Struggling writer Kurt is having a bad day: he's just lost out on another book pitch. Depressed, he visits his local Aquatic Pet shop to buy a new fish. Here he runs into a pretty young teacher Lucy and a bizarrely augmentative resident Stingray. The Stingray persuades Kurt to ask Lucy out, but Kurt is not as good with words as he thinks...

Stingray is a well-made comedy with definite old-school Hollywood rom-com feel and a nice central conceit. There are also some fine performances, especially the two endearing leads, Mathew Horne (of Teachers) as Kurt and Lucy Punch as the young teacher that catches his eye. Andy Serkis' cameo as the voice of the Stingray is amusing, and shockingly, even the child actors involved are very good.

Considering the background and know how of those involved “ Producer Colin Leventhal was Executive Producer on both The Libertine and Where the Truth Lies “ it will be very interesting to see the next short this team produces.

Stingray will launch on DVD rental and be available for download at Lovefilm.com. The site currently has pay-for-view shorts for under ÂŁ1, including the Wallace & Gromit Cracking Contraptions shorts, plus awards winners such as Dupe (winner of Best Short at the Scottish BAFTAs) and the excellent CGI animated short Brand Spanking New (a deserved winner at Edinburgh). The free shorts section has over 50 short films of varying quality “ but definitely worth a pop “ with such actors as David Tennant and Julian Barratt making appearances.

INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR NEIL CHORDIA

What was the most difficult aspect of directing your first short? And what did you learn for next time around?

For me it was all about transferring what I™d imagined from the script onto screen. Operating at this level you can™t demand a set that looks exactly as you™d imagined it when you first read the script. You have to work with what you can find. Therefore it™s all about adapting and making sure that your vision stays intact in the process. I™m sure it™s something that comes from experience but it™s a really useful skill to have.

Was it difficult transition moving from your previous role as Production Executive to that of Director? 

Not nearly as difficult as I expected! I™d tried to distance myself from the nuts and bolts physical production stuff at an early stage on Stingray and left it up to my producers. It meant I was able to fully concentrate on the creative side and tackle the project purely as a director. I think this approach really helped and set me up in a better way to make the transition. It was perhaps a little strange at first as normally my role on set is fairly hands off and behind scenes, but I soon got used to it!

Stingray certainly seems a well-financed project “ did it take time for you and your producers to acquire this? And what advice would you give budding directors and producers struggling to finance their own projects?

The entire project was actually financed fairly quickly from private investors. I think part of this was luck and part of it was down to my producers. I know how tough it is to find finance for any project, but then when you have good quality material it always helps. People were excited about the script and so we were already half-way there. Of course we had to pitch to the investors and I™d like to think that our energy and excitement for the project sealed the deal.

In terms of advice to others looking to make short films I™d simply say śDon™t give up!ť. Keep talking to people and always remember why you were so excited about the project in the first place. Whether you are great at pitching or not, energy and enthusiasm go along way and ultimately you are trying to infect other people with this. If you believe in it, make them believe in it.

It must have felt a real coup to get Andy Serkis to agree to cameo as the voice of Stingray in your first short “ how did that come about?

It was amazing to get Andy involved. He™s such a talented actor and when I first read the script I couldn™t help but think of Andy for the part. I knew Andy™s agent and thought it would be worth asking him at any rate, even though I thought it was a slim chance. He is a very busy man after all. Luckily, Andy happened to be in town and so we arranged for him to screen an early cut of the film. He loved it and agreed to do the voice.

What™s your next film project? Will it also be a comedy short?

We™re trying to develop Stingray into a full feature. Its early days, but we™ve got a pretty solid idea for it and some great characters from the short, so I™m pretty positive about its future. I™m hoping people will enjoy the short and will have an appetite to see where Kurt and Lucy (and Stingray) go next. Aside from that I have a few other ideas I™m working on so perhaps we might develop one of them as a short, although ultimately I am looking to move on to features.  

Do you tend to watch many shorts yourself? What™s your favourite short that you™ve seen recently?

I™ve certainly started to watch more shorts in the last few years. This is partly due to my job, but also a growing interest I have with this media. I think there is more of an appetite for them now, especially with the growth in downloadable technology. Short films seem ideal content for the internet and I think we™ll see a lot more available soon. It™s a shame that advertising space has forced shorts out of cinemas, but I™m glad that people now have a chance to view them online.

I really enjoyed a short called śHotel Infinityť by Amanda Boyle. A nice, simple central idea that was executed extremely well. This years Oscar winner śSix Shooterť was also a very enjoyable piece.

How did you come upon the script for Stingray?

Stingray basically evolved from a pitch my writer Charlie Gee gave me. As well as being a great writer, Charlie™s also a decent artist and he was working on some sketches for a sci-fi project I™ve been developing and asked me to take a look at a treatment for a romantic comedy he™d written. He gave me some sample scenes with the piece and after I™d read them I suggested they™d make a great little short. So we set about adapting them and the result was Stingray. 

What do you personally look for in a short film script?

The same things I™d look for in a full length script: characters, story and concept. In a short I tend to find the thing that draws me in more than anything else are the characters, although I have to admit the thing that really hooked me in Stingray, was the premise of a guy talking to a fish. 

How much do you empathise with Kurt™s [Stingray™s main protagonist] difficulty in choosing the correct words?

A lot. Picking the right words is never easy, especially when trying to ask a girl out! It™s amazing how many seemingly articulate people suddenly become stuttering wreaks when they actually have to say something meaningful¦ and I™m no different.

Do you use film websites such as ShootingPeople or Talent Circle for finding writers and crew? Do you find such sites a useful tool?

Sites like that are great particularly when you™re starting out because they allow you to meet people who you™d otherwise never come into contact with. What™s interesting about organisations like Shooting People is that everyone™s in the same boat and at similar stages in their careers so a runner you meet today could end up being the next Spielberg!

You™ve said you wanted Stingray to have a classic Hollywood feel “ what are your favourite classic romantic comedies, and why?

Despite my leanings towards Hollywood, I™d have to say one of my favourite romantic comedies is the old British film School for Scoundrels. It has great characters, an interesting concept and manages to be completely charming. It does have something of the golden era about it.

In terms of mainstream Hollywood, things like Groundhog Day and As Good As It Gets are some of my favourites. Anything that takes the standard boy meets girl plotline and skews it a little. Even more modern films like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days attacked the genre from a slightly different angle.