A Ratter's Tale
Short Film
Project Type: Short Film
Project Status: Production
Writer: Lucas Evans
Producer: Andrew Edwards
Director of Photography: Banan Flynn
LOGLINE
In 19th century London, a royal request for a palace rat catcher ignites a feud between rat-obsessed Vernon, and his rat-catching nemesis. The queen's ostentatious mandate to find the single best 'ratter' tests how far Vernon will go to earn his spot.
SYNOPSIS
A Ratters Tale, sets us in the reality of harsh class divide and political power during the mid 19th century. The story is told through a gritty, yet sassy, lens… and features several rats. Of course. Opening in the dramatically over gilded and fanciful London palace grounds, we meet Queen Victoria. She lounges while complaining about a rat one of her royal guards just killed in the hallway. How could she ever go on with her day? The Queen urges her assistant, Cordelia, to post that the palace is looking for an official rat catcher for the grounds. Word of the job listing has quickly spread. Vernon and Issac, rivaling rat catchers, run into each other and exchange quips regarding their eligibility to be hired for the role. Vernon’s catching style leans towards protecting the rodents. He can tell what rat is, and isn’t, carrying the plague. Knowledge like this helps his customer service. At one house he accepts less payment with the request that they spread good word of his catchings. He will need all the public press he can get to boost himself to the top. Issac on the other hand will stop at nothing to kill the rats. One of his bigger clients, Mr. Lockworth, who runs Spectator News, agrees to write a column in the post in return for his gory rat clean up. The two continue on with their catching antics for some time however, Vernon’s collection of live rats is growing suspiciously large. Vernon releases a collection of diseased rats at the News office, sabotaging Issac’s media connection. While Issac tries to retaliate by murdering a group of rats in Vernon’s client’s home, it is to late. Issac has contracted the plague and dies dramatically while trying to confront Vernon in his study. Queen Victoria is left to default the victory to Vernon, shocked to see his rat like mannerisms when they finally meet. Vernon’s grin tells us all… getting to the palace was only part of his plan. His rat filled trench coat and dream of overthrowing the government result in the film’s climactic ending. Long live the rats!
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT ABOUT THE PROJECT
To me, A Ratter’s Tale is about overthrowing a system. I wanted to create a political film that didn’t feel super on the nose. This story plays with both the high-class divide in the UK at the time as well as parallels to how media was spread then and now. Focusing on rats, an animal best known for being a carrier, transporting disease via fleas, felt fitting for a film rooted in media. Our protagonist is secretly trying to take over the current government monarchy. This causes him to jump through hoops and overcome his nemesis in the process. If I could have viewers take away one thing from the film, it would be that change and reform are always possible. The landscape of 1850’s London will paint a reality of modern-day America as we tell a semi-true story based in history.
Meet The Team
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ANDREW EDWARDS
Producer
Being born in Tokyo, Japan, and raised throughout East Asia and Europe, Andrew Edwards has developed a diverse background, which often brings a different perspective to the table. Now a senior film director at the Savannah College of Art and Design, he has garnered a network of talented film creatives. His short film credits include Eyes Without a Face, Chasing Bread, Street Birds, Christmas Spirit, and many more. When directing A Ratter’s Tale, Andrew aims to showcase his intricate vision and tell a story that has yet to be brought to screens.
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LUCAS EVANS
Writer
Lucas Evans, born in Providence, Rhode Island, aims to bring the whimsy and satire of his imagination into every project he works on. As a senior Film student at Savannah College of Art and Design, Lucas has written countless scripts from shorts to features, as he’s honed his craft as a dramatic writer. As the writer of A Ratter’s Tale, Lucas works to create realistic and witty dialogue on a victorian backdrop. Lucas looked back to some of the most influential media he’s consumed to create a world for A Ratter’s Tale that is gritty yet amusing.
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BANAN FLYNN
Producer
Banan Flynn is a current senior cinematographer at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Raised in New Jersey, he has developed experience working on several union sets as well as specialised training with equipment and theory classes. Flynn has spearheaded several productions in the camera department. Recent projects include, music videos, capstone fashion films, and narrative shorts like Street Birds. On A Ratter’s Tale, Flynn is excited to capture a dynamic world, incorporating a depth of cinematic storytelling.
Your Help
A RATTER’S TALE is a fiscally sponsored project of Cinematography for Actors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation will be tax-deductible!