonia. We have secured this location free of charge, which is amazing! But we would still like to leave a donation for their help during production.
Location Two - up to £500: The Church. This is fundamental to the shoot and will cost up to £500 for the day.
Wardrobe & Props - £150-£200: This will be for the CTSFO uniforms, props, etc.
Food - £100: To keep the energy levels of our cast and crew up while filming!
Hostel - £700: For our shoot in Snowdonia (3 days for 10 people)
Transport - £470: For trains to Wales from London and a taxi from the closest station in Wales to our filming location in the heart of Snowdonia.
Media makeup/special effects - £10: This is for Oliver's SFX cuts.
Other - £20: This is for other expenses associated with our production, e.g. paperwork and other essentials.
AND IF we REACH OR EXCEED OUR TARGET?:
If we reach our maximum it would be a dream come true! We would like our film to touch a lot of people because of the emotional message behind it, therefore we would love to send this film to some film festivals. If we reach or exceed our target, funds left over will go towards helping to pay for festival entry fees.
Any additional funds received above our target would also enable us to make our set even more incredible! To enhance the stylistic, dramatic and realistic effect, we would like to be able to add more props. For example, for the Church scene we would like to make a wooden coffin which has a Police drape over the top. Props such as this will make a massive difference to our production and help us create the perfect atmosphere.
If we have any funds left over after production and distribution, we will be donating these to some amazing charities, e.g., SSAFA the Armed Forces charity and the Blue Light Foundation, a non-profit organisation honouring our first responders, protectors and their families.
Please spread the word!!
Your support is a massive deal to us, whether this is donating or simply sharing our crowdfunding campaign/social media pages so we can reach potential collaborators, friends, family or anyone else you feel would be interested in supporting or being involved in our film. You'll be helping us so much!!
Charities with a shared interest in the subject matter:
If you are a charity with a shared interest in the subject matter of our film, we would love to hear from you. It would be a great opportunity to work with you - or if you could share the project with your networks, it would mean a lot.
Other organisations wanting to collaborate:
If you are another type of organisation and you would like to collaborate with us in some way, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us through our social media!
Rewards
Every contribution given, we really do say thank you! We have many rewards on offer, including an invitation to a private, invite-only viewing, special thanks in our film credits, and many other exciting rewards. For more information please take a look at the rewards section.
where can you find us?
We will be posting regular updates on our progress so you can all keep up-to-date with our film. For updates on the story, our crew, fun behind-the-scenes photos, casting, and even our crowdfunding campaign, please follow our social media pages.
Just hit the links below to follow our film.
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/whospiesonthespies/?igshid=413jo4qlqy3e)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/whospiesonthespy/)
Don't forget that by sharing our project too, we have a greater chance of turning our idea into a reality. Your support really does matter!
Thank you from our whole crew of Who Spies on the Spy.
