Film: Chad
Director: Kerry Skinner
Writers: Stewart Alexander
Actors: Stephen Fry, Stewart Alexander, Kerry Skinner
Synopsis: When their genius child CHAD takes a homework assignment a little too far, Mum and Dad suddenly find themselves embroiled in an urgent mission to save the planet.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds ahead of the Southend Film Festival, I asked Writer-Actor Stewart Alexander a few questions about his film Chad.
Chad will be playing at the Southend Film Festival on 7th June at 11am as part of the Mostly Made in Southend Part One.
Q. Your film ‘Chad’ has been selected to play at the Southend Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. A sci-fi film that deals with some very topical themes, like AI and environmental issues, but with a light touch. It’s also a film about families and how far we’d go to make sure our children have a brighter future. Or indeed any future at all. But with laughs!
Q. What were your inspirations when writing the script for Chad?
A. I’ve been a massive Star Trek fan for as long as I can remember. We had a small club who would meet up every Sunday night to watch the repeats (in the days before streaming) and even went to a Star Trek convention in Montreal, where I grew up. I loved the way Star Trek used a futuristic sci-fi universe to discuss the contemporary issues of the time. Which makes me particularly proud that after Southend CHAD will be screening at a planetarium in Nevada as part of a festival that is connected to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s family.
Q. In addition to writing you also appear in the film. Did you create the character with yourself in mind when writing the script?
A. Yes. He’s a lot like me. Laid back going on lazy, wants to write a sci-fi script but can’t be arsed to put in the time and effort. So, he gets CHAD to do it for him. With disastrous consequences.
Q. What sort of preparation did you do to portray your character?
A. It’s a dialogue driven story, and we only had 3 days to shoot 16 pages, which any Line Producer will tell you is extremely ambitious. So, we rehearsed for a few weeks before the shoot, to make sure the lines were absolutely etched in our minds and we could shoot as many set-ups as possible. Kerry Skinner is also a great actor’s director, who managed to subtly steer my performance, even though I’d written the role myself. She pointed out that although it is funny (and I may have a tendency to play for laughs) we would have to play it straight and sincerely, so that the more emotional moments would also have the right impact.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments whilst making the Film?
A. A lot of the film was shot like some of the big effects films you read about, where the actors spend most of their time interacting with a tennis ball on a stick. In CHAD’s case, Kerry and I spent half the film interacting with a blank piece of plastic. It makes it quite technical to shoot and an intense experience on set. But there’s a scene in the kitchen where my character, the Dad, loses his mind a bit and it’s just Kerry and I acting together.
It was a really free and fun scene to shoot. The crew seemed to enjoy it as well, which is always a nice feeling to have on set. Where we’re all having fun, doing the thing we all love doing.
Q. Did you experience any issues whilst making the film?
A. No. We had a great crew, all from Southend. Very confident and talented people who made it a smooth and enjoyable shoot, without any off-screen drama.
Q. What do you hope people will take away from the film?
A. I hope it’ll give them something to think about and talk about afterwards, the way we used to talk about Star Trek on Sunday nights. I also hope it will leave a smile on their faces when they reflect on the way we chose to tell this story.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are working on?
A. We’ve just completed a new short called Sally’s Sunshine. We shot it on location in Alicante, Spain and it’s a fictional twist on the kind of travel vlogs you’ll find all over YouTube. Kerry wrote, directed and plays the lead character in this one, with me taking most of the roles behind the camera and in post. I think it’s one of the most fun things we’ve ever done, and hope we’ll be able to bring it to Southend next year.
Q. If someone is looking to get into filmmaking, what advice would you give them?
A. Do it. Make films. Shoot them on your phone. Practice, practice, practice. There are only a couple of film schools in the whole country that will help you out if you’re looking for a career in film or TV, and that’s mainly with the networks they’ll get you access to. (Hint: 5 of last year’s nominees for Best Short Film at the BAFTAs were made at the NFTS). Write and rewrite a script or make friends with writers, and photographers, actors and people who love and want to help make films. You can shoot them on a phone and you don’t necessarily need money. In my opinion, the hardest part of shooting low-budget – and the thing that really lets down a lot of low budget productions – is actually sound. You can grade a picture, edit a better performance out of an actor, but fixing bad sound in post is a nightmare. So make friends with a good Sound Recordist and hang on to them.
Chad will be playing at the Southend Film Festival on 7th June at 11am as part of the Mostly Made in Southend Part One.
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets for ‘Chad’ 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!
