Jason Stringer (@jasonstringer) is a filmmaker, FTI alumni and father of two children. He has recently re-cut his graduation film HER PARTY to make it festival ready. The short handles the difficult subject matter with quiet dignity and the performance by actress Penelope Andrews is truly striking. Jason is one of those rare-in-the-movies actors’ directors, and a dramatic talent to watch. Brains? spoke to him for a bit of lowdown.

Brains?: Where can we find you online?

Stringer: You can find me at www.jasonstringer.com. I’m also the webmaster of The Exorcist Fansite www.captainhowdy.com, which has led me to meet the great Paul Schrader in Rome… but that’s a story I like to tell over a drink after you’ve shaken my hand.

Tell us about the film.

Her Party was shot as part of the Film & Television (FTI) Advanced Diploma of Screen course of which I graduated last year. I had to pitch to a panel to win the chance to direct that story.

It was shot by the lovely and talented Devina McPherson on Sony’s Z1P camera. With my Producer Taryne Laffar, I was able to hand-pick my crew from my classmates. Roles such as Director of Photography and First Assistant Director were pitched to us for selection, while others were chosen based on past experience. It was edited by Gemma Gittens on the AVID system at FTI.

We were allowed a week to shoot the film, but it was petite enough to wrap it up in two days. The hardest part was the rain and wind. Weather always seems to interfere with any film shoot, doesn’t it? It was a very relaxed set and we all got along fine.

One of the things I worried about as a director was giving actress Penelope Andrews the time and space she needed to give the performance she does in the closing scene.  During pre-production and in every brief during production I explained to the crew that we’d be shooting that scene last – the last thing we’d shoot for the whole film. I didn’t mind chitter-chatter and laughter ordinarily but when it came time to shoot that last scene I had continually asked for silence and complete respect for Penny.  The wonderful crew handled it perfectly and Penny and I were able to operate the scene as if no-one else was there. It remains one of my favourite directorial moments so far.
 
Looking ahead, I have three projects I am excited to be involved with.  I will be directing a new short film I wrote called THAT YEAR THEY WERE BRIDESMAIDS around August, we’re starting pre-production at the moment. I’m producing a short film called SMILE, being directed by fellow FTI graduate Danny Clark.  I’m also in early pre-production on a documentary being directed by another fellow FTI graduate, Stephen Parry.