Remain Humane
Remain Humane began in 2014 as an experimental short film idea. The plan was for it to become an episode of a web series called Fatal Fables, with only a rough premise and character profiles written down in advance. The dialogue itself was largely improvised.
Each actor was given a sealed envelope containing their character information only moments before entering the story. The idea was to keep the performances spontaneous and see where the characters took things.
The four main actors rose to the challenge so well that it quickly became obvious there was more here than a 15-minute short. There was not quite enough material for a feature, though, so two additional shooting days were planned. Most of that new material was improvised too, apart from a few lines added to tie up loose ends.
Before a proper rough cut was completed, Lily Chilvers, one of the film’s main cast, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. That changed the project completely for me. What had begun as an experiment became something I felt a much stronger responsibility to finish.
Over the following years, I returned to the film several times, shooting additional material to strengthen it and give it a more complete shape. I finally filmed a new opening scene at the end of 2021 and, unless I decide I genuinely need a pickup, the film has effectively been in the can since then.
I continued working on the edit until 2023, when the project went quiet again for a while. In 2026, I returned to it properly, intending to finally finish the bloody thing.
Remain Humane is now back in active post-production, with completion planned for 2027.
There is a separate Remain Humane website for anyone who wants the full production history and future updates.
Each actor was given a sealed envelope containing their character information only moments before entering the story. The idea was to keep the performances spontaneous and see where the characters took things.
The four main actors rose to the challenge so well that it quickly became obvious there was more here than a 15-minute short. There was not quite enough material for a feature, though, so two additional shooting days were planned. Most of that new material was improvised too, apart from a few lines added to tie up loose ends.
Before a proper rough cut was completed, Lily Chilvers, one of the film’s main cast, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. That changed the project completely for me. What had begun as an experiment became something I felt a much stronger responsibility to finish.
Over the following years, I returned to the film several times, shooting additional material to strengthen it and give it a more complete shape. I finally filmed a new opening scene at the end of 2021 and, unless I decide I genuinely need a pickup, the film has effectively been in the can since then.
I continued working on the edit until 2023, when the project went quiet again for a while. In 2026, I returned to it properly, intending to finally finish the bloody thing.
Remain Humane is now back in active post-production, with completion planned for 2027.
There is a separate Remain Humane website for anyone who wants the full production history and future updates.