Film Name(s): Nervous Ellie / Safe
Director: David Yorke
Writer: (Nervous Ellie) David Yorke / (Safe) Laki Pattapola
Starring: (Nervous Ellie) Sophia Capasso, Nathalie Codsi, Kelsey Cooke, Jamie Sefton / (Safe)
Sharon Sibyl Gatt, Joshua Whincup
Nervous Ellie – Ellie, new to the dating scene and anxious to impress Danni, finds herself
overwhelmed by nerves, leading to unexpected nosebleeds. As she tries to hold it together, the
situation quickly worsens-Ellie starts bleeding from her ears and mouth. Danni’s attempts to help
only lead to a shocking and unpredictable outcome.
Safe – A young woman battles for her life against a relentless masked killer.
In a new Exclusive Interview on Blazing Minds ahead of Horror-on-Sea I got a chance to ask Writer/Director David Yorke a few questions about the films ‘Nervous Ellie’ and ‘Safe’
Nervous Ellie and Safe will play at Horror-on-Sea on Sunday 12th January at 8.00pm
Q. Your films ‘Nervous Ellie’ and ‘Safe’ have been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film
Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from each film?
A. Absolutely, with Safe it’s very short and sweet at only 90 seconds long, but all is not as it seems, in this little slice off horror.
Nervous Ellie, on the other hand, has been a passion project over three years in the making. It’s a fun yet complex exploration of first-date nerves, and while my original vision felt almost impossible to achieve on a tight budget, I managed to pull in every favour I could. I’m proud of what we accomplished, and I think we pulled it off.
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script for Nervous Ellie?
A. Believe it or not, the story is loosely based on my own experiences. I’ve always struggled with nerves and anxiety, so I wanted to poke a bit of fun at it. At the same time, I decided to weave in a touch of horror—because, let’s face it, being nervous can feel bloody terrifying.
Q. Safe was written by Laki Pattapola. What attracted you to script when you first read it?
A. This project was especially fun because it originated from a competition. The brief was to create a 60-second film featuring an egg timer. Laki and I collaborated closely, developing the story together and co-producing the film. We were also teamed up with a crew and an actress, which made the creative process even more fun.
I was immediately drawn to the idea of making a horror-comedy, as I think those genres work particularly well in a micro-short format. Given that it was self-funded, we needed to keep costs low, so we crafted a story with a small cast and minimal locations. We focused on building a setup and a strong payoff, and while the 60-second version works well, I created a 90-second cut to let the story breathe a bit more – that’s the version I prefer.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of each film?
A. For Safe, I don’t want to give too much away, but horror fans will definitely catch the nod to Halloween. In fact, classic slasher films were a major influence—not just in the story but also in the lighting and music choices. I aimed to capture an ’80s vibe because when you think of slashers, the 1980s is the era that immediately comes to mind.
Nervous Ellie didn’t have as many direct influences. I mostly drew upon my own experiences with dating apps. Subconsciously, I may have pulled a bit from romantic comedies, but the film itself is quite straightforward: a simple setup of two people on a date. When the story takes a darker turn, I’d say the movie Scanners was a definite influence.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original scripts during filming?
A. For Safe, we made a few adjustments, but nothing major. I like to give actors the freedom to improvise, as it provides more options during editing. We experimented with some lines and a key moment involving an important word—we actually filmed several alternate takes of that scene.
As for Nervous Ellie, it stayed pretty true to the script, with one exception. During a bathroom scene, I let my actress, Kelsey Cooke, improvise, and she came up with some fantastic material. One of her contributions even became one of my favourite moments in the final film.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. For Safe, I’d say the collaboration was the highlight. We had very little time to work with, and most of the team hadn’t met before. It was amazing to see everything we’d planned come together so smoothly, especially since much of it was guesswork, especially the first interaction between the Joshua Whincup and Sharon Sibyl Gatt.
Nervous Ellie was great as I got to work with my long term collaborator Phil Bestall, he not only produced the film but also was the DOP, the team that he and I assembled worked so well together and everyone was on the same page, it was a tight shoot but so much fun. One moment in particular, the payoff was probably my favourite moment as that’s what the film builds up too.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Yes with Safe, the blocking of the first fight, so we had to do some quick rehearsing and change certain thing to make it believable.
As for Nervous Ellie, a key moment for me was getting to work with my long-time collaborator, Phil Beastall. He not only produced the film but also served as the DOP. The team he and I assembled worked seamlessly together, and everyone was on the same page. Despite a tight schedule, it was so much fun. One moment, in particular—the payoff—was my favourite, as it’s the culmination of everything the film builds towards.
Q. What makes these film stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. For both films, I think it’s really about the payoff. Safe is fast-paced, and it delivers a sharp, impactful experience in a very short amount of time, leaving viewers with a satisfying twist, hopefully. Nervous Ellie blends the tension of a first date with unexpected elements, creating a combination that felt original to me—so much so, I was surprised it hadn’t been explored before. It was exciting to bring that concept to life.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. My goal with these films was simply to entertain—no grand messages or hidden agendas. I love short films because they can be powerful, spark important conversations, and even change minds for the better. But I also noticed that many films can feel like they’re just ticking boxes. With Safe and Nervous Ellie, I wanted to do something different: to scare and make people laugh, with no other purpose than to deliver pure entertainment.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I have a lot of ideas I’m excited to explore. Right now, I’m actively working on getting my first feature made. There are plenty of conversations happening, and I’m hopeful to start shooting early next year. In addition to that, I’m planning to squeeze in a few new short films along the way.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. It’s probably been said a lot, but the key is to write around what you have access to. If you have a farm, write a story about an animal or a farmer. If you know an actor, collaborate with them and make something together. Many of my films, like Lights, Parting Gifts, WE, and Safe, were created by fitting the story to locations I knew I could use, or working with a DOP who was eager for new material for their reel, or an actress looking to showcase her talents. I truly believe some of the best projects are born this way—by making the most of the resources you have.
You can fond out more about Writer/Director David Yorke on the Website and following social media X – Instagram
Nervous Ellie and Safe will play at Horror-on-Sea on Sunday 12th January at 8.00pm
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
