Don't Worry About Me
Don't Worry About Me is a short film about a half-breed vampire who has been a butcher since he left school. When he loses his job and his only legitimate source of blood, his conscience, upbringing and roots set about a moral tug of war from within; does he give in to his inhuman thirst, or does he fight and find another job like any other 'normal' human being?
Project
Don't Worry About Me
Don't Worry About Me
Stirling has been working in the same butcher shop for over 20 years. It was the first job that he got after leaving school at 16, and he has enjoyed the security it brings, the community he feels part of and the importance that his learned skills have afforded him. One day Stirling is uncerimoniously 'let go' from the butcher shop and now has to confront a fear he has hidden since adolescence.
Who am I?
I'm Simon, I am an actor by trade and have been in the industry for over 13 years. 'Don't Worry About Me' is my first, full-fat, camera-led short film. I spent last year making three no-budget smartphone short films, so that I could learn more about the mechanics of a production. With that experience, I want to take the next step.
The backdrop for Don't Worry About Me
For Don't Worry About Me I recalled childhood memories and characters that inhabited life in Northumberland, my home county. Life could be tough, but people made the best of it and the towns and villages for the most part were close-knit. Today, the towns are a shadow of their former selves, and specialist shops like the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker are few and far between. I wanted to explore how someone who has spent their lives keeping tight control over their life, reacts to having it all taken away due to austerity and a secret that has haunted him for decades.
My dad was a butcher in a little fishing town in Northumberland where everyone knew everyone elses business and he had working for him a small group of salt-of-the-earth, hard-working guys who were commited to the job, worked with skill, with pride and were known and respected locally. Stirling is the fictional embodiment of these people. "Don't worry about me" is the attitude behind the working class of the northeast, unselfish, hardworking and caring, but with a modern horror twist during an austere and beleagured time in England.
Style & Tone
DWAM will have a grimy, gray and unapologetic look and feel to it. Shot in the shadows, but not too far from a fluoresent street lamp, shot during the gray days of February, but with a rich almost comic book feel, DWAM will be like a filmic graphic novel. A horror story set in our here and now.
Cast
The majority of the cast are born and bred in the northeast, and have a huge array of credits and experience under their collective belts. This was a conscious decision to maintain authenticity, but also to show that living in and around London isn't the only route to getting good, meaty, interesting gigs.
Josh Hunt - Homeless Person
Kit Littlejohn - Customer
Graham Saxon - Robert
Dennis Baer - Officer Malcolm
Conor McCready - Dan
Rod Glenn - Terry
Libby Walker - Jenny
Ciara Lyons - Tanya
Lucy Ioannou - Make Up Artist
Lucy is our incredibly talented, friendly and hard working make-up artist from Hertfordshire. She started life as an actor, but made the transition to make up and SFX in 2018 through a production of Dracula.
Find out more about Lucy's journey and experience here....
Cost Breakdown
I wanted to get into the habit of paying people for their skills and time, so the majority of the budget will be going on cast and crew. Other expenses include catering (fresh hot food and not just crisps and choclolate) and the use of a hire car. I have also factored in a small contingency as there is ALWAYS something that comes up last minute that hasn't been thought about.
Crew
I have a small but talented crew together, most of whom are also from the north-east. Newcastle has a thriving and collaborative film scene and the talent up there is second to none.
The core of any good collaborative effort. We will give you thanks for reaching out and being a part of this effort over our socials!
Get an EXCLUSIVE copy of Don't Worry About Me before it is released, as well as your name at the end of the film as a thank you for your support.
A PDF of the script, a copy of the film, a high quality file of the art-work for Don't Worry About ME and your name at the end of the film as a thank you.
The Fuschl Trilogy consists of three short smartphone-made short films, all shot in 2022. This is where it all began, at home near Salzburg with nothing but some ideas and a OnePlus 8 phone. This pack includes "Pencil", "Homestead" and the as yet unreleased "The Tourist", along with their corresponding artwork, a mix of design, photography and AI experimentation. A copy of DWAM will be included, a mention in the film credits and a sincere thank you shout-out.
DVD extras and 'Easter Eggs' are soooo cool, so having our own on-set videographer to capture the little bits inbetween takes and throughout the day is very exciting. This reward should make an excellent companion to the film, which will be included before general release. On top of that, we will include all other prior rewards as well as a hearty Thank You.
The set of Don't Worry About Me will be small, compact and busy, with new actors and various locations almost every day. Keep yourself in the loop with two video postcards per day, about what's happening in front and behind the camera. This reward will include the 'Behind The Scenes featurette' reward, a mention in the closing credits and a separate "Thank You" shout-out.
Don't Worry About Me will be put straight to work on the festival circuit, so this will be the very first airing of the film. A select group of people will be invited to attend, and this perk lets you be one of those people. As well as entry to the screening, there will be a complimentary drink on arrival as well as the chance to mingle with the writer, director and some of the cast. You will also receive a download of the finished film and poster, your name in the credits as an associate producer at the end and a social media shout out. The venue is undecided at this time, but will be in the
This reward has sentimental value to me, as it is the distinctive mask that was used as the 'alter-ego' character in my very first smartphone-shot short, "Pencil". The mask itself was the only expense of the film itself, everything else was improvised or borrowed. Very much a "where it all began" item, and to complete the set, the "Fuschl Trilogy" pack, an Associate Producer credit at the end of the film will be included as well as a fully sincere Thank You.
An integral factor in getting this venture off the ground. Not only will this reward help us all to make this short film a reality, it will also help us to put phase two into action. The plan is to turn Don't Worry About Me into a feature, bringing in Striling's youth and backstory into the equation. A very exciting prospect that you will have helped us to achieve with this reward. This package includes your name in the final credits, an IMDB credit, the ‘On-set update’ pack, ‘Fuschl Trilogy’ Pack, the ‘Digital Pack’ and the ‘Behind-the-scenes' featurette.