Hard Baked Films
A Short, Period Comedy.
A period comedy. A young gallant, Roland Spence, (Kieran E. Sims) takes up a challenge issued by two ne'er do wells, Mr Vanderberg (LLoydd Hamwijk) and Mr Hawkins,(Nick Hayles) to woo the local Squire's daughter Emily (Anna Ellen-Woods. Her father, John Eldridge, (Liam Mulvey) sees it otherwise and despite the interventions of his wife Elizabeth, (Mary Roscoe) a duel ensues.
Trailer
Cast Biographies
Mary Roscoe: (Elizabeth Eldridge)
Mary grew up in Zimbabwe and came to London to train gaining a BA Hons in Theatre from Rose Bruford College. She has been acting in film, television and theatre since 1980.
Film work includes – Testament of Youth (James Kent), The Riot Club (Lone Scherfig), Paddington (Paul King), Woman in Black Angel of Death (Tom Harper) Exhibition (Joanna Hogg), Les Miserables (Tom Hooper), Suspension of Disbelief (Mike Figgis), Chatroom (Hideo Nakata), Unrelated (Joanna Hogg - Guardian & Evening Standard award for best first film, Independent Film Critic's Award for best film), Topsy Turvy (Mike Leigh).
TV work includes – War & Peace, Partners in Crime, The Casual Vacancy, Whitechapel, Holby City, Great Expectations,The Crimson Petal and the White, Canoe Man, Antiques Rogue Show, The Thieving Headmistress, George Orwell A Life in Pictures- BAFTA winner, The Rector's Wife, Frank Stubbs, Lovejoy, Sorry!
Kieran E. Sims (Roland Spence)
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Liam Mulvey (John Eldridge)
Nick Hayles (Mr Hawkins)
'Nick loves performing on both stage and in film.
His latest performance was for a British comedy horror independent short film which involves playing the son of a man who has a condition where he turns into a half chiwawa dog and half werewolf. Nick is particularly fond of being involved in productions that are quirky and off the wall. One of his upcoming projects will be a short film thriller written by himself
Lloydd Hamwijk (Mr Vanderberg)
Lloydd grew up in The Netherlands, Amsterdam, and came to London to attend a advanced screen acting course at The Internation School of Screenacting. He has been acting on film, television and theatre since 2011 in The Netherlands and is now starting his international career.
Anne Ellen-Woods (Emily Eldridge)
Director Profile
Mark has been in the entertainment industry for over 40 years. His first writing venture was 'Crook Back,' an absurdist drama presented in Richmond in 1986. This was followed by a series of classics that he directed in and around London's fringe ; Marlowe's 'The Jew of Malta', Tourner's 'The Revenger's Tragedy', Shakespeare's 'Anthony and Cleopatra''. He also ventured into directing new writing for the theatre with plays such as a new version of Jarrey's 'Ubu the King', by Tim Willocks and Marcus Reichert''s 'Tenderly,' presented at the Photographer's Gallery in London's West End. His first venture into film writing and directing was 'The Letter', a short 15 minute piece centred around an estranged son and farther. This was followed by a video game 'The Seven Swords of Wayland' with Brian Blessed. Three further short films followed with 'The Letter' ,(1996) 'Altered Art' (2008) and 'Purge' (2010) In 2002 Mark founded the International School of Screen Acting in London's East End where he teaches silent movie making and screen writing. Mark continues to write shorts and feature films with 'Paper Crown' and 'Gilgamesh' being the most recent developments.
Mark Normandy. Director
Background
The film, Rapier, came about through discussions with fight director Sam Kahn (BSSC). Mark Normandy and Sam had worked together previously on several student fight projects at the International School of Screen Acting, but had not ventured further with their ideas. Mark and Sam had also consistently worked with Director of Photography David Shine over some years on the same projects. Once the script had been rewritten a couple of times and had moved from something deadly serious to something that was, at least, mildly amusing, the team began to be developed and slowly built.
John Gander came on board next as our line producer and location manager. It was through John that we Met Sue Holland and her beautiful Elizabethan home. This was followed by Lynne peters who took up the reigns as Production Manager and Maja Sobieska as Assistant Director. With the addition of Ilona Kahn as Art Director, Charli Smith as the Make-Up Artist, Filipe Pinheiro and Joel Carl as sound engineers and finally Ruth Morris as production photographer the project was able to move forward to the next stage.
It has always been a principal of Mark's to give opportunities, where possible, to newcomers in the industry and this is reflected in the casting of Rapier. Anna Ellen-Woods was cast as Emily Eldridge along with Lloydd Hamwijk as Mr Vanderberg both having graduated from the International School of Screen Acting in 2016. Nick Hayles, Mr Hawkins, was a graduate from ten years previously. Liam Mulvey, John Eldridge, and Kieran E Sims, Roland Spence, both came through Sam Khan. Mary Roscoe, Elizabeth Eldridge, has been a long standing senior actress with considerable ability and experience and eminently castable for the role.
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Principal photography started at the beginning of September 2016 at 3 Mills Studios in London's East End. Post production finished towards the end of February 2017.
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Earlier Films
ALERED ART
With Sophie Dix & Ronan Vibert
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Written and Directed by Mark Normandy
With Bradley Moore
Paul McNeilly and Sire Von Schihva
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Written and Directed by Mark Normandy
PURGE
Future Projects
This page will cover news of future film projects currently scripted but in need of funding.
Paper Crown
This is a feature film project set on a pile of rocks in the middle of a desert. The story follows five characters who struggle for control of the pile of rubble. One of the main themes of this surrealist piece is the relationship between militarism and religion and how they operate and manipulate power to their own agendas. The relationships are further advanced when encompassing big business. This tripartite can be seen most obviously in the Middle East with its factional religious fighters under the support of the worlds great powers and the interests and agendas of other major players.
Paper Crown is now awaiting its green light for pre production to begin. We hope to take the project to Spain for a few weeks in 2018. Fingers crossed.
Spike
Spike is set in 70's London and covers a true tale of life in bedsit land, Earls Court. It follows the machinations of an aging ex-Raj Landlady as she attempts to shore up her existence in an ever changing world . The tenants witness an event that will cause them the loss of their rooms and throw them on to the streets of London.
The continued failure of governments to reasonably protect private tenants in the UK is as scandalous as it has always been. With house owners advertising properties for rent without forming proper limited companies that would offer protection for both landlord and tenant is probably the greatest failure in renting policy in the UK.
Gilgamesh
This is an Epic feature that is in its final stages for presentation to Hollywood producers Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk in ancient Mesopotamia (2,800 BC). The story follows the young Gilgamesh as he discovers the nature of Kingship. There are underlying socio-political aspects to film such as economic issues with another city state and an ensuing war. With the loss of his best friend and the wanton mischief of the Goddess Isis Gilgamesh has to be on his guard to maintain his right to be king.
The Lady Of Astolat
The project.is based on the Arthurian legend of the sane name, found in the 15th C. text Mort d' Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory. This is in an earl draft stage and is the current writing focus.. The tale of unrequited love of the lady Elaine over the indifference of Sir Lancelot is well known through the works of Alfred, Lord Tennyson (The Lady of Shallott) to such cultural icons such as Lilian Gish in the silent movie 'Way Down East'. Elaine was also the subject matter of the pre-Raphaelite painters of the late 19th and early 20th century. And this is the style I would like to shoot the project in. A highly romantic, elegant and , hopefully, refined piece.
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Updates to follow.