It is good to continue to be part of the creative process of making short films. Some see it as a way of ‘giving something back’ to the industry. That may be the case, but I continue to get a great deal out of the process, being given more of a free rein to explore creative ideas without the constraints imposed by market-orientated backers’ or exec producers’ deadlines. This is the hot-bed for artistic development in film-making, and its radical potential must never be underestimated.

One Behind A Short Film by Rocky Palladino of Light Brigade Films, experimenting with the idea of disjointed perception and memory retention. Art Director

Take Me Back An award-winning and thoughtful short about a relationship struggling through trauma, amnesia, and questions on the nature of love. Shot in Central London, and featuring an excellent soundtrack, I enjoyed dressing the ‘quirky’ flat. Production Designer

Bullies A graduation film from NFTS which I was asked to design, it was an opportunity to work with Gareth Tandy, and with Dougie Henshall, who I was to meet again on the set of French Film. The school classroom was fun to dress, and I was particularly pleased with the dining room set. Production Designer

Don’t Trigger Anti-gun crime 90 minute feature, the Hip Hop Opera was filmed on South London locations such as the famous nightclub, Ministry of Sound, and on the streets of Peckham. A fusion of drama, Hip-Hop and rap aimed at challenging the need for – and use of – guns in youth culture. I only worked a few days, but it was great to be involved in something so important. Standby and Scenic Effects(Daily)

Circles A poignant and sensitive short about parenthood and depression. I enjoyed creating a simple pallette of muted sepia tones, and was very involved in the delicate lighting of colours to produce crucial components within the narrative. Filmed in a cramped house in North London, with a fake wall repair and landscaping issues, I made some lasting friendships on this shoot, too.

Swindles and Slim Another beautiful Welsh-shot film, Produced by old friend Stewart LeMarechal. We had a real hard-working adventure doing this one, and it involved fine dressing, which we were all very proud of, and a look which won several awards. Special effects and pyro, fake car crashes created in forty minutes-flat, a stunt-fight bit-part, and lying on the floor of a MkII Jag at 80 miles an hour are a few choice memories…

The Funeral of the last Gypsy King Beautiful wistful short film, shot in West Wales, with haunting soundtrack. I had been busy on a BBC job in London, but Producer Stewart LeMarechal sounded like a nice guy, and it made a nice change. If you look carefully, you’ll see me as the gravedigger in the closing shot, standing by a grave which I had dug at around six o’clock that morning, with the help of the Lighting Gaffer(!?), Joe Allen.

Insomnia My First Film! Working with Sophie Fante and Lisa-Marie Russo. On the set I worked with Production Designer Mark Tildesley for the first time, who was to feature in much future work, and inspired me to be part of the Art Department. I never looked back. Newcastle at dawn, Andy Serkis hanging off a drainpipe, warehouses with lots of stairs.