Page title Name
Darren Beard
Runner, Writer/Director
England

Darren's Biography

I am driven, creative and looking to establish a career within the entertainment industry. My passion for all areas of the media has led me to be involved in various productions, from short films and animations to radio plays and live theatre.

I hold a 2:1 Theatre and Performance BA from Leeds University, which has honed my communication and organisational skills, and demonstrates my understanding of performance and its relationship to an audience, and my ability to work from my own initiative and creatively devise both performances themselves and processes for rehearsing and developing those performances.

University also offered the opportunity to work on several short films in a number of capacities. Since then, however, I have been fortunate enough to work on bigger projects. These have included a short film for Sony, '8.3 Minutes', on which I was the Second Assistant to the Director. This role encompassed a wide range of production duties, such as storyboarding several shots, conducting recces, operating the clapperboard, and acting as a runner and general assistant to cast and crew members. After the shoot I was also able to witness the post-production process at The Mill.

My ambition has since pushed me to broaden my media skills even further, to incorporate the knowledge required in the feature film and animation sectors. For example, I have become fluent in software such as Adobe After Effects, Premier pro and Photoshop, which have helped me to develop in terms of logically planning the development process for a film or animation, and finding my own visual style. Furthermore, they have enhanced my drawing skills both digitally and in pencil, my ability to direct within different media and my knowledge of visual effects.

Most recently, I have been working on a series of short animations that have allowed me to really test my ablities as an animator and a writer. As a result, I have discovered that this is a medium that I definitely intend to continue working in, whether as a focus in itself or alongside projects in other media; I am excited by the infinite possibilities that animation offers for adapting the visual style in which a story can be told.

Ultimately, I am looking to continually develop my skills and thus heighten the quality and possibilities of my work, and through experience build a career that will enable me to realise my personal projects within a professional capacity.

Employment History


> BeardedLeach Productions, Adventures in Temping, Director/Animator: 01/12/08 - 01/02/09


This was a self-funded series of short comedic animations around the idea of temping in outlandish environments, including on a pirate ship and in space. The three- to five-minute skits were aimed at an 18- to 30-year-old audience, and designed appeal through exaggerating and parodying temp work in a way that they could empathise with.

. Self-funding shows dedication and ambition, and ability to create and 
  adhere to my own deadlines.

. Generating the initial idea shows creativity and an understanding of
  the audience

. Writing each script myself shows written communication skills,
  including an understanding
  of standard script layout, script structure, plot, characterisation and  
  realistic dialogue, as
  well as both physical and verbal humour and comedic timing

. Selecting every shot shows solid directorial skills and knowledge of 
  cinematography, including a broad variety of shot-types and the
  reaction they are designed to provoke from an audience, how to frame
  an aesthetically pleasing shot, and how to mimic moving-camera
  shots using computer programs

. Storyboarding shows artistic ability and planning and organisational 
  skills

. Completing the project to a high standard demonstrates an in-depth 
  understanding of advanced techniques using software including   
  Adobe After Effects, Premier pro and Adobe Photoshop

> Sony, 8.3 Minutes with Director Klaus Thymann, Assistant to the Director and Runner: 16/07/08 - 29/07/08

I spent two weeks as assistant to the director and runner on this Sony short film about an ancient Mayan legend coming true in the modern day. The film was later entered into a new directors' film festival in LA.

. Working up to 14-hour intensive days shows my passion and
  dedication, and ability to work well under pressure

. Responding to new tasks at short notice shows alertness, initiative,  
  timely responsiveness, and the ability to prioritise and be flexible with
  my plans and time, but still meet and sometimes exceed goals

. Resolving a wide range of issues as they arose shows reasoning, 
  problem-solving, teamworking, empathy and people-skills

. Storyboarding shows my understanding of their role and function,
  artistic ability, and the director's faith and trust in my abilities, as this
  was an ad-hoc addition to my role

. Co-ordinating information succinctly and effectively between the 
  director, producer and other crew members shows an understanding 
  of each of their roles and requirements, as well as of the complete 
  creative process of film-making, and general eloquence

. Responsibility for composing the props list and sourcing the props
  themselves shows attention to detail and analytical skills (as I
  needed to identify them from the script) and the team's trust that I could fulfil my duties

. Undertaking extra recces as needed required a thorough
  understanding of the script and the visual concept of the film, as well
  as research and organisational skills to locate appropriate
  destinations and arrange viewings and appropriate permits for filming

> Recruitment Publications, Recruitment International, Freelance Artist: 01/01/08 - 01/02/08

.Creating images for the magazine to the editor's brief shows the ability
  to generate creative products that fulfil specific requirements to a
  professional standard, and an understanding of the relationship
  between editorial and artwork

> PayPoint, Retail solutions ATM operations co-ordinator: 01/10/07 - 25/04/08

. Co-ordinating information between departments and various levels of 
  management shows confidence dealing with senior figures,
  professionalism and eloquence

. Resolving customer problems shows initiative, technical
  understanding of the relevant processes and the ability to simply and
  clearly communicate complex information and procedures

. Performing general office administration tasks demonstrates      
  extensive experience of an office environment, and related skills such
  as telephone manner, strong IT competency and written
  communication skills

Education

Highest academic achievement: York St John University: BA Hons Theatre Performance 2:1

Highest vocational achievement: Guild Hall Drama Exams, grades: 4 (high honours), 5 (distinction), 6 (high honours), 7 (merit), 8 (high honours).

Referees

references available on request.

Additional Information

Industries

  • Animation, 
  • Film, 
  • Online, 
  • Theatre, 
  • TV

Programme Types

  • Animation, 
  • Comedy, 
  • Drama: Feature Film, 
  • Drama: Short Film, 
  • Entertainment, 
  • New Media, 
  • Science Fiction

Specialisms

  • Art, 
  • Cinema/Film, 
  • Comedy, 
  • Computer Gaming, 
  • Design, 
  • Digital Special Effects, 
  • Drama, 
  • Theatre