One script, no dialogue, pure improvisation.
Could it be done? We think so and this was down to the exceptionally talented
cast.
Matt Wolf (Dawnrazor) returned
to work with Director Marq English once again, playing
the hapless actor Alex Grant with strong support from Dawn Rhodes-Shaw,
Heather Tracy, Adam Shaw, Adrian Palmer, India Fisher, Sadie McMahon, Giuliano
Zampi and George Murphy.
Originally written in 1999, Shelf
Life was onceived as a humorous study of the acting profession through
the activities of one particular thespian. Drawing on the recent trend
of reality television, director Marq English decided that the documentary
approach best suited the style of the piece.
Using the storyline structure as
a baseline, the actors performed their parts from rehearsed improvisation
so to bring a naturalistic performance to the film.
This was an enjoyable shoot and the
production went very smoothly, filming from September 2002 to January 2003.
Music once again, was provided by
resident composer Ritchie Taylor and the songs composed and performed by
singer / songwriter Mel Sanson with the excellent 'Waiting Out' book
tailing the film.
The film was premiered on May 18th
2003 at the Sutton Short Film Festival where it was warmly recieved. Mel
Sanson even provided an acoustic version of the theme song to the Festival
attendees. A distribution deal was struck for European screening rights
in 2003 with a company called Fastshooters until they went (unfortunately)
out of business in 2004. |