Interview: Elena Dapelo on Shooting Short Films

Can you give us a brief synopsis of the film?
Sorry We Missed You (the current working title, subject to change) all about courtships misunderstandings and bad timings. Aida’s overwhelming attentions scare off her neighbour Peter, but when cocky Daniel moves in and she is led on by his charm, Peter begins to watch her more closely. Aida is clueless in her romantic pursuits, but she and Peter are not that different after all. 

Making a short film is a lot more time-consuming and difficult than people assume - what convinced you to do it?
I wanted to be more proactive about showcasing my own work as an actress/writer. Plus, I have always wanted to direct at some point. I made my first short, the comedy sketch Taking Chances, just two months before and really enjoyed the experience. So I thought I’d challenge myself further. Sorry We Missed You is longer and more complex than my first project. It seemed like the natural step to follow.

Even short films with no special effects can be expensive. What are the best ways to keep such a project affordable?
Choice of location, crew size and equipment- it’s important to tailor everything according to the type of project and to make the most of what you have. I would definitely recommend sticking to one location. Having the use of the kitchen on location also makes catering cheaper. There is a lot of food involved in the story- we had chocolate cakes and cream cupcakes- all of which ended up on the menu after the shooting!  In my experience, advance planning is usually a key factor with low budget projects. If you don’t want to compromise in quality you need to be prepared for a longer pre- and post-production time in order to save money.

You were the writer, director, producer, and lead actress in this film - that takes multi-tasking to a new level! Did you find that each position impacted the others in a positive way, or would you perhaps do things differently next time?
It’s fair to say I do enjoy a challenge! I also enjoy variety and moving from one role to the other allows me to see my writing from a completely new and different prospective, which I find quite refreshing. I have never directed a script that I haven’t written, so it’s hard for me to make comparisons, but being the writer gave me more confidence when approaching the script. I felt I had the licence “to kill my own baby”, so to speak. As a newcomer director, I would probably have approached another writer’s work with much more reverence. I might have held back a little with my creative choices. Being the writer also gave me an advantage as an actress. I knew I could incorporate my character work into the script and at the same time the creative work I did as a writer was embodied into the role.
The producing side is what can get most get in the way. A certain amount of production duties are probably inevitable, especially at an early stage of a director’s career, but it’s important to plan carefully and to lessen the on-set production duties to a minimum.
If I had to do it all again, I would definitely delegate more to make more space for the creative side.

What were the greatest challenges you faced on this project?
Adapting the script to the location was quite a challenge. Because of the budget restraint the search was long and difficult, so I had to be very flexible whilst at the same time maintaining the spirit of the script. The place I eventually secured had a great filming potential, but it required a considerable amount of script and shot list adaptations. I had to make quite a few compromises with what I had originally in mind and I had to make them fast!

How can short film directors launch their films? What has been your way of getting your work out to the public in the past?
My first short, Taking Chances, has just been released on the 50 Kisses website. It will be interesting to see what response it gets. I think websites have the potential to be incredible promotional tools if you know how to use them. That doesn’t mean I am ruling out taking the festivals route first.

Do you have any future projects planned? A feature film, perhaps?
I am currently working on a series of comedy sketches for the web. The project is now in the late stages of development. I also have another couple of short scripts ready- a comedy and a fantasy- both of which are more ambitious, higher budget projects than Sorry We Missed You, and a TV series pilot. And yes, there is a feature film planned further down the line. It’s a romance comedy-drama and I am currently half way through first draft. So definitely watch this space!