TOAST


Steve Hammal's "Toast" is the second film that City Eye has supported him on through it's Open Lens Production Awards. It is also one of the first films to benefit from the full HD shooting kit (Camera, light and sound) that Screen South has helped City Eye to fund. The film is currently in post production.

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STILLS FROM THE PRODUCTION (Click on images to enlarge)


TOAST SYNOPSIS
INGMAR's life is one of perfection and repetition. Every day is the same… He never really gave it much thought. He just gets up and does it.

Today, he gets up the same as every other day. Timing is everything. Bathroom. Shower. Brush teeth. Shave. Bedroom. Clothes. Ironed. Pressed. Organised. Wait for letters to arrive - the thrill of seeing MARIA - the post-lady. Now - time to prepare breakfast. Regimented. Clean. Timed to perfection. Coffee percolated. Eggs broken, sizzles in pan. Mushrooms cut, added to pan. Bread out of wrapper, put into toaster. Organised, sorted, planned. But then… The toast burns. How is this possible? How could his routine be ruined like this?

Everything collapses. His perfect breakfast in his perfect life breaks down. He throws the breakfast away. Tells himself - 'it was just a blip'. Starts again. Makes another breakfast… the same thing happens. The toast burns, the breakfast is ruined.

More and more toast. With each slice he becomes more distracted. The phone rings. The doorbell chimes. Everything is out to get him. The pressure rises. More toast goes wrong. The toaster is thrown away. . The swing bin overflows with burnt pieces. The bread wrapper is empty. Now its war. More toast. More, more, more.

Finally, he makes the ideal piece. Delicately puts butter and jam on it. Savours it. Goes to eat it… disaster happens. As he stares at the room full of charred crisp surfaces, he experiences an existential crisis. He questions other burnt bread on other days, an unending spiral of black crusts stretching to his childhood showing him the futility of man's eternal struggle for the perfect toast. He learns life's lesson.

The doorbell rings. It's Maria. The burnt toast has given him the courage to change his life for the better by going for breakfast with the woman he loves.

THE FILMMAKERS
Steve Hammal - Producer/Director
Steve is a 31 year old producer/director from Portsmouth. He has six years experience in the professional film and TV industries, fulfilling a variety of technical roles including video assist operating on the films "Lara Croft: Tombraider" and submarine ghost thriller "Below" and Technical Operator for broadcasters such as the BBC and (currently) Meridian TV. Last year he formed an independent production company to make low-budget shorts, music promos, corporates and ultimately feature films. His previous short "Bitter Sleep" was also aided by City Eye and placed in numerous UK and International film festivals.

Peter Devonald and Kevin Scrantz Writers
Based in LA, Kevin has optioned screenplays, won the Silver Award at WorldFest Houston for MARIE LAVEAU in 1995, Nicholl Fellowship Quarter-Finalist with ANGEL HILL, and has had several scripts featured in the Top 3 on Coppola's Zoetrope. He recently published his first novel, The Oyster Dancer. Scripts currently in production and co-written with Peter include .357 (Short. Diamond Bullets. Dir. Scott Rawsthorne, Joyce Nettles casting, to be shown on MTV) and The Crescent (Series. MEM/ Tangent TV).
London based Peter, 31, has had award winning shorts made, plays performed and several feature options. He currently has a slate of shorts in production and several features with high profile attachments including Star (dir. Mark Anthony Galluzzo (R.S.V.P. and Trash). He has extensive awards/ placements inc Zoetrope, Lloyds Bank Film Challenge and winner of The Times best script award. Shorts recently produced inc. .357 (Dir. Scott Rawsthorne: Staring: Matthew Marsh and David Gyasi).

Jonathan Le Roux
Lighting Cameraman
Jonathan is a 27 year old lighting cameraman from South Africa, he graduated from their top film school with a major in Cinematography. He has lit and photographed a number of short films and music videos. He is now based in the UK on the South Coast.

Anthony Parker
Cameraman
Anthony is 31 and has 4 years experience. He has worked on feature films including "Lost in Space", and shoots shorts, music videos and high-end corporate projects.