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 financed by 31 backers with investments starting as little as £1,000.
BY 2024, ALL OUR FINANCIERS HAD TURNED A PROFIT on their investment.
We will finance HELP YOURSELF the same way…
Here’s some reasons why you should invest in our next production HELP YOURSELF.
1 - OUR TRACK RECORD
Even setting aside the film’s critical acclaim, praised by critics in the US and the UK…
‘Cult status awaits’. **** Evening Standard; ‘Savagely funny’ **** The Times; ‘Excellent’ **** Telegraph ‘Razor-Sharp’ **** The Sun; ‘Genius’ **** Empire; ‘Blood-Curdling’ **** Mirror
…we have a more important track record: as of 2024, INVESTORS in ALL MY FRIENDS HATE ME are now officially…
IN PROFIT!!!
Our investors have made 20%+ on their original stake.
They will continue to receive royalties for a minimum of the next twenty-five years.
2 - 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.
4 - 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:
5 - OUR FINANCING MODEl
Click below to learn about our financing model from an investor’s perspective and why this film is different.
6 - CREATIVE INDEPENDENCE
It is hard to find a film which is truly independent, soft money or sales reps, are always going to have a say in the films they back… whether that’s casting, tone, music, the edit…
But with this model we’re asking you to back the pure creative vision. This means we can make the same bold and original choices that paid off in ALL MY FRIENDS HATE ME.
GET IN TOUCH
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 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.
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 above.