Working Title: Indie movie filmed on P.E.I. released on YouTube

When Charlie Steeledidn't get accepted into film school, he knew there was only one thing he could do: make his own film.

Steele's first project, Working Title, was filmed on the Island and premiered at the Silver Fox Curling Club in Summerside on Dec. 22.

"I was really nervous and unsure of what I was going to do with my year and kind of my answer to that was, 'Well, if I didn't get accepted to film school, if I'm gonna keep up, I'd better start writing a project right now,'" he said.

The film was made using equipment and acting skills from people he only kind of knew before filming began.

'Compromises and changes'

Steele said a lot of the challenges came from organizing people and scheduling conflicts, as well as compromising so things would work for everyone.

"A lot of compromises and changes to the script had to be made just to stock people's availability and kind of every single day had to count for a lot of stuff if it was gonna get done in the time limit we needed it to get done," he said.

"And especially when you can't afford to pay anyone, you're really relying on the good nature of people to give their best work and keeping people motivated and trying to keep the environment on set."

Autobiographical 'mockumentary'

The film's plot is one Steeledescribes as being "very autobiographical." It follows two friends, Carl and Major, as they try to finish making a movie in one summer with a $5,000 they received courtesy of Carl's father after a healthy amount of begging.

"The movie is kind of a mockumentary and it's their behind the scenes of trying to get this film made," he said.

Jacob Hemphill, an actor in Working Title, said he was excited yet shocked to be asked to act in Steele's film.

"He calls it an independent film project and it's actually my first one, just like he says its his first one, so it was great for us to experiment and to have our first test of film in the industry," he said.

Hemphillsaid he's still in shock that the movie is out. It went up on YouTube on Jan. 1.

"So not only did I get a chance to see it with a few family and friends but now the whole world is gonna get to see it at any opportunity they want," he said.

'The greatest film of 2017'

Steele said releasing the movie was a mixture of feelings. He has been stressed about it for so long, but said when he saw it screen for the first time, it "breathed a whole new life."

"The movie was so dead for me and all of a sudden it became its own thing and it was odd because for the first time it felt kind of separated from me, like, I was like, 'Oh, I made this,'" he said.

"And it was so surprising because I was seeing jokes that I kind of didn't even notice before and people's reactions that I didn't expect at all in certain parts. That was the funnest part."

And Steele said there was a reason behind putting the film up at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1.

"That way, it'll be the greatest film of 2017 for a day or two anyway."

• MORE PEI NEWS |P.E.I. RCMP have new weapon in war on fentanyl
• MORE PEI NEWS |From Donald Trump to the Hells Angels: Wade MacLauchlan on 2016