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Title: Him Upstairs
Runtime: 12 min
Country: UK
Director: Neil Mooney, Sonya Quayle
Producer: Zoe Guilford
Placement: Award of Merit
Competition: December, 2015
Synopsis: Margaret Conroy lives somewhere in between. Somewhere in between a little sit down and a bit of a dance. Somewhere in between the then and the now. Somewhere in between Her Next Door and Him Upstairs.
OR: What was the inspiration for your film?
ZG: Sonya and Neil, both from Liverpool, wrote the screenplay together. Neil had heard a funny story of a charismatic clairvoyant, and Sonya had just lost her beloved Nan to dementia, so these stories combined and the result is Him Upstairs.
OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?
ZG: Friend of the writers, producer Zoe Guilford, had read the script and loved it, so entered it into the British Independent Film Festival. It won Best Unproduced Screenplay, which gave the team the confidence they needed to go and make it. It was shot a few months later.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?
ZG: To make a great short film, it takes the same pressures as a feature – you need to assemble a professional crew; find a strong cast; make the time, effort and money worthwhile for everyone when you’re aware you’re never going to make that money back. It takes passion, commitment and a wonderful team of people.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?
ZG: Convincing sponsors to take a chance on you is probably the biggest challenge: once money is secured to make the film happen, you can start being creative.
OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?
ZG: It’s all about the people. If you have a team that you believe in, who believe in you, you’re going to get that film made and you’ll have fun with it too. Be energetic, positive, trust in your vision.