Upcoming
Projects.
Blocked
Blocked is a Super8 film I wrote, directed and produced as part of the prestigious straight8 film competition, in which filmmakers are required to shoot a film on a single roll of super8 with no re-takes, no editing, no grade, no post-production at all. The soundtrack is made ‘blind’ and the competition line it up to the first frame of picture.
After years of dithering, I decided to finally commit to this challenge. Blocked is about a sweet and bubbly successful artist, Linda, who gets her inspiration from her poops. But one day, a week before the grand opening of her biggest exhibition ever, she realises she is constipated. What follows are Linda’s increasingly strange attempts to rediscover her ‘inspiration’, only to realise that true inspiration comes from your heart, not your bowels.
Because of the short runtime, reliance on voiceover and the general super8 aesthetic, I realised that the format lends itself well to comedy, and so chose to create an unconventional and outrageous comedy, with a bubbly character at the centre.
The filmmakers only get to see the films when they're screened in May, so we have no idea how the film turned out yet! A good test of patience!
↑ Test footage ↑
As Things Were (working title)
A determined 8-year-old Noah and his innocent younger sister Shannon grapple with the news of their parents’ divorce, as they devise imaginative schemes to keep the family united.
As Things Were is a bittersweet dramedy short film that explores the impact of divorce on children through a kids perspective. The 2005 setting and sequences seen through camcorder home video footage lend an intimate and nostalgic feel to the film, while the innocence of the kids (and a dog) provide moments of levity.
This script emerged from my desire to reexamine a deeply personal and surely one of the most impactful experiences of my childhood: my parents’ divorce. I’ve been wanting to make a more personal film for a while, and this topic had been gestating in my mind for a while.
There aren’t many depictions of divorce in cinema, and the ones that do exist are often acrimonious, lacking balance and nuance. I saw few films which I could relate to or which felt true to my own lived experience.
The script is currently in its third draft, with the intention to secure funding and shoot in the second half of 2024.
↑ Shots from my own home videos ↑
Model Citizens
A doctor fights to expose the devastating effects of a memory-wiping therapy, before her loved ones’ memories are erased.
After screening our short film A Positive Contribution to international and UK audiences, writer Heather McQuaid and I were repeatedly asked whether the short was a concept piece for a larger project.
While we had never thought of A Positive Contribution as a feature or series, we saw the potential in the fictional world we'd created. A Positive Contribution takes place in just one room with three characters, but there is so much more that isn't shown. The exciting thing about sci-fi is that you get to create the world and its rules from scratch. So we decided to explore the idea further.
We're currently developing the series and exploring the rich themes this story has to offer and what direction to take it. Model Citizens builds on the fictional setting and premise of A Positive Contribution, but will explore different themes, topics and have a different story engine.
↑ A Positive Contribution stills ↑
Roulette
↑ Stills from some incredible short films that have ↑ inspired us. 'Ecorchée' by Joachim Hérissé (top) and Manoman by Simon Cartwright (bottom)
My first real foray into horror and animation (two birds, one stone eh?), 'Roulette' is a short film written by Gatlin Perrin. It's super atmospheric and creepy, and it immediately evoked strong images in my mind when first reading it. I knew I wanted to make this film come to life.
'Roulette' is about two characters who play a game of Russian roulette with high stakes and deadly consequences. A tale of greed, fanaticism, and a sprinkling of lunacy.
We initially imagined this as a live-action film, but after watching some incredible short animation films we came to the realisation that 'Roulette' would work even better as an animation.
We're currently finalising the script and looking to find the right animator with the right style to collaborate with.