SUMMARY
We are making a wonderfully bleak comedy short called Great Expectations, that shakes off the instagram filters and the loneliness of London, leading our protagonist to what she hopes will be literally and metaphorically greener pastures of the countryside.
The film jumps from buses, to clubs, and cafes where Pip is surrounded by people but very much alone. It examines the friction of unattainable consumer culture rubbing up against augmented internet realties, framed by a grey London cityscape. We’ll be filming around Dickensian neighbourhoods to underline the idea that social mobility has stagnated and that London has returned to Victorian levels of wealth inequality. And did we mention it was going to be very funny?
The story is told through snap-shots of old pop songs, flashbacks, imaginary sequences and London crowds spontaneously singing along with our protagonist. It’s a very feminine telling of the story, non-narrative and postmodern, making as artistically refreshing as a cold beer on a hot day. It's innovative use of quick fire, layered sequences is that citrus blast of lime wedge poking out the top of the bottle.
It absorbs social media with screens from social media, popping up mid-sequence to show the interruption of the virtual world in our daily lives whilst exploring woman as objects in the internet gaze. It engages with questions about society, exploitation, loneliness and how women are viewed, all with a great deal of humour and heart.
WHAT WE NEED
Any contributions in this first phase will be going towards making the shoots happen! So that includes camera hire, lighting hire, sound equipment, feeding the crew, location permits, and much more.
WHAT YOU GET
The TV pilot will entail a read through before shooting over four days with the end product, a 17-minute comedy film which you, our beloved backers will have priority access to once its edited.
It would be amazing if you can help us make it- you'll get a big fat mention in the credits and exciting perks!
THE CAST & CREW
Pip Swallow (Writer/Actor)
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Pip Swallow started off doing musicals but loves a bit of everything really. She lived a in Berlin for a while where she performed in the European premiere of My Romantic History at the English Theatre Berlin. While she was there she also was in Comedy Sportz (a short form improv group) as well as Hello Barbara ( a long form improv group) which was amazing fun. She much prefers being in a team and that's why Great Expectations isn't a female monologue stage play. She wrote it for many reasons but a big one was because she happened to be in a lift mega famous film director Richard Curtis who told her he'd have 'What larks Pip' written on his gravestone. It got her to thinking what would a modern Pip be like and she soon realised it was her.
Pip's Spotlight: https://www.spotlight.com/interactive/cv/9251-0...
Stefan Georgiou (Director)
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Stefan Georgiou is an award-winning writer/director who graduated from the National Film & Television School. His acclaimed short films have screened at festivals around the world and on television in the UK and internationally. His debut feature film, romantic comedy Dead Cat went on to win multiple awards and was long-listed for the Outstanding Debut BAFTA. His last short film was an adaptation of Kefi Chadwick's successful short play 'SexLife' which is now being developed into a tv series. He recently directed television pilot THE DREAMS OF BETHANY MELLMOTH written by William Boyd for producer Hilary Bevan Jones at Endor Productions.
Just some of his work...
Dead Cat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6eTzub4kJ4
Tiny Dancer https://vimeo.com/38998179
SEXLIFE https://vimeo.com/143301754
His website http://stefangeorgiou.co.uk
His agent http://www.theagency.co.uk
Paul Downey (Actor)
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Paul Downey is a cracking actor originally from Belfast who can be seen popping up on all sorts of London stages such as the Putney Arts Theatre, The King’s Head and the Tristan Bates. He is a massive fan of Kylie Minogue, I don’t think it’s entirely for her musical ability. We told him Kylie was going to be in this so that he’d do it, its not entirely true. Real-life Pip does have a pair of short shorts which will hopefully be enough.
Paul on twitter @PaulieDowney
Paul’s agent http://www.marcusandmccrimmon.com
David Hemsted (Actor)
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David is an actor/musician of great ability and experience who we’re over the moon has agreed to join the cast of Great Expectations. He was just on at the Park Theatre, has worked at Theatre 503 as well as Hen and Chickens and when he’s not on stage or the tele box acting he can be seen playing guitar and/or bass. He’s a talented chap and he will get the opportunity to do his music bit and his acting bit and erm well show a lot of his bits. Thanks David!
