I’m excited to share with you my new short film, ‘A Productive Lockdown’. The project was a callback to the types of films I made when I was starting out; no-funding, no crew; just me and some talented actors. I have always been an advocate of no-budget filmmaking, of having an idea and running with it. The film was made in a spirit of joy and creativity and I hope you feel that when you watch it.
‘A worldwide, six month lockdown, inspires a man to finally commit to writing a novel. Little does he know that his own girlfriend secretly harbours writing ambitions of her own.’
You can view the film below:
The film stars Jay Sutherland, Lucy-Jane Quinlan and Nicola Kelleher. Collectively they were the perfect cast for this short film – and they shared my passion for this type of filmmaking. The key thing for me when directing is to find actors who buy into the process and style of creation. Doing a no-budget film isn’t for everyone – but these guys were really committed to what I was doing.
The music for the film was created by singer/songwriter Jeremy Mayle. I first worked with Jeremy in 2006, and we have collaborated many times in the years since. However, this is our first short film together since 2007. Jeremy is a huge part of the history of my filmmaking and it means a lot to have him creating music for my films again.
The film is inspired in many ways by my own internal battles with creativity. When friends watched an early edit of the film, they asked if this was inspired by my relationship. But the truth is, I see the two characters more as two of the voices that live in my head. One voice, full of determination to be creative. The other voice, more intuitive and free falling.
In an ideal world, I didn’t want to be making films set in a Covid-19 universe, but in many ways, it felt unavoidable. How could I ignore something that has impacted our world so deeply? In a dramatic sense, utilising the pandemic as a dramatic tool is useful. It enables me to keep characters in one location, unable to get away from their problems. It is this premise that gives the film the dramatic impetus it needed to be believable and, I hope, to keep your attention.
The film will be permanently available on my films page, as will all future short film releases. Thank you for watching!
2 Responses
Amazing, you are so talented, really great short film
Absolutely brilliant. Definitely calls back to the feel of early Daniel Johnson films, while striking new and obviously relevant chords. Amazingly talented cast; compelling and committed, and exceedingly watchable. The dialogue is–as always–quintessential, and the framing and editing are signature style. Daniel, you are not just a filmmaker; you are a creative force, a vanguard, a true auteur. You also happen to be my favorite. Well done, mate…again. And more, please.