Aimee Powell
Director
Aimee studied at the New York Film Academy and at University College, London where she was one of only two students selected to develop their writing under the tutelage of acclaimed American poet Michael Donaghy. She has also trained extensively in acting technique, taking courses at The Actors’ Centre, The London Actors’ Workshop and with the theatre company Theatralia.
She has worked on several feature length films as a First Assistant Director, as well as working on TV pilots, shorts and music videos. She has directed four previous shorts, three of which were shot on 16mm. It was while working on these projects that she further developed her instincts for the sort of films she wants to make – character driven stories that have at their centre a truthful human conflict.
In 2010 she completed her first 35mm short film, Shades of Beige, starring Michelle Dockery and Edward Hogg. Her second 35mm project, Deathless, starring Ed Speleers, Joseph Mawle and Jane How, was shot shortly afterwards. She is currently writing a feature-length version of Shades of Beige.
Director’s Commentary
“Performance should be kept at the heart of any production and ultimately at the centre of Deathless is a very intense confrontation between two individuals. The actors found a real humanity in their characters’ desperation and interdependence. Both men want to be free of their past and this shared objective means that each is very aware of the power that being – or seeming – able to provide a second chance gives them. Their desire to start their lives anew is reflective of the deathlessness the film deals with; not an unchanging immortality but a constant regeneration.
“The cinematography and editing support the story that the actors are telling, while maintaining the stylised aesthetic of the film, which draws heavily on the classic film noirs of the 40s and 50s. Working within this genre gave us the freedom to make bold decisions in all areas of production. Creating our own world also meant that we were able to segue between the concrete and the unfamiliar.”
Ian Beaumont
Writer and Producer
Ian is a scriptwriter, producer, publicist and communications director, the latter for over 20 years. Ian founded Little Dude Films in 2009, as a new production company dedicated to making high quality short and feature length films and TV programmes.
Prior to founding Little Dude Films, Ian worked on a number of feature film projects with acclaimed Slovakian producer Patrik Pass and film company Trigon, including Heaven, Hell, Earth, Nicky's Family and English Rhapsody.
Little Dude Films’ first projects to come to fruition are two short 35mm films: Shades of Beige, which Ian has co-produced, and Deathless, which Ian has written and produced. Both films are directed by Aimee Powell and feature established, award winning stage, screen and television actors and rising stars.
Little Dude Films has a number of new projects in the pipeline. These include: short film A Captive Audience, directed by Christian James; a proposed feature length version of Deathless; and Red Shadows, a Second World War era drama, set in 1940s Berlin and based on a true story.
Writer’s Commentary
“The film noir genre is a rich one for writers, as it enables you to create a stylistic world that is at once familiar and strange, like a waking dream. It also allows you to place your characters in interesting, often unsettling landscapes, such as large cities at night, and show how they deal with being there, usually under pressure.
“In writing Deathless, I've sought to combine a modern and retrospective aesthetic, in which the main characters are both of their time and apart from it; a sense that, if anything, the short film takes even further.”
Luke Bryant
Director of Photography
Luke has been working as a London based freelance director of photography for the last five years. In that time, he has shot numerous feature length and short films, including the award winning Prada and Prejudice, as well as television programmes for the BBC and ITV, including the BAFTA nominated Toyboize, produced by Talkback.
He has also shot commercials for companies ranging from Boots, Pimm's and Ikea to the Post Office and numerous promotional films for artists such as The Stone Gods and Emmy the Great. Luke is currently finishing post production on a dozen music videos for Julian Lennon.
Director of Photography's Commentary
“Shot on anamorphic 35mm film, utilising vintage anamorphic lenses, Deathless treads a fine line through the stylised formal aestheticism of 1940's film noir, while at the same time introducing a sense of freedom and motion through the use of jib and steadicam that one would not normally associate with classic Hollywood.
“The lighting style also takes its cue from the classic Hollywood era: saturated contrast and colours give a sense of a heightened reality; of an otherworldliness, that adds to the allegorical nature of the main protagonist's struggle, but in a manner which never detracts from, nor diminishes, the credibility of the performances.”
Rodolfo Coloma
Line Producer
Rodolfo began his career working in Spanish television, working as a camera operator and floor manager. He has produced a number of award winning short films and has developed feature films in both Spain and England. From 2008 to 2009, Rodolfo was the post-production and technical co-ordinator of the London Film Academy.
Lucy Donaldson
Editor
Lucy is a freelance editor living and working in London. She says: “I discovered filmmaking in my thirties and found editing to be the most satisfying part of the process: the perfect combination of working with visuals, rhythm, sound and music to communicate meaning. I studied at the National Film and Television School, specialising in editing, and graduated in February 2010.
“I feel editing is my calling; I love the collaborative nature of the role and like to create a good working atmosphere in the cutting room. I like realism: human stories in both contemporary and historical settings, in fiction and documentary. I'm particularly drawn to biography and history, but most importantly I like to work on intelligent projects that have an emotional punch.”
David Pringle
Sound Designer
David originally began working in music and sound design for the theatre, after coming to London from Ireland to study music at Goldsmiths College. In 2007, he decided to pursue his passion for film by doing a Sound Design MA at the National Film and Television School.
David says: "My time at the NFTS has helped me to develop technical, artistic and diplomatic skills that I will need to enter this difficult and competitive industry." Having graduated from the NFTS, David is currently working on several new projects.
Pointools and Pointools Ltd
Deathless’ dramatic opening sequence has been created using Pointools software, using laser scan data captured by APR Services, which has been edited, manipulated and animated using cloud data, in this case of the London skyline. To our knowledge, its use in Deathless is the first time that Pointools animations have been used in an actual film.
Pointools Ltd is a specialist software company based in London, which offers a wide range of products and software for quality animation and image production. The company has a large number of dedicated users throughout various industry sectors, including the film and television industries. www.pointools.com
APR Services
Pointools’ sister surveying company, APR Services, has 18 years experience in delivering an exceptional level of service to its customers. APR’s reputation is built upon its ability to deal with difficult and unusual surveys using cutting edge laser scanning technology for complex, architectural, engineering, environmental and heritage projects.
By utilising a range of laser scanning systems, APR can tackle a wide variety of projects, including: land surveying, measured building surveys, rights of light, 3D modelling and visualisations. APR is the reseller of Pointools software. Both Pointools Ltd and APR Services are owned and run by Tony Rogers. www.aprservices.net. |
