Creative studio Florence has added award-winning director and still photographer Harry Deadman to its talent roster. This marks the first U.S. signing for Deadman whose work spans music videos, branded content and commercials while offering a range of disciplines from live action to mixed media and visual effects. The London-based Deadman hails from Australia.
Best known as a music video director, Deadman studied music in his youth in Adelaide, Australia. He produced electronic music and hoped to pursue a career as a musician, but he soon found he was better suited to filming musicians than being one. Making music videos enabled him to remain connected to the music scene while discovering where his creative talents truly lie. Deadman has gone on to helm videos for artists like Two Another, Skylar, E^st, Finn Askew, Golden Vessel, Selbor, and Chinatown Slalom. On the branded side, his clients include Hendrick’s Gin and Kodak, and he’s directed fashion films for Labrum London.
Deadman’s work has garnered global recognition, including a win for Best Comedy Music Video at the International Music Video Awards (2021) for Selbor’s “Your Love.” He was a finalist for Best Music Video at the Stockholm Independent Film Festival and the J Awards, which celebrates achievement in the Australian music industry. In addition, his work has screened at the International Micro Short Film Festival, the Silver Screen Festival, and the Atlanta Film Festival. His still photography has been included in the official selection of Portrait of Britain, a publication of the British Journal of Photography.
“I’ve been directing independently for a long time, but when I met the team at Florence and saw the films they were producing, it was clear they’re a studio that’s adventurous and open-minded enough to take on my brand of weird!” said Deadman. “Their inclusive culture, collaborative ethos, and intriguing client list sealed the deal.”
Florence founder Jerad Anderson said of Deadman, “It’s clear to anyone who’s seen his work that Harry has a style that’s uniquely his own. His films are always fresh and surprising, and yet unmistakably born from the imagination of a singular mind and talent. We look forward to working with Harry and seeing what universe he dreams up next.”
Review: Writer-Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s “Heretic”
"Heretic" opens with an unusual table setter: Two young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are discussing condoms and why some are labeled as large even though they're all pretty much a standard size. "What else do we believe because of marketing?" one asks the other.
That line will echo through the movie, a stimulating discussion of religion that emerges from a horror movie wrapper. Despite a second-half slide and feeling unbalanced, this is the rare movie that combines lots of squirting blood and elevated discussion of the ancient Egyptian god Horus.
Our two church members — played fiercely by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East — are wandering around trying to covert souls when they knock on the door of a sweet-looking cottage. Its owner, Mr. Reed, offers a hearty "Good afternoon!" He welcomes them in, brings them drinks and promises a blueberry pie. He's also interested in learning more about the church. So far, so good.
Mr. Reed is, of course, if you've seen the poster, the baddie and he's played by Hugh Grant, who doesn't go the snarling, dead-eyed Hannibal Lecter route in "Heretic." Grant is the slightly bumbling, bashful and self-mocking character we fell in love with in "Four Weddings and a Funeral," but with a smear of menace. He gradually reveals that he actually knows quite a bit about the Mormon religion — and all religions.
"It's good to be religious," he says jauntily and promises his wife will join them soon, a requirement for the church. Homey touches in his home include a framed "Bless This Mess" needlepoint on a wall, but there are also oddities, like his lights are on a timer and there's metal in the walls and ceilings.
Writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood — who also... Read More