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Shoot Blue talks to actress and first-time screenwriter, Vanessa Bailey, about the making of her short film, Three Days.

[special_font size=”20″ unit=”px” ]SB: You’ve just completed shooting for Three Days, could you tell us more about the film and your involvement in the project? [/special_font]

Vanessa Bailey: I suppose on this project I’ve been a sort of indie film show runner. I wrote it, raised the finance and cast the lead roles. I scouted and booked the locations. I also brought on board a few of the production team, but my co-producers did the bulk of the crewing once we moved into active pre-prod. I set up and ran our five crowdfunds and I handle all our social media platforms. Three Days is a short film which centres around the unraveling of a relationship between Sophie and her younger lover James. With a bit more to it than that. I can’t really elaborate without spoiling it! I wanted to tell a story with an older woman at the centre of it who wasn’t just someone’s wife. That was the initial starting point and the story grew from there.

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[special_font size=”20″ unit=”px” ]As the film’s writer, could you tell us more the story line and what inspired & motivated you to write it? [/special_font]

Sophie and James are very much in love but as the film unfolds they are forced to confront disturbing truths about their relationship. The film explores the complexities of the heart on more than simply a romantic level. We hope the film will resonate with a wide audience. People often ask me if it’s autobiographical! Well, the specific context isn’t in any way autobiographical, but there are elements of the film and facets of Sophie which are. The story is unique to James and Sophie but Sophie is an expression of various conflicts which are common to pretty much everyone. But these conflicts are set within their own, specific situation.

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[special_font size=”20″ unit=”px” ]How did the project come together in terms of crew and cast? [/special_font]

With lots of help from other people! Producer Judy was pivotal in helping me get the script to the point where we were able to approach really good people to come on board for the cast and crew. Judy brought Cathy our director on board and our DOP James Layton. She also found me Angelica our other producer who took charge of the bulk of the crewing up and all the hard work that goes into pre-production and getting us ready to shoot. I’m indebted to Ash my 1st AD for sticking with the project preparation for three years now and he’s been a bit of a rock with a huge amount of commitment and belief in the film. And my Exec Producer Suzie has been with me from the very first time I mentioned wanting to make a film. She has laughed with me cried with me, fed the crew and lent me her four-inch heels for the shoot.

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[special_font size=”20″ unit=”px” ]Could you tell us about some of the challenges that you have faced in getting the film funded & made? [/special_font]

Funding is always the biggest predicted challenge. Crowdfunding is a massively democratising opportunity but to do it well you need to be prepared to sell your soul to it for the months ahead of the crowdfund and until the film has premiered and you’ve fulfilled all your perks. You can’t crowdfund half-heartedly. Having continued faith in your own creative and producing decisions is a tough one, too. But I’ve learned that compromise is a bitter pill to swallow and generally re-emerges to stick in your throat. So I try to avoid that. I’ve learned who to trust in terms of advice and feedback. And I’ve learned when to just trust myself and do the mad thing that no one else can understand. But my main challenge for this film was unexpectedly losing both my parents three months apart in the middle of pre-production. Saying you have to dig deep doesn’t really even touch it. But yes, you do have to dig deep and just keep going. I think I do it by reminding myself of my responsibility to everyone who is invested in the film and that includes my parents who donated and supported. So this has very much become my love-letter to them.

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[special_font size=”20″ unit=”px” ]How did the shoot go? [/special_font]

We were cramming a five day shoot into a two day shoot so it was incredibly challenging. This is where teamwork kicks in and massive amounts of creative thinking and on-the-spot problem solving.  We had seven locations, multiple set-ups and lots of kit to set up and pack down. We had over twenty on the crew which is a big crew for a low budget indie but it did mean lots of hands on deck. Ash our 1st did an amazing job at time-keeping and finding solutions when we (inevitably) ran over. Filmmaking is truly a collaborative process and even when things are tough I love watching the alchemy of the combined talent and passion of your team working its magic.

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[special_font size=”20″ unit=”px” ]What advice would you give to anyone contemplating writing and producing their first short film? [/special_font]

First and foremost get your script in fantastic shape. Get a script consultant to check it over – don’t be proud! Be prepared to wage war. War on your self-doubt and war on the filmmaking process. You need to be a fighter. It’s the drive to tell the story that will help you get through the bit where the proverbial hits the fan. It may not hit the fan in the same way as it did for me, but it will hit the fan at some point. If you don’t have that relentless desire to finish the film to the very best of your ability then I honestly wouldn’t bother. For me it’s like acting: do it because you have no choice. Choose your team wisely. Have that cracking script to hand and aim high – work with people who are better than you. People who will raise the bar. And work with people who are team-players and collaborators at heart. You need people you can trust and lean on. There’s no room for egos on a shoot. Don’t expect something for nothing. If you’re not prepared to be the hardest-working member of the team you’re not ready yet.

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[special_font size=”20″ unit=”px” ]When will we be able to watch Three Days? [/special_font]

It will be going to edit in mid September, then to our composer. So I’m not really sure exactly, but as soon as it’s ready we’ll be shouting from the rooftops. There will be a red-carpet screening in London for which tickets will be available – keep an eye on our Facebook page for that. We’d love people to come and help us celebrate!

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You can keep up to date with Three Days and find out more about the project here:

https://www.facebook.com/ThreeDaysFilm/

https://twitter.com/threedaysfilm1

Shoot Blue supplied a comprehensive camera & lighting package for Three Days, including an Arri Alexa XT Plus & Cooke Anamorphic i/ primes lenses.

Thanks to James Pardon for the photographs.

 

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