THE FILM

After the sudden loss of her beloved grandfather, a grieving young girl discovers that when she accidentally feeds her grandfather’s ashes to her goldfish ‘Chips’ he speaks to her.  

Whilst her mother is consumed by her own loss and regret, the young girl finds great comfort in the belief that the spirit of her grandfather now lives on in the goldfish.

Overjoyed, she spends every spare moment with him, sharing all the things she never got to say until one day, to her horror, the fishbowl is gone.  Has she lost him all over again?

In her distress, she confronts her mother, only to realise, her mother’s loss is greater than her own.

It’s time to share her secret so they can both say goodbye to her much-loved grandfather forever.

OUR STORY

We have both worked our way up in the industry ‘earning our stripes but the opportunities for female filmmakers in Scotland is limited. Last year Less than 3% of dramas were directed by Scottish female talent!  

Hindering us further is the fact we are also mothers. A blessing, of course, but when it comes to filmmaking, babies, on your hip, are a tricky addition.

So we have decided that we have to find a way to do it on our own terms. We work when our children go to bed. We work while we are commuting to our day job, walking the dog or making the dinner.  Fortunately, we live in a world where all that is possible with shared drives and mobile phones.

We believe passionately that women need to be both behind and in front of the camera if we are to have our voices heard.

Chips is our first joint project and we are hoping it’s a small step towards changing the status quo here in Scotland.  Your support will allow us to take a crucial step forward. The money raised through this campaign will be used to fund the shooting costs as well as the post-production process: editing, colour correction, sound design and visual effects required to bring ‘Chips’ to life

The subject matter is close to our hearts. Nothing prepares you for losing a parent, but when it happens to you unexpectedly, it’s even more distressing.

When my Dad died very suddenly, I was devastated. I never got the chance to say things I wanted to say and more importantly, I never got the chance to say goodbye.

When the Arri Alexa Challenge announced that ‘Magic’ was their theme this year, I knew immediately what I wanted to make a film about. What if the magic of your imagination could help you find a way to say goodbye to a loved one you’ve lost?

Daisy was there when my dad died. We are good friends as well as colleagues, so she was a great support to me. She dropped everything to look after my children the night it happened.

When I told her what I wanted to make the film about she agreed one hundred percent. But, she pointed out that the key to film was to find the right device to tell the story. When learned that the competition theme for this year was magic, Daisy had a bolt out of the blue: she saw a child feeding the ashes of someone she loves to a goldfish. That’s when the concept for Chips was born.

We are thrilled to say that our idea was selected for the Directors UK, ARRI Alexa Challenge 2019, meaning that we will be given the generous loan of a full ARRI Alexa camera kit, along with lighting equipment from Pinewood MBS Lighting.

It will however take more than lights and camera for us to shout action. We need your support to make this film happen.

THE LOCATIONS

We wanted the film to have a strong sense of place so we have set in a fishing village on the East coast of Scotland.  The exteriors of the fishing village and the harbour will be framed by the darkness of the North Sea. The trajectory of the Scottish winter sun will create a magical light which will be able to be captured to its full effect on the Arri Alexa.  

We are striving to create a rich, filmic look and to reflect the light and shade of the story through the way we shoot the film. The distinctive character of the winter light in Scotland lends itself to a large-format look which we will achieve with the Arri Alexa and their lenses will help creative a cinematic look.

In contrast, the interiors will feel empty and claustrophobic.  We will play with light and simple art direction to create the feeling that the child’s experience of grief mirrors that of the fish stuck in the bowl.

The colour of the child’s hair and the colour of the goldfish will create a warm accent color in contrast to the bluey-grey exterior as well as the white empty interiors. The Arri Alexa will be able to give the richness and crispness of color and saturation this film needs to shine.

The film will be shot in two days on location in Fife which is a place I spent a lot of my childhood with my Dad. There are two exterior and two interior locations all within close proximity. The cast is small with only one lead to keep the proposition achievable.  

THE CHARACTERS

SHAUNA: An introspective 10-year-old from a Scottish East coast fishing village.  She is not only struggling to process her loss but she feels abandoned by her mother who is also consumed by her grief. We watch as her mood moves from withdrawn and grief-stricken to joyful until the moment she thinks she’s lost  ‘Chips’ again.

AILSA: Shauna’s Mother has struggled to bring her daughter up on her own and has been heavily reliant on her father’s support. It was something she never talked about with him because she felt ashamed that she had to go cap in hand to him when her marriage fell apart. It was a difficult relationship anyway.  When he died suddenly she realised she had never told him just how grateful she was for all his unquestioning love and support to herself and her daughter. She finds herself unable to cope with the loss and has nothing left to give to Shauna.

CHIPS:  A devoted grandfather he adored Shauna feeling able to show her the affection he held back from his daughter. After her mother passed away he too had struggled with grief and had withdrawn from her just as she withdrew from Shauna.

THE CAST

SOPHIE LAWSON:

Ten-year-old Sophie Lawson began performing in Stagecoach and has since graduated onto Glasgow’s Harlequin Youth Theatre, as well as dancing for the Scottish Ballet.

I came across Sophie when I was doing drama with some kids at a local school. She really stood out from the crowd. This is her first film role and I feel sure she is perfect for the part.

Casting is ongoing for Ailsa and Chips. We'll keep you updated on our progress.

THE CREATIVE TEAM

POST PRODUCTION

Fortunately, Karen has previously worked on lots of films with complex VFX, so we are hoping to capitalise on that and work with some of the best VFX people in the country to bring ‘Chips’ to life.  They will give us the best deal possible but we will still incur costs that have to be covered.

The finished film will be screened at BAFTA as part of being selected for the Arri Alexa Challenge, which is a fantastic way to start and because of that, the film could potentially get lots of attention but only if it’s knock out!

We believe we have all the ingredients we need to make that happen. All we need is for you to think so too and ‘chip in’.

In return we are offering what we hope are some pretty unique perks:

• A chance to stay in a beautiful cottage in the East Coast of Scotland for a weekend so you to can experience first hand the fishing village we filmed in as well as the surrounding of St Andrews and Fife.
• As Daisy is a professional script editor, we are also offering the opportunity to benefit from that.

Familiar options are also available of course, such as a 'thank you' in the film's credits, invitations to the cast and crew screening and, of course, the opportunity to see the film long before its made public.

We recognise times are hard and not every sympathetic reader will be in a position to donate. If this applies to you, you can still help by raising awareness about our film and our campaign among your friends and family and - most importantly - by sharing our campaign and putting in a good word for us on Twitter @ChipsFilm & Instagram @Chips.film or anywhere else you spot us through your social media portal of choice.

Please dig deep and chip in to help make our film happen.