23 NFTS graduates worked on the latest British indie hit film Containment, which has received glowing 4 star reviews in the press from film critics who described it as ‘the standout indie feature of the year’ (Screen Relish) and ‘Explosive, exciting’ (Britflicks).
The thriller film, written by David Lemon (screenplay) and director Neil Mcenery-West (story), is produced by NFTS graduates Casey Herbert and Pete Smyth and includes cinematography by NFTS graduate Arthur Mulhern and music by NFTS composing graduate Graham Hadfield, who won the Accession Award for his work on the soundtrack.
Containment is a tense thriller about a man who wakes one morning to discover that the doors and windows of his flat have been sealed shut. He assumes it’s a sick joke until he sees an army of ‘Hazmats’ – mysterious figures in protective suits – patrolling the grounds and attacking his fellow residents. When a neighbour smashes through their adjoining wall, Mark joins forces with his new-found ally and others from within the block. But they soon discover that the greatest danger is sealed inside with them.
Speaking to NFTS students following a special screening of the film at the school, Casey Herbert explained how the film project developed from a long term friendship with fellow producer Christine Hartland, who first brought her Neil Mcenery-West’s idea in 2009. She was also friends with NFTS Cinematographer Arthur Mulhern who quickly established rapport with Neil shortly before the shoot began, something that Arthur said was vital to the director /DoP relationship.
Funding:
Neil originally came to Casey for advice on the original script but it wasn’t until three years later that they started to raise the finance. Casey said she was proud that they managed to get the film financed, although it wasn’t through traditional routes, in fact the full amount of £200,000 came from one investor.
Ground rules:
When Casey and Pete Smyth (Fellow NFTS Producer) first started working together, they laid down some ground rules about microbudget film production: stick to exterior locations with little need for lighting; work with a skeleton crew; try to keep your cast numbers down to two or three characters (none of them children); and don’t tell stories that need special effects or visual effects. “This film broke every one of the microbudget rules but we still got it made and we’re delighted that it has a distribution deal in place,” she said.
Many of the crew also acted in the film including Casey who was the stunt double for Louise Brealey in the scene where she was injured.
Fast turn around
Asked by students what he was most proud of, Arthur said: “The fact that we were able to make the feature film on such a small budget with just 18 shoot days, but with the benefit of a fantastic location and a great cast. This was in no small part down to the incredible effort put in by every single crew member – especially the Art Department who pretty much worked 24 hours a day.”
In addition, Arttu Salmi (NFTS Editing grad) edited everything on his own computer and all the visual post-production (grade, VFX and online) was handled by just one other person in order to keep to budget.
When asked what was the key element to making this successful independent film, Casey and Arthur both agreed that with such a low-budget feature film, they knew that they could all trust each other implicitly. Casey said: “Having met and worked together at the NFTS, we knew that the standard of work would be top class and the project ended up feeling like an extended graduation film!”
Film release details:
Containment opened in London cinemas and on iTunes on Friday 11th September and goes on wider release in selected UK cinemas and other VoD platforms (including Sky Store) on Monday 14th September.
NFTS graduate credits on this film:
Casey Herbert Producer
Pete Smyth Producer
Sarah Senior Co Producer/Line Producer
Arthur Mulhern Cinematographer
Ben Hecking 2nd Unit Director / DoP
Alexandra Breede 2nd Unit Assistant Director
Eleonore Cremonese Production Designer
Steven Granger Art Director
Jamie Burrows Daily Set Dresser
Romain Hemeray Daily Set Dresser
Paul Savulescu Daily Set Dresser
Arttu Salmi Editor
Nikola Medic Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer
Jordan Tewkesbury Production Sound Mixer
Jonathan Riddell Boom Operator
Simon Gill Production Sound Mixer: Dailies
Nicholas Thompson Special Effects Assistant
Jennifer Groves Special Effects Supervisor
Esteban Frost Production Manager
Chiara Ventura Additional Production Manager
Chris Dubock Sealant Supervisor
Graham Hadfield Composer
