What started as a wild idea over pints at our local brewshop has metamorphosed into a full-fledged venture. Davey, Gareth and I are thrilled to announce the launch of our horror-focused film production company, born from our recognition of Berkhamsted’s rich and varied (blood) pool of talent.
From Epic to Intimate: The Evolution of Our Vision
Last year we held a public reading of a short comedy horror film I wrote, BerkhamDEAD, featuring local talent Melli Bond, Jim Sturgeon and Adrian Scarborough. The event was a resounding success, attracting fans and supporters alike. However, we soon realized we had created a beast too large to tame (or shoot) – a 45-minute apocolyptic epic with a massive cast and multitudinous zombie hordes.
Recognizing the challenges of such an ambitious project for a fledgling production company, we retreated to the drawing board. After careful consideration, we’ve given birth to a new, more manageable monster: Diary of a Psycho Killer. 
Embracing Guerrilla Filmmaking
Our new project is a lean, mean, 15-minute comedy-horror machine. We’ve streamlined everything except the blood and gore, focusing on:
- A super small cast
- A single location
- Bite-sized running time
To keep costs down and showcase the power of low-budget filmmaking, we’re shooting the entire film on an iPhone. Before you scoff, remember that Steven Soderbergh shot “Unsane” almost entirely on an iPhone 7 Plus in 4K using FiLMiC Pro. We’re upping the ante with Gareth’s iPhone 14 and will use the Cinema P3 Pro app – equally powerful but far more budget-friendly.
The Lifeblood of Our Project
While we’re embracing minimalism in many aspects, we’re not skimping on audio quality. We’ve launched a CrowdFunder campaign to raise funds for:
- High-quality audio equipment rental
- Actor travel expenses
- Props and wardrobe
- Set dressing
- Copious amounts of fake blood
- Film festival submission fees
Join Our Horrifying Journey
Our pint-fueled notion has evolved into a living, breathing creature. As Victor Frankenstein might say, “What could possibly go wrong?”
More at: www.berkhamdead.com
