This Is Me

Sam Arthur knows how to keep a film short and snappy, having worked on a pop video or two in his time – most notably Röyksopp’s Poor Leno.

Here he brings his ability to cram a lot into a little to this five minute short about a Bertie (Paul Broughton) whose life takes an unexpected – and rather unfortunate – twist as a result of living on the Heathrow flight path.

Broughton – who many will remember from his days as Eddie Banks in Brookside – brings his lovely Liverpudlian tones to the narration. Lying in a hospital bed, unable to move – “I can’t walk, I can’t talk… I’ve got more tubes than the London Underground” - he explains how he came to be in this predicament, while his sour-face wife sits silently beside him.

Arthur cleverly mixes animation with live action to tell this laugh-out-loud tale to good effect. The use of animation furthers the story, rather than being gratuituous and adds to the humour of the whole. By paring the script down, there is plenty of room for sight gags and they are neatly realised and slick. Arthur is inventive and remembers the most important rule of comedy shorts – a pay off – and gives it to us in spades. Hopefully this piece of 'plane' inspiration will help his career really take off.

View the film below: