SMS

SMS is the directorial debut of Richard Reynolds. The goal was to write a self contained thriller set in one room on one evening and concentrate on incorporating intricate camera work. The simple story of a man receiving strange text messages also allowed us to experiment with lighting and makeup.

Shooting spanned two evenings, with extra time being required to setup and rehearse the longer camera moves. Sound was initially a problem, the location was once again in the centre of Mansfield, but this was overcome by padding the windows with blankets to deaden the noise. Richie turned his back on method acting when the time came to show his character's despair and instead opted for soap in his eyes to give the necessary reddening.

SMS proved to be our most accomplished film to date and also began the tradition of feature packed DVDs. While some extra features had been done for the moments... disc, SMS was the first film to have footage shot exclusively for the DVD. Included on the disc were 3 alternate endings, each with a comedic feel playing on different horror cliches, 2 commentary tracks and a video of John's makeup being applied. The camera and lighting add another dimension to the film and particular attention should be given to the time lapse camera move, a diffcult effect to achieve at any level.