'I find social media to be a highly addictive product': IT GIRL director Simon Lex

‘IT GIRL is a short film idea created by writer Richard Gosling and director Simon Lex,’ says its KickStarter blurb. With just three days to go before the crowd funding campaign ends with the target in sight, we got in touch with director Simon to cover his relationship with social media, serendipity and ‘new build communities’.

How many likes have you got?
I only got 21 on my profile pic change yesterday. 🙁

Where did you the idea come from,
Rick handed it to me in the form of a lovely script!

It was quite interesting actually because I was looking for a script to direct. I am not that comfortable with screenwriting so after finishing The Exam I was asking around whether anyone knew any screenwriters and then Rick contacted me and said: “Hey Simon, I have this cracking script, would you like to direct it for me?” Some might say this was serendipitous.

What’s your relationship with the social media world and do you think there will be a reaction to the ever increasing ‘connectedness’ social media demands?
I have a love-hate relationship with social media but let’s just say that we are probably on the cusp of filling for a divorce. I find it pretty depressing that people put more value on how many followers they have on instagram than for example having one good friend who makes them laugh. I find social media to be a highly addictive product.

I read a great article a while ago that discussed the similarities between mobile devices and the Soma of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. I thought it was spot on. I don’t, however, see any backlash on the horizon.

There are potential difficulties setting something in the near future, have you gone the route of creating new universe in style, wardrobe, set, language and so on?
I want the majority of this film to read as though it is completely contemporary. I don’t think we are far off the reality that it depicts. However, we have made a few stylistic tweeks to costume design.

You mention on the KickStarter page that finding the right the locations could prove a challenge, and you’ve set yourself a tight schedule. What sort of locations are you after, do you have any in mind?
Throughout the pre-production I have become really interested in these new build communities that we are seeing popping up all over the UK. I think they mirror the suburbia of the US and the notion of the “American Dream”. I find it fascinating to see the style of housing and living that these community developers are selling and people are buying. And I can imagine that everyone in the future will live in such a setting. So I am exploring setting the film on the edge of one of these communities. Most of the locations are pretty much set and are all in Exeter.

You’ve both made films before, how and why did you get together for IT Girl?
We first met on some of the workshops for the Phoenix Commissions last year. I think we both felt a natural buzz off of each other and I think we were both looking to work with each other at some point. This just turned out to be the perfect opportunity to do that.

What have you got planned for the future for IT Girl, and what do you have planned for yourselves?
Well once IT GIRL is done, it will be sent on its way into the wild world to fend for itself at various film festivals.

I have already starting writing a sequel, IT BOY (no joke!), which I have had preliminary chats with Rick about collaborating on. However, we have decided to put it on the backburner until IT GIRL is completed. I am really excited though about the story of IT BOY and would really love for it to be produced. It would, however, require a much bigger budget so would need some external backing.