Mutt & Jeff website: www.muttandjeffpictures.com
Founded in 2007 by award winning director, Louis Neethling, Mutt & Jeff Pictures is the only deaf-led (British Sign Language as a first language) television drama production company in the UK.
'Previously, in terms of television drama,' said Louis, 'deaf lives, experience, culture and language were largely filtered through a hearing perspective. The result was, too often, inaccurate, patronising and badly informed which left the deaf audience frustrated and angry. Setting up Mutt & Jeff was an attempt to try and change all that.'
In its first year the Mutt & Jeff Pictures produced two short film dramas - Horatio and Coming Out - both of which won awards at various deaf film festivals including 'Best Foreign Film' 'Best Scriptwriter' and 'Best Short Film' - and both received critical acclaim from critics such as Jason Solomons (Guardian) and Robert Hanks (Independent).
More recently, Mutt & Jeff Pictures has made Communication Breakdown - a short drama for The National Deaf Service (NDS) a pilot 30' factual magazine programme called Wicked for BSLBT and two short films for the UK government's Central Office of Information (COI).
However, most of 2009 has been taken up with pitching for - and winning - the commission from BSLBT to make the 2 x 27' dramas Coming Home and Departure Lounge.
These two dramas illuminate Mutt & Jeff's commitment to identifying, supporting and working with the best new and established deaf screen writing talent. In Rebecca Atkinson and Charlie Swinbourne, Louis believes 'we have found two important writing talents - both of whom bring a unique personal focus to issues such as culture, identity, gender and community.'
Technically, Mutt and Jeff are always looking to the future. Both dramas were shot on the high resolution digital RED camera and film editor, Martha Meyler from Screen Scene in Dublin, came out on location to Suffolk and put together an assembly of material, often shot only hours previously. 'It was fantastic', says Louis, 'it allowed me to identify any technical/directing issues and monitor the performance of the actors - in effect it gave me the time and opportunity to make any changes required.'
With Coming Home and Departure Lounge now completed, Mutt and Jeff is planning more drama, and the work to identify new deaf performance, writing and technical talent goes on.
Mutt & Jeff website: www.muttandjeffpictures.com