Interview Three

M a r k   J e a v o n s

BudgetFilmMaker.com: Ok Mark sorry for the delay with the questions, So tell me about your new film “The Boy with a Thorn In His Side” What is it all about? (list cast and crew too)?

Mark Jeavons: 'The Boy with a Thorn in His Side' is a quirky comedy that centres around Billy Heinlickburger, an 18 year old loser who's a bit lost in the world. It's 93 minutes long, and I made the film in August 2004. The main cast include: Alec Sedgley, Morgan Lees, Graham Pollard and Sue Kimberley. I wrote/directed/produced/edited the film, and my Director of Photography was Ben Sampays, who I collaborated with on my last short film: 'My Necrophiliac Bride'.

BFM: How did you first come up with the idea for the film  ‘The Boy In Thorn In His Side’?

MJ: I first came up with the idea for the film about five years ago when I was obsessed with Woody Allen comedies. For the first draft of the script, I wanted to write a comedy in the same vein as Woody's romantic comedies such as: 'Annie Hall' and: 'Manhattan' but from a teenager's point of view. I was also pretty fed up with being an unemployed teenager at the time, trying to find my way in life, so I wanted to express myself through the main character as well.

BFM: Did you create the character Billy based on anyone you know?

MJ: Yep...myself. I can honestly say that I was Billy Heinlickburger when I was 18 years old....a bit of a clown with lofty ambitions. I'd like to think I've grown up and changed a fair bit since then!

BFM: The Heinlickburgers where and how did you think up that name? Hhehehh
 

MJ: I can't remember how and when I came up with that name, I just remember wanting to give Billy a really silly sounding German surnname, and that's what I came up with!

BFM: Mark, what message were you trying to convey in this film?

MJ: I guess the overall message I was trying to convey is how difficult it can be when you're a teenager, which can be a confusing time, especially if you're creative and don't know how to find a career for yourself. So I wanted to express that whole teenage period of rebellion, confusion, alienation, finding yourself in this world and learning to grow up. That sounds quite bleak, but the film is a comedy, trust me!

BFM: Before you made “The Boy In Thorn In His Side”, you made 5 other shorts, which can all be found on my site. How Do you feel you have progressed from the shorts you have made??

MJ: I'd like to think I've developed my own style as a filmmaker since making my short films, as well as communicating my ideas better to actors. I'd like to think I've progessed in all aspects as a filmmaker, from writing, producing, directing and editing.
 

BFM:  How did your shoot go? Were there any positive experiences, fallouts, problems etc. on set? Feel free to discuss these?

MJ: The shoot was a very stressful time for me as I was the sole person responsible for getting the film made.  I had so many things to consider and we were under a very tight schedule to shoot all our scenes in. There was also a bit of friction between certain cast members and myself, but there were never any fallouts as such. Although it sounds like a tough experience, I know that all the cast and crew members had a fun time making the film and there were plenty of good times too.

BFM: What advice would you give anyone who has shooting a feature on a low budget?

MJ: Preparation, preparation, preparation. That's what it comes down to, regardless of what budget you're shooting on. But the most important aspect would be the script - make sure your story is the best it possibly can be, rewrite and then rewrite again. Don't waste money on unecessary things that aren't vital to the production.

BFM: How long did the whole production take to finish and what was your budget for this film? (break down costs)

MJ: Pre-production lasted for 3 months, the shoot lasted for 17 days (though this was spread over two seperate long weeks) and post-production lasted for another 3 months. The overall budget would be about £4,500 - I'm afraid I can't give you an exact breakdown in costs, but money was spent on;

Travel Expenses, Props, Food, Insurance, Wide Angle Lense, Van Hire, Dolly & Track Hire, Location Hire.

BFM: Did “The Boy With A Thorn His Side” turnout like you expected?

MJ: No, i don't think it did turn out as I expected to be honest. When you write your script you have your own vision as to how the film will look and I don't think any film will ever match your own vision exactly. Having said that, I'm not disappointed with how the film turned out, not at all. Plus the structure of the film changed a lot in the edit, which I didn't foresee.

BFM: Were there any special effects that you used during this productions and how did you do it?

MJ: The only special effect in the film would be of a shot of a couple standing outside a cafe. The shot freezes and then transforms into a watercolour painting. This effect was achieved by using various basic effect software in Windows Movie Maker.

BFM: Where do you shoot the film? And how and where did you get permission to shot in the locations.

MJ: The film was mostly shot in and around Wolverhampton, though we also shot a few scenes in Birmingham and Stourbridge. Permission to film in various locations was just a case of asking, but for a few locations I had to pay a fee to film there.

BFM: I noticed you used all the actors from your previous films, I am sure I have see the lead actress on TV?, Any idea from where?

MJ: That's right, several of the actors in the film have appeared in my previous films, mostly because I knew I could trust and rely on them and that they are good actors. As for the lead actress Morgan Lees appearing on TV, I don't think she's done much TV work, so I can't help you there.

BFM: What company did you use to recruit your actors?

MJ: I'm certain I only advertised in Talent Circle, not even Shooting People or PCR, as I knew who I wanted for most of the roles in the film.

BFM: Ok mark I seen this film a few times, why did you choose that ending? Were there any other endings your could of chosen.

MJ: Actually, the ending of the film was suggested by Morgan Lees, so credit has to go to her for that. The original ending was that Billy meets Susan at the bus stop, tells her he's going to travel the world, he walks off and that's it, the end. But that ending felt a little abrupt, so I changed it to Billy being successful as an artist/rock star/novelist, he meets up with Susan and they walk off into the distance, the end. But that felt too cheesy as well, so we went with Morgan's idea in the end.

BFM:  What do you think happed to Billy? After he came out of hospital?

MJ: Maybe Billy comes out of hospital and is back in the same situation as he was before, back to square one. Maybe he doesn't come out of hospital at all. I think that's a question I'll leave the audience to decide.

BFM: Ok, ok now on to the some technical questions? What equipment did you use on the shoot it itself? Please list them if possible?

MJ: We shot the film on a Sony DSR570 camera which is a high quality DV camera. Vey expensive, though I had use to the equipment for free. We also used three basic redhead lights.

BFM: Finally, why did you make a film on such a subject? What did you edit your film on? List all equipment including software and hardware?

MJ: I edited the film on a limited edition of Adobe Premiere version 6 if my memory serves me right. I also used two external hard drives to fit all the footage onto my computer!

BFM: Ok what you do different on this film if you had to remake it?

MJ: I'd make sure the technical side of things would be improved on: the lighting, the sound, and I would shoot on either HD or film if I could afford it. And I would probably recast one or two of the actors, but not all, rewrite the script, and make sure I got better performances from the cast.

BFM: So what is the next project on the horizon for you?

MJ: I'm currently working on two features at the minute. Firstly is: 'The Illuminati' which is a dark conspiracy thriller which would cost the earth to make. That'll probably take me a long time to raise the finance for, so in the meantime I'm planning another feature which I'd like to shoot next year and possible on film. This is a low budget comedy in the same vein as: 'The Boy with a Thorn in His Side'. Have a look at my website: www.sepiafilms.co.uk for regular updates.

BFM: Thanks again for doing the interview, we wish you the very best for the future.

      Please contact Mark Jeavons to find out how to see  'The Boy with a Thorn In His Side'