MA Screen School Alumni celebrates feature film on Amazon Prime

The international streaming platform features Jay’s film about our over reliance on technology and the dangers of it and when AI industries latest project, a military humanoid called J1S, goes awol, they have less than 24 hours to get him back before the company is ruined.  

The film is shot entirely in Liverpool, where Jay and his seven brothers are from. Jay graduated from his MA in Screenwriting in 2017 and has since set up his own production company First Word Tree Productions, named simply because his first word as a baby was ‘tree.’ 

Jay said: “I did a Masters at LJMU within the Liverpool Screen School, where I was surrounded by likeminded people and could excel in learning everything about my craft. The course taught me to learn to take criticism, which is particularly important in the industry, and also the importance of collaborating, deadlines and working to them.

“I submitted the film to Amazon Prime ensuring it met all the criteria and they accepted it! The film was shot on next to nothing with really passionate people. We’ve won awards in New York, Montreal, Boston, Cannes and London, to name a few. 

So what would Jay’s advice be for anyone wanting to get into screenwriting or the film industry? 

“I’d say do it as soon as you can. Don’t wait to be invited or the stars to align, they won’t. Work on short films, meet creative people, offer help, and soon you’ll pick up the ropes.  If you’re a writer, keep pushing and writing and asking for feedback."

First Word Tree Productions will see Jay and the team head to Cannes Film Festival later this month. 

To watch J1S visit Amazon Prime or watch the trailer

Visit our webpage to find out more about studying MA Screenwriting at LJMU or within LJMU’s Liverpool Screen School.