Tom Stuart on making short film Good Boy

Tom Stuart is a writer, producer and director.

Hi Tom. Firstly, thank you for talking to us. Can you tell us a bit about Good Boy?

Hello! Thanks for having me. Good Boy is a short film written and directed by me and starring the brilliant Ben Whishaw and Marion Bailey. It follows a co-dependent mother and son as they try to save their home from the bailiffs by robbing a bank. The film is now available to stream on Disney Plus.

What was your inspiration for the film?

I was incredibly lucky to have a very funny, naughty, brilliant mum growing up, sadly she died at the beginning of the pandemic and this film is me trying to process some of that grief and come to terms with life without her. I wanted the film to be a warm, funny, heartfelt love letter to her.

What processes did you have to go through to make the film happen?

The period from the inception of the idea to it being shot was about a year. I worked on the script alone for a few months before showing it to anyone, it's a very personal film so I wanted to make sure I'd got it right.

Then it took a long time to get the funding together. Once we had our cast and the money secured the other elements fell into place pretty quickly. We were really lucky to get Worthy Farm in Glastonbury as our main location - Emily Eavis who runs Glastonbury Festival read the script and gave us free reign to use her incredible land.

The shoot itself was over four days and then we worked on the film in post-production on and off for about six weeks (when you're working with a small budget everyone has to work around other jobs and commitments).

Once the film was finished it started to do well on the festival circuit and before we knew it, it was shortlisted for an Oscar in 2024 - it's been a mad, exciting whirlwind of a journey and I'm still trying to get my head around it all!

How did you secure funding for the film?

Getting the money together is the hardest part of film making and we a had a few false starts with financiers pledging money and then dropping out. We lost all our funding just before pre-production and everyone thought the project would collapse, but I basically rang and emailed everyone I'd ever met or worked with and secured half of the budget in 24 hours. Then one of my brilliant producers, Max Marlow, raised the other half. We were so lucky to have the support of Goldcrest Films who gave us a lot of money and support throughout.

How did you secure Ben Whishaw?

Ben and I left drama school around the same time and were friends a long time ago. We met up for a walk during the pandemic and I told him all about my writing projects and he suggested I direct which was the kick up the bum that I needed - I went home and wrote the script for Good Boy and sent it to him, he loved it and came on board. So Ben was really the first person to support the film, it wouldn't have happened without him.

What advice do you have for Pro members who are in the process of writing, producing and directing their own short films?

Making films is hard so I have the utmost respect for anyone who is tenacious enough to give it a go. The best way to learn is by watching and doing - watch everything, see how others have done it before you and then go for it. Don't wait for others to give you permission, have faith in yourself and enjoy it.

What are you planning to do next?

I have several TV projects at different stages of development and a stage play that I've just finished writing and aim to direct. I'm very focused on trying to get my first feature financed and made.

Thank you, Tom!

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Good Boy is available to stream on Disney Plus