porcupineproduction-blog

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Porcupine Intro/Treatment

A surreal and comedic journey into a kidnapping gone wrong, and two brothers who find a window to a parallel universe.

The film will attempt to balance visions of a not-too-distant surrealist dystopic future Britain with a strong realism characterised by understated acting in situations that would otherwise demand it.

Outline treatment

The film will begin with a botched kidnapping in a case of mistaken identity that results in the kidnapped person’s death where they are accused of attacking and humiliating the main character’s youngest brother. The group that conducts the kidnapping are wearing bright multi-coloured balaclavas and robes. The leader of the group is a huge bald man with a large ginger beard, called “Bobby”, who refers to himself as “Zebadiah, The Prophet”, and who will feature as the main character.

The bungled kidnapping will be in strong contrast with the severity of the rant and ad hoc ‘trial’ dispensed to the victim, with apology and exasperation following the sudden realisation that it is not the person they were after. POV shots will encourage empathy from the viewer for the victim. The kidnapped victim will be a public figure, ideally a lower category celebrity recognisable from television. This will add to the general comedy of the sequence, and stupidity of the group. The death scene itself will involve fast cuts and computer generated imagery simulating the victim’s life (including internet life) flashing before their eyes.  

Understanding the complexity, both politically and emotionally, of what appears on the face of things to be comparable with IS is a key concern. While there will be no political overtones, the process of the kidnapping will involve a bag pulled over a head and the cable tying of hands. This is a key consideration that will be countered by a consistent surrealism throughout the film, which conflates political violence with small-town personal feuds.

The surreal death sequence will link to two teenagers sat drawing in a bedroom, one of which turns out to be the main characters brother, bruised and bloodied from his encounter with the intended victim of the kidnap. He is then asked about his other brother. This will cut to a low angle of his brother Disco and dog, a large Rottweiler, who will answer the phone and reply to Bobby. He will reluctantly agree to harbour him, with a series of sighs that implies that it is not the first time.

Following the case of mistaken identity and subsequent murder, Bobby leaves for Scotland, to lie low with his brother Disco and his dog. He travels north on a coach where his self perceived importance is be further countered by background artists knocking into him and generally taking no notice of him. He will stand out clearly on the coach in his costume, which is a brightly coloured Bishops’ outfit and fluorescent headdress. All other extras on the coach will be wearing black t-shirts with white text spelling “I AM A BACKGROUND CHARACTER, NOTHING I SAY OR DO MATTERS.”

The two older brothers, Bobby and Disco while being visually imposing and impressive characters in their own right, will have little dialogue. For the most part, silence, eye contact and the dog loudly eating its dinner will to explain their tenuous relationship. ‘English Beer’ surreptitiously positioned in the background will replace the motif of ‘Polish Beer’ used previously in The Rat King.

Resolving to leave the flat, the brothers and the dog will head to the highlands, the dog often leading the way. Reaching the summit Disco chides Bobby about his supposed super-powers, reluctantly; Bobby channels his powers and opens a tear in the universe. An acoustic folk soundtrack will begin as they see the tear. The green-screened tear shows a similar world of images to that seen briefly during the earlier death scene. As the soundtrack builds to a crescendo tentatively they enter and cuts quickly to the credits.

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Beangoose Productions Team

Beangoose Productions is a small independent film production company started by Writer/Producer Ned Suesat Williams and Writer/Director Jess Dadds. Our first production “Castle Invaders” made its UK Premiere at the 2015 CINECITY: Brighton Film Festival. Next, the team largely worked on Channel 4 commission “The Rat King” for Random Acts. Beangoose also have a background in independent commercial work, creating promotional video material for clients. Recently we made a short documentary “Seeking Safety” commissioned by Mind Charity focusing on young asylum seekers based in Kent. The film is set to be part of an exhibition touring London to Margate. Our latest film “The Goose Hunter” is a political satire set on the Isle of Thanet, and is currently in post production. Beangoose specialises in a creative approach to a range of cinematic forms, from comedy and drama to documentary and artists moving image.

