12:00, Fri 29th May – Fri 18th December 2026 at Not applicable
Easter Week 4 to Christmas Vacation
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MAGPIE (working title) is an eight-to-ten-minute short film about love, illness and about two people plunged between these two poles.
It’s about how two people weather a storm; how they navigate a perfectly ordinary and feasible situation which tests them: both their courage and the bounds of their love. It’s about how simple acts of human bravery and frailty can sit hand-in-hand. And it’s about how in situations of crisis and strain people can come together to support one another with grace and compassion.
MAGPIE will excitingly be shot entirely on 16mm black-and-white film. Cast and crew should have the very rare opportunity to watch printed 16mm film throughout and after the production of the film, helping actors modulate performance decisions for the big screen. The film will hopefully be an engaging and emotionally evocative experience for an audience, hypnotising them as film passes through the projector.
It will also be a celebration of the art and science of analogue film: honouring the timeless emotional resonance and beauty provided by its highlights and shadows, its grain and density. Shot entirely in natural light – taking advantage of the elements – and with a focus on gestures, looks and lived behaviour over dialogue, the film will pay tribute and take inspiration from the grammar of early cinema.
Schedule
MAGPIE will be shot over three days. It will be shot over the summer vacation and/or in Michaelmas Term dependent on actor and crew availability. The ultimate deadline is for the film to be shot, processed, printed and cut by the end of Michaelmas.
Day one will consist of filming around Cambridge itself and some interiors. Day two will consist of filming at a location three hours away from Cambridge which we will travel to/from by public transport at a cost of c. £18pp. Day three will consist of any mopping up of filming in Cambridge itself and a few brief dusk/night shots.
There will also be a camera test carried out beforehand to test costume and hair and makeup combinations on film, alongside lens filters and focus.
Submission information and more details
For more information about MAGPIE, including how to prepare self-tapes, please have a quick look at the call document below:
You can submit expressions of interest through the below Microsoft Form:
https://forms.microsoft.com/e/28itn2NXTH
The current deadline is 26 June at 12:00pm but I'm simply intrigued to hear from interested collaborators!
Thanks and all best wishes,
Adam