Donation protected
Hi, my names is James, the writer and producer. The director is the award-winning Niamh Farrelly. We are aiming to raise £6,000 for the production of our comedy short film.
Our Mission
History is important, and so is laughter.
It’s important to laugh and it’s important to remember.
In the year of the pandemic, I lost my job and ended up working in Mobile Testing Unit 137, which was an excellent case study of modern Britain. We had people from every sector of society reluctantly squashed together in high-vis vests: security guards and hotel managers, British Airways staff and film crew (ahem), I’ve never worked somewhere so diverse. And the people we tested were… the people. Everybody.
If your response is ‘so what?’, please reconsider. If we don’t tell these stories, they will be lost.
This short film is intended to be a proof-of-concept for a TV comedy series. We aim to take these lofty ideas and present them in funny, entertaining way.
The Story
Ajay doesn’t like sick people. It’s not his fault, it’s just a phobia he can’t help. The only problem is, the year is 2020, the economy has shut down, and so he’s forced to work for the NHS’s Test and Trace service to make some money to support his pregnant wife.
This short film explore his first day on the job, as he arrives wearing masks and gloves (and a beekeeping outfit) and is forced to work in the dreaded ‘LTS walk-in’ marquee with Claire, who is pretty much the opposite of Ajay: she craves human connection and wants to chat with (and, unfortunately, touch) everyone who comes in for a test.
Outside the testing site, some anti-vaxxer protestors are making their feelings known. One of them, Sam, is about to take his hatred of the testing system into his own hands, forcing Ajay and Claire to really work together…
What We Need and What You Get
Your donations will fund the crew and equipment that we will need to make this film a reality. It’s important to pay hard working professionals what they deserve, especially as the creative industries are suffering through such dire times.
I believe I can source locations from personal connections. Plus, I still have some Test and Trace gear lying around from my time working for them. So every penny raised will go straight into production. Post-production will likely be self-funded by myself at a later date.
Other Ways To Get Involved
If you have filmmaking experience, or you have absolutely zero filmmaking experience, please get in touch! We will be happy to consider anything you think you can bring to the table. Please contact me via GoFundMe or social media.
Otherwise, if you could share this with your friends and family and raise awareness for this quirky slice of history, that would be an immense help.
The Filmmakers
James Taylor MacArthur (Writer / Producer) is a London-based writer. Educated at King’s College London (English BA), University of Edinburgh (Social Anthropology Msc) and MetFilm London (Screenwriting MA). His short film The Date was selected at a number of international film festivals, and he has received accolades from BAFTA’s Rocliffe writing competition among others. Wider industry experience includes working as a production assistant on large Netflix and Warner Bros. productions and in production companies such as Big Talk.
Niamh Farrelly (Director) is a writer/director whose work has been screened, nominated for and won awards at worldwide festivals such as the Royal Television Society, Iris Prize, Encounters, Ramsgate Film & TV Festival, New Renaissance, Out Web Fest, and more. After graduating from Bournemouth Film School in 2016, Niamh was awarded Random Acts funding to make a short that was featured on Channel 4’s website. In 2019 Niamh was awarded a place on the esteemed FAMU International Directing MA, but was unable to go due to financial reasons. Instead, she was headhunted and offered a scholarship for the Directing and Producing for Television Entertainment MA, which she has now graduated from.
Niamh’s work discusses controversial topics through the lens of comedy and the absurd and explores gender and sexual politics, queer identity, the female experience, and other underrepresented voices. Niamh has been invited to pitch work to Boffola Productions, DLT Entertainment, Why Now Productions, Tiger Aspect, Motiv Productions, Mothership TV, and esteemed director Jonathan Glazer. She has had six months of development with Boffola Productions and has had work pitched to Channel 4 by Motiv Productions.
As well as scripted writing, Niamh has written articles for Vice, and BRICKS Magazine, and works in TV development teams as a Development Researcher. Niamh has worked with BBC Studios, Youngest Media, DSP Productions, Flicker Productions, and Potato.
Disclaimer: No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe.
Organizer
James MacArthur
Organizer