Action On The Side: March 2026

Now when I started writing this, it was Yesterday that we had had our wrap up for the latest Action On The Side one-month weekend filmmaking project… (of course I didn’t finish the post, and I’m here now, a month later, to type up my thoughts)

This was the 25th one-month weekend filmmaking that AOTS has run: I know this, because I’ve been working behind the scenes on the website and am building a page with all of the projects.

The project is a skills development project. Reflection is vital to skills development. I’m trying to challenge myself to write my own reflections down in my blog.

The finished film:

The Seed (aka Rufus the Houseplant)

This project had the most participants we had had for a long time – 13! plus two interns!

New things for this project:

  • We had two interns for this project: Clarissa as Producer’s Assistant Intern and Melissa as the Social Media Marketing Assistant Intern. We haven’t had the Social Media Marketing intern for a while, so it was good to have support with promoting the project and the film.
  • Melissa updated our Instagram page. It turned out we didn’t have a LinkTree set up for AOTS (I thought I had done that, but I hadn’t), so Melissa set that up. She also did some awesome graphics for us. I’ve now invested in Canva Pro to help with marketing going forward.
  • Two days before the project started, we had a table at the UK Film & TV Jobs Fair in Harrow. We had a team of 5: me (producer and organiser), Alice (our regular Script Editor), Melissa (our intern), Esther (former intern and organiser of our showreel projects), and Alex (star of our previous AOTS short film, Drone). We had a lot of interest and at least two last-minute sign-ups from that event.
  • I continue to update the AOTS website. I’m building a Past Events page, where I can share details of upcoming events and photos from previous events. That isn’t fully live yet, but I’m working on it.
  • I have a pro Zoom account now. Meetings could be held on Zoom with breakout rooms, which made preproduction easier. For instance, I could have a meeting with the Art Director while the Director, 1st AD, and DP were in another room discussing shots.
  • Building on that, I’m now running monthly webinars. The webinar on Film Festivals (speaking to film festival organisers and judges) ran during the March project – during the delivery week – which was additional stress. But I think it worked well (I’m editing the video still, and will share it when it’s ready).
  • We had two Script Editors, working with a new Script Editor for the first time. I prepared a video for the Script Editors to manage their expectations on the writing standard, who the participants are, and what their role entails.
  • Because we had so many people and with multiple tasks, and people wanting to learn what the others were doing, I developed a Preproduction Tasks document and another for Post Production. The team could all access it, so they can see what others had to do. It had tags and a checklist of what they need to do for their role. Not everyone used it, which isn’t ideal, so I’m going to need to reflect on that. But it was a valuable document, which can easily be a template.
  • There was some stress during the shoot. From that, I bought in an additional reflection point straight after the shoot. Reflection is a key part of skills development, so this allows the team to identify points earlier on, rather than leaving it to 1-2 weeks after the screening (3-4 weeks after the shoot).
  • The screening was at the newly renamed Multi Story in Peckham (previously Peckham Levels). They have really done up the screening auditorium – with blocking out the light and sparkle.
Patricia stands in front of a screen with the promotional image for The Seed film.

Some Key Reflections on this project

  • Because we had such a huge group, I encouraged them to split into two teams to make two films. But the group elected to work together on one film. This meant some people didn’t have key roles, and found themselves sitting around not doing much, especially on shoot day 2. I’ve got a plan for that going forward, which involves bringing on people at my level who can (co)produce a team, and I can then focus on Exec Producing.
  • Most of the reflection from the review meeting is that we end up selecting the easiest script. There are always people who are new to the project, and now that they have seen it, they know what to write and pitch for next time — which is great.
  • I’ve invested in some additional kit going forward: sound, monitor, camera batteries (we borrowed kit from a friend, because I’m looking after it for him). That should make the project easier, especially if we end up splitting into two or more teams.
  • In the review meeting, we discuss the project, the final film, and skills development. I’ve now added a clear question of ‘do we want to promote this film and submit it to film festivals, or do we leave it as a skills development project?’. This brings the team into the decision, and we can discuss whether the project has legs.
  • We had drop-off in engagement with the project: namely the people who had a boring / stressful experience on-set, who then didn’t attend the screening, or complete the feedback form. I’m not sure how to resolve that, so it’s a point for further development. I can manage expectations. Film shoots are stressful; they are long (12 hour days, sometimes longer); but they’re fun. It’s managing expectations.

The film is online. We have an IMDb page, Letterboxd listing, promo. Every time I run the project, I develop it further. Regardless of the finished film, I think everyone involved learned something — and that is the goal for the project.

The Seed film poster

Garage premiered at Borderlines Film Festival

On Sunday March 8th, GARAGE had its world premiere at Borderlines Film Festival. Garage was part of the Open Screen, held at the Courtyard Theatre in Hereford.

Borderlines Film Festival logo

Director Dympna Jardine was in attendance. Garage received a Special Mention.

