Audition

’Audition’ came from a personal experience of pursuing ambitious dreams and not knowing why; that feeling when you finish something and it feels like nothing has changed.

The modern context of Audition is foundational. The questions Alex asks are generational. We have no clear callings, we are free to choose our own paths and yet we are often paralysed by that choice. Where do I go next? And who do I want to be? Are questions Alex, like the rest of us, grapple with. Modernity plays a role in allowing Alex to believe he can go to ‘London’ or ‘LA’. It also plays a key role as phone communication delivers destruction in the middle and end. In this way, 'Audition' is a modern retelling of a classic tragedy. The narrative mirrors that of the play contained within it, Dr. Faustus. The dark, existential motif of Faustus is intended to ground the childish pettiness of the student production, while ironically presenting Alex with a mirror through which he cannot see himself as the reflection of Faustus. His relationship with Liv is intended to show the implications of his obsession. The character of Liv reveals Alex is only kind and caring on his terms - the level of his self-confidence directly impacts his treatment of her. Ultimately, the interaction between the old themes of paternalism, ambition, and pre-destiny interact with the modern themes of identity, interconnectivity and possibility. Sadly, the old, residual themes negatively contort modern possibilities for Alex. Any glimmer of clarity is fickle and passing, unstable and deceitful. Every directorial choice in 'Audition' centred on creating a gradual deterioration as a search for answers produced more questions.

Making 'Audition' was a tremendously challenging process. We were fortunate to raise funds for this film from the support of 53 individual donors through a crowdfund. Nobody on this film had set foot on a film set before and the average age of the production team was 20. With £10,000 at our disposal and only a four-week window to shoot the film, we had to be exceptionally efficient and work long days to finish the film during a cold September. Though the production team were all students, 'Audition' was made independently and was not an assignment. Every challenge this project presented, like acting on film, was novel and yet every team member stepped up and applied themselves when it mattered. Rigorous rehearsal, personal resilience and the courage of youth helped mould this time and push us through difficult days. It was a pleasure to work with each and every one of the team, and I'm proud of what we made.