Shadowman

From the collection of

East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia

The East Anglian Film Archive, the UK's first regional film archive, offers a unique record of the East of England's social and cultural history. As part of the University of East Anglia, we continue to lead moving image heritage research and inspire audience participation through community projects and events. Our collections represent a broad range of amateur and professional creativity, from 1896 to the present day.

Shadowman

East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia
Harlesden
1994-01-01
Sound
7m

A female protagonist falls prey to the ‘Shadowman', who stalks his victim before attack. Uses stop-motion animation as well as live action.

Animator and filmmaker Jon Coley's eighth film completes the ‘Other Realms' series intended for television screening. Coley enlists the help of friend and professional model Janine Ashton who takes the lead role alongside Coley's predatory stop-motion ‘Shadowman' figure, inspired by the Count Orlok character in the 1922 silent horror movie Nosferatu.

The live action was shot in 1994 on location at Harleston's Masonic Rooms (The Old Mineral Works), produced as part of another film, which sadly had to be abandoned due to financial limitations. Almost ten years later, in 2001, Coley created the animated figure and reworked his footage, also adding a soundtrack to create this episode.

Amateur Auteurs

Ever dreamed of shooting your own movie? These pre-digital cine-enthusiasts did - with all the passion and devotion of the true auteur.

These low- (or no-) budget creations reach beyond simple point-and-shoot, back-garden efforts towards something more ambitious and skilful, revealing their authors' passion for film and their often astonishing ingenuity with limited resources. No desktop editing software or digital special effects for these amateur auteurs. The films include fiction and documentary, competition prizewinners and private labours of love. They may be the work of cine-clubbers or individual enthusiasts. But they all show a devotion to filmmaking that far transcends hobbyism. So look out for the delightful handmade intertitles, table-top special effects and library soundtracks which decorate many of the quirky stories, ultra-local documentaries and painstakingly composed home movies featured here.