Hard Drive Short Film

Logline

Hard Drive is a crime/comedy about Charlie, an accountant who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. When he stays late at work to earn a much-needed bonus, he gets caught up in a heist being committed by “The Crew”. Despite being tied up and held hostage, all Charlie really wants is to finish his report!

Charlie is an honest straight-shooter and a romantic. He lives paycheck to paycheck and works as an accountant for a competitive engineering firm. He is willing to work hard to improve his situation in life.

“The Crew” consists of Jamie, Tracy, & Dylan. They’re fast talking criminals that have a blasé attitude towards the crimes they commit. They want to get in, get the job done, and get out so they can get paid.

Jamie is the cunning leader of The Crew. He’s charming and clever. He knows how to manage his team, though he often gives them a long leash.

Tracy is the muscle! He has a short temper that has been shortened even further by a recent break-up. He’s unapologetically vicious and enjoys being curt and commanding.

Dylan is the tech expert. She’s a quiet achiever who knows her gadgets and gizmos inside and out but often gets distracted by the urges of her stomach.

Then there’s Jim, Dani, and Lucy. Jim is one of Charlie's colleagues, he loves to go to the pub after work to unwind. Dani is an aloof and friendly security guard that enjoys his job. Lucy is Charlie’s girlfriend. Lucy is the love of Charlie's life.

The Actors

Oliver English as “Charlie”

Oliver English is an artist from Brisbane currently finishing his third year in the BFA Acting course at WAAPA. He has a strong background in screen and theatre, having trained with multiple physical theatre-based companies and devising ensembles throughout his early career. He is playing the role of Charlie in Hard Drive, and is excited to work in a comedic context alongside his peers from the acting course and the Screen Academy students.

Uisce Goriss-Dazeley as “Jamie”

At the age of 12, Uisce Goriss-Dazeley began his acting journey with appearances in a number of short films and amateur musicals. Since then, he has gained numerous feature film credits, such as Pickles in Sunflower (2023) and Mitch in The Library Boys (2022) which was awarded Best Comedy at the Austin Film Festival. Television appearances include in Winners and Losers where he played the guest role of school bully Marco Perera, and in viral teen web series Flunk as Harry. Uisce is now finishing his third and final year of acting training at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), and is excited to be involved in the short film Hard Drive.

Josh Everett as “Tracy”

Josh Everett is an Australian artist originally from Canberra. He has spent the last four years training in Acting at WAAPA in Perth, completing a Diploma in Acting with Dr. Tom Heath, and now undergoing his final year of his Bachelor’s degree in acting. Josh is very excited to be involved in the film Hard Drive, playing the role of Tracy. He has some history working on screen, with the majority of the work undergone being theatre based, so is incredibly excited to explore and expand his knowledge in this field and work with some extremely talented creatives.

Alexandria Henderson as “Dylan”

Meet Alexandria Henderson, a dreamer with a heart full of stories. From the halls of WAAPA, she's woven her passions into a tapestry of talent. Whether she's tinkering with tunes in her music production or belting out ballads on stage, Alexandria's tale is one of whimsy and wonderment. Now, as she gears up for her silver screen debut in "Hard Drive," anticipation dances in her eyes like fireflies on a summer night. Each role she embraces is like slipping into a familiar coat, yet every performance reveals a new layer of her humanity, inviting audiences to connect and feel deeply alongside her.

Angelo Torres as “Jim”

Angelo is in his fourth year of actor training, completing his Diploma of Acting with Dr. Tom Heath in 2021 at WAAPA and now the Bachelor of Arts (Acting) at the end of this year. Throughout his time at drama school, Angelo has been lucky enough to investigate his favourite classical characters including King Leontes, Macbeth and Orestes. Angelo looks forward to being on his first ever film set with the team for Hard Drive.

Riley Warner as “Security Guard”

Riley is an Australian Pitjantjatjara actor from Scone NSW. Originally coming from a dance background, he has fallen in love with theatre and acting and is about to graduate the Bachelor of Arts (acting) at WAAPA. Riley is excited to be a part of the Hard Drive team as film is somewhat foreign to him, but it will be incredible to work with new artists and take on new challenges.

The Crew

Brendan Docherty - Director 

Brendan strives to tell new and engaging stories using striking visuals and sharp dialogue. He is back at the WA Screen Academy studying a Masters in Screen after completing a Bachelors in Communications at WASA in 2017. Since 2017, Brendan has worked on a variety of projects that include international television shows, local and national adverts, music videos, and short films. Brendan has been in love with film and television for as long as he can remember. Growing up somewhere as isolated as Perth, film and television opened up his world to a life of possibilities. If he isn’t working on new content, then he’s probably engrossed in a series or watching a film.

Manatalah Soliman – Producer

Manatalah is a lecturer from Egypt who is currently a PhD student in ECU’s School Arts and Humanities (Creative Arts). She has passion for filmmaking and visual arts which brought her to producing. With a history in the academic field, Manatalah’s love for arts had guided her to do her studies and researches on screen industries. She has directed and written three documentaries and one short film. Manatalah is excited to work on this crime comedy piece with Hard Drive’s talented crew.

Cameron A. Clear – Writer

Cameron Clear started out in theatre when he was 8, where he developed a deep love for the art of creation and entertainment, exploring all sorts of avenues, roles and creative outlets. As a stand-up comedian and sketch comedy writer, he has a history and a passion for comedy and is ready to show off his talent and see the pages brought to life through Hard Drive's talented cast and crew.

William (Billy) Neville - DOP

As an emerging cinematographer with a passion for storytelling through visuals, Billy has been a part of creating 17 short films thus far. Currently, he is enhancing his expertise by pursuing a Masters of Screen Studies at the Western Australian Screen Academy. Billy’s academic and practical experiences are shaping a distinctive visual style that he is continuously refining through a variety of diverse film projects, such as his upcoming work as the D.O.P on Hard Drive.

Alex Alderson – Sound Recordist

Alex is currently in his last semester of a Bachelor course, majoring in screen production. He has worked as the sound recordist/designer on multiple projects during his undergraduate studies. Alex volunteered as boom operator for a few different WASA production throughout last year which was a great experience. Alex is really excited about the opportunity to grow and develop his skills whilst working with such an amazing group of creatives.

Stephanie Beckham - Editor

Stephanie is an artist and creator from Perth who is currently in her second year of the Master in Screen Studies at the WA Screen Academy. She has a background in acting and visual arts and enjoys bringing her experiences in other art forms to the screen. Stephanie is excited to take on the role of editor for Hard Drive and branch out her skills into comedy, and is keen to work on some more action scenes this year.

Budget Overview

Our goal is to raise $2100 to bring Hard Drive to life. All funds raised will directly support the film’s production, and bring this heist film to life. Your support will help us create the most engaging and authentic film we possibly can.

We will use the funds raised to:

• Secure locations that work for the story
• Keep the cast and crew well-fed (there’s a lot of people involved in making a film)
• Create the right setting and costumes
• Get the film out to as many audiences as possible, via festival entries and marketing.
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By supporting this campaign, you are supporting new and emerging filmmakers with new stories to tell.

Hard Drive is produced by WA Screen Academy (WASA) students, featuring third-year actors from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). By donating to this page you are donating to the students involved in this project. No funds will be received by Edith Cowan University, WASA, or WAAPA.