5th Apr. 2018.
Case Study: The Making of Beautified
Filmmaker: Emily Haigh
Director: Emily Haigh
Producers: Emily Haigh, Lisa Haigh
Budget: £2100
Financing: Crowdfunding and Self-financed
Production: Siren Call Films
Shooting Format: 4K
Screening Format: Apple Pro Res, DCP
World Premiere:
Website: Beautified
indieactivity: What is your film about?
Emily Haigh (EM): The story of three enslaved girls is the narrative behind the film, Beautified. The girls live in beautiful surroundings, hidden beneath it lay a dystopian society pushing the girls to perfection. My intension is to highlight “human trafficking” and the pressures of perfection laid on people.
Tell us about the festival run, marketing and sales?
Emily Haigh (EM): In the month of March, the production of Beautified wrapped.
Give the full official synopsis for your film?
Emily Haigh (EM): The girls in Beautified differ based on their racial background. A closer look the girls are eerily similar with long straight hair and features that they all share. The grooming of the girls are perfect. Alice and Eleanor dress up in uniform like clothes with two different colors. They share a feminine bedroom, almost a setting for a Disney story.
Alice and Eleanor prepare Belle; they groom her hair and dress her. Belle is lead off to ‘Sir’s’ room by Eleanor. Delighted with Belle’s appearance, Sir rewards Eleanor with a present and places a black box into her hands. Eleanor returns to the girl’s room with the box, she opens the box in front on Alice. Devastated with the gift, Alice gently assists Eleanor as they prepare themselves for the horrors hidden within the box.
Development & Financing?
Emily Haigh (EM): I wrote Beautified whilst finishing post-production on my other short film, Run Rabbit. In September, Beatriz Delgado DOP, BAFTA Crew Member, DOP joined the project. I launched an Indiegogo campaign in October, and attached the cast and crew. The casting process produced the actors. We were very excited to have Linda Louise Duan, Tahirah Sharif and Stephen Harakis join us. I took on the role of Eleanor in the film. I started searching for the locations in November. We locked the locations and shooting dates for the 16th and 18th January 2018.
Production?
Emily Haigh (EM): I financed a portion of Beautified. The main funds came from the amazing support we received through crowdfunding. The campaign ran for two months in 2017. Whilst the campaign was running, I started to attach a fantastic team together and searched for the locations. The locations are extremely important. A studio in London is setup for the darker scenes and it is thrilling to come across Magna Carta House on Magna Carta Island. The house fits the first half of the script perfectly. It is here, that The Magna Carta seal in 1215 and was a turning point in human rights.
We filmed over two days, the 16th January at Magna Carta House and the 18th January at a studio in London. The production was a true collaborative effort. I must say, that everyone worked incredibly well together, and the team finished an hour early on 16th March. We wanted an almost poetic feel to the film; everything flows as the drama unfolds.
Our editor, Simon Pearce received detailed rushes and notes. Whilst our composer, Neil Reed, set to work on the beautiful score. Once we had the final edit, the film went to our colorist Jonny Tully at Smoke and Mirrors. Oscar Kugblenu at 19 Sound, oversaw the sound mix. The film completed on the 5th March 2018. We have started to submit Beautified into a selection of film festivals.
Festival Preparation & Strategy?
Emily Haigh (EM): We have a press release we are sending out and have had a few great reviews. I have received suggestions to develop Beautified into a feature film.
The Release?
Emily Haigh (EM): Currently, we have sent a digital link to those who contributed as part of their Indiegogo perk, and have submitted the film to film festivals throughout the world.
Advice from the Filmmaker?
Emily Haigh (EM): Don’t stop! Whatever mistakes you may make are lessons to take to your next project, you never stop learning in this business.
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