BLOOM ~ A Short Film
'BLOOM' is a 12 minute, coming of age drama.
In the late 1990s of outer east Melbourne, lives Junie, a highschool girl right on the cusp of adulthood - her eighteenth birthday. She worries that her period is late so she buys a pregnancy test, but then discovers she is too early to take it and has one day to wait. Over this remainder of time we see how her secret puts her family ties; Aunt Vera, sister Luna and Luna’s boyfriend Spencer, into conflicting situations. Whilst her family try to celebrate her, her secret is eventually exposed as Vera discovers the pregnancy test box hidden in the bathroom and assumes it belongs to Luna. In the aftermath, Junie has to face the reality of growing up, by taking responsibility and learning the value of her family.
THE BLOOMIN' AMAZING TEAM
Writer/Director : Isobelle Amie
~ Isobelle has had a love for creating and filmmaking since a young age. Starting off with a love for acting at the age of 12, her desire to perform, create and tell stories has carried with her over the years. While Isobelle’s focus within this film is on writing and directing, she also has a strong talent within editing and producing. She edited short documentary 'The Clams' (2017) which had its premiere showcase at Canberra Film Festival (2018) and is about to be preview at Byron Bay International Film Festival this month and Chéries-Chéris in Paris in November. She has worked alongside some talented artists over the last several years and is looking forward to the next adventures of 2019, including the hopes of writing her first theatre piece, and next directorial short film.
Producer : Sarah Clayton
~ Sarah has been passionate about storytelling and entertaining since a young age. Her love for the theatre and arts began as a child growing up in New Zealand which continued over the years since she moved to Melbourne. Sarah has developed her producing skills whilst studying a Bachelor degree of Film and TV at Swinburne Univsersity of Technology. In 2017 she produced short films 'One' (2017) and 'Hakuumacaato' (2017) in which she met her filmmaking partner, Isobelle, who she hopes to continue working alongside as they build their filmmaking careers.
Cinematographer : Alanna Raif
~ Lover of cinematography, photography and all things visual, Alanna Raif is extremely passionate about female work behind the lens. After graduating from Swinburne University of Technology in 2017 with a Bachelor of Film and TV, she jumped onto the set of Jack Irish Season 2 and learnt some important lessons about the film industry and camera. Since then she has continued work in the industry on sets such as upcoming Stan series 'Bloom' (2018) and feature film 'The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee' (2019). Alanna’s DOP credits cover a variety of technical and aesthetic styles, including short films 'Lavender' (2017), 'Shepherd' (2017), 'Sharps' (2016), and poignant documentary 'Ask A Muslim' (2016). Her first short film, 'The Runaway' (2014), was selected for Top Screen 2015.
Production Designer : Amelia Childs
~ Amelia is a passionate storyteller, traveller and lover of entertainment, all of which influence her perspective into creating the visual world we see on screen. Currently completing her final year of a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Television, Amelia has been fortunate enough to work amongst the art department on many projects, leading her to be the Production Designer of four genre defining and contrasting short films, 'Act of Loving' (2017), 'Smoke' (2017), 'Cult Kidney' (2017) and 'Sleeping Dogs Wake' (2017).
Sound Designer : Trav Stewart
~ Trav is a bartender/barista currently living in Brunswick who moved from rural Victoria to study film. He has worked on various short films handling editing, producing, running, visual effects, sound design and recording and is currently prducing his graduate short film 'Bowline' (2018). He also works as a freelance web and graphic designer, and has catered to businesses and artists in the photography industry. Trav is looking forward to experimenting with constructing detailed natural soundscapes to build the world of 'Bloom' through sound.
Editor : Orit Novak
~ Orit is passionate about filmmaking and post production. As an editor she loves being a part of the story telling process in creating drama and emotion through the cut. She has experience in both directing and editing music videos and documentaries and looks forward to doing more of this area of filmmaking in the future. She says "I love Bloom because it is a sensitive coming of age story about a girl who is faced with a situation that I feel many girls experience but is not widely discussed. I am excited to be a part of creating this story and sharing it with the audience".
THE BLOOMIN' MAGICAL CAST
Junie, played by Tiarnie Coupland
Junie, 18, is a young woman grappling with the challenges of reaching womanhood, and living with her atypical family. She is carefree and kind, with a young and bright energy, but she carries a selfishness of teen angst, and an underlying sense of uncertainty. Portrayed by the darling Tiarnie Coupland, who you know from television titles such as 'Worst Year of My Life, Again!' (2014), 'Love Child' (2016), 'Jack Irish' (2018), and most recently appearing in feature film 'Back of the Net' (2018).
Luna, played by Venus Notarberardino
22, spiritual, smart and loving. She carries the weight of being the older sibling, and going through experiences first, as well as feeling protective of her younger sister, and searching for what she desires in life. Played by the gorgeous Venus Notarberardino, who graduated from 16th Street Actors Studio in 2017. This year she has performed in short films 'Luna' and 'Nèna', and has previously been on stage in productions such as 'A Dog Called Monkey' (2017), 'Everything is Fine' (2018) and recently played the lead in 'Hedda Gabler' at the Guild Theatre.
