1. What motivated you to make this film?
We wanted to make a really stylised montage film in the same vein as the bigger, worldwide commercials we draw inspiration from, kind of like a Spec Ad. But we’ve also always done comedy and in the age we live in of fast changing technology, we thought taking something relatively silly and treating it as thought it was a serious subject could be a lot of fun.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
We finalized the script towards the end of 2019 and shot the bulk of the film in the first few months of 2020 – but then then Pandemic hit. We still had a few scenes to shoot but decided we would get stuck in to the edit anyway and so we both spent our lockdowns on Zoom, sharing our screens and editing different parts of the project together. As lockdown lifted, we shot the final scenes over a year after we’d started shooting the film. In real terms, it was shot in about 14 days across that time period.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Uncomfortably realistic.
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Aside from the pandemic and editing remotely, the biggest obstacle was the sheer number of locations and actors we had to get involved in the film. Because of the varying locations, we’d often need to set aside full days to shoot just one scene – it was a real time commitment and a different experience to other shorts we’ve made that have all been shot in one single block.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
We’ve not had the chance to really show this film to anyone outside of family and friends so it was actually quite moving hearing the video reactions from people that we’d never met. It was also really interesting to know the ideas we had in our heads had successfully translated to screen and the audience were picking up on that. When I showed Gulliver, I didn’t actually tell him what the video was, I just played it in front of him and was quite taken aback.
Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Both of us have been making films since we were children – we always knew we wanted to create things and when we both met at University, it was a natural pairing. We’ve been making films and content together ever since and now run a creative production agency in London called Sunday Treat.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
For me, it’s Shaun of the Dead. It came out at a time where I was really finding out was films and comedy were so it’s just stuck in my mind.
For Gulliver, it’s Parasite. It encapsurtaltes every genre of film in an elegant and delightfully sophisticated way.
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
I honestly think the audience feedback is incredible and unlike anything else I’ve seen before at a festival. It’s a major boon to have.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
We’ve always done our festivals through FilmFreeway and found it a great way to batch enter into things.
10. What is your favourite meal?
Oliver: A meaty spaghetti bolognese.
Gulliver: Paneer Curry
11. What is next for you? A new film?
We’re really passionate about making independent projects on the side of our Commercial work so we’ve got a few things in the pipeline; we’re making a few Spec Ads and also developing a comedy feature.
Matthew Toffolo's Summary 