Short Film

Back in summer 2023, when producer Natalie Yates was very much in actor-land, she was approached by Lincolnshire-based writer Benjamin Peel with a proposal. He had a script, but no producer. Would she like to produce it?

She agreed to read it and get back to him. It immediately piqued her interest, due in part to the ambiguity of the piece. As Benjamin put it, "raising more questions than answers", the script felt as though it put the power in the viewers' hands, offering a largely subjective experience. Natalie felt confident that she could build a team and produce this little short, with its limited dialogue and intricate imagery.

She uttered her favourite phrase- "how hard could it be?". And set off to build her crew, script in hand.

Before we delve into the details of building the team and preparing for the shoot, Benjamin Peel has been kind enough to breakdown his process of writing Messages. He reflects on how he approached it below;

After writing a few audio and stage dramas which contained a lot of spoken word I wanted to attempt writing a piece with virtually no dialogue but one which made use of text messages on screen. That’s not a new device but I wanted to make those messages an integral part of the plot. 

I also have an interest in folk horror and this piece utilises tropes from that genre such as an isolated other worldly rural setting but it also mixes in modern day technology to create an unsettling and disturbing atmosphere. 

In writing the piece I made it ambiguous in order to leave what is happening to the audience’s imagination. It was written as more of a treatment or story and was under a page in length. That was partly because it is a short microfilm and also to give the makers plenty of leeway in how they interpreted it giving it another layer of ambiguity. 

Everyone involved did a fantastic job in bringing it to life with the performance, sound design, music, costume and camera work all contributing to produce an experimental, eerie, disconcerting experience. 

The recce was short, sweet and a little bit soggy. Natalie had a spot in mind and luckily it matched the director's vision. They had a wander through the woods, finding clearings and little streams suitable for the backdrop to Benjamin's writing. Natalie (also the only actor in the film) was even lucky enough to sit in a pile of damp leaves and on a slightly rotting wooden bridge for some reference photos. 

Feeling satisfied with their little adventure, the team went home and dried off (seriously, it was wet that day). They booked in a shoot date and prepared themselves. Turns out, when you're working with three people physically on location, things can be booked in seriously short notice. For the record, we never got away with that again. Our teams are much bigger now.

Wow, what an imaginative title this section has. Shoot day arrived and Natalie scurried all over the county, picking the crew up, before arriving at location. Much to our crew's delight, it was cold and rainy. In November. Who'd have thought?

Umbrella, Ikea bag and camera in hand, they marched through to the filming spot and much to their delight, the rain stopped. This would become a pattern with our shoots- we don't know who's looking out for us, but the weather always behaves.

So we got to shooting. Eerily quiet, it meant that we got the shots quickly and effectively. Granted, it helped that we weren't recording sound (all dialogue was recorded using ADR). But it was smooth all the same. 

Lewis brought a fresh perspective to the shots, grabbing atmospheric moments in between the action. Joseph and Natalie had already discussed their understanding of the piece; though we are staying true to our belief that it should be completely up to audience interpretation. We're not telling you the motivation behind the character we developed!

After a chilly morning in the woods, we had footage, a clear plan and runny noses. So obviously we went home. And Natalie put some tights on.