Set inside a postbox on a Cornish village green, a typical community bustles around their everyday lives; working, sharing gossip and watching the world at a leisurely pace. An ensemble cast immerses you in this community, sharing laughter, tears and stories.
The Postbox Project is touring rural community spaces to talk about 'community' and what it means to people living in the UK. The project takes a resource pack to care homes, village halls and community groups, where people can view the short film and get together to talk about what community means to them.
Find out how the Postbox film was created and get a glimpse behind the scenes of production. Find a full credits list and read a statement from the director.
Postbox is currently touring film festivals and arts events both in the UK and further afield. Check this area to find out more about where the film is screening and what people think about it.
Postbox project - the film
Funded by the Alumni short film bursary from Falmouth University’s School of Film and Television and Screen Cornwall, Postbox was filmed on location in Cornwall during the summer of 2019.
Written and directed by Claire Stevens, Postbox brought together a core team of Falmouth Alumni across different design & media disciplines. South-west actors were cast for a variety of ensemble roles and local residents were kept up to date with the production.
Creative sound design and radio-play-style acting from some cast members was an integral piece of the production. 'Sheila' and 'Mavis' were brought from script to screen in a recording studio through strong vocal performances from Jill Greenacre and Heidi Dorschler. In contrast, 'Jim' and his dog were brought to life through on-location improvisation from the talented David Warren.
You’re not just an audience, you’re our village postbox.
Set inside a postbox on a Cornish village green, a typical community bustles around their everyday lives; working, sharing gossip and watching the world at a leisurely pace. An ensemble cast immerses you in this community, sharing laughter, tears and stories.
Director’s statement
The Postbox, set in a rural Cornish village, comments (subtly!) on rural identity challenged by changing times. It is not set at a particular time but aims to have relevance to rural communities from more than just a South English audience. The lack of visual clarity as the audience peers through the restrictive letter box is frustrating, and to point the audience towards really listening to how the story is being told aurally. Headphone-based listening would really benefit the exhibition of this film, but it also translates to a typical cinema environment.
The film was shot on location in Cornwall and recorded in a studio with a similar production model to that of a radio play. The intention is for the audio to be as immersive as possible, whilst remaining subtle and realistic. To achieve this audio we adapted a ‘mid-side’ recording technique, where several microphones combine an aural field to give an accurate stereo representation (more than just 2 microphones can produce).
Setting the film inside a postbox situates the story in a fixed place, as the village community around it transforms and evolves, representative of our own uncertain times.
Behind the scenes of the Postbox Project
Postbox project team
Ella Turner
producer / dop
Following a first class degree in Film and a Masters in Film and Television, Ella has worked on feature films and shorts, in both drama and documentary. Her latest commission has been granted by the BBC and Arts Council England in the New Creatives scheme.
Claire Stevens
director
Claire Stevens is a UK filmmaker, with freelance projects ranging across documentary and fiction work. Based in the South West predominantly as a sound designer/mixer with Porth Sound; she is a graduate from Film at Falmouth University with a varied portfolio of creative work.
animind studios
Animation & graphic design
Animind Studio delivers dynamic, high quality animated videos at a competitive price.
Founded by Film at Falmouth University graduate, Jake McBride, they have gone on to produce a variety of work for multiple high-profile clients.
Postbox Project Credits
Joseph Woolf
Sammy Woolf
Cecelia Bradley
Poppy Edgecombe
Melanie Houghton
Adam Drake
Kieran Faithfull
Trevenen Harry
Emily Juniper
Josie Giles
Ben Giles
George Perry
Isabelle Jones
Written & directed by Claire Stevens
Producer/ DoP: Ella Turner
AC: George Perry & Chris Smith
BTS: Chris Smith & Adam Drake
Concept Art: Rachel Akerman
Production Sound Mixer: James Chatwin
Sound Design & Mix: Porth Sound
Animation: Animind Studios
VFX: Ollie Chater
Runners: Lauren and Fraya
Executive Producers: Screen Cornwall & the School of Film & Television Falmouth University
Play Postbox
The Postbox Project
What does community mean to you?
Postbox is currently touring rural communities in the UK as a quirky arts & culture event.
We’re offering an exhibition package to community groups, social care centres and small charities that want to bring people together to view a film, share their thoughts, connect with one another and hopefully share some refreshments.
Our team can run local events.
What's included in your postbox project package
Film
A DVD or online link, plus guidance for hosting an audiovisual event.
Display
Printed table top materials to decorate your event.
Interactive
A set of postcards for your group to share their thoughts with others.
Postbox
A pop-up postbox to invite your community to complete a postcard.
Goodies
A sticker for each attendee with a link to join the online conversation.
Resources
A small resource pack with some ideas for hosting a postbox event.
Posts from the Postbox Project
Share your thoughts with the community! Please feel free to add your thoughts via the form below.
