Keaton Brignall McDougall
2021
SYNOPSIS
A son’s last chance to get his father’s acceptance comes when his dying father searches for a successor to the typography business.
The first film written and directed by Keaton B-McD, loosely inspired by Franz Kafka's 'Metamorphosis', 'The Beetle' is a 13-minute dark absurdist comedy made as a UWE graduation film from 2021. The film explores themes of self-acceptance and identity as Greg (our protagonist) decides what’s more important, what his father thinks of him or how he views himself.
It follows Gregor, who works in his father's typography business. His father is ill and crazed, locking himself away in his office, for fear of being hurt by insects. In the father’s final days, he offers an ultimatum. Whoever can design the best font for his grave becomes the successor of the company. This gives Greg (his son) one final chance to prove himself to his father. However, when Greg was kicked out of the workplace by the office bully, he was taken on a surreal journey of self-acceptance by the least likely thing, his father’s worst nightmare, an insect, 'The Beetle'.
CREW
Director/Writer- Keaton B-Mcd
Producer- Courtney Knowles
DOP- oli blower
1st AD- Euan Ray
Secondary camera operator- Cal Hagen
First AC- Rufus Farrow Jones
Second Ac- Simon Latham
Casting director- Lucas Hough
Production Design- Martin Bagneris
Costume- Lucas Hough
Editor- Danniel Pattman/Keaton B-mcD
Sound design- Guy Newland
VFX- Danniel Pattman and Harvey Mcgarry
CAST
Greg - Ryan Still
Oli John- Graham Macdonnell
Grave Digger- Alexander Kanwell
Pest control- Joey Robinson, Sarah Brignall
Office workers- Mel Leighton-Carey, Dave Watt, Esperanza Torres,
Juanma Cabrian, Lucas Hough, Archie Dunham
GO FUND ME CONTRIBUTORS
Solly Bowyer
Carly Minister
Paul and Suzanne Hough
Alison Dex
patrick blower
James Shaw
Jane Allan
Wendy Eastland
Moesha Gumpo
Linda Alliston
Sue Green
Harry Waters
Hope Graham
claire perry
Julie Foster
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Ben heath
Charles McDougall
Catalyst workshop
Gloucester Road reclamation yard
Springfield paper supplies
AWARDS
Winner of Absurd Art House Film Festival 2025 v5.0