Scott and Sid

Scott and Sid is a 2018 British coming-of-age feature film directed, written and produced by Scott Elliott and Sid Sadowskyj. Based on the filmmakers’ real lives, this tale evolves around the lives of the two male protagonists as they strive to fulfill a list of ambitions made when they were 15, with the ultimate goal to make a film before they reach the age of thirty. The film stars Richard Mason and Tom Blyth, both making their debuts as the lead characters in the film, whilst Charlotte Milchard takes on the supporting role as Sid's mum. The film was theatrically released in the UK in March 2018, by Dreamchasers Film Ltd.

Scott and Sid
British poster
Directed byScott Elliott
Sid Sadowskyj
Produced byScott Elliott
Sid Sadowskyj
Written byScott Elliott
Sid Sadowskyj
Starring
Music byIan Arber
CinematographyWill Humphris
Edited by
  • Andy Morrison
  • Chris Gill, ACE
Distributed byDreamchasers Film Ltd
Release date
  • 9 March 2018 (2018-03-09)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2,000,000

Plot

For protagonists Scott (Richard Mason) and Sid (Tom Blyth), one meeting could change their lives. Narrated by a hopeful Scott and Sid, the duo recounts their story to a fascinated taxi driver and the story unfolds in flashbacks.

As schoolboys growing up in York, the pair were isolated, underachieving and a little lost. While Scott was an uncontainable and frantic youth, Sid was a more reserved and awkward teen. Both were weighed down by their chaotic lives; Scott, an unloved foster child, was expelled from multiple schools for his unruly behaviour and Sid, the son of an alcoholic mother and absent father, was caught buying alcohol underage and swept up in a dodgy scheme selling alcohol for gangsters. Both are ridiculed by their teacher when they contemplate what the future holds for them and despairing of the compromise and limited ambitions around them, they are united by friendship.

In defiance of the low expectations that everyone had for them, Scott and Sid wrote a list of goals and began pursuing each one in turn to create a better life. The overly serious Sid is inspired by Scott's wild and untamed spirit, while Scott draws strength from Sid's boundless work ethic and determination to get ahead. They become ‘Dreamchasers’, building their whole lifestyle and ideology around pushing themselves farther and faster than anyone expects. Fuelled by ambition and entrepreneurial spirit they launch two successful businesses while still at school. However, lies and deceit soon tarnish the friendship.

Overcoming their troubles, they continue to strive to be better and even at the age of 24, it is not enough to have a successful media business, they want more. Item number one on their list of dreams remains: to make a film. Chasing their biggest dream yet, they embark on their journey.[1]

Cast
  • Richard Mason as Scott, an unloved foster child who has been expelled from multiple schools, rootless and uncontainable.
  • Tom Blyth as Sid, a withdrawn, awkward son of an alcoholic mother and absent father, who just wants to work hard, get through his exams and escape into his own life.
  • Charlotte Milchard as Karen, a depressive alcoholic who is mother to protagonist Sid.
  • David Summer as Mr. Olsen
  • Maggie Daniels as Mrs. Finn
  • Andrew Porter as Nicky Watson
  • Colin Fox as Gavin Watson
  • Ranj Nagra as Mr. Nanda
  • Jerry Anderson as cabbie/Mike
  • Laura Jean Marsh as Jade
  • Danielle Brown as Tara
  • Robin Colvill as Detective Russell
  • Naj Modak as Omar
  • Juliet Howland as Elaine

Production

The film was developed and produced by Elsa Media.

Development

From an early age, both Elliott and Sadowskyj knew they wanted to make a film. At the age of 15,[2] they wrote down a list of everything they wanted to achieve in their lives and set about accomplishing them. Fuelled by an entrepreneurial drive, they launched two successful businesses while still at school, beginning with door-to-door oven cleaning.[3] This semi-autobiographical story began with Elliott and Sadowskyj writing down significant moments from their lives, "culled directly from their shared experiences in publishing and event management and includes the moment when Scott met with loan sharks."[4] Sadowskyj said that the light bulb moment that changed things for [them] was at 24, when Scott came into the office, said he wanted out of the business and, after an "awkward discussion", the pair got out a marker and circled "Make a Movie" and said "What's next?". From that moment [they] sold up and started to put 100% of [their] efforts into filmmaking.[5]

The script began to take shape and went through many drafts. Using elements of fiction to streamline the story or emphasis certain aspects of the characters, they wanted to be honest about the lows as well as the highs of their story together.[6] Elliott's dyslexia meant that he did not learn how to write a professional script from reading books but by watching films, focusing on the structure, character, emotional beats and filmmaking techniques used in the films.[7] Sadowskyj learnt about the practical aspects of filmmaking such as the crew they would need, how they would find investment, any legal issues and any regulations related to filming in cities such as York and Bradford.

