Midlands based film crew
MEET THE CREW
'Just 14' is very much a Midlands based film project. With the aim to showcase new film talent, but blended with some well-established award winning film names. We are always keen to recruit new members of the crew. Please get in touch if you would like to be considered for this football based movie.
Producer & Author
ANDY DALE- Book Author
The writer of the very successful semi-fictional Aston Villa book 'Just 14' which has sold over 35,000 copies in different formats. Andy is now leading the movie project to take 'Just 14' to the silver screen.
Andy's début novel 'First Years - Piranhas in the Bedroom' first introduced the world to an unfortunate college chap called Jonathan Stadler, a Villa fan like Andy. The 'Just 14' book then took us back to Jonathan's childhood. Both books have gained a cult following with their distinctive style of retro real-life comedy.
Andy's books probably appeal most to the sense of humour of the male reader in his 40's or 50's, that grew up in the 80's. At some point in our lives many of us have found ourselves in the kind of situations that Jonathan does. Andy lists his main literary influences as two terrific authors in Mike Gayle and Nick Hornby.
Andy Dale's skill of writing as the age of his characters and taking his reader back to their own childhood is also demonstrated in his series of children books 'King Derek and the Wonder Wizards'.
The vision Andy has for the type of movie that 'Just 14' will be is very much defined by the British comedy films that Andy enjoys. His favourite films include 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', 'Gregory's Girl' and 'Fever Pitch'. Outside of the British comedies he is also influenced by 'When Sally Met Harry'.
Andy's passion for Aston Villa also plays a big part in the film. A season ticket holder in the Trinity Road since he was 14 (40 seasons ago) and he even managed to attend a Villa game with his bride on his wedding day. Yes, Andy was there at Highbury the day the Villa won the league in 1981. And yes, he was just 14.
Andy Dale at book launch with Villa legends Gary Shaw, Tony Morley and Colin Gibson
Screen Play Writer
Claire bennett - SCREENPLAY WRiter
Claire Bennett is one of those rare writers who had the courage to walk away from the corporate world and bet on her creative talent. That leap paid off spectacularly. Armed with the inspiration, confidence and craft she gained from The Arvon Foundation's renowned Writing for Radio course in 1995, Claire launched a career that has spanned television, radio, theatre, screenwriting, short fiction and performance poetry.
Her professional journey began at Birmingham's legendary Pebble Mill Studios, where she wrote audio drama for the BBC. Long before podcasts became a global phenomenon and bite sized audio storytelling was fashionable, Claire was already ahead of the curve, creating a quirky and innovative One Minute Soap for Radio 2's Mo Dutta Show. She went on to write acclaimed dramas for BBC Radio 4, including The Afternoon Play and two serials for Woman's Hour.
Claire's talent soon made its mark on British television. As a core writer on the hit BBC daytime drama Doctors, she helped shape hundreds of hours of award winning television, collecting an impressive array of honours along the way, including a Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award, a National Television Award and a Royal Television Society Award. Her writing credits also include some of the biggest names in British drama, including EastEnders, Holby City and Doctors.
Never one to stand still, Claire continues to develop bold new projects across multiple genres. She currently has a television drama series in development with the BBC alongside an outstanding creative team, while also championing inclusive theatre through her work with Open Theatre Birmingham and the Ruskin Mill Land Trust. Her adaptation of Ten Shillings Well Spent brings together professional performers and members of the neurodiverse community, reflecting her belief that great stories should be accessible to everyone.
Today, Claire writes across television, theatre, prose and poetry, and is returning to her first love of audio storytelling. With decades of award winning experience, a wonderfully sharp sense of humour and a gift for finding the humanity in every character, she remains one of Birmingham's most accomplished and versatile writers.
Claire Bennett has written for top TV shows like, 'EastEnders', 'Holby' and 'Doctors'
Director
Steve Broster - Director
Steve is a film maker of enormous experience and versatility. Having been in the industry for over 30 years, he started in dramatic short film making in the late 1980s, making 4 short films, and collaborating with students from Newport Film School on several projects.
In the 1990s he wrote and directed ‘Skagged’, a 16mm film shot in Birmingham and accepted for screening by the Birmingham International Film and Television Festival.
Also in the 1990s he wrote three full length film scripts, which were ultimately un-produced, although one of them, ‘The Man from Venus’ was adapted for audio and was eventually produced as an Audible full cast comedy-drama in 2019, produced and directed by Steve.
In the 2000s, work with BBC Birmingham on programmes such as the Sky at Night and Countryfile, eventually led to a collaboration with BBC Worldwide (later 2|entertain and now BBC Studios), a collaboration which persists to this day.
Steve has produced, directed and edited a vast volume of programming as part of this collaboration, with over 60 programmes of varying length produced over the last 18 years. Much of this work is documentary format, but has included drama direction, including filming new material for a Special Edition of a 1970s Jon Pertwee Doctor Who story, and dramatic reconstructions using actors and monsters from Doctor Who.
Recent work has included: producing and directing extensive audio visual content for ‘An Honourable Man’, a stage play by Michael McManus. A promotional film for Arundells, the Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation. Producing and Directing extra material for the BBC’s Doctor Who - The Collection Blu-Ray series, including dramatic material.
Steve's football passion (Aston Villa) means he can't wait to direct a football related movie.
SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
Interior Motive (1988) - 15 minute short drama (Writer/Director)
Dreaming the Perfect End (1988) - 12 minute short drama (Producer)
Day in the Life of a Doctor Who Fan (1989) - 20 minute short comedy (Co-Writer/Director)
Skagged (1991) 15 minute short drama (Writer/Director)
The Indigines (1992) - Writer, Feature Length screenplay (unproduced)
Seven days in April (1994) - Writer, Feature Length screenplay (unproduced)
The Man From Venus (1996) - Writer, Feature Length screenplay (unproduced)
The Sky at Night (BBC 2002) - Graphics
Behind the Sofa (BBC Worldwide 2003) - 35 minute documentary (Editor)
Light in Dark Places (BBC Worldwide 2004) - 30 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
The Fact of Fiction (BBC Worldwide 2004) - 35 minute documentary (Editor)
Highlander (BBC Worldwide 2004) - 20 minute documentary (Producer)
Doctor Who: Origins (BBC Worldwide 2005) - 50 minute documentary (Editor/Associate Producer)
Lords and Luddites (BBC Worldwide 2005) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Can You Hear The Earth Scream? (BBC Worldwide 2006) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Changing Time (BBC Worldwide 2006) - 50 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Built For War (BBC Worldwide 2006) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Back To School (BBC Worldwide 2006) - 40 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
What Lies Beneath (2|Entertain 2007) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
The Depths (2|Entertain 2007) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Celebration (2|Entertain 2007) - 50 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Criminal Minds: The Making of ‘Law and Order’ (2|Entertain 2008) - 40 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Mounting the Rescue (2|Entertain 2008) - 25 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
What has ‘The Romans’ ever done for us..? (2|Entertain 2008) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
War Zone: The End of an Era (2|Entertain 2008) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Schulz and Operation Bernard (2|Entertain 2008) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
The Perfect Scenario (2|Entertain 2009) - 2 x 40 minute documentaries (Producer/Director)
The Secret of the Labyrinth (2|Entertain 2009) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Industrial Action (2|Entertain 2009) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
The Last Hurrah (2|Entertain 2009) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Music Hall (2|Entertain 2009) - 25 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Podshock (2|Entertain 2010) - 40 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Doctor Who - The Day of the Daleks Special Edition (2|Entertain 2011) Special edition version of classic Doctor Who story, with newly filmed scenes. Producer/Director
Blasting the Past (2|Entertain 2011) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
A View From the Gallery (2|Entertain 2011) - 25 minute documentary (Producer/Director
The Sandmine Murders (2|Entertain 2012) - 35 minute documentary (Producer/Director
Discover - University of Birmingham promo 2013
Titanic Love (Macoy Media 2013) - Dramatic short film (Editor - winner of Best Editing Award at Long Island Film Festival)
Gut Feelings - DVD resource 2014
Parenting Gut Feelings - DVD Resource 2015
An Honourable Man (2018) - stage play by Michael McManus, featuring extensive audio visual material, directed by Steve Broster
Blessed on Who (BBC Studios 2019) 20 minute documentary (Producer)
The Man from Venus (Audible 2019) - Full cast audio comedy drama (Writer/Producer/Director)
Holiday Camp (BBC Studios 2020) - 50 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Behind the Sofa: Season 17 (BBC Studios 2021) - 6 x 25 minute featurettes (Co-Producer)
Going Underground (BBC Studios 2021) - 40 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
The Dalek Factor (BBC Studios 2021) - 40 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Return to Skaro (BBC Studios 2021) - 45 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Tom Talks (BBC Studios 2021) - 25 minute documentary (Editor)
La Fiesta Del Mal: Making the Two Doctors (BBC Studios 2022) - 40 minute documentary (Producer/Director)
Steve shot the classic Doctor Who series
Production Company
Mockingbird Film Co'
An award winning production company, a dynamic innovative team of filmmakers. With passion for storytelling. With the ability to attract investment for Films and TV, coupled with our creative freedom, we are committed to bringing new and boundary pushing projects to mass worldwide audiences. Excited to get the chance to make a football related movie.
Mockingbird Film Co'
Ben Keen, Producer and co-owner of Mockingbird Film Co'
Lou Murrall, Birmingham born and bred Cinematographer and lifelong Villa fan
Ross Syner, Producer, Editor and co-owner of Mockingbird Film Co'
"Delighted to be working on this fantastic football movie project. Andy's success with his book 'Just 14' has ignited a true passion to bring this story to the big screen and I'm looking forward to every aspect of this production which is littered with the best crew in the West Midlands!"
Ross Syner, Producer, Editor and co-owner of Mockingbird Film Co'
Lou Murrall, Birmingham born and bred Cinematographer and lifelong Villa fan
Ross Syner, Producer, Editor and co-owner of Mockingbird Film Co'
"Excited to be collaborating both personally and as a company with Andy, Steve and the rest of the “Just 14” team. This is a great opportunity to show off the filmmaking talent in Birmingham and the West Midlands and to deliver a film about a time that holds great memory’s for so many in the region."
Lou Murrall, Birmingham born and bred Cinematographer and lifelong Villa fan
Lou Murrall, Birmingham born and bred Cinematographer and lifelong Villa fan
Lou Murrall, Birmingham born and bred Cinematographer and lifelong Villa fan
"I'm absolutely thrilled to be onboard with Just14, I'm a Brummie and I love the Villa. Filming this in my home region and with Aston Villa as a prominent backdrop is a dream come true. I can't wait to get into this film, bringing such a prominent era of the 80's alive along with the other crew is going to be a true accomplishment. UTV"