Private Project

Brazen Souls

LOUISA, LOVE, LOSS AND THE SEA - On 26th January 1800, HMS Brazen was wrecked just off Newhaven, a small town on the south-eastern coast of England. All the crew (over 100 of them) died, except one man, Jeremiah Hill, a non-swimmer. He clung to some floating wreckage and was picked-up by two men, who had been lowered in a cage from the clifftop. As a result of this tragedy, and funded partially by contributions from the people of Newhaven, one of the first lifeboats in England was established in the town, in 1803, some 20-or-so years before the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) was formed (in 1824).
Watch this short film and be drawn into the consciousness of the captain's distraught and desperate young wife, Louisa Hanson, during her helpless witnessing of the tragedy. The film was shot on Newhaven’s clifftop and West Beach, within sight of where the Brazen sank.

  • Mike Flood
    Director
  • Mike Flood
    Writer
  • Jenny Flood
    Producer
  • Lucy Alexander
    Key Cast
    "Louisa Hanson"
  • Matt Miller
    Cinematography
  • Jenny Flood
    Production Design
  • Mike Flood
    Editor
  • Mike Flood
    Music
  • Matt Flood
    Drone Operator
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 29 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 10, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    10,928 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    21:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • YouTube & Facebook UK Live Premiere
  • British Short Film Awards 2021

    United Kingdom
    Nomination: Best Score (Mike Flood)
Director Biography - Mike Flood

Brazen Souls is Mike Flood's directorial debut. To date, he has been, primarily, a composer and producer for visual media. Throughout his career, he has been writing music in a variety of styles, drawing on the many influences that have left their mark on him over the years. He worked as a keyboard player, pianist and songwriter in his own bands Cursory Glances, Sound Advice and After The Flood, and performed in others’ projects, ranging in style from Rock through New Country to Brit Pop.

He's been composing and producing for music-to-picture projects, on and off, since 1997. Highlights have included working on three short films, The Warehouse, My Baby and Nigel The Plonker, which were all selected by the BBC for the British Short Film Festival, premiering at Leicester Square, London. And the Oscar Goes To… was shown at the Cannes Festival’s Short Film Corner and Say I Can With iKan won the Honourable Mention Award for the iKan competition.

There are other non-filmy bits and pieces he's been up to as well, like composing the music for My Name Is Sally Jones?, which enjoyed a four-week run on the London Fringe.

He is the Organist and music director at a 12th Century Church! It was this connection that lead him to write a brand new suite of music, song and poetry in celebration of the church building's 900th Anniversary. Brazen Souls is the showpiece track at the centre of the project.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

When I was writing and producing the poem and music for Brazen Souls, I was creating a musical world to express the visual images that existed in my imagination. Even at that stage I hoped and wished that I might be able to make a short film based on what turned out to be a very emotive and atmospheric track. It was an exciting yet, as a first time director, scary prospect. I'm so grateful I could work with such a talented, skillful and enthusiastic team.