Pre-production

Having never made a film before, Elliott and Sadowskyj began months of preparation after the script was formed. Taking advice from people in the industry, they set about finding investors for the film and after a year-long campaign, they were successful. The "gruelling" process also gave them a key piece of inspiration for the film's structure as the story unfolds in flashbacks as the pair travel in a taxi to an important meeting.[8] Elliott and Sadowskyj always planned on making the film in the North of England. Wanting to "tell a positive story about an area too often dismissed as grim or depressing",[9] the pair made use of many locations in Yorkshire. Making "the most of Yorkshire's spectacular natural beauty and the Northern English character",[10] the duo used their close ties to the community to find buildings to use around York, Leeds, Bradford, and the surrounding areas. Recruiting experienced heads of department, Elliott and Sadowskyj spent time selecting their cast and crew. After a months-long search, Directors of photography Will Humphris was brought on board. Production designer Lauren Hinley made her debut in Scott and Sid, spending months prepping and scouting locations and props to make the most of the film's budget. Up-and-coming composer Ian Arber was introduced to the film and given the time to experiment and muse his ideas for the film's themes and biggest moments. When it came to casting the production, Elliott and Sadowskyj knew that their lead characters, Scott and Sid, had to click. Tom Blyth originally auditioned for the role of Scott. However, after being asked to learn some of Sid's lines, he was cast as the other lead character. The casting process for the character of Scott took a lot longer. Wanting someone "to look at the world a bit differently," Elliott travelled to London to meet with Richard Mason, who would soon be cast in the role of Scott. With their newly-cast onscreen counterparts, the real Scott Elliott and Sid Sadowskyj shared accommodation, allowing both Mason and Blyth to observe their mannerisms and the friendship that inspired the film.

Production

Principal photography on the film began in May 2015.[11] Filmed on location in-and-around York, Leeds, and Bradford, Scott and Sid took over seven weeks to shoot.[12] Sadowskyj took on the role of unit manager and location manager while on set, before settling into a more traditional role of producer. Elliott, a very actor-orientated director, worked closely with Blyth and Mason, pushing them into their characters more.

Post-production

Working with editor Andy Morrison to bring the film together and create the director's cut,[13] Elliott and Sadowskyj focused on creating the finished film. With the use of focus groups and test audiences, they refined and re-cut the film, and when Morrison had to move on to another job, Chris Gill ACE, who previously worked on The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and 28 Days Later (with British director Danny Boyle), joined the crew.

Music

The musical score for Scott and Sid was composed by film and television composer Ian Arber. Arber's compositional approach makes use of minimal orchestral instruments with cello-lead melodic phrases and intricate percussive and atmospheric elements throughout his scores.[14]

Themes

The film explores the theme of dreamchasing; having the ambition to chase your dreams, Scott and Sid aims to encourage people to get moving and chase their dreams, with a strong moral to the story that if you believe in yourself, you can do anything. The film, which at one point was going to be called Dreamchaser is a testament to dreaming big but living in the real world when it comes to filmmaking.[15] Based on a true story drawn from the lives of the writer-producer-director team, it is a film about the themes of hope, ambition, and success.[16][17]

Critical response

The film received a range of positive reviews from film critics. Alex Clement from HeyUGuys said "This film feels more like a sense of achievement rather than your typical blockbuster movie..it brings out the personalities of the real men behind this story and they finally get to tell it to the world. It’s a powerful statement to people watching, it says you can do whatever you want if you try hard enough. There is no dream too big and anything is possible if you believe in yourself."[18] Ed Edwards of The Upcoming said "the drive to spread their wings and prove they are made of something special – even just to themselves – is conveyed wonderfully and is certainly sufficient on its own, making Scott and Sid a gripping success story that is well worth watching."[19] Katherine Flint-Nicol of BritFlicks said: "What is refreshing about the film, also holds the film back. Its desire to be persistently feel-good steers it away from what could have been interesting avenues to go down. However, there is creativity here. The narrative structure is played with, reminiscent of Nick Hamms’, Martha meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence. The film could have benefitted from a summer release. This upbeat film is made for sunny days."[20] Allan Hunter of the Daily Express rated the film 4 out of 5 stars.[21]

App

The film's app offers users the chance to explore the landscape of the film business with a range of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast and crew of the film. The app was released in November 2017 for iOS and Android. In the filmmaking app, over 1000 videos are available to watch, with interviews available from the producer, director, composer, DIT, key grip, first assistant director, and both editors with more videos added weekly.

