"In a declining resort town, a teenage boy sees a series of coincidences that lead him to the truth..."
ABOUT THE PROJECT...
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Whitebait is a semi-autobiographical visual drama, that displays undiagnosed bipolar disorder, framed through the events as experienced of a singular teenage boy.
There are several intentions behind this film, that I will share with you...
Firstly, I feel the need to tell my story. It's taken some years to reflect and decide the best way to do so, is a film displaying the events as they were experienced.
Secondly, bipolar awareness. It's a complex illness that is often represented only on a surface level. I've yet to come across a depicition that to me, has accurately portrayed what I experience. That said, it's a very subjective illness - the more depictions we get out there, the higher chance of cutting down that diagnosis time. According to BipolarUK, it takes an average of 9 years to get the correct diagnosis - took me nearly as long as that. If this film is seen by just one person who recognises something of themself in it and encourages them to seek help, then I'll consider it all worth it.
And thirdly, funding work for young creatives. This film will utilise a small team of young talent, by donating you will be helping put young actors and filmmakers into work. I've been working and saving to make this film a reality in terms of production. The budget of the crowdfunder is what's needed to provide complete payment for all the cast and crew involved in the shoot.
We will be filming on location in Deal, Kent during autumn of this year. The aim is to release the film in early 2023.
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ABOUT ME...
My name is Connor Haywood. I'm a twenty-four-year-old actor, scriptwriter & director. Born in Dover, raised in and around the same area. Started off young in amateur productions before pursuing acting in further education and ending up at East 15 Acting School.
Upon finishing with drama school, I returned to Kent and eventually turned to scriptwriting and directing. Bringing together like-minded individuals, crafting several short films and comedy web-series. These include some releases on Amazon Video such as "The Blue Birds" and most recently "Beggars Can't Be".
I'm at the point in my creative journey, where I know what I want to say and how I'm going to say it. Having developed enough skill and know-how, I'm ready to start telling the stories that matter. And this is the one, with every fibre, I need to begin with as in a roundabout way it's where I begun.
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