The Cruelty Of Beauty is a short film which looks at the ways in which society glamourises and demonises models. The story follows a young up and coming model, Sarah, as she is beginning to gain some notoriety. This works both for and against her, as she has to deal with her jealous boyfriend who becomes increasingly more upset about the attention she receives, as well as the judgements of strangers both in person and online. She struggles to find a day job due to 'professionals' being unable to view her as a human being and not just an image. Sarah finds some relief however in the form of her flatmate Jamie; a free-spirited girl who dislikes society's view on the human body despite her own insecurities. 

The 20-minute film is written and directed by myself, Simon Fox of Dragonstone Pictures, My first short film 'Perspective' has since been shown at Film Festivals worldwide and has been praised by critics. Star of Perspective Sarah-Louise Cairney will be producing, having recently produced the short film 'Us, Alone' by Bass Rock Films.

Everyone sees an image, but they rarely know what life is like beyond that picture. Models bare more than just their bodies for the camera, and often are criticised, taunted and attacked verbally and, sometimes, physically. Knowing models through work and friendship, I was horrified to hear their stories of encounters they've faced with people online and in person, it seemed ridiculous that people could create such hatred, and at times obsession towards a perfect stranger, someone that they have never met nor likely ever will, simply due to the way they looked. On the internet, anonymity provides courage to a lot of people to be as harsh and disgusting as they like towards others, but sadly that behaviour isn't restricted to just online. In person these models have to deal with taunts in the street, people actually coming up to them and being abusive to their face, and worst of all some models have had their families and friends turn on them for their career choice.
It seems incredible then, that we as a society beg for these people to display themselves for our enjoyment, only to be tortured for it.

With this film we want to give viewers an insight into the personal lives of models, to show that they are actual human beings, with insecurities, loves and distinct personalities. They are friends, siblings, offspring and parents. They are not just a picture. 

By contributing to our short film, you will be helping to create an important and entertaining story, and you will be helping to send out a positive message to challenge society's judgements. 

Stepping into the spotlight are our leads

Robyn Lee Tustin plays Sarah; still in the early stages of her career she does have some recognition to her, and so is often approached at bars or in the street by people, though this isn't always to pay her compliments. In person she's polite and sweet, but there's a vulnerability to her that she overcomes when in front of a camera. 
Robyn grew up in Rustenburg, South Africa before moving to Edinburgh to study, and during her stay became involved in acting and dancing for theatre. 

James Boal plays Dale, Sarah's boyfriend. At first Dale was proud to be dating a model, he'd tell everyone he knew and found every excuse to show off her work, but as time went on and he cared for her more, he became more possessive, which unfortunately causes a lot of conflict with Sarah's ambitions. 

James is originally from County Down, Ireland and now resides in Edinburgh where he works and acts, and is currently working towards a BA (Hons), Drama and Performance.

Christie Russell-Brown plays Jamie, flatmate and friend to Sarah. She's a free-spirited girl with a strong belief in feminism and the freedom to be proud of your body without fear of judgement, though she suffers from her own insecurities. Funny, loving and brutally honest, she's Sarah's rock. 

Christie is an Edinburgh actress born and bred, with a strong CV of film and theatre, and can be seen starring in the most recent Irn Bru commercial!

Behind the camera we've assembled a team of incredibly talented individuals...

Writer/Director  Simon Fox has just recently completed an experimental short film The Demon's Heart which was accepted into two film festivals within 48 hours of it's completion, and previously created the short film Perspective which looked at victim blaming in cases of sexual assault. The film was applauded by critics; Richard Propes of The Independent Critic called it "Powerful and thought provoking." while Paul Anderson of Strangers In A Cinema said the film was "As much a tense horror as it is social comment.". 

Producer  Sarah-Louise Cairney starred in Perspective and now takes the producer's seat, working again with Fox to create a stylish and powerful short film. Sarah first produced the short film Us, Alone with Bass Rock Films which has made the official selection for three film festivals so far, with more to be announced.  

Assistant Director Sean Young previously worked Assistant Director for the short film In Waiting which was funded by Creative England and was showcased at York's Aesthetica Film Festival last year. 

Cinematographer Yutsil Hoyo Diaz Martinez has been hailed for his work on shorts such as James And The Urn, funded by O2's Think Big and Date Night which won 3rd place in Write Shoot Cut's Silent Short Film Competition in 2013. 

Production Designer Eve Murray was this year nominated for a BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award for her work on Little City Pictures' short film Black Night Broken, White Morning Woken.

Composer Scott Mungin recently won the awards for Outstanding Score and Outstanding Theme Song for his work on the web series Judas Goat. 

Filmmaking isn't cheap, you'd be amazed at the ways in which all the little costs can mount up, and how much some things can cost! That's why we really need your help. Funding towards filmmaking in Scotland is painfully weak, and so we have to look to funding bodies outwith the country which unfortunately means that applications to those organisations will increase exponentially. 

While we'd love to be able to pay everyone involved a full time wage, that's just unrealistic, therefore everyone involved understands that the film comes first and as long as we can make sure that the cast and crew aren't out of pocket then they're happy. To do that we need to keep them fed, watered and cover all travel expenses. We also have to pay for equipment hire, make-up and other product used, location hire and props, and insurance! It's always better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. We don't want to accidentally break someone's wall or leg, but if we do, then we need to be sure that we're insured for it. Getting cover for a short production is still expensive, with ours being quoted at just under £85.

That's just during production of course, once the film is complete we need to show it off, and film festivals aren't cheap! You're talking anywhere between £5 and £50 per festival. We really want to make sure this film looks as good as possible, and in order to gain recognition within the industry in which we all aspire to enter, award ceremonies like the BAFTA Scotland New Talent Awards are a must, which is £30 per category for entry. 
But we're not just asking for you to give us money, we're offering up some fantastic perks for you! As the film revolves around modelling, all of our perks are themed along with the story, therefore we're offering photoshoots by our film's writer/director Simon Fox who is also a very accomplished photographer, check out some examples of his work below:

So if you're working on your modelling portfolio, or just want to do one for fun, this is a fantastic opportunity. We also understand how expensive it can be for actors and actresses to have their photos taken for headshots, and that's why we have the Headshot perk which offers 6 photos (3 colour, 3 black and white) at very good price, so you're not only helping us out, you're also helping your own career!

As with most film festivals, the film can't have been publicly screened before entry, therefore for those who want to help and also want to see where their money has gone, we are offering perks such as Closed Set in which you will get a password protected link to watch the finished film up to a year before the general public. 

Every little helps, and even donating £5 can go a long way towards creating this film, so we'll give you a big thank you to everyone who supports the project.