Leave it on the Porch (Unreleased)
2023, Filmed in London
Trailor.
When a breakup leaves him feeling lost and aimless, Sam finds solace in a lonely bathtub as he tries to come to terms with his new situation.
Crew
Written and Directed by Tom Fredrickson
Produced By Mimi Collier
Director of Photography - Ellis Josebury
Production Design - Marlene Emilia Dodd, Isabelle Lester
1st Assistant Camera - Ethan Smith
Gaffer - Jeremiah Ho
Sound Design - Tom Fredrickson
Sound Recordist - Harvey Wilmot-Payne
Editor - Lalita Cornejo Spink
Colourist - Hance Rosales
synopsis.
After a recent breakup leaves him feeling without purpose, Sam wanders the streets every night in search of peace of mind. On one of these late night walks, he comes across a lonely, abandoned bathtub on the side of the street. Feeling a strange connection to it, he drags it back to his place and puts it in the garden, finding comfort in a space he can control and call his own. But as the breakup progresses and his flatmate Mark pushes him to truly move on, Sam only grows more and more insular, cocooning himself in the world of the bathtub until a confrontation with his ex forces him past breaking point. "leave it on the porch." is a film about love, the strange effects of loneliness and the difficulties of truly moving on.
visual inspirations.
Visually, the film is inspired by the likes of "Her", "Lost In Translation", "Y Tu Mama Tambien" and "The Pleasure of Being Robbed", utilising a subtly handheld approach to create an atmosphere of intimacy and humanity, while also helping give the scenes a sense of forward motion. Lots of the film plays out in more static wide shots, allowing the emotion of the characters on screen to speak for itself , as well as complementing Sam's feelings of being stuck and his inability to move on.
musical inspirations.
Music plays a big part in the film, and the concept and script were both heavily inspired by the shoegaze music of the 1990s. The hazy, melancholy atmosphere created by the genre's use of washed out guitar chords complements the film perfectly, and a handful of original material will be composed for the film. For examples of the shoegaze genre, see below:
themes.
"leave it on the porch." is a film about the strange things we all do after a breakup and in the face of loneliness. I've wanted to make a movie inspired by shoegaze music for a while now, and when I saw a bathtub on a late night walk, I found the narrative thread that would allow me to, as well as giving the film a unique visual and narrative draw. I think that while the plot of the film is fairly specific and niche, the aforementioned themes of loneliness and moving on are universal - all of us have felt them at some point. While the concept and script both certainly contain comedic moments and ideas, it's very important that the film does not become a comedy - everything will be played as straight as possible, letting moments of comedy arise without undercutting any of the weight of the story's emotional beats.
(Words all by Tom Fredrickson - Instagram @three_five_media - Youtube @THR33F1V3)