2025 > All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait…
By Neil Graham
11 Jun 2025
Film history is filled with many examples of movies that have taken a long time to get from that moment of the completed script to the point that cameras start to roll. The project that always pops into my mind in this context is Dragon’s Lair. This was an arcade game that I wasted many an hour on in my youth back in the 1980s. The animated graphics were exceptional as it was designed by one of history’s greatest animators — Don Bluth — but it required such precise timing to proceed through the levels, it was a frustrating experience!
Needless to say there have been many, many attempts to turn Dragon’s Lair into a big screen version over the last 40+ years. I am unsure the cause of its latest setback. Maybe it was Covid, or its latest star Ryan Reynolds is distracted by the success of a football team in Wrexham. But I remain optimistic that this one will make it out of development hell and onto our screens. I certainly hope so!
Film is such a collaborative medium that to get all the producers, actors, creatives, technicians, lawyers and money in the same place (or, at least the same mindset), at the same time can often feel like a miracle in itself. It is not really surprising that fates sometimes do not align for many an interesting script.
But wonders can and do happen…
And so the Graces finally aligned for Something Pointless when principal photography began in Wales at the end of May. The script was the winner of Canadian Short Screenplay Competition back in 2010, and so will have had a 15+ year journey from the moment the first draft was completed until it will be ready for an audiences towards the end of this year. Not quite as long as Dragon’s Lair, but a fair bit of water under the bridge nonetheless.
Patience is indeed a requirement for the film world!
To say this is exciting from my perspective would be an understatement.
This is a script I have always been a little bit proud of — and have always maintained hope that it would make it into production one day. If anything the film’s core themes about the importance of unseen and unrewarded human connections are undoubtedly more salient than they were 15 years ago. The film is a little rallying cry against the increasingly transactional nature of human interactions — and I think it will resonate with people even more today than had it gone into production back in 2010s. So maybe like a fine wine, the script has matured and the timing is right for it to be released into the world.
The cast and crew working on the film are quite exceptional. Owen Teale and Sophie Thompson are both actors of such craft and pedigree. And the number of Oscar, BAFTA, Emmy, Tony & Olivier wins and nominations amongst the whole production team beggars belief a little. You can read a little more here….BAFTA-winner Owen Teale and Olivier-winner Sophie Thompson Board CSSC Short Film ‘Something Pointless’ — Fun Republic Pictures.
I certainly feel privileged that so many talented people are investing their time and energy to bring this film to life…
And so it was with a lot of excitement and a little bit of trepidation that I found myself back on a film set for the first time in I don’t know for how long! I visited the set on the day of the school shoot, so my immediate impression on arrival at the location was to be hit by a wall of activity and sound. There was not only the full film crew, but the location was also brimming with many young children (and their parents) who were acting as extras.
After a little bit of a whirlwind of introductions — including finally meeting in person our Producer David Cormican — a man who has existed in my life up until this point via e-mail and Zoom only! I was able to watch some of the shoot. There is a wonderful atmosphere on a well run set. And it really was nice to have the opportunity to watch scenes being blocked and photographed. One of my biggest challenges in my day job in the Corporate world is to get people with different skills and backgrounds (lawyers, accountants, IT developers, sales people, etc.) to work together towards a common goal. It can be really bloody difficult! So to see this happen so naturally on a film set, was something to cherish.
I have two main memories of this day. The first revolves around just how in awe I was of our young star, Leo Harris. He was so composed, so professional. He was the centre of attention for much of the day as he was in almost every scene. He remained in character the whole time. He never seemed overwhelmed or flustered, and responded to all the instructions given to him by our Director, Asa Bailey. Such composure from a young man who is not yet a teenager. Seeing him work definitely left a positive impression on me. When Something Pointless begins its festival run, I hope it provides a spotlight on his talent.
After a lovely lunch (a jacket potato, tuna and salad for those readers who like unnecessary and spurious detail!), I was placed in the hands of Rhys Webber for some publicity shots and interviews for the electronic press kit. I think this was the point that this project felt absolutely real to me — probably because I was now participating in the day, rather than observing. It crystalised during my half-an-hour interview that the few hundred words written on a page in London 15 years ago, and submitted off to Canada was really now been turned into a short movie in Newport, Wales.
There is a difference in being asked questions about a script in production to one that is in development. Artistic choices are now real, rather than simply theoretical. Every decision about where to put the camera, how an actor enunciates certain words, and hundreds of similar decisions were now happening around me, and will continue to do so over the coming months. These will shape what we all hope will turn into a wonderful short film that will make connections, seen and unseen, with audiences around the world.
My second key memory is more of a personal one. Hearing the words you wrote on a page read out by the actors is always a thrilling moment. The phrases take on a life of their own – and it is fun to see what nuances are added by the performers, and how the words now sound different to what was originally in my head. In one scene, a group of young girls utter some ripe abuse (but still PG friendly!) to the young male lead. I admit to a moment of surprise that these words were both comical — it was hard not to laugh at some of the inventive and sometimes improvised cursing — but also powerful dramatically when the name-calling was accentuated by the height differences between the bullies and bullied. A nice moment of the visual and verbal languages of film coming together.
I really am excited to see what such a talented team of people can do with this little script — written before our young star was even born.
Life can be wonderfully strange, a little random and unpredictable at times.
Rather than a long time favourite, I am going to highlight a short film I only discovered yesterday! I found out on the day, that our super-organised and ever-so-calm Line Producer shares the same love of animation as me. And it turns out Amy Morris is also a keen and talented animator herself. And having seen the film Marmalade is Missing, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. The characterisation and humour are great, and there is a scene transition from a gorgeous moon that is incredible. Simply top drawer film-making in any medium. Fabulous cinema.
Happy Writers Wednesday. Get writing! #WW
Submissions are now open for the 7th annual Canadian Short Screenplay Competition. There is plenty of time, but the Early Bird Deadline of December 28th, 2025 will be here before you know it. So start planning now. Get your entries in via FilmFreeway.
Submit your script today and prepare to take your place on the global stage!
2025 #WW Laureate
