Stephanie Says
Stephanie tries to recover from the emotional abuse her recently deceased father has caused her.
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Andrew BrierleyDirector
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Martina FerrariWriter
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Alice DieliProducer
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Hannah BunkerKey Cast"Stephanie "
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Richard HowardKey Cast"Thomas"
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Project Type:Short, Student
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Runtime:8 minutes 36 seconds
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Completion Date:May 8, 2021
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Production Budget:227 GBP
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Country of Origin:United Kingdom
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Country of Filming:United Kingdom
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:1080p/24p
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Aspect Ratio:16:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes - Falmouth University
Born and raised in Cornwall, Andrew is an aspiring filmmaker, as well as a big movie buff - from making short animations as a hobby, to live-action shorts at college. His experiences in acting on stage has also served him well on his film projects - to get the best performances out of his actors, as well as sharing ideas with the crew. ‘Stephanie Says’ is the first short film he’s directed at university and the themes of this film resonate closely with him.
The film is about a character called Stephanie, and how she overcomes trauma after the death of her father. By the end of the film, she hasn’t completely overcome her anxieties, but is on a journey to overcoming it. This is a story that matters to me because I relate to Stephanie’s feelings of anxiety and insecurity. I think it is right for me to direct this film as I’m interested in people who feel out of touch with their surroundings. When reading the script, I could clearly visualise how the film would look, how it would sound, and to collaborate with a crew to create the world of the film. This has helped me the film from a personal perspective and not just imitate existing films.
I feel that this film should be made now because mental health and loneliness are highly relevant for today. I also think that people will relate to Stephanie due to experiences of isolation within the last year. This film will encourage people to feel more confident within themselves and not worry about what others think of you.
During my time as a film student at university, I’ve gained experience in producing, writing and cinematography, and I feel that my experiences in those roles have benefited and influenced my creative skills as a director. This is a film that I would want to see as an audience member.
We set out to make a minimalistic, slow paced and low-key drama. The compositions are mostly close-ups, to reflect Stephanie’s isolated existence, being constantly in her own mind. We also wanted to show Stephanie’s arc from living with anxiety to growing in confidence. This was done through the use of colour grading, but also when we see Stephanie’s hair done up.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the script for this film had to be heavily adapted from what it was to make the film more feasible within the conditions, whilst maintaining the same impact of the story. We had to cast younger actors, reduce locations and work with minimal camera movement. Despite having to change a lot of my initial ideas for the film, I believe the experience of making this film with unusual limitations has made me more aware of the importance of theme – and how that should influence every creative decision I make.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew