Period dramas often conjure images of stiff manners, repressed emotions and pristine costumes. But for filmmaker Bailey Tom Bailey, the goal for his short film Satisfaction was to do something entirely different.

Set in Georgian England in 1792, the film follows an aristocratic woman and her mentor who duel with pistols over a grave insult.

In a recent conversation with CenterFrame, Bailey broke down how he approached this "Petticoat Duelist" story, blending the aesthetics of a Spaghetti Western with the dialogue of a history piece to create something uniquely gritty.

Subverting the Genre

From the outset, Bailey wanted to avoid the "Jane Austen-ness" typical of English costume dramas. Working with writer Christopher Buckley, the aim was to "rip the corset off Jane Austen" and expose the tawdry underbelly of that society.

To achieve this, Bailey looked to cinema rather than history books. He drew heavy inspiration from Once Upon a Time in the West by Sergio Leone, borrowing the operatic quality and visual suspense of the genre. This wasn't just about people standing in a field; it was about building a "mannerist society doing something incredibly brutal".

Visually, the team made bold choices. They shot on the Alexa 35 using anamorphic lenses to capture a textured, filmic look. Bailey was particular about the colour palette, avoiding the standard "green on digital" look in favour of yellowish fields and warm tones inspired by Andrew Wyeth paintings and Days of Heaven. This extended to the costume design, where characters were dressed in bold, singular blocks of colour—pink, black, blue and khaki—to give them almost cartoon-like silhouettes similar to a Coen Brothers film.

Weathering the Storm

Despite the polished final look, the production faced the classic indie film adversary: British weather. The shoot was scheduled for two days, but the forecast threatened rain. On day two, the heavens opened, resulting in torrential rain that limited the crew to getting only seven shots that day.

"You have to just kind of put the train on the tracks. You have to start building it and start going." - Bailey Tom Bailey

However, the team’s preparation saved them. Bailey had storyboarded everything in advance, meaning he knew exactly how the edit would come together. This allowed them to make smart decisions on the fly. For instance, a beautifully atmospheric cutaway to wheat at the end of the film wasn't a compromised shot but a result of giving the cinematographer, Simon Stollan, the freedom to "just shoot some stuff" and grab textures when possible.

Bailey’s approach to getting the film off the ground is a lesson for any filmmaker waiting for the perfect moment. He describes the process as "putting the train on the tracks". Rather than waiting for the full budget or perfect conditions, you have to start building and moving forward. Once the project has momentum, it becomes much easier to bring people on board and ask for favours.

A Strategy for Reach

When it came to getting Satisfaction out into the world, Bailey and his team had a clear plan. They focused initially on BIFA and BAFTA qualifying festivals, securing screenings at festivals like Bolton and Slamdance. While the festival run provided a stamp of approval, Bailey notes that online distribution offers a different kind of value: reach.

Moving the film to CenterFrame’s platform allowed for a wider audience beyond the festival circuit. Bailey also highlights the practical benefit of the 50/50 revenue share model available through the platform. As he candidly points out, it is very hard to make money from short films, so having a mechanism to recoup some of the personal investment he and Buckley put in is a significant opportunity.

For those about to embark on their first film, Bailey’s advice is stark but essential: keep it simple. Try to stick to one location, use the means available to you and lean on your community for support.

NATHAN HAINES

Co-Founder & Filmmaker | CenterFrame Team

Check his profile on CenterFrame