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A Jersey actor is taking inspiration from the “feeling of being stuck” in lockdown to create a short film about two people buried up to their neck in sand living their final 20 minutes.
18-year-old Joshua Shea plans to film ‘Before the tide comes in’ in April before releasing it in the summer.
The young creative, who is currently studying Arts and Humanities, previously played young Newt in the 'Fantastic Beasts the Crimes of Grindelwald' movie.
Since then, he has been involved in a series of acting and music projects, including writing his own songs and teaming up with his mum Liz for a charity single inspired from the rainbow pictures seen around the island.
Video: Joshua and his mum Liz worked on 'Can you see a rainbow?' together.
He confesses he is equally interested by acting and film-making and that he hopes he will be able to preserve the two equally in the future.
“I want to be a part of other people’s ideas but also have the chance to have my own voice. I have learned about the process as an actor and I am now working with actors, it works quite nicely, I am constantly learning,” Josh said.
“With Fantastic Beasts, it was a massive set, with amazing creatives, I had so many questions for everyone, the costume makers, what goes on their process. It is something quite magical and also so simple but complex.
“Since then, I have kind of wanted to learn more about every single thing that goes into making a film and then do it for myself.”
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Although he has previously filmed an “experimental” three-minute short film, ‘Before the tides comes in’ will be Joshua’s “first fully-fledged” short film. Short films, he feels, are a great opportunity to “work yourself as a filmmaker” without colossal budgets and the expectations that come with them.
Described as “a short dark comedy”, the film will explore the themes of mortality, acceptance, and how we judge people from their outward appearance.
Set on a desolate beach, it features two people buried up to their neck in sand, unable to move, who are living their final 20 minutes before the tide comes in.
Joshua said the idea for the film was inspired by the experience of lockdown as well as Samuel Beckett’s work.
Pictured: 'Before the tide comes in' will be filmed at Seacrest in St. Ouen.
“It was in the middle of the first lockdown,” Joshua explained. “I was back in Jersey and there was a feeling of being stuck permeating around my life.
“I was interested by Samuel Beckett and his plays. I watched a short play with Alan Rickman, where the characters are talking very fast about life and existence and not moving anywhere.
“The inevitability of the tide is part of nature, you cannot control it, it’s like life itself. We do not know when the tide is coming in.
“It’s about staring at your own future and not knowing how long you have.
“I thought why not have two people buried in the sand, you have no idea how they got there and the tide coming in, it’s a scary and funny concept, it’s dark and quite ridiculous.”
Pictured: Joshua's script was inspired by the "feeling of being stuck" during lockdown.
Joshua, who currently lives in the UK, is planning to return to the island in March and to film in April. “I wanted to film it where the idea came from,” the young filmmaker explained.
The short will be shot at Seacrest in St. Ouen, which Joshua feels will provide the perfect “desolate” backdrop to make both his characters feel very alone.
To help make his idea a reality, Joshua applied to ArtHouse Jersey which provided some seed funding to will go towards travel costs as well as the building of the box in which the actors will sit during filming.
Joshua will also use part of the funding to secure the help of local creatives Will Jack Robinson, Lucy Abraham and Cathy Sarah.
“I knew I needed some funding to get some creatives on board,” Joshua said.
“With the best will in the world, you cannot create a film on your own. There are a certain kind of limitations you have without collaborating with other people alongside you.”
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