Dave on twitter @davidhemsted
His agent http://www.roseberymanagement.com
Nathan Welsh (Actor)
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Nathan graduated from LAMDA recently but is already setting the small and big screen alight with his magnificent presence. He’s currently filming something very exciting in Glasgow right now, I’m not sure I’m allowed to say what it is but it’ll be coming to our screens soon and has a cracking cast including Nathan himself. Thank Nathan for offering more of yourself to this film than your acting ability- he knows what I mean, you’ll see what I mean.
His showreel https://vimeo.com/167175979
His twitter @NathanWelsh2
Jess Barrell and Olivia Young (Art Directors)
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We have totally lucked out with two amazing Art Department talents: Jess Barrell and Olivia Young. Jess has previously worked on films, music promos and commercials for companies such as Two Brothers Pictures, Fox Searchlight, Egencia, Nice&Polite, MCM Worldwide, Mini Productions and The Springhead Film Company, as well as having worked on events held at The Royal Albert Hall, Marwell Zoo, Adidas Originals Carnaby Street and KOKO Camden.
Olivia has been working on brilliant projects for film, tv, theatre and advertising. TV includes such as brilliant projects The Muppets Most Wanted, In The Flesh, Call The Midwife, A Little Chaos, and Kids In Love. We’re very lucky to have them making things as well as making things look stunning. Thank you Jess and Olivia!
Jess’s website https://www.jessicabarrell.com
Olivia’s website http://www.oliviayoungart.com
Will Hislop (Actor)
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Will has been storming Edinburgh Fringe for the last couple of years with his sketch group Giants alongside his long term buddy/writing partner/performing pal Barney Fishwick. Will also does some BRILLIANT comedy songs which you can see online including the very relatable Sexy Guy. We've all been to party with Sexy Guy strumming one out where it wasn't wanted with his instrument up in everyones face. Christ I think I've even gone out with Sexy Guy.
Will's youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPdBnYNr-aRZat...
Will's agent http://www.unitedagents.co.uk
Will on twitter @WillDHislop
Giants on twitter @giantscomedian
Nancy Ofori (Actor)
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Nancy is a big emerging talent who is making a screen debut with Great Expectations. She's done plenty of stage work here and back home in Sweden including new writing The Importance of Muffins and The Western with Box Room Theatre. Nancy is a great singer and was in choirs back home as an amazing Alto- we'll have to get her singing in the second episode.
Her on twitter @NancyOforiGeywu
Andy Gathergood (Actor)
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Andy Gathergood is a massively gifted actor who can be seen on small and tall screens doing such amazing things as; The Three Musketeers, DCI banks, The Great Fire, The Last Kingdom, Risen, Ripper Street and coming up Journey's End and Armando Iannucci's The Death of Stalin. Oh and you can occasionally see him on a golf course but that's just for fun. He's a lovely chap and we're glad to have him onboard.
Don't say 'Andy looks a bit like Adrian Brody'
Do say 'That Adrian Brody chap looks a bit like Andy Gathergood'
Andy's website http://www.andygathergood.co.uk
His twitter @AndyGathergood
Andy in Risen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzsJrxB0q78
Azuka Oforka (Actor)
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Azuka is known to many as Nurse Louise Tyler on BBC One prime time medical drama Casualty (which has been running for over 30 years and won best drama at the National TV Awards this year- hurrah!). Before she started the job in 2011 you could find Azuka gracing theatres across the UK in productions such as The Electric Hills at the iconic Everyman Liverpool and 'Low Dat at the Birmingham Rep. She's a massively talented actor who is extraordinary on stage and screen so we're very lucky to get her out of her scrubs and away from Holby City Hospital to pick up a massive glass of wine in the Great Expectations sitcom pub (and other locations!). She deserves a break- acting as a nurse basically means being a nurse! Did I mention SAVE OUR NHS?
Her agent http://identityagencygroup.com
Her twitter @AzukaOforka
Her Casualty page http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/mXyBk4...
Fred Fergus (Actor)
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It may surprise you to know that not only is Fred a very gifted actor (among other things he's worked with Siberian Lights theatre company who create plays for and about extraordinary women) and equally gifted writer (his play Broken Gargoyles was on at the Theatre 503 last year) but he founded an innovative theatre company called Produced Moon and is in the new Wonder Woman film coming out this year. I hope there will be a spin off franchise called Wonder Fred. By his own admission he has ginormous hands.
His Spotlight https://www.spotlight.com/3573-1273-3255
His twitter @FredFergus
His agent http://www.42mp.com
