Somnium is a short romantic comedy that explores themes of hopeless redemption and destiny. It centres around Sam, who, after feeling as though he had lived a whole life with someone, must meet her all over again and hope it goes the same way as it did in his head on the hospital bed.
Created as a second-year project at Salford University, the film gave me the chance to dive into character-driven storytelling, experimenting with dialogue that balances humour and heartfelt emotion. My goal was to capture the raw honesty of conversation, scripted yet natural, so viewers can quickly connect with the characters and feel those butterflies of meeting someone new for the first time.
Filming took place in Salford over three days, with the café location proving to be an excellent fit for the story. The real challenge came in squeezing both our equipment and a cast and crew of eleven into such a compact space. Despite the tight quarters, everyone carved out their own corner to work from, and together we made it work in the end.
One memorable behind-the-scenes moment came during makeup for our lead actor. Learning to walk with a crutch was comical at first, but he soon got used to it. The funniest moments, though, were the set breakdowns when his neck brace would slip off mid-take, sending the whole cast and crew into laughter.
As a group, making the film, we had Worcester in mind. Having attended the year prior, it was a brilliant experience that I looked forward to attending the following year. To be recognised by Worcester Film Festival again, and as a BIFA-qualifying festival, feels like an incredible honour. For us as student creatives, it’s also an invaluable opportunity to meet and connect with industry professionals and take an important step forward in our careers.
Follow @the.somnium.movie on Instagram for behind-the-scenes content, updates, and release date announcements.
You’re also welcome to follow me at @george_mcvideo for news on my other current and upcoming projects
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