JOYCE GREY-CARTER: WRITER AND DIRECTORS’ STORY

From the Inception to the Birth of Shielding Sheila

Initially, when I had begun to write Shielding Sheila, I had just completed three weeks of radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer at Bart’s Hospital in London at the start of the first Covid-19 Lockdown in March 2020.

‘Shielding Sheila’, which had a working title at the time of ‘I Will Survive’, was based on my own repressed fears as a Cancer patient, written in July 2020 as a means to updating and contributing to my existing Actors’ show reel. I of course would play the lead female role of Sheila.

I called upon Richard Bobb-Semple, whom I had worked with before, on another short film in March 2020, called ‘Moment of Truth’, written by Peter Rose and had asked Richard if he would like to play the role of Sheila’s husband, Michael. I then informed him that he could use the film clip to add to his own show reel. He was a little reluctant at first to take on the role, because of the theme of domestic violence and what it would involve with regards to the character’s portrayal; but he, with a little coaxing, had agreed to play the role.

As I completed the writing of Shielding Sheila for our show reels, I had felt a burning desire and need to make the story more than just a show reel piece; so, I continued to write and make more of it, to the extent to which eventually, it evolved into what it has now become, a short/feature film ready for submission to the various film festivals 2022/2023.

The Actors, cast by me for the roles within the film, were people who I had worked with before over the years stemming from the early 1990s to the present and I had cast them for that reason, (all but one, Abayomi Oniyide who had played a character, as did I, in a film called “The Last Breath” by Anthony Cox) for the characters I had had in mind. I had based the character roles on the characteristics of some of the Actors and people who I had known, from my past.

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The film began shooting near the end of July 2020 and its filming location took place at our home because of the Covid-19 restrictions. Filming took place on a weekly basis, on Saturday’s, over a period of 6/7 weeks and was
completed at the end of September 2020.

Clive Grey-Carter, my husband, took on a one-man-crew role of Cameraman, DOP, Lighting, Sound and Post Production Editor. Post Production took place on a part-time basis, in collaboration with me, whilst working our full-time jobs. As a result, the post production editing took over a year and a half to complete on the 3 rd September 2022.

As I required original music/scores and songs, to accompany my story for Shielding Sheila, I decided to call upon my friend Gerry aka Calogero ‘Gerry’ Paci, in September of 2020 to compose and produce the music for the film. We were able to work and exchange ideas over our mobile phones, for the music and song production using text and WhatsApp messages, emails, voicemails, Video chats, Zoom meetings and Google meet, for a period of a year and a half. That being said, Gerry’s, residing in Valencia, Spain, and working as a full-time Music Teacher, did not present any barriers to our working programme.

As I wouldn’t call myself a great singer, I had booked a couple of zoom meetings with Esi Acquaah-Harrison, a renowned Singer and Voice Coach to help me work on the “Have Faith” song melody, one of the songs I had written and sing in the film. Gerry, also had worked with me on the “New Beginnings” song which you hear at the end of the film, as well as the song, “Inside of Me”, which expresses Sheila’s feelings about the sickness she has inside of her; that song I had also written and sing in the film. Singing in tune, is not a natural forte of mine but with work and a lot of practise, I eventually get there in the end.

Both my husband and I have lived and breathed the making of Shielding Sheila from its inception to birth. The production of Shielding Sheila has been a labour of love and passion for us both. At times, it had been difficult too as the whole production was taken on by ourselves and funded from our own pockets. I was however, fortunate to be awarded a grant of £500 by Creative Debut's Black Artist Grant, through Kanaiza Art Gallery also.

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The Cast were fabulous to work with and were able to follow my directions well. Also, they were all able to work together well as an ensemble and we had developed a very special relationship as a result. I am so glad that we managed to get Shielding Sheila to the stage of festival
submissions and we look forward to seeing Shielding Sheila take its place on the film festivals stages I have submitted it to.

Thank you!

Joyce Grey-Carter: Writer and Director of Shielding Sheila.