Private Project

Out of Mind

Months after moving away, Jake tries reaching out to Barry; his best friend, who's life has recently turned upside down following a breakup. Not knowing how to talk to his friend about what he is feeling, Barry instead pretends everything in his life is going perfect. Weeks go by, and Jake starts to miss Barry and suggests he comes down to visit him, however Barry still keeps up the façade of his life being too busy and perfect; until he breaks down and finally talks to Jake about what he is going through. Watch the relatable story unfold through the use of voicemails.

  • Kyle Elliott
    Director
  • Kyle Elliott
    Writer
  • Kyle Elliott
    Producer
  • Kyle Elliott
    Key Cast
    "Barry"
  • Jack Stephenson
    Key Cast
    "Jake"
  • Benjamin Tissot
    Music
    https://www.bensound.com/
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Narrative, Short, Indie, Student
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 26, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    350 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    BLACKMAGIC POCKET CINEMA 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Central Lancashire
Director - Kyle Elliott
Director Statement

Some of the challenges that arose while making 'Out of Mind' were created by the biggest motivation I had for making it - doing it all by myself. Apart from the help of an actor, voicing the second character, I did all the filming, production, post-production, writing etc. I wore all the hats. Not only that, I tried using only the equipment I had to hand to use on the production, I did buy some extra props, such as the magnets and some plexiglass, but I didn't want to rent out or buy any new equipment for my first short film. I liked the idea of restricting myself and it massively opened up creative methods to get around certain issues. For example, when I was having to focus myself in shot, I could've hired out a monitor for my camera or have another person in frame, but instead I just placed a pillow in the frame for where I would have been, and focused on that. Another issue that I realised nearly straight into it was the limitation of the location. The character is only seen in their home, and looking back now, I love the idea of it because it inspired me to think of outside the box shots to use within the story. Shots to give an outsiders perspective on the character.

The film will always be special in my heart, not only because it is my first ever short film, but it is actually inspired off of a true conversation that me and a long distance friend had while I was going through a breakup. I took certain aspects of reality, but also tweaked the story a little to hopefully make it a bit more entertaining and, mostly, relatable.