"......Spotless sells to NBC Universal!"

NBC Universal has bought the dark, character-driven drama 'Spotless' to premiere on its Esquire network this Autumn. I was thrilled to write Episode Eight of the series which was co-created by the awesome Ed McCardie. Spotless was originally produced by Tandem Productions for Canal Plus and stars Denis Menochet ('Inglorious Basterds'), Marc-Andre Grodin ('C.R.A.Z.Y'), Miranda Raison ('Spooks') and Brendan Coyle ('Downton Abbey').

The show has already aired in France to phenomenal acclaim and the full story on its stateside debut can be found in Variety.

".....Breathe is a VIMEO Staff Pick!"

Following its selection as a 'Short of the Week', Breathe has now been chosen as a VIMEO Staff Pick!

This follows in the ghostly footsteps of Lot 254 which was awarded the same accolade last year (read about it in this old post).

You can watch 'Breathe' on the VIMEO Staff Pick Channel where it has already attracted nearly FIFTY THOUSAND views*, over twelve hundred  'likes' and scores of positive comments!


*UPDATE - 95,000 VIEWS NOW!!! 

"....Breathe makes its online debut with Short of the Week selection!"

After its debut in the BFI Gothic season and multiple festival screenings all over the planet, our short supernatural film 'Breathe' now makes its online debut via the prestigious Short of the Week website.

With their amazing team based in New York, 'Short of the Week' has been serving up epic bite-sized films to millions of filmmakers and fans since 2007 and is widely regarded as one of the best short film showcases in the world.
 
Starring Josef Altin ('Child 44', 'Game of Thrones'), Jack North ('In the Flesh', 'Chasing Shadows') and Orion Ben ('Skins', 'Call the Midwife'), 'Breathe' can be watched here. Hope you enjoy it!

"....Breathe's festival run continues."

Behind the scenes on 'Breathe.'

As Winter begins to whisper, this seems like a good time to give an update on the progress of our ghost story 'Breathe.'

The film is haunting its way round the world at the Lund International Fantastic Film Festival , Brest Short Film Festival  and the Leeds International Film Festival.

Starring Josef Altin ('Game of Thrones'), Orion Ben ('Call the Midwife') and Jack North ('In the Flesh'), 'Breathe' is an old school supernatural chiller about an apparition that can only be seen when you hold your breath. The longer you hold your breath, the more defined the apparition becomes and...well, why don't you take a deep breath and find out for yourself? 

When making the film, we were determined to keep digital theatrics to a minimum and tell the story with as many in-camera techniques and practical effects as possible. We want our ghost stories to be true to the spirit of the many remarkable television films from the 60s and 70s, not least Nigel Kneale's 'The Stone Tape' and the elegant, unearthly work of Lawrence Gordon Clark. Even within the limits of 4 by 3 aspect ratios, low resolution video and non existent budgets, these films prove that suggesting an idea is always more powerful than showing it.

We've been so thrilled with the success of 'Breathe' that we're already planning a follow-up, a long cherished M.R. James adaptation that will be even more terrifying. In the meantime, here are a few behind the scenes images from the shoot....

Orion Ben prepares for a take in 'Breathe.'

Toby Meakins directs Jack North and Josef Altin in 'Breathe.'

Orion Ben between takes in 'Breathe.'

"...coming this Winter to BBC One: World War Three, 1980s melancholy and Wham!"

detail of the secret nuclear bunker

map of the uk from the secret nuclear bunker

training manual: preparation for the end of the world

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transmission codes

dead technology deep beneath the essex countryside

Bungalow in Essex

"....Lot 254 is a VIMEO Staff Pick"

As recently endorsed by the director of  'the Exorcist' and 'the French Connection' (I know, right?), my long-time collaborator Toby Meakins' award-winning, festival slaughtering, nerve-shredding short film 'Lot 254' is now a VIMEO Staff Pick.

Although the short was developed from an idea of mine, Toby wrote (and, as usual, directed) this one all by himself and I am so proud to have even the tiniest connection to it. So much so that I insisted we make a new short together right after seeing it ('Breathe', part of the wonderful BFI Gothic season and playing festivals near you throughout this year, folks).

Please donate two and a half minutes of your life to this mini masterclass in suspense and terror. You won't regret it.

Watch 'Lot 254', VIMEO Staff Pick.