Like Real People Do

Freddie, a young actor who re-enacts the memories of bereaved people, starts to form a relationship with one of his clients as he yearns for more 'real' intimacy in his life. Tackling themes of grief, lonliness, platonic intimacy and the validity of memory, 'Like Real People Do' takes place in a not-so-distant future, situating itself among films such as 'Her' and 'Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind'.

  • Jacob Nicholson
    Director
  • Jacob Nicholson
    Writer
  • Aash Subedi
    Producer
  • Adam Martin
    Key Cast
    "Freddie"
  • Lucy Hutchinson
    Key Cast
    "Chloe"
  • Leah Griffith-Ellis
    Key Cast
    "Emma"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    70 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    14:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Arts University Bournemouth
Director Biography - Jacob Nicholson

Jacob is originally from Leeds, but currently studies Film Production at Arts University Bournemouth.

Aside from being a Writer, Director, Cinematographer and Editor, Jacob also does VFX and animation - his animated short film: 'Getting to The Moon' having been shown at multiple film festivals across the world, collecting awards and positive feedback.

'Like Real People Do' is Jacobs first live action short film, made with a micro-crew and no budget.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

'Like Real People Do' began as a six page script that I wrote in my first year at film school. It was very short and very bad. Over the following year, I re-wrote it many times, fleshing out characters and deepening the story.
We shot 'Like Real People Do' over one week in the easter break of 2023 with a crew of three people - a producer, a sound recordist and myself. I chose this approach because I wanted to focus of achieving a feeling of intimacy as well as focusing on performance over flashy filmmaking. It also lead to an authenticity that would have been hard to achieve otherwise - when a character is alone in a room, they really are alone.
The film explores themes of isolation and grief - ideas that are very relevant to many people in a post-pandemic world. Hopefully the characters are somewhat relatable, despite the slight sci-fi elements.