The Story
Whilst Louis and Bradley bask naked in the seclusion of Louis childhood bedroom, Louis receives a call from his father saying he will be returning home early. As outside forces threaten to uncover their secret love affair, not only their small paradise will be changed.
Although the Father is never seen returning, the effects of his presence is highlighted through a couple reacting from two different points in their self acceptance journey. The day as they know it will now become a gamble, but will it exacerbate the mental space between them or bring them closer together?
Our project
Being a part of Middlesex University has provided us with many of the theoretical and practical tools to achieve our ambitions and has lead to this attempt to really experiment and play with the form of cinema. Our wide practice outside of our institution, through our production company Deadslow Studios, has given us the opportunity to produce not just multiple music videos and corporate work for clients, but also to make our own short dramas that have gone on to be selected and win at multiple film festivals most notably The UK Film Festival.
With our collective experience and success, we truly believe that we can create a powerfully unique story that challenges mainstream forms of filmmaking and sheds light on queer experiences often not told in the realms of cinema. Our project above all is to meditatively confront cinemas focus on queer tragedy and celebrate queer existence, using our own lives and experiences not just to produce a high quality film but to fill it with heart too.
Writer and Director: Jack Harper [He/Him]
Jack has been studying film exclusively since 2017 but has been involved in theatre production throughout most of his teenage years. Cofounding Deadslow Studios after his film festival success of a year 1 student film has given him the opportunity to work on multiple films in and outside of his University ranging from drama, music videos and corporate work. This experience has given him the opportunity to challenge his own ways of thinking and explore his own fascination and love for experimental cinema. Being a queer filmmaker, he is extremely excited to be given the opportunity to convey his own personal experience as well as echo the voices of his community, experimenting with the boundaries of form to capture a widely universal yet hidden experience often not told in cinema.
Co-Writer and editor: Joe Miles [he/him]
Joe Miles has a strong love for screenwriting, and appreciates the works of John Cassavetes and Mike Leigh. He hopes to apply their techniques of realism to this film, by nurturing and developing the characters through workshopping and rehearsal. Working on multiple student films in his last two years of university, he feels confident in his ability to assist in writing the script and also edit the final film. "The possibility of working on an experimental film with such room for creative freedom is one of the main reasons why I am so excited to be apart of this project, and being involved in both the story development and post production is hugely rewarding."
The Producers:
Ainslie Beer-Perry [She/Her]
Ainslie's first experience in the film industry was in 2018 when she was a runner on a University student film. Since then, she has had a wide range of experience including producing two previous projects at Middlesex University whilst taking on an extra course at The London Film Academy on Production Management during the pandemic. These experiences have given her the opportunity to continuously practice her craft and allowed her to manage the production of our film with ease and professionalism. The Lazy Days is a project she passionately believes should be created as "it gives a more in-depth and intimate look into a dynamic Queer Relationship: It's a film that shows expression and love in the LGBTQIA+ community, which we still don't often see in Modern Cinema."
Darryl Coulson [He/him]
Darryl having studied Film since 2016 has had the opportunity to work on and create multiple short films in and outside of Middlesex University. Last year, in the midst of the pandemic he got to work in the challenging role of Covid-19 Supervisor for a short film called When Joanna Loved Me which offered him valuable experience in high risk management and organisation. He is looking forward to working on an experimental project and expanding his own experiences and skills. "I think the style of film allows us to be really creative in our approach and offers huge scope for freedom in telling this important story."
Relevance:
The mundane and simple boredom experienced by many is a blessing and rare luxury to a lot of queer people around the world, and a safe space to experience this and feel so at ease is a deep desire felt by the entire community. The point of this film is to explore this otherwise private world, sharing this candid expression and complexities of love in an existence rather than a tragedy.
Queer cinema is often centred around the social/cultural/political struggle rather than celebrating the life and existence of LGBTQIA+ people. Seeing a celebration of an existence in such a simple and intimate way relates to a lot of hidden lives not available to a wider audience. Queer people deserve to be seen.
This doesn’t mean however that this film doesn’t explore the aspects of queer life that make existing hard. The presence of these external social, cultural and political pressures is constantly felt, as they try and work their way into the safe haven that is the Louis' world. How an existence at arms with these pressures effects the acceptance of a couple’s own love is something the film explores, through two characters at different points in their journey of accepting themselves.
Directors Vision:
This film is a collective experience shared by many queer people around the world, including myself. As director I was desperate to create a film that was true to queer existence rather than creating two-dimensional characters that serve only for a wider narrative purpose seen commonly in contemporary and mainstream queer film.
