Ranchers

Short film following three ranchers new to farm life after walking out of traditional jobs to live off the land. But how tough is it and can they survive? Filmed in east Texas in ranches in Nacogdoches, Paige and Groesbeck.

  • Paul Crompton
    Director
  • Emmett Glynn
    Director
  • Liam Michaels
    Producer
  • Hannah Gongoola
    Key Cast
  • James Foster
    Key Cast
  • Joel Johnson
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Paul Crompton, Emmett Glynn

I’ve been messing about with cameras for as long as I can remember. Even as a sheet metal worker for 6 years from school, all I really enjoyed was filming things and taking photos.

At nights and weekends I made short films and was in a band in the 'Madchester' period, we sold t-shirts and did lots of gigs.

My first job at Granada TV Studios was in the kitchens washing up, then managing bands for live TV shows and at one point I ended up presenting a TV report.

I was offered a job as a director for a series on local politics and I haven't looked back.

That was 30 years ago. I love making observational documentaries. It is a massive privilege to peer in into other people’s lives.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Ranchers is a low budget short filmed over one week at the start of the ranching season, early spring 2022.

Although it focuses on how the three ranchers cope and how they differ, there is a gentle, and yet much bigger, theme.

It makes you think about the big question of what life is, what it is for and it’s just us and the ground we stand on. In a positive way.

There is something philosophically wholesome, in this film, that makes the viewer feel okay about being a stranger on a strange planet.