Aunt Vera, played by Kaarin Fairfax
The sisters' guardian, a caring and creative spirit. Played by the wise and wonderful Kaarin Fairfax; with a vast list of credits including 'One Night the Moon' (2001), 'StalkHer' (2015), 'West of Sunshine' (2017), as well as moments on Australian television classics like 'Kath & Kim' and 'SeaChange', and more recently taking part in Foxtel's 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' (2018).
Spencer, played by Nicholas Denton
23, a mechanic, boyfriend to Luna and on a journey of his own. Played by the incredibly talented Nicholas Denton; known from previous works such as 'Glitch' (2015-2017), 'Holding the Man' (2015), short films 'Rabbit' (2014), 'Pillars' (2017), and currently he is working on his next MTC theatre piece.
...and Venus the Cat, played by Todd River
TIMES ON SET
Budget Overview
Filmmakers and creators from all walks of life would know the true reality of the financial hardship that comes with creating. In any creative field you can put an immense amount of time, patience and money into building your projects and allowing them to grow to the vision that was started with. When I met our director, Isobelle in 2017 and she asked me to produce her graduate film, I knew immediately that this was where my energy over the next year would be spent. Isobelle has an incredible drive and passion for filmmaking and it was important for us both to put all that we could into getting our little baby up and running. As filmmakers we are all trying to tell stories that haven’t been told, or shed light on topics that need attention. It is a way to use our voice, connect with wider audiences and hopefully spread change where needed.
'Bloom' has been an incredibly challenging and rewarding project that the team and I have been pushing over the last eight months. Countless hours have been spent discussing themes and styles, designing and crafting props, writing up shot lists and searching for those perfect locations to bring the characters to life, just to name a few. Together, we worked hard to allow the story to come to the screen and after several months we were able to finally shoot what we now know as, ‘Bloom’.
However, getting there came with a price (literally!). We’ve had to spend a hefty amount to allow the team to create to their best ability. Our wonderful DOP, Alanna, and her powerhouse all female camera crew needed some old school Zeiss Superspeed lenses and Glimmer Glass filters to let our on screen ladies shine! Our production designer, Millie, needed to create the world in which Junie, Luna and Vera lived - in fact everything you see within the frame Millie has purposefully designed and placed there. Food to feed our hard working crew, lighting costs, travel expenses and not to forget our very beloved Venus the Cat, are some of the other extra costs that came with the production.
Filmmaking is a tough gig, we all know that. It requires commitment, patience, creativity, collaboration and a bit of money out of your own pocket to actually make something worth while. Many students from Swinburne University of Technology have been working tirelessly to get their projects up and running, but like many things in life, we need a little help. With your generosity and support we will be able to pay for the last costs that are involved in post production and hopefully soon be able to see our film on some big screens.
VISUAL EFFECTS (estimated $300-$500)
~ A few shots are in need of some visual effects to add to the reality of Junie's world.
5.1 SOUND MIX (estimated $800)
~ Sound is an incredibly powerful element! The manipulation of sound can create intense emotions and change perspectives. It can allow the story to move into a new direction and is an essential part of the storytelling process. With a 5.1 sound mix, ‘Bloom’ will be able to completely encapsulate you into its bloomy world!
COLOUR GRADE (estimated $800-$1000)
~ All those stylized pastel tones and soft complections of the characters need to have a little vibrance and pop! With a professional colour grade we will be able to tweak and tinker each shot of the film to be graded to the exact look of the late 90s and be able to fully dive into the world of Junie.
MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT (estimated $500)
~ 'Bloom' will be marketed through our online social media pages as well our website that will be launched in the next few months. We will also be creating posters and flyers to expose the film. However, these all come with costs to develop. Professional stills including the 35mm developing as well as our own personalised 'Bloom' font and posters which will be created by company Play On Play, all add up to extra costs in post production.
FILM FESTIVALS (estimated $1500)
~ Film festivals are a great way to get our film viewed by its specific and wider audiences. We will be spending a lot of time researching and planning which festivals nationally and internationally will best suit 'Bloom' and come up with a selective list that we will apply to. As each festival entry can cost anywhere between $40 to $100 each time, we want to ensure that the film is being exposed to the festivals that it is best suited to.
I want to thank you for taking the time to read our request. We appreciate your kindness and support and hope that we can one day repay the favour in your own projects and creativity. Thank you and I look forward to soon being able to show you our film, ‘Bloom’.
Sarah Clayton, Producer
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35mm on set stills by Alistair Green
Title image by Alexandra Paffenholz
See more at instagram.com/bloom_shortfilm
Become a Bloom Baby!
Your full name as a Pozible supporter in the final credits of the film!
Enter the drawer!
All of the above, plus receive a token to go into the drawer to win a surprise hamper!
Pastel up my life!
All of the above, plus receive an A5 poster of the film to add some pastel tones to your walls!
Private Screening
All of the above, plus an exclusive invite to our friends and family screening, with a beverage on us!
Me(w)ow, you're a bloomin' star!
All of the above, plus you can take home an exciting prop from set, like the collar of Venus the Cat!