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We are very excited to share that our latest Film of the Month winner is The Last Walk, made by talented young filmmaker Aaron, from Clevedon. You can watch Aaron's winning film above.
This powerful and contemplative film, which leaves interpretation up to the viewer, follows Tom as he conducts what may be his last walk. The filmmaker's impressive use of camerawork, lighting and visual effects create an impactful and atmospheric experience.
How does it feel to win Film of the Month?
Excited and honoured! This is the first film competition I've entered, and now I've won!
What inspired you to make this film?
I've been wanting to experiment with making a short film for years, so I thought I'd finally get out there and have a go. And I'm so glad I did!
Who/what are your filmmaking inspirations?
This film was heavily inspired by [cinematographer] Roger Deakins and the film 1917. Since seeing that film, I've been fascinated by one-shot films!
What were the challenges in making your film. How did you overcome them?
Ensuring the cuts looked hidden enough to be believable. I planned my shots thoroughly first and did multiple test shoots. This helped for most cuts. However, one didn't line up perfectly, so using Photoshop, I extended a backdrop to make the transition smoother. If I was to attempt this again, I would try and check each shot before moving onto the next, to ensure I have a clean cut.
What was your filmmaking process? How did you go about creating this film?
I started by creating the story, then storyboards and shot lists. During this, I placed casting calls out to my performing arts friends. I conducted a few location scouts prior to filming, to visualise where the camera would start and end. Once I had finalised my cast and story, we met and shot the film. I finished by editing and scoring the film.
What did you enjoy most about making the film?
Seeing the final piece come together, knowing I had worked through all stages of the production process! I felt professional, and proud of what I produced.
What advice would you give to other young filmmakers?
Have a go! This is the first proper short film I've made, and it turned out well for me. You can't make a bad film; you will only learn new things.
What message would you like audiences to take from watching your film?
The story was designed to leave each audience member questioning the meaning of what they've just seen. Everyone should hopefully connect in different ways and pull different meanings that are important to them.
What are you working on next?
I'm currently working on a segment of a mockumentary as a part of my media coursework, though over the summer I'm keen to get out and create a longer length short film.
Special Mention
Each month, we select another film that we feel deserves to be celebrated alongside the winner. This month, we are delighted to give our Special Mention to Pugnator Romanus, directed by Dylan from Coventry.
"My film is the opening scene to a historically inspired action, about an ex-gladiator turned military general (Liberatus) who's spectating a bout in a roman fort in Britain", explains Dylan. "He's reminded of his older self by a fighter, thus reminisces about his glory days.
"I made this film to submit for my GCSE film studies practical work. To make this film I contacted the reenactors at Lunt Roman Fort to gain access to props and the Fort to use as the set. We then shot the film over one day. Then during editing I used green screen along with CGI in Blender to make it appear as if Liberatus was in the colosseum to use for the flashbacks."
You can watch Dylan's film below.