Beangoose Productions Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE53rkm9fsuKm6ExnmczHXQ

Beangoose Productions show reel:

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Cast/Crew Jess Dadds - Writer/Director

Jess Dadds is a writer, director and producer based in Brighton. Jess's work focuses on narratives that operate in a space in-between documentary and fiction, attempting to blend together gritty realism and subjective fantasy. Jess’ debut short film “Castle Invaders” had its UK premiere at the 2015 CINECITY Brighton Film Festival as part of the Short Dramas selection. Jess is also a published illustrator, working on “The Bored Baker” project, which featured in Have I Got News for You and other national media. Following this Jess was commissioned by Screen South to create a short film for Channel 4′s Random Acts. Jess has most recently produced "Duality" a Screen South Commission for Ignition Random Acts and is currently in post production of a new short, a political satire, "The Goosehunter". Jess has also very recently been commissioned to direct a music video for Sony Music signed artist “Sam Sure”.

The Rat King:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F0f-NaNdBI&t=5s

The Goose Hunter

https://vimeo.com/221404442/password

password:goosehunter

http://www.jessdadds.com/

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Ned Suesat-Williams - Writer/Producer

Ned Suesat-Williams is a producer, archaeologist and heritage officer working in Glasgow. In 2016 and 2017 he worked on the senior production staff for Chin Stroke Records provision of a 72 hour curated closed circuit television network, for broadcast at the Bangface Weekender. In the Glasgow heritage sector Ned works closely to manage Open Days and public events at a WW1 reconstructed trench system, as well as steering an arts engagement programme with the local community. Alongside writer and director Jess Dadds, Ned has engaged in a series of projects with Beangoose Productions, involved with all stages of pre-production and delivery. Ned has publication work in the peer-reviewed Journal of Art Crime examining cultural heritage protection policy and mass media ‘atrocity porn’. Ned also previously produced Beangoose Productions first short film “Castle Invaders” which involved managing a 10 day shoot, with most days including location changes and co-ordinating drone filming with south east aerial filming company, Aerial Insight.

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Bertie Suesat Williams - Co-Writer

Bertie Suesat Williams is a writer for The Beano and Huffington Post. He is also the poet behind “The Bored Baker”. The mystery poet who gained world-wide news coverage after leaving secret satirical haikus in packets of Sainsburys cookies in North London. The poems were published by Erbace press and reviewed by The Independent in 2014. Bertie is an accomplished writer and creative, as co-writer he will mostly be focusing on the script, and helping to bring his unique comedy and satire to the dialogue.

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Ben Matthews - Editor

Ben Matthews is a London based editor working on a range of shorts, features and commercials. Projects he has edited have been screened at various film festivals, including the London Film Festival. Ben has worked consistently with the Beangoose team, editing “The Rat King” short for C4 Random Acts, as well as Beangoose Productions latest comedy short “The Goose Hunter”

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Alice Humphreys Co-Producer/Production Manager

Alice developed her love for story-telling through moving image after studying photography alongside performing arts. She now specialises in Directing and Producing after graduating in 2015 with a 1st class BA Honors in Film Production from the London College of Communication, UAL. Alice has worked on a range of short films, documentaries, music videos and fictions. She previously directed a 17 minute documentary, alongside Mateo Ybarra, titled ‘Waldeinsamkeit’. The film explores solitude through conversation with several contributors; Sara in Scotland, Toby in Spain, and Damien in Switzerland. The film ponders on our fears of loneliness, whilst meditating the difference to that of chosen solitude, and the benefits it might have on the human condition. The film was shown at the Brighton Cinecity Film Festival in November 2016. Since then she has produced 3 short films through First Acts, including ‘Kitchen Sink’ directed by Vivienne West, ‘Bloom’ directed by Sian Fan, and ‘One Falling, One Diving’ Directed by Harry Cauty, which won the ‘Best Experimental Short Film’ award at the BFI Future Film festival in February 2017.

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Dominik Platen VFX Artist/Compositing

Dominik Platen is a Compositing / Roto & Paint artist with over two and a half years experience in feature film, short film and TVCs. Dominik possesses a wide range of skills in both 2D and 3D disciplines but specializes mostly in Compositing. Director Jess Dadds and Dominik Platen have worked together on previous projects, “The Rat King” as well as “Duality” the latest short Jess Dadds produced for Random Acts. Dominik will be working as Compositor and VFX Artist on Porcupine.