Essentially what this film aims to achieve is to reflect a hidden world that not just a wider audience, but an entire queer community doesn’t get to see unless experiencing it themselves. A film depicting queerness with no filter, masculinity and intimacy with no expectation and a romance that explores both the positive and negative of coming to terms with your own sexuality in the temporary freedom of one’s own childhood bedroom.
production crew
Cinematography: Samson Arnett-Roughley [He/Him]
Samson has been practicing his craft of photography and cinematography from a young age. Being the other cofounder of Deadslow Studios he has had the opportunity to work on multiple short films with Jack in and out of university, also being awarded at The UK Film Festival for Pine in year 1. His extensive freelance work including music videos and more corporate work as part of Deadslow has given him valuable experience and insight as he works towards his graduate film. Because of this he is extremely excited to experiment with the queer form and unconventional ways of filmmaking, putting his knowledge to the test.
Art Direction: James Roberts [He/Him]
James is a budding art director who has worked within the department on a number of large productions (Assistant Set Decorator on Jurassic World: Dominion and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance). Having previously worked with Jack on various student projects, James is particularly excited to be a part of his new, totally unique short. He is eager to put what he has learned through his experiences to specifically investigate Queer form though production design and visual effects. Prioritising the internal emotions and feelings of the two characters.
Sound Design: Max Stapleton [He/Him]
Max has studied film since 2017, with a wide array of experience on multiple short films of all different genres and styles, with his main inspirations rooted in German Expressionist and Soviet Montage cinema. Since the start of his film journey he has taken particular interest in sound design and screenwriting. As a fan of films that seek to push the boundaries of the form, and a believer that all films not only are but should be political, he is excited to utilise his passion for sound design and music to bring our vision to life.
The Budget
We would really like for you to have the opportunity to see what exactly money raised is being spent on, so below please see a break down of the total budget! Due to the strong themes in the film our main priority is the payment of the actors and intimacy coordinator. This is to ensure fair pay for extremely serious and personal work. Because of the casting of queer actors only, we feel a responsibility to ensure a more than fair payment to combat the often unfair payment and lack of opportunities for queer actors.
total: £3508
The other main section of the budget is for Set Design and Art Direction. The location in this film is a character in of itself, and due to the film being set in the early 2000s, a large part of the budget will be going towards ensuring the location and set is perfect at conveying the themes and style of the film.
Upon finishing the film, we aim to enter the film in a variety of film festivals around the world, queer festivals being a priority. Smaller sections of the budget will be for entry costs and fees.
How You Can Help!
This is where you come in. Here you can pledge as much or as little money as you like! Every pledge brings us closer to our goal and closer to making our special little film. In the rewards section you can see what your pledges are entitled to as a little thank you for assisting us! These range from personal thank you's, to posters and even a high resolution link to the final film upon release!
If you can't donate don't worry! There are still valuable ways you can help. Share this crowdfunding page on your socials and share it with friends and family! The more people that see it the better.
Coronavirus
The safety of cast and crew will be paramount in all stages of the filmmaking process. Each stage of production will be performed using all current guidelines and protocols to minimise spread and ensure the production can be carried out safely and to completion.
Some of these protocols and safety measures include the use of a Covid Supervisor, who's role is solely to ensure we are carrying out the most current and safest practices regarding mitigating risk of transmission, frequent testing, cast and crew being fully vaccinated and the use of PPE where necessary.
Cancellations and Refunds
Due to the uncertain and ever changing situation regarding Covid-19 and to ensure the upmost safety of our cast and crew, we have put in place contingencies if it is we have to cancel or pause production.
In the unlikely event we need to cancel production completely, every donor that pledged money towards our film will be entitled to a refund of their original donation. However, this will be minus any costs incurred during the stages of production completed at that point.
What happens if we have money spare?
We are adamant that this film, due to it's themes, doesn't just portray queer lives but helps them too. If we don't end up using our full budget, or if we raise more money than we have asked for (which would be amazing!) that extra money will be donated to Rainbow Migration, a queer charity that provides practical and emotional support for LGBTQIA+ people through the asylum and immigration system. We think this is an incredibly powerful charity supporting queer people from all around the world get their safe space.
Thank you
Thank you for your valued interest in this campaign. We really cannot wait to show you our hard work as a product of your support! If you would like to be kept up to date with information regarding the process be sure to follow @deadslowstudios on Instagram or email us with any queries at deadslowstudios@gmail.com.
