What I really like about Jason Hogan’s tense dance drama Twenty is how he manages to present the intensity of his protagonist’s journey through lead actor Lydia Brayshaw’s vulnerable performance and the close-quarters camerawork that captures her. The story follows Emily, a homeless ballet dancer who’s offered the chance at a life-altering audition. Hogan’s film portrays Emily’s split experience, showing both the audition itself and the day that proceeds it – a juxtaposition which offers an intimate insight into not just the pressure of the ballet world but the difficulties of getting by generally in daily life. It’s an intense short but one we’re delighted to be premiering online for a limited two week release. After watching the short below you can read our interview with Hogan where he talks us through the alternating looks he wanted to give the different time periods of his film and the rigorous yet rewarding rehearsal process he walked his actors through.
When did the story of Twenty begin for you?
The initial concept was inspired by my time as a young actor struggling to focus on my artistry after moving back to London. I lived in many different places because I couldn’t afford a security deposit for a flat and struggled significantly with my mental health. The story was then layered with ballet, as I felt it provided a strong juxtaposition to the themes of homelessness, and the journey that ballet dancers endure to succeed is so insanely tough that I felt it was the right way to tell this story. Especially as the idea was to highlight that many artists are struggling, you just don’t always know about it.
How long have you been engaged in the making of the film?
My co-writer, Freddy Sawyer, and I went through numerous drafts, developing a lot from the initial conception. The first draft of the script was written in October 2020. We shot the film in October 2022 and had our premiere in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October 2023. During production, we initially shot for four days but added an extra day during the shoot. After two weeks of editing, we decided to do a pickup day because the second scene in the film didn’t feel strong enough. We spent multiple weeks, editing, colouring and doing sound to get the story right.
The idea was to highlight that many artists are struggling, you just don’t always know about it.
After you and Freddy had written a draft you were both happy moving forward with, where did you head next?
During the early stages, I brought Cinematographer Rob O’Kelly on board, who was crucial to the development of the film’s look and feel. Soon after, producer Solomon Golding joined and significantly helped with the script development due to his background as a professional ballet dancer. Along the way, numerous talented filmmakers joined us, including producer Margaux Comte, editor Natalia Gozdzik, composer Hugh Brunt, colorist Aiden Tobin, re-recording mixer Stephen “Major” Giammaria, and choreographer Patricia Zhou.
You had the unique challenge of looking for an actor who could also perform ballet. How long did it take you to find Lydia Brayshaw?
The casting process was thorough; we reviewed over 100 self-tapes and auditioned 10 people. We eventually cast Lydia Brayshaw, who was new to acting but had trained as a ballet dancer for most of her life. Our rehearsal period was rigorous. Coming from an acting background, I was very thorough in preparing the script and characters, which included script work, character journaling, and improvisations in character on the streets of London.
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What kind of kit did you use to both achieve the filmic look of the short but also capture those ballet sequences?
In terms of equipment, we used an Arri Alexa Mini and spent a long time developing a LUT to achieve a filmic look. Rob and Aiden spent considerable time finding that visual language. We aimed to give the film two distinctive looks: one for the day before the audition and one for the audition itself. Most of the ballet scenes were shot on a Steadicam, whereas the day before the audition was shot handheld. However, we broke this rule for the final scene in the film, where the two worlds collide.
What drew you to capture everything within a 4:3 aspect ratio?
It was a decision made by myself and Rob, quite early on in the process. We felt the ratio helped isolate the character and, importantly, focused on it being her story, rather than anyone else’s. For Twenty, while London does play a pivotal part in the story, we wanted to be as emotionally close to the character as possible. The 4:3 aspect ratio visually compresses the frame, heightening the feeling of confinement and intimacy, which aligns perfectly with Emily’s emotional journey.
Could you talk more about your rehearsal methods? What went into the script work, journaling, and improvisations? How did they aid you and Lydia?
The rehearsal period was incredibly thorough. Over six months, Lydia and I met almost weekly. I approach rehearsals with actors in a similar way each time, designed to help them fully inhabit their character. It isn’t easy to summarise because it covers so much ground, but we start with fundamental text analysis. Since I’ve had the story in my head for so long, it’s crucial that we’re on the same page with all the facts. From there, we break down scenes, identifying emotional shifts, the character’s objectives, and other key elements. We read the scenes out loud but try not to ‘act’ them, gradually building up to the moment the camera rolls instead. This way, the actor feels confident that any decision they make in the moment comes from the character.
The 4:3 aspect ratio visually compresses the frame, heightening the feeling of confinement and intimacy, which aligns perfectly with Emily’s emotional journey.
