Daniel Came Home

I shot this film, Daniel Came Home, (adapted from my own short story) in my rented flat over three weekends. I was keen to work with David Keyes, as I had admired him in many shorts, on TV and even in Hollywood movies, knew that he lived near Brighton and could see that he'd be perfect to play Jack. I had heard that he liked my previous short-Janet Devis-so I plucked up the courage to send him the script.
The film was mainly inspired by Bob Clark's Dead of Night, Alan Clarke's 80's films, various 60's experimental films; a particularly unpleasant father of a friend of mine; and my own father's army experiences, along with their lasting effect on both myself and my family. It's quite a personal film and there is definitely some of myself is in the character of Daniel.
With little financial resources, I placed an emphasis on atmosphere and short bursts of dialogue, feeling that the story would work best in stark black and white, with a lot of time spent on sound FX and music choices.
"Decently shot and edited, a fine atmosphere is conjured with minimal resources and the backstory of the protagonists is done very well, with just the right amount of suggestion, allowing the viewer to fill in the blanks. Good stuff!"- John Llewellyn Probert, British Fantasy Award winner and author of The Nine Deaths of Mr Valentine, plus numerous novellas.