Interview: 5 minutes with...Jessica Preston, Actor, Lawnmower Short Film.
The past week we have been filming The Curious Room’s first comedy short film; Lawnmower. With a script that involves time hops we found ourselves in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter all in the space of a week. Luckily for us the British weather kept up its end of the bargain and provided us with pretty much all of those weather conditions in the space of a week!
Jessica Preston, Actor, Not Waving Short Film
Before we started shooting I managed to catch up with Jessica Preston who plays Anna in Lawnmower to ask her a little about her role in the film and her take on the themes it deals with…
Kate Sawyer: Hi Jess can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Jessica Preston: I am an actress and singer…and I also work in events, I’m pretty busy! Ha ha!
KS: Where are you right now? Any sign of the Great British Summer where you are?
JP: Erm, sadly not! I am standing outside of my workplace waiting to go to a BBQ in the rain! Great British summertime indeed!
KS: As you know Lawnmower is about a woman who needs a lawnmower to mow her overgrown garden. Is that a problem you have to navigate yourself?
JP: Currently I don't have a garden but one day I will have a HUGE one). My garden is currently my windowsill where I tend lovingly to an eclectic mix of house plants! I love them!
KS: You play the lead character, Jackie’s neighbour in Lawnmower. Do you have a good relationship with your neighbours?
JP: I don’t know my neighbours now, but when I was young my neighbour (who actually lived two miles away as I grew up on a farm) once rang us up to tell us our barn was on fire! She was a great neighbour! We got on really well!
A behind the scenes shot of Jess on location with Sian Pohill-Thomas in Colchester for 'Lawnmower'.
KS: So it was a relationship good enough to engender borrowing/lending?
JP: Yes – I remember distinctly borrowing an Eminem Cd from my neighbour’s fit son! Oh, to be 13 again!
KS: Jackie’s downfall in Lawnmower is hinged on her fear of asking for help. Do you ask for help? Or do you like to struggle on your own?
JP: I always ask for help! My boyfriend would say too much, ha ha!
KS: So you never go it alone? You’ve never tried to do something without asking for help and failed?
JP: Well, I certainly should have asked for more advice on certain wardrobe decisions! Ha Ha!
KS: Ha ha! That’s not true, you are always very stylish! Okay time for a quick fire round. Ready?
JP: Yes!
KS: Allotment or Garden?
JP: Both!
KS: Greedy! Try to pick just one! Lawn or Paving?
JP: Lawn!
KS: Barbeque or Dinner Party?
JP: Dinner Party.
KS: Me too! Thanks for your time, Jess! One final question: what are you most looking forward to about your role in making Lawnmower?
JP: Working with an amazingly talented team!
KS: Flattery will get you everywhere!
We now have the footage for both Not Waving and Lawnmower our two short films. We now need to raise the funds to be able to edit and submit the films to festivals. Our crowdfunding campaign finishes on Wednesday 23rd August. Please help us by donating to our campaign- follow link to see our campaign video & for buttons to donate: https://igg.me/at/thecuriousroomshortfilms/x/10747119