Garage was part of the Open Screen, which showcased local short films.

We even received a Special Mention

Thank you to Borderlines Film Festival for the selection.

Quick updates

It’s the end of 2025, and the start of 2026

2025 was a tough year. There was a lot going on in my personal life and a lot of projects – more than I could have easily managed. Lots was achieved, but it was brutal at times.

It’s the time of new year resolutions. Now, the general knowledge now has changed, that setting a new year resolution isn’t a great idea – because it’s likely to fail when one returns to old habits, and then that leads to depression and greater detriment. It’s better to simply improve habits throughout the year, not all at once at the start of the year – which should mean the changes stick.

That said, it is a time to reflect on the past year and look forward.

One of the things I struggle with are all of the things that I need to do. I get overwhelmed, I struggle to prioritise (it’s all important!), and then I shut down. With my depression, I often hide away in those moments. It’s hard to promote yourself and your work when your brain is calling you a failure. With my anxiety, I feel others will be judging (of course they will, but of course they won’t), so it’s difficult to share when one is struggling.

I went for a walk today, in a local park. I listened to a podcast. I drank my coffee from home in my portable cup. I had a dance in my room to awesome music this morning. I have done some cleaning (need to mop after this). I ate some leftovers from the meal I made last night for my flatmates and some friends who came over (gnocchi with a green sauce made with lentils, kale, peas, and parmesan, with leftover chicken). I had a lovely time last night with friends I hadn’t seen in a while. I had lovely chats with friends online. I am going out to catch up with a friend this afternoon.

My brain, on the walk, returned to what I should do in 2026. Write screenplays, run online workshops, boost the AOTS projects, read that feature script I said I would, read those book chapters I said I would (why is reading other people’s work such a brain barrier? work out why it is), clean out my room, delete old emails, watch more short films, pick which film will be my first of the year (because I’ll see it all year on my Letterboxd stats — so it’s a big decision). I have a huge list of things to do. I have things I should post about. I don’t post here very often. This is the first thing I have done off my list.

It’s a small step. I’m not promising to write more often. It’s not that. But this is a small step over that barrier to get something written and out there.

Kia kaha.

Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hau

P

Support GARAGE through GREENLIT

We are running a short crowdfunding campaign through greenlit, to raise funds for GARAGE

The funds we raise will go towards film festival submissions and distribution

Please support this project – donate, signal boost, or even just check it out.

The Garage film crew

October updates

My life has been frantic for the past few months – and updating this blog is lower on my list of priorities than quicker pages (like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn).

  • I ran the September Action On The Side one-month weekend filmmaking project. We made an amazing short film called Drone. Some of the feedback is that it is one of the strongest shorts we’ve made with AOTS.
  • After 5 years in Wembley, I have now moved house. That was a huge stress.
  • Also I was in a car accident. A woman side-swiped me and drove off. My car is now written off – but I’m trying to get an MOT because the car still drives.
  • We shot Garage. It’s now in post-production.
  1. I recently was an assessor for the AP631 Professional Preparation and Practice students at Rose Bruford College. It was fantastic to meet 7 audio students in the final year of their degree, who have great plans for entering the workforce in a few months’ time.
  2. I’m running the AOTS 48 Hour Film Competition this weekend. The Kick-Off is this evening. The Screening & Awards Event is scheduled for Sunday 30th November, 10:30-12:30, at ActOne Cinema in Acton.
  • I’m speaking to students at Kingston University on Monday about the Film Industry and opportunities
  • I’m attending the International Film Festival of The Hague and will be giving a talk on microbudget financing and film budgets. The workshop is 8th November, 11.30-12.30, and you can register for a free ticket.
  • We’ll be running a crowdfunding campaign for Garage on Greenlit, from November 1st. The funds we raise will cover post-production costs and help us submit the film to festivals. We believe we’ve made an important and compelling film – so please support us in getting it seen.
  • I’m one of the founders of the Creative Kiwi Collective (CKC), and today we agreed to make our website public on November 14th. So keep an eye on our socials for the announcements. This is an organisation for Kiwis in the Creative Industries based in the UK. We have our Facebook group, which has been steadily growing.

A few other updates

  • The Ken project is on hiatus at the moment. We had some challenges with the Director no longer being on the project. I’ll be driving it soon, once more things have calmed down.
  • Our March 2025 short film with Action On The Side (To The Death) is being re-edited. It’s sitting with me at the moment and I haven’t had time to drive the sound edit, so that will be re-released.
  • I’m reaching out to producers who have worked in animation, to introduce them to my new flatmate who is an animation director.
  • The Producer’s WhatsApp community I created has been expanding. There has been some fantastic conversation and connections.

Suffice to say, it has been busy.

GARAGE

Big news!

You might have seen that the next short film we’re making with Busy Kiwi Productions is GARAGE

This is a short film I wrote last year. It’s a two-hander, that takes place in a parked car in a garage. It’s about suicide

We are shooting Garage on Tuesday 30th September and Wednesday 1st October in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire.