Prints

A limited-edition print collection focused on the film has also been created. Hoping to "recapture the wildness of youth," the collection is the "brainchild" of filmmakers Scott Elliott and Sid Sadowskyj and is inspired by the "thoughts, memories and adventures of their own childhood." The images help "capture the purity of friendship between the two protagonists and reflect their shared spirit of adventure".[22] Created using a unique digital painting technique, each limited-edition Giclée print uses archival fade resistant pigmented colour ink applied to the Hahnemühle German Etching paper, a robust, heavy-duty paper which has warm white hues with traits of a traditional artist board. All prints are signed by the artist, numbered and come with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Novelization

Based on the screenplay of Scott and Sid, and written by Ali Wright, this story of friendship and coming-of-age details how the duo broke free from their dysfunctional lives as they strived to be more than normal. The book details the highs and lows of the pair's true story and allows for readers to learn more about how Elliott and Sadowskyj progressed from their dream to raising the funds to make their first feature film. Scott and Sid: The Novel is available on iBooks and Kindle and available to buy as paperback / hardcover.[23]

Awards and nominations

Scott and Sid won two awards: Best British Film and Best Supporting Actress (for Charlotte Milchard) at the National Film Awards UK 2019 and was nominated for Best Drama but lost to Yardie.[24][25][26][27][28]

References
      1. "Synopsis". Scott and Sid.
      2. "Teen film dream comes true for friends". Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
      3. "Bradford school friends make 'next Billy Elliot' with £1.7m movie Scott and Sid". 23 February 2018.
      4. "How the real-life experience of two Yorkshire best friends inspired new film Scott and Sid". The Yorkshire Post.
      5. http://www.topman.com/blog/scott-and-sid-interview/
      6. "Interview with Dreamchaser Scott Elliot about Scott and Sid". darkmatt.blogspot.co.uk.
      7. "Hills and dales". 14 March 2018.
      8. loaded.co.uk/how-to-make-a-film-before-you-are-30/
      9. "York looks stunning in new movie tipped to be the next Billy Elliot". 12 February 2018.
      10. "Red carpet dream comes true for Yorkshire film-makers Scott and Sid".
      11. "Shooting begins in York for Scott & Sid film". York Press.
      12. "Exclusive Interview: Scott Elliott and Sid Sadowskyj on their debut feature Scott and Sid". 6 March 2018.
      13. http://www.andymorrison.co.uk/andy_morrison_%7C_film_editor/andy_morrison_%7C_film_editor_%7C_home.html Andy Morrison
      14. "Soundtrack Review: Scott And Sid – Soundtrack Geek V2". www.soundtrackgeek.com.
      15. "A Boyhood Dream: 'Scott & Sid' Movie Turns Fantasy Into Reality – One&Other Creative". www.oneandother.com.
      16. "Yorkshire-based feature film Scott and Sid released in March – Yorkshire's Quintessential Magazine". 26 February 2018.
      17. "Scott & Sid Interview: How To Be Whatever You Want To Be, With Advice From A Man Who Made A Movie With No Experience". www.topman.com.
      18. "Scott and Sid Review – HeyUGuys". HeyUGuys.
      19. "Scott and Sid | Movie review – The Upcoming". The Upcoming.
      20. Flint-Nicol, Katerina (16 March 2018). "Review of SCOTT AND SID". BritFlicks. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
      21. Hunter, Allan (9 March 2018). "Scott and Sid film review: A small scale but very likable flick". Daily Express. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
      22. "Collectors Limited Edition". Scott and Sid.
      23. "Red carpet dreams come true for Yorkshire film-makers Scott and Sid". RNC Media. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
      24. "Yorkshire film 'Scott and Sid' nominated for 3 national film awards". Stray FM. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
      25. "Scott and Sid: National award for debut movie about two friends from Bradford chasing their dreams". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
      26. "York film Scott and Sid scoops two awards at National Film Awards". York Press. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
      27. "Yorkshire film wins two National Film awards". Stray FM. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
      28. "Bradford directors stun the stars to win Best British Film". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 15 October 2019.

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