Make-Up for a martyr

This is a Film I have written and will be directing later this summer alongside a crew of talented filmmakers and artists. The 15-20 minute film will explore important themes of identity, control, desire, pride and the yearning to connect and be seen.  Through happenstance, a recruitment consultant and a folk musician are drawn into a tense and emotionally charged bond. At first transient, their connection gradually unearths wounds as they become more entangled, deeper wounds arise, leading to choices with haunting and painful consequences.

Our crew

I am working with like-minded, talented filmmakers from Kingston Uni and beyond, who believe in the project, and our collective efforts will result in a powerful outcome that demonstrates our hard work and skill. 

Pierce Bourke - I’m a writer and director drawn to brutally honest, nuanced narratives about destruction, denial, and the sometimes sickening ways we try to make ourselves whole as humans.

A few months ago, I was searching for a story, something that explored those themes, but they were scattered and abstract in my mind. Until suddenly, they all came crashing into view, along with the pavement. I came off a public e-bike on Halloween night and split my nose open. I spent hours in A&E, my face buried in blood-soaked tissue, waiting to be glued back together.

As I sat there, the themes that had been circling in my head started to align: identity, control, desire, delusion, pride, and the desperate yearning to be seen. They formed a clear image, a feeling, a story, and Make-Up for a Martyr.

Right now, the script is solid, but it’s still just a blueprint. With the right support, my crew and I are ready to bring this story to life on screen: intense, sometimes uncomfortable, but always honest.

Morgan Cecil Smith - I'm excited to be producing this film, and I'm eager to get to work. I will be providing the director and the rest of the crew with the resources they need to succeed, and will guide some creative decisions with the knowledge I possess. I'm confident in our crew, and I'm looking forward to the hard work ahead. “I carry the piano for the artists to play."

Budget

Making a film on this scale is costly, and this is where we need all the help we can get. The money you donate will go towards actors, location hire, equipment hire, props, makeup artists, travel expenses, and catering. If we have any budget left after production, it will be used to submit the film to festivals and/or donated to charity.

Actors                               300

Location Hire                    500

Travel                                450

Catering                            250

Make-Up Artist                 300

Props                                300

Equipment                        400

Total                              2,500

Rewards

We have some rewards to thank everyone who donates, whatever the amount you might give. All donors will be mentioned in the credits, and other rewards are available, such as tickets to the premiere, access to the director's cut and a copy of the film's poster.

£1 Donation - A special thanks in our end credits

£10 Donation - Access to the Director's Cut

£25 Donation - An invitation to the premiere of the film

£50 Donation - All of the above and a copy of the film's poster (to be designed)

Help us succeed!

You don't need to give money to help us succeed!  Please share this project on social media or with anyone you think would support us.

Please sponsor us and help make this happen.

Find us here

Follow us to find out how we're doing @makeupforamartyr on Instagram. 

Contact us at makeupforamartyr@gmail.com if you want to get involved.