2.Main Content
Digi Shorts
John Maidens
Graduating from University with a BSc Jt. Hons in Oceanography & Zoology, John had planned a career as a Marine Biologist. However, he was snapped up as a researcher for a BBC documentary on whales and dolphins in captivity, which kick-started a career in the organisation working on many formats and genres including; Natural History, Consumer, Light entertainment, Factual and Documentaries.
It is unusually through both Drama-documentaries and Drama that John’s skills as a versatile programme-maker have really come to the fore. He’s developed a reputation for producing and directing creative, stylish and highly innovative films and programmes. In 2006, John left the BBC and London and returned home to the West Midlands with his wife to set up a production company, Angelfish Productions. He’s since worked successfully as a Producer/Director in both the Broadcast and Corporate sectors as well as initiating a technical acting course as a Lecturer/Course Tutor for final year Drama Degree students. He has long wanted to make his own short film, and hopes that Caterpillar will express his voice and start him on the path towards making Feature films.
John has been selected onto the Digital Shorts Scheme with the project Caterpillar
Caterpillar is the story of a ‘loss of innocence’ moment in the life of a boy on the delicate brink of his teenage years. Twelve-year-old Nathan, an intelligent, sensitive and nature-loving boy who also happens to be profoundly deaf, lives with only his mother since the death of his father some years earlier. Caterpillar takes us on Nathan’s milestone journey of being taken on his first shoot by his remaining male family – his uncle and grandfather. Accompanying Nathan is his brash, unruly and rebellious best friend Connor. Opposites clearly attract in this dynamic, as we are bought into this genuine friendship and the world of boy-hood, but for Nathan the fun is brought to a stark halt at the end of his journey. The doubts he had suppressed by trusting his family, particularly his affectionate and close granddad Gangie, are sharply realised as he is confronted with the resulting scene of the shooting party reveling in their kill.
John Maidens can be contacted at john.maidens@virgin.net