Happy new year! (we can still say that whilst it's still January right?) 

We've had our heads down in the edit and it's looking AMAZING. Thanks again to you generous creatures.

We're working with incredible Editor Jasmin John! www.jasminjohn.co.uk

Jasmin is an HETV 1st Assistant Editor and Editor based in the Midlands.  She has worked on some big shows like Netflix' upcoming The F**k it Bucket, Sky's The Midwitch Cuckoo, Starz' Becoming Elizabeth, and BBC's Chloe, and The Pursuit of Love.

She is also the Founder of Black Women In Post Production (BWIPP), a network for Black and Black Mixed heritage women working or looking to work in UK Film and TV Post Production, more about that here: https://www.bwipp.co.uk/ 

Image

Jasmin is doing a brilliant job, especially considering our very tight deadline. We hope to be locking the picture in two weeks, so we can move on to the all-important sound design and then the final stages: the grade, online and mix, ready to deliver to the BFI by early March...

The BFI have very kindly given us an upgrade in funding, due to the necessary extra costs needed to get the film looking right; we needed to hire a big crane and huge light to replicate the intense hot sun (one of our biggest challenges shooting a summer-set film in winter!). 

 

Image

We need significant time for grading, as colour is such a key feature for this film; this is where we'll heighten the colour, to bring out the rich red of the strawberries - amongst other things ;) - and create visual effects for the hallucination and dream sequences. 

Image

For more info on why colour grading is so important, you can hear LA filmmaker and one of the few black Colourists Harry Locke - who's worked with Beyoncé and Jay Z - talk about it on The Black Film Space podcast, and MASHABLE's short video discussion: Does Color Correction Reinforce Stereotypes - see here: https://harrylocke4.com/press

(the image above shows the difference colour grading can make and is from Harry's showreel)

Image

Lastly, once the film is finished, we'll be entering it into top international film festivals and awards (aiming for BAFTAs 2024/5!), to help get the story of migrant workers' mistreatment out to as many people as possible.  

Even though we successfully (thanks to you!) exceeded our crowd funder (raising a whopping £7,438), and despite the generosity of the BFI (with thanks to National Lottery players) we are still £900 short, so we have reopened our crowdfunder to help get the film over the finish line and in front of audiences across the world. 

We are eternally grateful for your donations and would really appreciate if you could share this with your friends, family, colleagues and wider networks. 

As one supermarket (selling strawberries likely picked by workers in similar situations to the ones we're portraying) infamously said:

Every little helps...!

Thank you, thank you.

Best wishes for 2023 - may it be a FRUITFUL year,


Sophie (Producer) and Corinne (Writer-Director)