Scallywag invites viewers into the wacky world of Roger, a 40-year-old method actor who lives his life as if he's permanently anchored in a pirate's tale. In this uproarious mockumentary comedy, a documentary crew hilariously trails Roger, a pirate method actor lost in character and drowning his sorrows in rum.

Story

Behind the stage curtain, Roger's playful and peculiar behaviour intertwines with his theatrical pirate persona, leaving audiences questioning where the act ends and reality begins. Thus a documentary crew begin to investigate the iconic man.

As the documentary unfolds, we discover the roots of Roger's pirate obsession, stemming from a teenage mishap involving a cutlass sword and an unfortunate eye-poking incident with his father which left them unable to see eye-to-eye, making Roger homeless and struggling. Roger must navigate the treacherous seas of sobriety to find himself, and the crew is there to capture every comical misadventure.

Our Vision

"Scallywag" submerges its audience into the unusual world of Roger, a 40-year-old actor who immerses himself in a pirate's story. While he is charmingly eccentric and hopelessly attached to his pirate persona, he sets off on a quest to discover his treasure. He embraces his role in a way that is often not seen in individuals with unique lifestyles, and he does so with all the dramatic panache of a classic pirate tale. 

Our ultimate goal is to create a charming, funny, and nostalgic film. We hope that "Scallywag" will strike a chord with audiences who have ever felt out of place and offer them something innovative in the comedy genre; crafting a story that sheds light on a unique aspect of the human experience.

Our Inspiration

Sprinkled throughout this page is a ton of our inspirations, from narrative to visual style, themes to overall "filmic panache", our short film is inspired by the likes of "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Fleabag", "What We Do in the Shadows" and "The Office"

We want to create a film that is, in the end, endearing. something that opens its hearts and humour to the viewers and conveys a familiarity and comfort not often shown in all honesty. Seeing a grief-stricken man like Roger change and grow throughout the film, through all his hiccups and laughs, makes for something that we believe fully emulates all of the mockumentaries before us - and will hopefully inspire many more after!

Meet Our Crew

(Pun Intended)

Ryan Phillips

"I'm Writer and Director for Scallywag. My desire is to work on film sets as my job in the future and eventually get to write and direct a feature. I'm most excited for the end of production so I can get back to my treasure hunt.

Jemima Landivar Lane Fox*

"I’m the Director of Photography in this short film and the future, I want to be a cinematographer who portrays the layers of the characters and plot beyond what is shown on screen!"

*not a bird irl

Oni Sullivan

"I'm the producer for the short, and immensely excited to see all the pirate shenanigans we can squeeze into a little project and cannot wait to see the "Scallywag" ship brought to life."

Kian Henderson-Cowley

I’m Kian Henderson-Cowley, assistant director for Scallywag. My chief interest in the industry is to write and direct my own feature film concepts, innovating the mainstream standard of storytelling in the process. I’m most excited to get some hands-on directorial experience as AD and to tackle the highs and lows of managing a professional set.

Anna-Marie Minchin

"I'm Anna-Marie Minchin, the production designer of Scallywag! And I love all things to do with design, costumes and props. I'm so excited to explore the life of Roger and co. through their crazy outfits, homes and belongings."

Ryan Samm

"I'm Ryan Samm, editor for Scallywag! I'll be working with our director to take everything we shoot and assemble it into the best possible final film.

Yes, it's confusing that there are two different Ryans on this project."

Schedule and Budget

We here at Scallywag want you to know that your money goes directly to supporting our film, which means knowing more about it from a production end.

We plan to begin shooting in Late March for a mid-May public release, and we want to ensure we can stay on that schedule. By supporting us we'll be putting this money forward into ensuring that we can make everything run smoothly and on track, which includes paying our locally sourced actors the fairest rate possible.

But worry not - if we don't reach the goals we have planned, we have contingencies to ensure you will see a finished product. And if we go over what we expected... We have amazing plans for that too! Any additional funds will not only see an increase in the rewards you'll see as a supporter but also how much we can give back to the people who housed and performed in our film. 

So... a big THANK YOU!

The Scallywag crew is comprised entirely of film students from Portsmouth University looking to get the best foot into the industry. We seek to represent Portsmouth with all its charm, tapping into actors from the local area as well as using small business locations - so much of a pirate is his port!

We look to begin shooting in late March for a Late May release on YouTube and other free-to-view short film/video sites. 

But a film is nothing without an audience… We seek to reach out not only to other pirate enthusiasts but also to those looking to help fund and create a short film that taps into what makes "mockumentary" such a beloved genre - its heart. We want to bring a heartwarming spin to an otherwise comedic genre, using the grounded filming style to forge an emotional connection with the spectators, and we're looking for an audience that would connect with that - we hope that could be you.

Thank you again from all the crew, and we hope to welcome you aboard.