Life Just Is
| Life Just Is | |
|---|---|
 Life Just Is Poster, designed by Soledad del Real | |
| Directed by | Alex Barrett |
| Produced by | Tom Stuart |
| Written by | Alex Barrett |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Yosuke Kato |
| Edited by | Murat Kebir |
Production company |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Life Just Is is an independent British feature film written and directed by Alex Barrett and starring Will De Meo, Jack Gordon,[1] Nathaniel Martello-White, Fiona Ryan, Jayne Wisener and Paul Nicholls.
Plot
Life Just Is tells the story of Pete, Tom, Claire, David, and Jay who are university graduates having trouble making the move into adult life. Amongst the hanging out and their daily routines simmers Pete's desire to find a spiritual answer to life's meaning, Jay's desperate need not to get hurt again, and Tom and Claire's ever increasing mutual attraction.
Cast
- Will De Meo as David
- Jack Gordon as Pete
- Nathaniel Martello-White as Tom
- Fiona Ryan as Claire
- Jayne Wisener as Jay
- Paul Nicholls as Bobby
- Rachel Bright as Anna
- Jason Croot as Walahfrid
- Vanessa Govinden as Michelle
- Andrew Hawley as Nick
- Lachlan McCall as Lawrence
- Joshua Osei as Vince
- Niall Phillips as Ollie
- Alix Wilton Regan as Zoe
- Gillian Wisener as Beth
Themes
Through its examination of the lives of a group of young adults in today's society, Life Just Is explores a number of contemporary themes concerning life after University and finding one's place in life. More specifically, the film looks at the existential clash between desire and fear, and the ways in which the latter prevents people from achieving the former. The film also examines attitudes towards religion and the standoff between religious ideas and modern values.
Soundtrack
Life Just Is features no original score and no non-diegetic music on its soundtrack, instead containing only music listened to by the characters themselves. In addition to the tracks featured in the film, there are also several moments when the characters sing songs. In one scene, the character David performs "Geordie in Wonderland" by The Wildhearts, and two of the other songs he sings are originally by bands featuring ex-Wildhearts members: "Lemonade Girl" by The Jellys and "Moving Along" by Plan A.
In November 2011, the complete soundtrack listing was unveiled on the film's blog,[2] revealing that the film also features songs by Emma McGlynn, The Lustjunks, The Heart Strings, Deckard, Nate Seacourt, The High Wire and Animal Kingdom.
Marketing
Since the very early stages of production, the team behind the film have been posting comprehensive updates on the project's blog,[3] with the intention of being as open and as informative as possible about their creative process and experiences. In the run up to the shoot, the documenting expanded to include video updates posted on both the film's blog and its YouTube channel.[4] During the shoot, actress Jayne Wisener created a series of popular video diaries.
After the shoot, the production launched an international competition to design their poster. An overwhelming success,[5] the competition (aimed predominately at students) attracted over 100 entries from 23 different institutions based in eight countries spread over four continents. The entries were simultaneously shortlisted by a panel of industry experts and a public vote[6][7] run on the film's Facebook page.[8] On 28 February 2011 Soledad del Real was announced as the winner, as decided by the film's director and producers.[9][10] All of the entries were later collated into an ebook given away for free on the film's website.[11]
From September 2009 to May 2011, the team behind the film also ran a popular networking and screening night entitled 'Life's Just Networking' at The Duchess pub in Battersea, London.[12] They continue to run occasional events under their 'Life's Just Events' banner.[13]
References
- ↑ Cooper, Sarah (19 October 2010). "Jack Gordon to star in Barrett's debut Life Just Is". Screen International. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ Barrett, Alex (28 November 2011). "Our Soundtrack!". Life Just Is Blog. Blogger. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ Barrett, Alex (2011). "Life Just Is Blog". Blogger. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ "Life Just Is". YouTube. 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ Life Just Is Ebook. LifeJustIsFilm.com. pp. 11–18. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ MarBelle (7 February 2011). "Life Just Is: Poster Design". Director's Notes. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ "Vote for your favorite poster". Confused Coyote Blog. Blogger. 8 February 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ "Life just is". Facebook. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ Barrett, Alex (28 February 2011). "Poster Competition: And The Winner Is...". Life Just Is Blog. Blogger. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ Ben (5 March 2011). "Life Just Is Winner". Shooting People. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ Barrett, Alex (31 March 2011). "Poster Competition Ebook". Life Just Is Blog. Blogger. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ "Life's Just Networking". LifeJustIsFilm.com. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ↑ "Life's Just Events". LifeJustIsFilm.com. Retrieved 23 March 2013.