The Story & Narrative
To a Flame, is a psychological horror short film, which tells the story of ALEX, a creative who is trapped in a challenging and coercive relationship. While directing his dream body-horror film centring around a Moth-monster and its creator, he finds himself most challenged when reflecting on his home life and his overtly manipulative boyfriend DANIEL. The lines between art and reality blur, leading Alex to make a haunting choice that shatters their lives irreversibly.
To A Flame, explores the themes of toxic relationships, mental health, control and the 1980s body horror motif.
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A word from Jamie Whitty (Writer & Director)
"In 2021, three quarters of suicides in England and Wales were men taking their own lives. 1 in 5 men have a diagnosed mental health condition and when looking at statistics from anonymous polls, a massive 40% of men have never spoken to anyone about their mental health.
We are looking to focus on the men struggling in toxic and coercive same sex relationships and highlight complexities in the imbalances and prejudices they suffer. We hope to capture a glimpse into the dilapidated and unloved minds of our core protagonists, highlighting an important and mostly untouched issue.
As the writer and director, I felt this was an incredibly important and personal area for me. I have had a difficult history with experiencing negative circumstances not dissimilar to the characters through a lot of my developmental years as a teenager and I know the incredibly negative knock-on effects that pushing that down can cause”.
The Mission & Vision
Our mission is to create a short film that contains outstanding practical effects, detailed make up and costume designs, source multiple locations and secure the best external talent possible.
The vision is that our film will be taken to short film festivals in the UK & internationally. As well as providing a voice and support to those who most relate to the narrative we are telling.
A word from Oliver Bruce ( Producer)
"We aspire for To A Flame to be visually outstanding, deliver an important message and be completely original. Alongside this, the project will display our collective creativity, technicality, resourcefulness, and professionalism.
We understand To A Flame is exploring a new complexed narrative, highlighting the impact of toxic relationships on individuals' mental health. Therefore, to support this, we will provide information and links for domestic violence and mental health charities following the films credits if anyone has been affected”.
The Visuals & Design
A word from Dana Konstantinova (Director Of Photography)
"My goal is to visually craft a story that highlights the interdependence between the protagonist’s inner self and his environment, presenting two different settings, one that he has control over and one that he doesn't.
To establish the difference between the two, I aim to create a distinctive and contrasting visual atmosphere which will be achieved through experimentation with film and digital formats, intriguing camera decisions and creative approach to lighting a set that will reflect a specific feel we are aiming to achieve."
A word from Bryn Goldsmith (Production Designer)
"I want to use this film to present vast contrasts with set design.
My idea for the world building in this film circles around the idea of presenting two completely different settings which contrast drastically from each other. This opportunity doesn’t come very often; to create a science fiction fantasy world alongside a hyper realistic film world.
The moth itself is also a huge challenge which we’ve began working on, coming up with ideas to produce an effective yet affordable costume. It’s a big challenge but we can’t wait to get started!”
The Budget, Locations & Logistics
The budget is estimated to be between £3000 and £4000, with large costs coming from art/production design, transportation, KODAK film and locations. These elements are key to making the film fulfil its potential and stand out.
Locations, we have 4 core locations in To A Flame. The Greenhouse/Film Studio, Alex & Daniels House, a Carpark and inside Daniels Car.
The Greenhouse/Film Studio Location will be filmed at The University for the Creative Arts. The kitchen, bedroom and back garden scenes filmed in an external paid location. And then the Carpark & Car scenes will be filmed on the same day to reduce costs.
Logistically, filming will stay local to the Farnham/Surrey area. The three major cast, Alex, Daniel & Ida, will all be casted externally via Backstage and on Mandy, travelling no further than London. With many of the wider cast coming from local areas in Farnham/Surrey.
The Full Team