BUMP!, 30min., UK, Romance/Comedy
Directed by Andrew Hollingworth
After a crash, two lives become tangled in a romantic web, where they complete each other, just not in the way they think.

After a crash, two lives become tangled in a romantic web, where they complete each other, just not in the way they think.

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Interview with director Andrew Hollingworht

1. What motivated you to make this film?
This story is something very close to my heart as it has been written from personal experiences. Bump! is originally a play and a story which I have been telling on stage for a few years. I have always felt it would translate well to film. It is about connections and questions whether life is led by fate or chance. That said, it isn't supposed to have a deep moral message at the heart of it. It is purely a piece of entertainment and I want to make an audience laugh (and sometimes cry).
One of the main reasons to make this film was from a networking point of view. As an actor, a writer or (now) a director I am excited about the possibility of this leading to more work. Much like the film, connections are what it is all about.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The original play was written in 2015. I decided to adapt it to a film in about 2019. We filmed in 2020, just before the UK went into lockdown and it took me 2 years of off-and-on editing.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Fast. Physical.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Adapting this from a stage play into a film was quite a challenge. Firstly, we didn't know if the style would work on screen. It is all quite heightened and larger than life which usually lends itself more to theater. Also, the piece had been so tightly rehearsed and choreographed which was a blessing and a curse. This meant that big chunks of dialogue had already found their shape before the filming began. It probably made us less flexible when it came to experimenting with different ideas that may have worked better on camera.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was such an amazing feeling to hear people I have never met talking about something I have made. I smiled throughout.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I have always been on film sets as an actor and have admired and loved the work of the crew. Naturally, you pick things up and begin to understand more about how a film set operates. That said, the actual catalyst that made me want to jump into filmmaking is actually a little more backwards. I was on set, working as an actor, and the director was doing a terrible job. So many corners were being cut and there was no attention to detail. I thought I could do better.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
It's probably a close call between The Mask and Superbad.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
This is my first festival circuit ever so I don't think I know if I am honest.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
It is very simple and easy to understand.

10. What is your favorite meal?
A roast chicken dinner.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I have another idea for a film but I would like to see where this festival circuit takes me. I am open to collaborating with others, networking and just going with the flow a bit.

Director Biography - Andrew Hollingworth

Andrew trained as an actor at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. He has worked as an actor in the industry for over 10 years in theatre, film and television. In 2015 he set up a theatre company - Buckle Up Theatre. With this company he has written and produced plays and toured work all over the world.

Director Statement
Having come from the world of theatre, venturing into film making has been an enjoyable challenge. 'Bump!' is a story which I have been telling on stage for a few years and I have always felt it would translate well to film.

“Bump!” originated from a sketch I wrote for an acting showcase that I was performing in with a friend. I had this idea for a meet-cute where both the characters are speaking their inner minds to the audience. This allowed for plenty of comedy not only in the distinction between what a character says versus what they mean, but also with quick-paced physicality. On stage, both characters would quickly turn out and say something to the audience before turning back into their conversation. This evolved into having the characters speaking over each other and sometimes saying the same thing. With the collisions in the dialogue, I wanted to add a literal collision and so I had Eliana bump into the back of Ian's car. I felt that the word 'Bump!' suited its title.

After the showcase, I had some good feedback from a director friend of mine, who agreed to help me develop this sketch into a full play. Eventually, I found more meaning with the title 'Bump!' - delicately under-laying the theme of quantum physics and colliding particles within this story. This threw up questions of fate and whether things are predetermined – ultimately giving 'Bump!' a bit more depth and poignancy to the physical comedy it was on the surface.

To adapt the play into a film was a bit of work. A few scenes had to be cut and some things that worked on stage wouldn't quite work in film. Once I had my DOP on board we did some trial shots to see how the quick-paced, overlapping dialogue would look as the two characters look directly into the camera. We also experimented with split screen shots - some of which are found in the finished film. However, for the most part we tried to keep things relatively simple. The choreography of the actors was already complex and interesting enough that we didn't need to over-complicate things further with the cinematography.

Finally, the colour scheme from the stage version is something I wanted to carry over into the film production. The only colour we use is Red (allowing for Blacks, Whites and Greys also). This created a whole lot of work in pre-production. Finding a roadside location with a redbrick building and creating a P.C superstore with only red products are just a couple of the challenges we had to overcome. It was important not to flex on this. The dialogue, movement and the quantum theme are all about precision and the colours help to tie these all together.

CAST LIST:

Oriana Charles - Eliana
Andrew Hollingworth - Ian