ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

2 months, 2 weeks ago - Heather McQuaid

I wanted to share a little story—and a big thank you—to this community.

A couple of years ago, I was writing a lot—short stories, scripts, speculative ideas—but nothing I’d written had been made. Some of my scripts were even shortlisted on the Shooting People Script Pitch bulletin. But as a writer with no filmmaking experience, I couldn’t imagine making a short on my own.

Then I came across a post here on Shooting People. A director, Nuri Moseinco, was looking for short film scripts with low budgets, minimal locations, and emotional impact. I checked out his work—he’d won Best Director in a 48-hour film challenge and made some beautifully sensitive documentaries. What stood out wasn’t just the production quality—it was the space he created for emotion to build, the way he drew the audience into the characters’ inner lives.

I sent him a script—an adaptation of a short story called A Positive Contribution. It’s set in a near-future world where criminals have their memories wiped and replaced with more ‘positive’ ones to help them re-enter society.

He liked it, and we met for coffee. We realised we had similar sensibilities and ambitions, and—amazingly—we decided to make a film together.

We self-funded it: £5,000 split down the middle. I co-produced too, which I really enjoyed—getting involved in location scouting, auditions, casting, and even props and costumes. Using his experience and connections, Nuri assembled a fantastic crew. We refined the story together, aiming to make it as (believably) dramatic as possible in under 12 minutes—with multiple twists and an emotional gut punch.

One of the most exciting parts was being on set for the two-day shoot—watching a cast and crew of 14 bring our vision to life. And I got to see Nuri in action as a director, bringing the same patience, humour, and sensitivity on set as he did off. I couldn’t have asked for a better collaborator.

Since then, our little dystopian sci-fi A Positive Contribution has screened at 25 festivals worldwide—including BAFTA and BIFA qualifiers—and won Best Film at Coventry Phoenix FF.

We’re incredibly grateful to Shooting People—it brought together two strangers who now collaborate regularly. We’re currently working on a new short and developing A Positive Contribution into a TV pilot called Model Citizens.

If anyone has questions about adapting material, co-producing, or making the most of small spaces—we’re happy to chat.

You can see A Positive Contribution for free on Crafty Films’ YouTube channel from June 4th ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG3bgJMunfk)

Thanks again to this community for making creative collaborations like this possible.

— Heather (& Nuri)