Independent's 'Room 8' Gets BAFTA Recognition

It's common to see brand-related films receive plaudits from the adland media and awards shows, but what's significantly less familiar is for a filmmaking body like BAFTA to recognise the filmmaking prowess and reward the work with a nomination. However, with their short-form work for Bombay Sapphire, Independent Films' and Indy8 have done just that, earning an British Academy nod (EDIT - scratch that, a BAFTA WIN!) for James W Griffiths' fantastic 'Room 8'.

Stemming from the ingenious 'Imagination Series' campaign – Gravity Road's crowd-sourced competition for Bombay Sapphire inviting people to create filmable scripts and concepts from a piece of dialogue – 'Room 8' is a delightfully chilling mini-movie based around a prison cell, two strangers and an intriguing box. Focussing on a delicious 'what if?' scenario, the film succeeds due to a deft hand by Griffiths, compounding the tension and futility of the situation through clever stylistic choices and an understanding of genre.

We were over the moon when we heard that it was up for Best British Short in February's BAFTA ceremony, so jumped at the chance to chat top James (a former regular of our Presents screenings) about the project's development, the shoot and the awards potential.



First up, congratulations on the BAFTA nod. Were you expecting such accolades when you started work on the film?

Thank you! The thought of a possible BAFTA nomination was nowhere near my mind when we were making it and even when it was completed. It was a huge surprise when we got the nod!

How did you get involved in the 'Imagination Series' project?

It started off as an online competition. It was open to all filmmakers to write a treatment based around dialogue written by Geoffrey Fletcher. Five treatments where chosen to be produced by Independent Films in London. I adapted my treatment into a script and, as it turned out, was lucky to be able to direct it, as it was mainly a writing competition.

The project is an interesting one, giving you stipulations on timeframe and moments of scripted dialogue, but leaving setting, characters and scenario up to you. Did you find the limitations a burden or a good springboard for the concept? Did you have the idea floating around previously?

I found the limitations very much a great catalyst in creating the story. I think when presented with restrictions it forces your creativity to think of clever ways around them, rather than being presented with a blank page where the story could go anywhere or nowhere at all. I'd been wanting to tell a story that explores the idea of infinite and identical multiple universes and how that would be told in a real and grounded setting, when this project came about, it was the perfect opportunity to use it.



The setting of yours is a delightfully macabre 'Twilight Zone' style concept. How did the script/planning develop?

The first idea was to have a character open a box and find an exact replica of the room he is in, and see a smaller version of himself sitting in that room looking into another box and so on. Then he looks up and sees infinitely bigger versions of himself. Then there's a key line of dialogue that I had to put in: "Where are you going?" That meant that one of the characters obviously had to go somewhere. Which then set up the idea of the character jumping out of his box into the next dimension. But that presented a problem: why would anybody want to make themselves that tiny? That led on to the idea of setting it in a prison cell, he makes himself smaller so he can escape under the door. Then it evolved from there.

How was the shoot? At first glance it looks 'relatively' straightforward, being a single set, but there are obviously effects complications. How did you plan for that?

We built the set in one of Europe's biggest blue screen stages at Alvernia Studios in Poland. That allowed us to have almost 360 degree keying options even when shooting straight up. We also built a practical ceiling that moved up and down on a hinge like it does in the film. That allowed us to have realistic lighting changes as he moves the lid up and down. Everything was keyed and composited by the good folks at MPC in London. Also, the advantage of working on a set rather than on location is that we could remove the walls to shoot in any direction we wanted, which is a great advantage in such a small space. Another advantage of shooting in Poland is that we found a great prison location to film the opening shots, its just a few seconds but it really grounds the film in reality. It was a real working prison and was apparently also used in 'Schindler's List'.



The story is deliberately mysterious. When writing something like this, do you have a wider universe/explanation or is that not important?

I have a whole backstory for both characters and for the cell. It's set in a very specific time and place (Soviet-era Russia) and although its not something the audience needs to know, it focuses all the visual elements into one specific style, so the costumes, props and set design all come together to represent a particular 'look' for the film. That then brings a certain authenticity to the film which heightens the surprise of the twist. As a writer/director I find it useful for the characters have a back-story because it informs how the character is played and what decisions that character makes. Also, to have an explanation for the cell ensures that there's certain logic to everything that happens, so, as the writer I have an answer to any question about what happened in the story.

The effects obviously had to fit in with the grainy aesthetic of the piece as a whole. How did you work those in?

For the whole film we went with a handheld look to give a realistic and authentic feel. That meant that the effects also needed to look handheld. We didn't have the budget or time to employ any complicated tracking for camera movement so the effects shots where filmed with a static camera then given a 'handheld' movement in post.



What with this and the fantastic Nokia 'Splitscreen' film, you seem to be king of winning brand-related short film competitions. What's the secret? What tips would you give to filmmakers getting a start in the industry?

I think these kinds of competitions are great for new filmmakers because they provide a platform for the film to be shown, and by definition, as it's a brand, the finished film will be promoted which is invaluable for a short film. However, there are two different kinds of online film competition, one is where the brand ask for the entrant to pitch their idea, its judged by a qualified panel, then if they like it, that brand will give that filmmaker money to make it, which is a great opportunity for filmmakers. The other kind is less interesting to me, the brand will ask the entrant to make a fully realised film (that actively advertises that product) with their own money, then enter it into an online voting platform where members of the public will vote for the best one. The difference between the two is with the first one, the quality of the idea is judged by a qualified panel and given a good budget to make it, the second one is made with your own money and if you don't win, you've wasted your money on an advert rather that a film you can send to festivals.

What's the secret? Who knows?! But I think it comes down to two things, firstly you need a great story at the heart of the film, something that people are going to want to watch and be entertained by. Secondly you need to surround yourself with great creative people to help you make the film. You need a great producer, DP, production designer, sound designer, composer etc If all those people are great at what they do then the job of the director is very easy. Its a group effort, personally I hate it when I see 'A Film By ___' at the beginning of a short film, because unless that person did absolutely everything on it, then its not just 'by' them at all. (by the way I was contractually obliged to put 'From the imagination of James W. Griffiths' at the start of the online version of Room 8!!)

As for getting a start in the industry, there's no one clear path, everyone comes into it from different places. But the one obvious factor is you need to make a great film. Whether you put it straight up online or go the festival route, that's up to you. There are people out there actively looking for great short films and in todays connected online world if you have a great film online then chances are someone important is going to see it and approach you. But be careful, you may get a lot of managers, prod cos, agents approach you, some legit and some not so much, do you research before you make any commitments. Some festivals may not accept films that have been online but that's starting to change. We are lucky that BAFTA do accept online films!



What's up next for you? Have you picked up your tux from the dry cleaners?

I've got a new short film coming out very soon that we shot in Iceland in the summer. I acted in that one myself so I'm looking forward to seeing what people think of it…

As for the tux, I haven't got one, think I'll rent one from somewhere…