Directed by Stephanie Upsall | Written & Produced by Lucy Hilton-Jones
Perry takes her best mate, Emma, to a rage room to smash the living hell out of inanimate objects. It's meant to be cathartic but after a recent heartbreak, Emma isn't convinced this will help realign her chakras.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH LUCY
Lucy is an award-winning writer/actor based in Manchester. Starting in theatre, she co-created three Arts Council funded shows for From the Mill Theatre, with whom she is an associate artist. Moving into screenwriting soon after, she co-wrote and performed in Funemployed (2018) which gained her a Funny Women Award nomination. In 2019, she shot her comedy A Present for a Good Girl ensuring there was a 50/50 gender split in the crew. This went on to win Lift-Off Film Festival's Global June Sessions 2020 and be screened at Pinewood Studios, as well as winning Best Comedy and Best Micro-Budget at Kino London's The People's Film Festival in 2021. In early 2020, Lucy co-created the micro-comedy Greenfingers, which was selected as a Staff Pick by Raindance Film Festival for their #SixtySexySeconds challenge. Lucy's lockdown thriller Homestay (2020) has also been recognised internationally by festivals such as IndieFlicks and Screaming Ostrich. Her other works have been longlisted by Thousand Film and TV (created by the producer of Killing Eve), BBC Comedy Writer's Room and the BBC InterConnected Scheme. This year, Lucy completed a mentorship scheme with Media Trust and ITV as a writer. Keep your eyes peeled for her new comedy short, Total Eclipse of the Heart which is an Official Selection in The People’s Film Festival 2022
What inspiration and influences made you want to create A Present for a Good Girl?
When I read about rage rooms (yes, they're a real thing!), I became instantly fascinated in their divisiveness. Some believe they are cathartic, others say they're dangerous. As someone who has personally struggled in the past with how to process anger, I thought that this was the perfect setting for a film that investigates female rage, and how it manifests differently in people. I love shows like Broad City, and it's mix of empowering female friendship, absurdity and farce were most definitely an influence on this short.
What obstacles did you overcome while in the making of this film?
Our first obstacle was of course budget. I called in favours wherever possible and was overwhelmed by how much people were willing to help out. Second was our location, we couldn't afford to build a set so working in a small garage was difficult but necessary! We got a black marquee that juuuust slotted over the garage door which allowed us to have an extra room for all the crew that also didn't let in any natural light. It was cosy! Then we had a battle with time. We had one day for a 13 page script which is pretty wild. Everyone put in a shift to get it done and I'm so grateful for that. In the future I would definitely allow more time.
Any tips or tricks for micro-budget filmmaking?
Beg, borrow and steal wherever possible. You'll be surprised at what you can get from social media callouts for locations/props/costume etc. Understand that people need to be recognised for their work. If you can't do that financially, offer to work on their future projects. Plan within an inch of your life. If you're working with a tight budget, ensure that the shoot is within the means of possibility. The last thing you want is a half-finished film because you can't afford to complete it. And finally, create a fun atmosphere on set. If people are working hard for you, and for a small fee, at least make sure they're enjoying themselves!
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
Post-production on the film finished up early in Lockdown 1. Soon after that I started to enter it into festivals, naively thinking cinemas would be back open in no time. Sadly, many festivals were cancelled or postponed, and I wondered if I'd ever see it on the big screen. However, one good thing that came out of lockdown was the accessibility of festivals as many moved to an online format. It was great to be selected for events that I knew all my friends and family could attend wherever they were in the world, as long as they had an internet connection! A Present for a Good Girl's final selection was at Womxnchester, a live event at The Everyman Cinema in the very city I call home, Manchester. That was a really satisfying end to the films run on the film festival circuit.
What are you working on now?
I'm in a film collective called Greenfingers and we continue to make films collaboratively. We are currently in pre-production for our next micro-short. Our most recent comedy, Total Eclipse of the Heart, is currently on the festival circuit and has already won several awards including Best Comedy at Berlin Indie FIlm Festival. It will also be screened at TPFF in 2022! I'm also is set to direct SMILE in November, which is a verbatim musical short.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
The first thing I did after coming out of a 10-day isolation was head straight to the cinema to watch Zola and it did not disappoint. It was tonally unique, playful and the dialogue was hilarious. Shiva Baby is another recommendation for very similar reasons. And if you want something starkly sobering, I would suggest the Safdie brother's lesser known film Heaven Knows What.
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