HELP YOURSELF
Written & Directed by Barnaby Blackburn
A MIDDLE-CLASS ENGLISH FAMILY seek personal catharsis by hosting a family of UKRAINIAN REFUGEES, almost immediately regretting their decision to do so.
INVEST IN “HELP YOURSELF”
TOTALLY TOM’s first feature, ALL MY FRIENDS HATE ME, was entirely financed by private equity. BY 2024, all our investors had turned a profit on their investment, making 20%+ on their original stake. They will continue to receive royalties for a minimum of the next twenty-five years.
We will finance HELP YOURSELF the same way. Financing independently means we can back a pure creative vision - without interference from public funders, sales reps or the pressure of pre-sales. This means we can make bold and original choices; a strategy that paid off in ALL MY FRIENDS HATE ME and ensured the film received critical acclaim as well as finding a market.
ALL MY FRIENDS HATE ME has proved that investors can make money from film, whilst also producing something utterly unique and uncompromising… the electrifying script of HELP YOUR SELF, with the proven track record of (BAFTA-Nominated) Barnaby Blackburn’s vision, is the perfect next fit for our model.
Because we can keep the budget tight and avoid creditors, we have a serious chance of making you profit. HELP YOURSELF is such a bold and compelling story that we know we can attract top quality crew and cast to execute the film to its full potential.
We want you to join us on the journey of pulling a film together – be the first to hear about casting, locations, the early rushes; watch edits and give your feedback; attend festivals, premieres, awards ceremonies; chart the press coverage, reviews and box office figures and, importantly, feel that thrill of the film hitting its sales potential and turning a profit on your investment.
You can see more about our financing model here:
OUR WRITER / DIRECTOR
Barnaby Blackburn is a BAFTA-winning writer and BAFTA-nominated director. His debut short film WALE was shortlisted for an Oscar and nominated for a BAFTA in 2019. His second short film DAD WAS was shortlisted for a BAFTA in 2021. In 2023 he made PYLON which premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Galway Film Festival. HELP YOURSELF is his feature film debut.
our script
HELP YOURSELF is an excruciating suspense drama with a crackling atmosphere of anxiety, clenched resentment and silent despair as a family’s moral and political contradictions are laid bare. It’s an examination of the inner turmoil that the British middle-classes will subject themselves to in order to avoid external conflict. But, as always, conflict finds a way…
As with ALL MY FRIENDS HATE ME, the fusion of tension, anxiety and comedy will be our USP for selling this to the market. And with our Private Equity financing model, we’ll retain creative control throughout the process ensuring the film never feels diluted or pulls its punches.
You can find out more about the story by hitting the button below:
If you want to find out more about the project or take a look at any materials (the script, the pitch deck, the WIP budget) then please email tom@ravanburn.com or click the button below.