Awakening Q&A With Benjamin Field and Mark Jeavons

Can you talk about how 'Awakening' all began - how did it all start?

BF: A friend of mine refers to me as a terrier. I tend not to let things go. So, like I sometimes do, I started upon, what my father refers to as "another harebrained scheme". I wanted to make a film. I haven't really made a film before, but on one bright sunny day I figured I wanted to make one. Specifically, I fancied making a comedy. I'm not Richard Curtis, and as much as I would love to be he, and have his hair, I just haven't the patience to write an entire film.

I had met Mark Jeavons through a mutual friend and admired his work and what he had achieved. So, I decided to approach him with this idea of writing a British Comedy. I didn't have a storyline in mind, all I knew was that I fancied playing a leading role in a BritCom. It has been said that, on occasions, I have an ego.

So I approached Mark...via Facebook. I sent him a 'message' to see if he fancied collaborating with me, what with my attempts at comedic writing (I am currently trying to sell a show to the BBC) and his vast filmic experience and knowledge, what man could possibly say "No"…Mark as it turns out. In fact he was quite adept at saying "No".

MJ: This was at the start of the year when Ben got in touch, and at the time I was a bit burned out after working on Blaggit solidly for almost two years. The idea of making another film, let alone a rom-com wasn't appealing in the least.

BF: My canine senses kicked in and I decided that rather than let this opportunity go to waste I would just dig my metaphorical teeth into Mark's shin and wait 'til he gave in. It took several messages over a period of 4 weeks. Eventually Mark agreed that he wouldn't mind collaborating on something as long as he felt passionate about it. So we discussed the possibilities of an "Artsy Rom-Com"…then Mark sent me the following email regarding an idea he had had off the back of our discussions…

"I thought the main character (you) could be this zany, neurotic oddball who's had something of a spiritual awakening and thinks he has all the answers to life. The flipside is that his life is falling apart whilst he's going through this awakening - splits up with his girlfriend, loses job, debts etc."

- Mark Jeavons, Writer, Director and 'Zany Neurotic Oddball.'

MJ: I'd like to state for the record that this idea was no reflection of my own personal life at the time. Honest.

BF: Upon the receipt of this email and coming to grips with what Mark saw as a romantic comedy I suggested it might be time for him to have a drink, preferably not alone, or in a darkened room. It was whilst having this drink that we really started to get on.

How did the idea for the film develop?

BF: Mainly by the power of Facebook. Yes, that terrible unsocial networking site that connects you with many past flames and hidden crevices of your distant past that you no longer wished to be associated with and asks coldly if you would like to be reunited as 'friends'. We spoke for a while about ideas for a plot, but mainly for the style of the film. We wanted it shot in a slightly different way, initially we thought of seeing it only through the eyes of closed circuit television cameras and other 'user' orientated systems - Youtube vlogs and the like.

MJ: I remember 'Vlog76' and 'Break My Heart Slowly' were two working titles I had in mind for the film, but Ben came up with the 'Awakening' title and that summed up the project perfectly.

BF: But then the conversations got deeper and deeper into the plot. We started on intricate storylines about interconnecting lives and the question of life after death.

MJ: I was reading 'Valis' by Philip K. Dick at the time, and that really influenced my thinking - I wanted to make a film that was an equivalent to that book: thought provoking, intelligent and utterly original. And the films that I was watching then were very unconventional in their style and subject matter - films like 'Naked', 'Half Nelson' and a few Richard Linklater and Gus Van Sant films.

BF: And even though we met up to discuss ideas for this only 3 times before the initial draft we had written a whopping 102 messages to each other covering all angles of the development. Although admittedly 2 of those emails were of me telling him I refuse to eat a raw fish and another one from him having to explain in quite some detail what a P2 HD Camera was, apparently I was wrong to think it to be a Formula One grid position.

MJ: Ben had planted a seed and within days I had all these different ideas for the film and it just snowballed from there. I felt totally inspired - and that was exactly what I needed really.