Team

so far…

Writer/ Producer / Executive Producer: Patricia Hetherington

Director / Executive Producer: Dympna Jardine

Co-Producer: James L Perkins

Crew Call

We want to hear from crew based local to Worcestershire. Please contact busykiwifilm@gmail.com with your details

Cast Call

The Aravali AOTS 48HR Film Competition

The next big project that I am running is the next Action On The Side 48-hour film competition. This one is run in conjunction with the Aravali International Film Festival in New Delhi.

This is the third 48-hour film competition I’ve run with Action On The Side. This has been a passion project of mine for years, and it’s something I hope can grow and become an annual fixture.

There’s definitely more I can say about the competition, but considering it starts today, I’ll need to post more at a future date.

KEN update

The KEN Project is onto its next stage.

The Crowdfunding Campaign

In 2024, we ran a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. The initial 30-day campaign extended to the full duration of 60-days. It’s been many years since I’ve run a crowdfunding campaign, and there are definitely things I would have liked to have done. It’s tough asking people to pledge money when there is a cost of living crisis and our industry has been struggling.

But we did manage to raise £5k. £2.5k was pledged by three private investors, £115 from a short film screening we ran, and the rest from the crowdfunding campaign.

The Script

Now that we have the budget confirmed, we are further developing the script to make sure it can be filmed for that amount. We want to make the best film possible, and it will be tight and will require negotiation and creativity.

Casting

The next big step is to confirm some recognisable cast for the project. We are blessed to have Donna McKernan on our team, who is known in the Northern Irish acting scene. She is contacting potential cast to draw interest.

Locations

At the same time, we are currently scouting potential locations where we can film. 75% of the team are based in London, whereas 25% are based in Northern Ireland, so we are scouting potential locations in either area. It’s all dependent on key cast and where we can get access to.

Crew

Once we have locations and key cast, then it’s setting the shoot date and hiring crew. We have developed a list of crew to approach when we have more details. I have joined some Facebook groups for Irish / Northern Irish filmmakers to start to meet people. But crew are dependent on the other things falling into place.

The Website

The project’s goal is to raise awareness about muscle dysmorphia, disordered eating, and the mental health issues men face. We are doing that with the narrative short film, a documentary short, and a website. The website (ken-shortfilm.com) has resources to support those suffering and those who want to help those suffering. Please visit the site.

Podcasting and Oxford Writers

On Thursday 7th November, I travelled to Oxford to speak to the Oxford Writer’s Group about Podcasting. It was in the beautiful Mansfield House.

I was bringing my experience as a narrative content producer; my background in sound (recording, writing music, sound design); my knowledge from teaching (creative writing, media, and podcasting / radio plays); and my current industry role in public broadcast.

I spoke to the attendees about identifying their target audience (market segmentation, four quadrants), understanding the market, loglines and synopses.

The other speakers – Gaby Sambuccetti and Judith Bunting spoke of their experience in podcasting and public broadcast radio.

When working with the groups, I asked each attendee about their favourite podcasts. That led us to talks about elevator pitches and comparables (comps). We discussed episode durations (14’, 28’, 42’, 57’) and distribution avenues.

Thank you to the Oxford Writers Group for having me.

The Oxford Writers’ House – a student-led initiative working between students at the University and authors living in the city of Oxford – has put together an educational and entertaining podcast (here is the link). The project is a labour of love, and it is free to listen to on their website. 

August 2024

There is too much to update and I don’t have time to turn these all into individual posts — although I know I should. But more important matters are afoot.

  1. Pearls has been accepted into two Film Festivals: W XOOL Festival in Paris (5th October) and the Iris LBGTQ+ Film Award in Cardiff (8th October)
  2. The next Action On The Side one-month weekend filmmaking project starts this weekend.
  3. I’m running the first Action On The Side one-month weekend filmmaking project in Sheffield in October — if I get enough sign-ups. (Breaking into a new market is hard).
  4. The KEN Film Project has its website built and we’re kicking off the crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo (coming soon page)

There’s probably more but that’s all my brain can handle right now.

Other recent updates (because I haven’t had the time to update here.

  • In June, Pearls screened at the Détours en Cinécourt Festival 2024
  • In July, I ran the AOTS 48-Hour Film Competition. The competition ran 5-7 July, and the submitted films screened on 4th August.
  • In July, I hosted a short film screening as a fundraiser for the Ken short film project. We screened Pearls, Lycanthropy, and Woman In Blue, and raised £115 for Ken.
  • After a period of low employment, I now have a full-time role. (It’s been a tough couple of years).
  • I recently attended five BBC Proms with assorted guests.
  • I’ve started attending dance workshops again.
  • I’m trying to write some scripts for the next AOTS film projects, but fitting that in with all the other stuff is tough.

The mental health is still taking a beating, but I’m surviving. Woo.