top of page

Ascent

Narrative Short - Writer, Director & Editor

Three stories. One painting. This narrative short film explores how our lives are interconnected, and the desire to access something out of reach. Alongside our academic degrees, I wrote, co-directed and co-edited the film with Daiki Shinomiya, working with a talented cast and crew of young creatives in Exeter with the ambition to produce a meaningful piece of cinema that lasts long in memory. 

Artist painting sunset
Character in film looking at painting in an art gallery
Cinematographer adjusting camera settings

Crowdfunding

To bring this short film to life, our Instagram campaign directed people to our Indiegogo crowdfunder, which reached film lovers across the world.
​
Exceeding our target in under 48 hours, due to the generosity of our supporters and the belief in our story we were able to increase the production value of our independent film. 

Laptop screenshot of crowdfunder
Sound operator smiling

On Set

Filming in locations across Devon, from The Deer Park Country House to the streets of Exeter City, the scale of the project during the pandemic was an ambitious, but highly rewarding challenge. 

​

All cast and crew received COVID safety certification from ScreenSkills and were regularly tested throughout the production.

​

From concept to execution, small details were at the heart of our story. As a co-director, on set I worked with the cast and crew to ensure every element came together smoothly, cultivating an atmosphere to bring out the best performances and elevate the story.

Post-production

After editing and colour grading the short film on DaVinci Studio Resolve, we worked with two talented composers and a group of local musicians to bring an original soundtrack to life. The journey was an incredibly fulfilling creative collaboration - Ascent was released publicly in Autumn 2021.

©2024 Leoni Fretwell
 

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Vimeo
bottom of page