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Steve Chusak & Miles Mlambo -Supporting Cast

Steve Chusak and Miles Mlambo are seasoned actors adept to both comedy and drama. In Porcupine, the two play the troublesome henchmen who accidently kidnap the wrong person. Steve Chusak is best known for his performance as Paranefer in TUT, the US/Canada mini series for Spike, as well as his work in theatre and commercial. Miles Mlambo has years of experience acting in a range of features, shorts, theatre and voiceover. The two actors already have a strong friendship that we hope will translate to the screen.

https://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/actor/profile/steve-chusak

https://www.castingcallpro.com/uk/actor/profile/miles-mlambo

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Robert Boaler – Bobby “The Prophet” Lead Performer

Robert Boaler is a grime musician and performance artist based in Margate. He is a confident performer and holds a strong visual presence on screen. He has had lots of experience performing on camera as well as in front of large audiences at public venues. Robert is an exciting and enigmatic performer; his lack of traditional acting experience brings a unique and genuine presence to his character.

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Ezra Miles - Director of Photography

Ezra Miles is a Director of Photography on cinematic short films. He has worked within documentary, gallery film, music videos, and comedy forms. Ezra is a graduate from Brighton University and upon graduation was the prize winner for outstanding artistic achievement by The University of Nagoya. His award winning film “The Fool In The Field” won on the strength of its visual depth and universal visual language. Since graduating Ezra has worked on “The Rat King” as well as several other shorts, including a documentary film optioned by Channel 4.

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Sam Giles - Art Director

Sam Giles is a practicing artist who works within a range of media. He is best known for his street art under the name of “Dream Safari”. Through this he has started his own business selling his designs on clothing, prints and cards. He has worked on and orchestrated many community-based art projects from spray-painting and photography to designing and building carnival costumes and props. These projects have included raising money from The Arts Council, Kent County Council and RSA. He also spoke and received an award at The House of Lords on behalf of art students in Kent. Sam was also the Creative Director on Random Acts short, The Rat King. This experience led to a strong interest in set and prop design, in which Sam has developed a distinctive style and approach.

http://dreamsafari.co.uk/

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Freddie Edwards - Illustrator/Designer

Freddie Edwards is Beangoose Productions resident illustrator and designer. He will be working on the artwork/imagery that appears through the void to a parallel universe during the death sequence and final moments of the film. Fred will work with a small team of 3D designers/VFX animators and will specifically be advising from a compositional perspective, and helping decide the positions of the images and how they will work together on screen. Fred also works at Finsbury Park based graphic studio Yawn Creative.

https://www.freddie-edwards.com/

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Kian McEvoy - Collaborative sound designer and engineer

Glasgow based sound designer and engineer, Kian McEvoy will be working on location sensitive field recordings and sound design. Delivered in line with his creative process through analogue and modular equipment his work on Porcupine will include a ‘live score’ to certain segments merging natural and digital themes. Kian has previously performed at the Glasgow CCA.

The piece he creates/approach will be inspired by Cristobal Tapia de Veer’s score/sound design for Channel 4′s 2015 series UTOPIA.

https://www.kianmcevoy.co.uk/

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Chase Coley & Pascal Colman - Collaborative Sound Designer/Sound Recordist Team

Chase Coley and Pascal Colman are regular members of the Beangoose team. They both hold a strong background in sound art and therefore provide a unique perspective on sound and its power within film. Both have had several group and solo exhibitions in and around London. Chase Coley has exhibited and performed in Japan and Jerusalem as well as working on Beangoose Productions “Castle Invaders”, Mind Charity commission “Seeking Safety” and most recently “The Goose Hunter”.

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Lead Sound Designer - Henry Collins

Henry Collins is the sound artist formerly known as Shitmat, he has been working as a professional sound artist for over a decade, working at the forefront of the then emerging breakcore/mashup scene. His work has always had a strong pop-cultural edge to it and has been featured several times on BBC Radio One. Henry will be working with the Porcupine team as a consultant sound designer bringing his immense experience of plunderphonic sound design to the audio of the VFX segments.

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Matthew Lee Redman Colourist

Matthew Lee Redman has previously worked with the Beangoose team on their latest short “Goose Hunter”. Matthew works professionally on shorts, music videos and commercials.