We have news of an upcoming movie and an interview with the directer today, the movie is called CLOSE and is directed by Ash Morris, it stars Brendan Coyle (The Raven, Tomorrow Never Dies), Jody Latham (Shameless, Eastenders) and Steven Arnold (Coronation Street, Children’s Ward).
CLOSE is a micro budget feature film which consists of four short stories set on a ‘Close’ on a Midlands council estate. The Fighter. The Farmer. The ‘Muslims’. The Drinker. Close has been written by the Novelist & Screen writer Nicola Monaghan.
Many films these days are getting made thanks to their public supporters and CLOSE is another of those movies that is getting help from public funding via a KickStarter campaign, we caught up with Ash and managed to get a brief interview with him about the movie, the actors and much more.
Blazing Minds Interview CLOSE Director Ash Morris
1. What and when was your first action of pursuing a film-making career?
After completing an undergraduate degree I took a Masters degree in Film Production. This was my first step to pursuing a career in Film Making, where i was given the knowledge about specific skills and funding etc. My first action in to actual making a film that was not part of my educational journey was last year when I crowd funded through Kickstarter to make a short film called “starcross,” which is consequently how I came to be in contact with Brendan Coyle. I’ve never actually worked for a company. All my Film Making experiences have been through making my own films and raising the funds either independently or through crowd funding.
2. What inspired you to film this movie the way it was filmed? Where there certain scenes that you had envisioned in your mind when reading the screenplay?
The Film hasn’t actually been shot yet as we are still in the crowd funding stages in order to raise money for production. I always have an idea in mind for how i want certain scenes to look. My ideas come from inspirations through other films, art, photography and music videos etc. Although I always have a visual image in mind I do tend to allow the actors i work with to take the lead within a scene through improvisation. Things don’t always end up looking the way I first envisioned due to this, but, yes, I always have a concept in mind that I want to run with.
3. Could you explain to our readers what a “micro budget feature film” is?
A micro budget film is a film made with a really really small budget. We are trying to raise 30,000 for the current film. This may seem like a lot of money, for a feature film this is actually a very small amount.
Close The Farmer – Still (Image courtesy of Ash Morris)
4. How have you found the process of financing CLOSE with kickstarter?
Nerve Wracking. I have had a lot of support through Twitter. People have been kind enough to retweet the campaign and share on other forms of social media, as well as donating, which is a massive help, as it gets the word out there to a larger audience. It’s an apprehensive time however, as the clock is constantly ticking, and if you haven’t raised the targeted funds by the deadline, you lose all funding.
5. You have some rather well-known names in the movie such as Steven Arnold and Brendan Coyle, what was it like working with these guys on set?
As the film hasn’t yet been shot, i’ve not actually experienced this yet. I have been overwhelmed by the support they have given me though, and the faith they have put in me. I can imagine that if the crowd funding is successful and we finally get on set it will be a very surreal experience. I am used to working with and directing non professional actors, which I have usually done in the past to create a more authentic sense of British realism. Directing professional actors who are well-known house hold names is probably going to be a bit daunting to say the least, but without a doubt will be an amazing professional experience for me.
6. What is your favourite part of the movie making process?
I enjoy the whole journey of film making from start to finish. I love seeing how a concept grows and develops, bringing a team together and throwing ideas at each other, seeing how a scene unfolds on set, and then watching how that develops and fits together n the editing process. It’s hard to identify one aspect that I enjoy the most, as it all develops and fits together.
Image courtesy of Ash Morris
7. Which was the most difficult character to cast in “Close”?
The Farmer was probably the most difficult to cast. We needed an elderly lady, who was also young at heart and was able to have a certain essence about her that would be appealing to the audience, even though her storyline is drug related. Luckily we’ve found someone who is ideal and she plays the part amazingly, so I’m really looking forward to how she communicates her character to the audience and where she will take the role.
8. After “Close” what are your plans in the industry?
No idea. I want to continue to make the type of films that I love, which is those that portray certain social messages, or give a voice to the underclass. I would love to dabble in working for a company as this is something that I am yet to experience, but essentially, I just want to continue to do what I love. and that’s film making.
Thanks for talking to us Ash about your new movie. If you would like to find out more about CLOSE and the team behind the movie, then you can check out the social media and website for the film at www.councilchild.co.uk and on Twitter – @councilchild. You can also follow my film ‘Close’ on Twitter and Facebook.
And also don’t forget to check out the Kickstarter page for CLOSE.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
