Writer & director / Short film
The Hizzard
A frustrated radio host gives a cryptid enthusiast airtime. His evidence is unconvincing, but the audience keeps growing.
Where it started
- My role
- Writing and directing
- Recognition
- Nominated for Writing, Drama and Camerawork at the Royal Television Society awards
- Available to read
- The screenplay; no film footage is included here yet
The idea started with my dad telling me about podcasts where people described encounters with Dogman as serious testimony. What made me laugh was the gap between the ordinary incidents they described and the weight they gave them. I wanted to keep that sincerity in the film.
Malcolm Keyes treats the Hizzard's petty offences as evidence of a terrifying creature. His language borrows the exaggeration of those podcasts, while Clive's scepticism gives the audience someone to recognise themselves in. As the calls and ratings increase, Clive's producer has every reason to keep Malcolm on air.
I wanted to satirise the way a media platform can give nonsense authority simply by treating it as worth broadcasting. The comedy comes from Malcolm's conviction and Clive's growing frustration.