1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?

As a child I would watch a lot of films on video on repeat, some of which were definitely not suitable for my age. Even now I can still quote the entire video piracy advert right down to the phone number for the Federation Against Copyright Theft. It's become a weird nostalgic party trick. As I got older my brother and I started making silly horror films and spoofs with my dad’s old camcorder, editing everything in-camera. I slowly became more and more interested in the craft. I would analyse films and play around on Windows Movie Maker for hours. At school we didn’t have any media course so everything was off my own back. I started entering film competitions and teaching filmmaking at my local Arts Centre. After school, I went and studied Film Production at Bournemouth Arts Film School and specialised in directing. 

2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?

The first few lines of the voice-over came to me during an early morning train journey in December. The fields were white with frost and it was so beautiful but also slightly eerie. I saw a figure in one of the fields and there was something very lonely about the scene. I sat on the idea for years but it wasn’t until the opportunity of shooting on 35mm appeared that propelled me to finish writing it. The director of photography, Adam Barnett, put a call out on social media saying he had some film stock left over from a shoot and was looking for a project. It being a film about memory, I felt really strongly that the film should be told on 35mm so I got in touch with Adam. As I honed the story I realised that at its core it was a film about grief and trauma. For young people, an early trauma can have huge implication on the rest of your life. Trying to navigate this can be a really lonely experience especially if it’s wrapped up with exploring your sexuality. But if you don’t find a way to deal with a trauma then it will continue to haunt you and I wanted to try and illustrate this with reoccurring imagery and powerful sound design. I never wanted to answer the mystery of the classmate’s death, I only wanted to explore the effects of this mystery on a young person’s life.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?

The biggest challenge was definitely the weather. The film was always meant to be set in a frosty field but we didn’t expect it to snow in late March in London. It was incredibly tough to work in, particularly for the actors. On top of that we were shooting on expired film which started snapping when we tried to load it because of the temperature. This was nerve-racking and slowed us down a lot. But it would’t be the same film without the snow, so in many ways I’m very thankful we braved it.

I don’t think any part of filmmaking is easy but I’d say the most enjoyable part for me was the edit. We had such lovely stuff to work with, it was just a case of honing the rhythm and pace of the film which I really enjoyed doing. 

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

I saw the documentary Making Waves that’s about the history of sound design in film. I’m obsessed with sound design and what it can do for a film so I found this really inspiring. It’s fascinating to see how sound moved forward through experimentation and trying out some really bold ideas. Learning that the jet engine SFX’s in Top Gun are actually roaring animals really blew my mind!

5) What’s next for you?

Last month I directed a short called ‘Sparklers’ for the BBC’s Sparks series on BBC iPlayer. It’s about a teenage girl embracing her sexuality and is a really positive piece that I’m proud to have been a part of.

I’m getting ready to direct a new short by a talented young writer Charlie Tidmas. It’s about two rowdy young boys whose relationship changes after they play a game of chicken next to an electric fence. Hopefully when covid regulations ease in London we can move forward with it. Until then I’m continuing writing and developing ideas.

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https://www.ellierogersdirector.com/ | IG: @ellieerogers