ZAY

In the wake of a recent heartbreak, Zay, an aspiring chef finds himself slipping away down a path of self-destruction. Amid his heartache, Zay grapples with the imminent risk of losing his esteemed position as a chef at the prestigious ‘The Marseille,’ the very restaurant where his ex-girlfriend works. Unable to endure the tragic reminder of his past love, he avoids showing up to work, having sunk into a lifestyle which is a shadow of his past-driven self. Seemingly at rock bottom, he receives a call from a friend…

— Role

Writer
Director
Producer
Set Design
Location Manager
Prop Master
Costume Supervisor
Sound Designer
Marketing Designer

ZAY - Script

— Release Date

May 10th, 2024

In the midst of editing BURDEN in November 2023, ZAY was written in just a day as a prototype for American Wedding. Due to the day and a half window between writing and beginning the shoot, the script was written as a hybrid between a shooting draft and spec script, designed to guide direction and shot composition on set.

Originally, Maitri Sanghvi, who plays Zay’s love interest, was set to portray Bea - one of the two romantic leads in American Wedding, alongside Edward Oola (Tree Shot Studios Actor) as AJ. This project served as a way to test their on-screen romantic chemistry, refining their dynamic ahead of American Wedding and allowing time to further develop their performances.

The script for ZAY was significantly longer than the final film, spanning 26 pages, drawing narrative influences from The Bear (2022-present, Created by Christopher Storer) and visual influences from Good Time (2017, Safdie Brothers). In the brief window between completing the script and the first day of shooting, myself and a fellow Tree Shot Studios member, Alexander Roffey (DoP, Editor), considered shooting the entire story. However, we ultimately decided to reserve our efforts for crafting a longer, more developed love story within American Wedding. The final short film presents a singular scene from the original script, interwoven with memories of past romance, lifted from another key moment in the script.

Shot over three days between November 7th and 9th, 2023, ZAY was made on a modest budget of £65, solely spent on herbal cigarettes, an array of cooking ingredients and a bottle of wine. Filming took place during term time in the Royal Holloway area, using two core house locations as our primary sets.