Our stunning 11 1/2″ 24K custom gold statuette is manufactured by R.S. Owens, the same company that manufactures the Oscar. The winner of our Best Short Film category will receive this award at no cost to them, while winners in other categories will be given the option to acquire it. Additional awards and prizes may be Read More ...
Title: Four Walls
Runtime: 10 min
Country: UK
Director: Dominic Ryan
Placement: Honorable Mention
Competition: June, 2020
Synopsis: During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 in London, we follow the lives of Daisy and Jake, two individuals who are self isolating.
OR: What was the inspiration for your film?
DR: I had watched a documentary about Wuhan, and part of this documentary showcased how people in Wuhan were dealing with Covid-19. I felt inspired to write something.
OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?
DR: At the time of watching this documentary, I was also taking part in lots of online quizzes in lockdown with my friends, so I found my way into the story that way. The script took me a day to write. At the time of writing I had no idea I would be making the film – especially as we were in lockdown – but Robin Hutchinson, approached me about being creative and I showed him the script. Within three or four days, we were ready to start filming.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?
DR: I would say in the edit proved one of the most challenging as we were struggling to find the tone early on. It was a 9 page script and the first edit came out at 7 minutes; it just felt too rushed and the characters weren’t given any time to breath.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?
DR: We shot our film in lockdown and I directed over Skype. So I’d say one of the biggest challenges was the lockdown and how we manoeuvred our way through that. Luckily the technology was there to aid us and we used it to our advantage.
OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?
DR: Just shoot stuff. We all have phones that shoot great looking content, so have a play around. We have an abundance of channels on YouTube that can teach you the basics and the rules. Once you understand the rules, you can then learn to bend them to your advantage.