We also discussed and worked on the contrasts in Emily’s life, particularly between her time in the ballet studio and the outside world. We aimed to create as much juxtaposition as possible within the character, where she feels confident dancing but insecure on the streets of London, and we’d do rehearsals focused on aspects like how Emily walks and talks. As the process progressed, especially since so many scenes involved Emily in the streets of London, we did exercises like improvisations in busy places such as King’s Cross. Lydia would stay in character while performing tasks like ordering coffee or asking for directions, while I oversaw the exercise. She’d then report back to me with anything that came up, and I’d give her notes on the character. These exercises were invaluable in helping her fully embody Emily in different environments, not just on set. We also incorporated accent coaching to ensure Lydia’s voice felt authentic to the character.
I also asked Lydia to keep a character journal, which she wrote in the first person. She’s a fantastic artist, so she filled it with drawings alongside diary-style entries, often including song lyrics. She’d also print out pictures and add them to the journal, and it eventually became Emily’s notebook. This process helped build a deeper understanding of who Emily is and allowed Lydia to fully take ownership of the character.
One of my favourite parts of the rehearsal was when Rob joined us. He would record Lydia on his phone as she moved around in character through the streets of London, sometimes for ten to twenty minutes at a time. I’d set goals for her to ‘achieve’, and she’d then undertake those tasks. The goal was to make her feel totally unselfconscious. Lydia did an incredible job of transforming into someone else, using her entire body and voice. Rob was equally excellent in capturing that, making sure audiences could relate to her on a deep level. What’s funny is that this barely scratches the surface of how deeply we went into the character development, but I had a lot of fun doing it overall!
Do you take anything from your directing back into your acting?
Absolutely. Everything I’ve mentioned in that rehearsal process is what I aim to do in preparation for an acting role. I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to acting, so I love to fully delve in if I have the time. I also love taking the lead from directors, as they know the story they want to tell better than anyone, and it’s so much fun working with a director who wants to discover that character with you. In an ideal world, every job would have a rehearsal process that allows for everything I’ve mentioned, but as an actor, I often have to do a lot of independent study and build that rehearsal process for myself. If you ever see me in the streets of London ordering a coffee in character, I apologise if it seems pretentious!
We aimed to give the film two distinctive looks: one for the day before the audition and one for the audition itself.
I’ve taken so much from the process of making Twenty. I spent several years on this short film, and I also bring much of the approach I developed for directing into my acting roles. I’ve been shaping a process that ultimately ties back to Stanislavski’s fundamental idea that we perform best when we’re not self-conscious. If you know the character on a deep level, it frees you from overthinking and allows you to be fully present in the moment, leading to the most natural performance, especially on screen. Of course, this process takes time and craft. I’ve been refining it over the past ten years as I’ve learned more about acting and filmmaking. I hope this doesn’t sound pretentious, but I often compare acting to cooking: a quick microwave meal might do the job, but it lacks flavour and nourishment. On the other hand, a meal prepared with thought and care often fulfils you in a way that a quick microwave meal never could.
A lot of time and investment seems to have gone into the making of the film. Has the festival run rewarded that work?
We had a great team, and the film was made over a three-year period. Since then, we have had a strong festival run, including being nominated for the Sony Future Filmmakers Award and reaching the final 30 shortlist out of over 8,500 submissions. This achievement gave us a week of workshops and screenings in LA, culminating in an awards ceremony. It was a crazy experience, especially meeting some of our favourite filmmakers and getting advice from them.
How’s the future shaping up for you work-wise?
Very excitingly! I’m currently in Dallas, where Twenty is playing at the Dallas International Short Film Festival, and I’ve just been in LA, where it played at HollyShorts, a fantastic festival. I’ve made friendships and connections there that I’m sure will last a lifetime, and I also opened up discussions about future
projects. I’m also at the National Film and Television School, earning an MA in Directing Fiction. It’s a fantastic playground for filmmaking with loads of talented HoDs also studying here, and I’m set to make three short films over the next year. As a filmmaker from a lower-income background, this opportunity makes all the difference, especially as I received a scholarship. It’s been a life-changing experience and has opened so many doors, so I’m excited to see where else it leads.
I’m also involved in two external short films: Homelife, which tells the story of a young working-class man as he tackles love and violence all in one day. It will be made by a lot of the same team who did Twenty. Additionally, I’m working on Man About a Dog with writer Chanse Campbell and producer Densu Moseti. We’re crowdfunding for Homelife, so you can check out the link here. Of course, I’m most excited to be developing feature ideas that I’m pitching to production companies and working with producers. There are some ideas I’ve been working on for over ten years now, and I’ve got a slate of projects that I’m hoping to bring to life over the next decade. It’s an absolute privilege to be a filmmaker; I like to say on set that it’s one of the most extraordinary things you can do, so I’m excited to get back out there and film.
