"Seeing Read" Short Film Fundraiser

We are BETH AND NATASHA PERKIN, sisters and WRITER/DIRECTORS. We were part of the Behind the Scenes and social media teams for the HBO show We Are Who We Are, and Lena Dunham’s upcoming film Catherine, Called, Birdy respectively.

 

Having cut our teeth doing this videography work, we are now making the transition into narrative film, with our short SEEING READ, which stars up-and-coming actresses ISIS HAINSWORTH and TESSA BONHAM JONES.

 

The film is self-funded so we'd really appreciate a little help to get us there. We are aiming to raise £2,500 to pay for the EQUIPMENT HIRE for the two-day shoot, so any donation would be extremely appreciated - even if it's just a quid, it's all helpful!!

 

 

Now a bit about the film:

 

PLOT

 

SEEING READ is a comedic take on the anxieties of modern dating and technology. Zoey ( a low-key chaotic girl in her early twenties) is plunged into stress after she texts Miles, the guy she likes, to ask him out on a date, and is left "on read".

 

Whilst Zoey spirals and does everything she can to distract herself from waiting for his reply (including an ill-advised clean of the oven), an oblivious Miles laughs and plays video games with his friends. Ultimately, this is a fun, silly film about the danger of having your read receipts on.

 

INSPIRATION AND LOOK

 

Trainwreck is a big inspiration in terms of how we want the film to look; it feels warm and has a softer, more romantic vibe than the current influx of hyper-HD rom-coms.

 

 

The energy of the film is best equated to that which we see in Set It Up. The film has a great "freak out" scene, which really shows the main character’s scatty personality. Given our main character is basically freaking out for the whole film, this is a really good reference point in terms of performance.

 

Broad City also does this well - and has camera work that really creates a sense of intimacy and the messiness of your twenties. It also makes great use of slomo, cleverly elevating a super mundane event into something epic. Community’s “Dungeon and Dragons” episode also does this brilliantly. We want to create a similar effect.

 

 

We also love Community’s fluid camera movements, which can take a really mundane location, like a study room, and make the action that takes place within it feel compelling and exciting.

 

 

 

THE TEAM

 

Obviously, we have written and directed the short - and are also producing it - but there are a whole host of amazing people who are helping to bring it to life!

 

CAST

 

ISIS HAINSWORTH as ZOEY

 

Isis Hainsworth is an actress, known for Metal Lords (2022), Skint (2022), Catherine, Called Birdy (2022), Misbehaviour (2020) and Emma (2020).

 

TESSA BONHAM JONES as HANNAH

 

Tessa Bonham Jones is an actress, known for Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) and Justice League (2017). Recent TV credits include The Trial of Christine Keeler (2020), The Spanish Princess (2020), Breeders S2 (2021), and Death in Paradise (2021).

 

CREW

 

JONATHAS NAZARETH is a Brazilian-American CINEMATOGRAPHER, he holds a BFA in painting from the School of Visual Arts in New York and a master's in cinematography from the University of London. Jon has created campaign films and videos for brands like Valentino, Tiffany & Co. and Sephora. Jon’s last 2 films have been screened at over 20 film festivals around the U.S. & Europe.

 

ZAK ALLUM is a London-based SOUND RECORDIST, sound designer and sound editor. Working across a range of narrative, documentary and animated content. He is a passionate storyteller and believes that sound is a crucial part of narrative storytelling.

 

LEX GUELAS is a Filipina-American EDITOR based in South London. She is most inspired by stories focusing on love and self-identity, and has an affinity for the odd ones and the underdogs. She associate produced and edited the short experimental thriller film, Once Familiar, which recently finished its festival circuit.

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. As we said already, any donation is so so welcome - and you will definitely be getting a thank you text. if you send some $ our way! To sweeten the deal for any big-money donors (lol), we will give you the following:

 

If you donate £50, you will receive a SPECIAL THANKS in the end credits.

 

If you donate £100, you will get a SPECIAL THANKS and a POSTER.