'Losing the Plot', a darkly comic short film, has been released by Ralphs and Encounter Films Ltd. to coincide with the UK's first planned switchover from analogue to digital television in the town of Whitehaven, Cumbria, on October 17, 2007. Around 25,000 households were the first to have the old analogue signal switched off.
Running about 6 minutes, 'Losing the Plot' was produced to highlight the shortcomings of the digital TV industry. It comes days ahead of BBC director general, Mark Thompson, announcing job cuts required to focus on the quality of programmes, rather than the quantity.
The release of 'Losing The Plot' highlights the future of the television industry and offers the alternative picture of what lies in store for a heavy TV consumer ... a future of which the Government has failed to forewarn the public, according to a Ralphs statement. The film pulls no punches in summing up the dire need for quality programming.
Writer and director, Chris Armstrong, explains: "The cautionary and comic tale behind 'Losing The Plot' couldn't have arrived at a better time. The lead character, Herbert People, is a man who has pushed the meaning of coach potato to new heights. The future for television looks bleak but at least it has a future. As a consumer, Herbert People becomes … the consumed."
'Losing The Plot' was shot on high definition video on location in Stoke Newington, East London, and stars Damien Samuels, Siri Steinmo, Gregory Cox and William Wilde.
"I wanted Losing The Plot to be a humorous reminder of the demise of all that is good about television," says Armstrong. "I hope cinema-goers will be able to gain a valuable insight into where the television industry is heading."
A short clip of the film is available at http://audience.withoutabox.com/films/encounterfilms.