What was your initial reaction to reading the first draft of the script? Was it anything like you expected?

BF: Had I not have spoken to Mark since saying to him: "Mark do you fancy writing an Arty Rom-Com with me?" and him returning with the answer "Yes", then I may have been a little dumbfounded with the script that arrived to me in my little shoe shop in Knowle where I spend my days. However, fortunately, we were developing the idea for the script quite closely with each other, so I couldn't wait to see how Mark had written our ideas down.

My first reaction to the script was one of amazement and confusion. I am not what many would call a heavy reader. I believe that 'Spot The Dog Goes Ram Raiding' could well be an epic and 'Not Now Bernard' should be up for the Booker Prize. Imagine then my surprise when I was confronted with 93 pages of script full of twists, turns, morality, humour which questioned religion and belief systems. Despite this I found myself compelled from the first page to the 93rd. It felt real. I could see certain scenes being played out in my head.

Don't get me wrong it wasn't perfect but it encapsulated everything that I imagined. Some bits I didn't think worked as well as others and I made some suggestions, with the aid of a big red pen (my mother is an English teacher - if there are corrections to be made on 'work', it has to be in red pen. Mind you, 'Work' should also have your name, the date and "Classwork" written at the top of every page, but I let that slip).

During the next week I spent time talking to Mark about developments and changes that I though might add to the telling of our story. Mark is the most open guy I know to work with. He is not precious about his work at all. He accepted all my ideas for what they were, ideas. I then left it up to him which ones to take on board and how to develop them.

MJ: Writing the first draft was a real challenge because of the fact that it has such a complex non-linear plot, but it was a challenge that I absolutely relished.

What stage is the script/project at now?

BF: We have now arrived at what is the 3rd draft. I believe we have come a long way from the first. Some of the most complicated scenes have been developed to make it easier on the audience, without pandering to ignorance, and the characters are becoming much more 3 dimensional. We now see people and lives as opposed to characters and plot. What's more Mark has managed to create these without changing the style of the film. We now believe we have one final draft to complete before we are completely happy with it.

These changes are not plot related, we think we have everything we need, but instead are just elements of language. Just tweaking small segments to allow the audience to engage a little more directly with our characters, something we may have initially overlooked when delving so deeply in our ideas of structure and narrative. Having now got the stage where we are happy with all of that, it is now time to redress the balance linguistically.

MJ: Yes, the script is almost there; just a bit more polishing is required. And that was the aim when we started developing the idea - to have a script that we're both satisfied with by the end of the year. Without sounding too bias, I honestly think the script is one of my finer efforts. I can't think of many British films that are remotely like this - the majority of UK films are either low budget horrors or clichéd working class/ethnic stories. Awakening I believe will be a cut above the majority of films being produced in this country.

Do you think the project has potential? How excited are you of making the film?

BF: Remember that to possibly my closest friend, I am a Terrier. He has never specified but I like to imagine that I am not an old Terrier. I do not sit in the corner growling and eating slippers and defecating on today's newspaper. No, I am the annoying Terrier at 6 weeks old to which everything is new, vibrant and exciting. I am not eating your slippers, I am merely playing with them whilst you chase me round the house.

To me it's all a fantastic game, which I don't fully understand but will continue to play until I run into a wall. Then when I do you I will look up at you with a slightly perplexed gaze, wondering why the end of my face is stinging, before starting again. But I don't just do things for fun. I do things I have a belief in. This script is fantastic. We are so positive about it and have had such great feedback from reviewers that it would be a fool who did not look forward to taking a leading role, both on and off screen, in such a promising project.

MJ: Having met the challenge of writing an original script, the challenge next year is to hopefully produce and direct a film that matches the quality of the script. I'm excited and enthusiastic about filmmaking again after what has been a lull for me these past couple of years. I can't wait to get going.

Benjamin Field (Terrier)
Mark Jeavons (Zany Neurotic Oddball)

November 2008