After previously reaching our fundraising goal of £2000, we are back to fundraise a further £1000 to allow us to create 'TINSEL' in the best way possible.

Tinsel is a blink and you’ll miss it Christmas story about being nice and never giving up. Tinsel, our main character plays an elf at a Christmas grotto, in a sleepy garden centre. This shouldn’t cause too much drama which is ideal, because he’s had enough drama already. He’s estranged from his own family, and we join him at a time in his life when everything is pretty tough. He’s just discovered he’s had undiagnosed ADHD since childhood and he’s also struggling with motivation to keep persevering with his dream to become a famous actor. 

However, just like in every good Christmas story, our hero never gives up. Even when the garden centre he’s working in erupts in gunfire and thrusts Tinsel into a life or death armed hostage situation. Tinsel’s favourite film, Die Hard becomes art imitating life as he saves the day. Not with guns and yippee ki yay’s though, but with garden hoes, a plastic Christmas tree and, most importantly, by being nice.

See a few of our concept posters below!

Hey! Davey here and I just wanted to let you all know a little about Tinsel.

So firstly, the inspiration is very personal. I was an elf called Tinsel every Christmas, for several years, at different immersive theatre experiences. I’m also estranged from my family and have been since the age of 15. No violins here please mate. Just a fact and it’s time to tell some of that story via the narrative of Tinsel. 

It was amazing bringing magic to families at Christmas but then I was going home alone without a family of my own. This was where the story all started. It made me think, wow, that is really incredibly sad … I bet there’s a funny story in there somewhere too! The writing process has been very cathartic for me and I’m excited (and a bit massively nervous but that’s a good thing) for you all to share in Tinsel’s story. 

Then, more recently, I discovered I have had undiagnosed ADHD since I was a child. Incredibly difficult thing to wrap your head around that. However, I am now very passionate about creating a film where we can highlight ADHD in adults and make people realise they aren’t alone, no matter how much it might seem like you are.  

In terms of relatable inspirational films, I’m a huge admirer of Edgar Wright directed features, so expect inspiration from films such as Hot Fuzz. Fast cuts and even faster dialogue. I’ve also been heavily inspired by Die Hard and the debate around it’s legitimacy as a Christmas film.  These two films are why I have set it in a sleepy garden centre. I’m from a small village originally where nothing ever happened. So I love stories about BIG things happening in small places. Then I thought, imagine Die Hard happening in a garden centre … ridiculous but … my kind of ridiculous!

So, it’s my overall aim as director of this film to take you on a festive journey that highlights important issues of loneliness and mental health but does so via a colourful, comedic, self aware and exciting plot, with a very relatable human protagonist.

The total budget for Tinsel is £3000

We at Tinsel have set a goal of raising £3000 to produce a high-quality short film with exceptional set dressing, costumes, and props. Our dedicated film crew, known as Team Tinsel, will contribute an additional £1000 through a series of fundraising events, including Christmas-themed and non-themed pub quizzes, film nights, and a flash tattoo sale day.

Our budget breakdown clearly illustrates the allocation of our funds across various production aspects. Should we exceed our fundraising target of £2000, we aim to enhance our production values further by incorporating more recognisable cast members and elevating our costume and set design.

Join us in our mission to bring 'Tinsel' to life by contributing to our fundraising efforts. Your support will not only aid us in our production but also help us build a vibrant and supportive community!

Ho Ho Ho! Greetings from the Team, a merry band of third-year film production students at the University of Portsmouth. Our hearts are overflowing with excitement as we embark on our journey to create a glittering gem of a short film, 'Tinsel'.

Our passion for filmmaking extends beyond just graduating, as we dream of showing Tinsel to audiences at many prestigious film festivals and hopefully some awards!

Join us in our quest to bring Tinsel to life and spread some festive cheer along the way!