THE PROJECT:
‘Surfing’ is a short film being made for the Channel 4 Random Acts 2016 scheme. This project is part of an exciting Arts Council funded programme where up-and-coming young filmmakers, carefully selected based on their skills, experience and career goals, are commissioned to make a 3 minute creative short film.
These films will be broadcast on the Channel 4 Random Acts website and have a strong chance of being selected for broadcast on Channel 4 TV itself. The scheme aims to develop emerging talent and create visually dynamic, unique films for a national audience. We are graduates and students of Oxford University.
THE STORY:
‘Surfing’ is an experimental short film commenting on the relationship between multitasking and distraction in the digital world. The film interrogates this conflict both in its content and its form – ironically, when the viewer watches our film online, their attention span will have to compete with the hyper-distraction of the hyperlink. ‘Surfing’ presents the viewer with a series of scenes playing out in a single shot.
Placed somewhere within each scene is a screen displaying the next scene; so we move from a silent date (via an intrusive television screen in the restaurant) to a family clustered around a phone screen. In a similar style to the infinite zoom of the ‘Limitless’ title sequence, the camera slowly pulls in on the screen within the scene, challenging the viewer to concentrate on the scene in the foreground, before eventually drawing their attention to the following scene - and like a web user they are distracted by the new content presented before them.
THE ROLE:
We are looking to cast a woman with a playing age of 30 - 45, to play the mother of two young children who relax in their family home during the second shot of the film. The shot, in the style of a television advert, follows one of the children as they run towards their mother and sister on the sofa, before they gather around an iPad to watch a video which later becomes the next scene of the film. We are looking for someone who is comfortable in front of a camera and can portray the serenity and family-like comfort of a typical TV advert.
THE KEY DETAILS:
• This scene is being shot on Sunday 19th June in Moulsford, near Wallingford in Oxfordshire. The actress is welcome to travel to the set herself, or we can arrange a lift from the city centre.
• Exact shooting times are yet to be confirmed, but are likely to be from around 8am until mid afternoon.
• The role is expenses-only, but food and a final digital copy of the film with be provided. All crew are also working voluntarily given the exciting nature of this film, with great potential for exposure.
WHO WE ARE:
• Producer: emilyeverdee.com / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Directors: Luke Rollason (see profile) and Silas Elliott (silaselliott.co.uk)
• Executive Producers: callingtheshots.co.uk
• Channel 4 Random Acts: randomacts.channel4.com
HOW TO APPLY:
Please send an email introducing yourself along with a video (or a link to a video) of yourself performing a short monologue to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (producer).
