'Missing Girl'

Background to 'Missing Girl'

In May, 2001, the Studio – a UK cable channel which isn't around any more – set three film reviewers a challenge, to make a short film lasting precisely one hundred seconds, taking it from conception to completion inside twenty-four hours. The idea began with the Studio's Italian counterpart, which is why the overall term for these films is millimetraggi. A couple of dozen of the things were made all over the world (mostly not with the inside-a-day condition) and showed up in the interstices of the Studio’s programming. Some background, in Italian, on the whole project can be found here: millimetraggi.it.

For me, the process began like an English exam, with the setting of a topic ('the photocopier strikes back') which the three teams were supposed to elaborate into film ideas. I was given a producer (Guy Scutter) and a professional crew and Guy had £1,000 in cash to cover expenses. In the event, we came in for almost half that (and dutifully handed the surplus back), though (of course) the real budget would include crew time, editing facilities, etc. The constraint of doing the whole thing so quickly meant a lot of thinking on the run – I tried to cast two women I knew who had some acting experience, but they were busy at work that afternoon and so I persuaded Maribel Jimenez, who was serving canapés at the project’s press launch at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, to take the leading role. Stephen Jones, my co-editor on the Horror: 100 Best Books books, was able to take an afternoon off (not having a proper job) and take the co-star part. Maribel's friend Maria Hernandez came in to play the third scripted role. I didn't get the name of the waiter at Ruby in the Dust in Islington whose chat with Maribel winds in the film, but the (sadly now gone) restaurant were happy to let us use their facilities, a few doors down from the print shop where we found the all-important photocopier. It was all shot on Upper Street – with only minimal hindrance from drunks wanting to be interviewed and schoolgirls hoping to be film stars. We took down all the posters afterwards.

The film (along with some of the other creepier millimetraggi) was screened at FrightFest in 2001, supporting The Brotherhood of Wolves.