"Lifeboat" – A science fiction short by Nick Payne

Having made a life for themselves following a global apocalypse, a group of disparate strangers living together in a bunker have their fragile fantasy shattered when an equipment failure forces them to make a difficult decision about who lives.

  • Nick Payne
    Director
  • Nick Payne
    Writer
  • Nick Payne
    Producer
  • Philip Masterson
    Producer
  • Justine Wahlin
    Producer
  • Anthony Darvall
    Key Cast
    "David"
  • Blake Hurford
    Key Cast
    "Mark"
  • Charlotte Wood
    Key Cast
    "Dani"
  • Jemimah Knight
    Key Cast
    "Jocelyn"
  • Laura Elizabeth Wallace
    Key Cast
    "Roxy"
  • Martin Cohen
    Key Cast
    "Gabriel"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 32 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 16, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nick Payne

Creative cinematographer based in Sydney, Australia. Passionate about music videos, short films, documentaries, product photography, and more.

From shooting silent Super 8 in high school through to Super VHS in the 90’s and now experienced in digital capture, editing, and colour grading using DaVinci Resolve.

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Director Statement

"Lifeboat" is a story about the clash of values and pragmatism. It creates a situation that brings these two into conflict with each other in order to see whether the values of individuals can overcome pragmatic reality.

It also dances with themes of power and leadership exploring the different ways that individuals exercise control over others.

It was a joy to work with a menagerie of actors who brought enthusiasm, commitment, and talent to the script I'd written. Each actor's character has there moment to shine and be front and centre of the story.