A former Petersfield student has won a BAFTA for a film set in the Ukraine war and wants to encourage the next generation.
Luke Predeth, 29, worked as a first assistant sound on Rock, Paper, Scissors which received the British Short Film award.
Operating under the business name ProperSoundGuy, Luke has gone to Steep Primary School, The Petersfield School (TPS) and HSDC South Downs.
“The craziest thing is that I was actually nominated for two films,” Luke told The Petersfield Post.
“I had no idea who was going to win until the day, so it was really great news and hopefully it means more work is on the horizon.
“A lot of people from my home town still don't understand that I've been able to do this, so it's lovely to see that kind of recognition.”
Rock, Paper, Scissors is a true story about a Ukrainian boy who is in a bunker as the country is under siege from Russia, and shows what civilians have to do to get through each day.
Luke added: “Ivan, the man the story is based on, helped co-write the film and tragically has since passed away on the front line in Ukraine.
“It was an amazing and moving film, we shot half of it in Watford for the bunker sequences, and then we shot in North Wales at a chalk quarry to make it look like the outside of a bombed Ukraine.”
“It was a gruelling film to shoot, but really rewarding and one of the best experiences I've had on set, and an amazing team effort!”
Luke was responsible for making sure he was always holding the boom above his head to a microphone and that it was outside of the frame. Ensuring the sound was clean and ready for when it got edited when the film was put together in the final stages. He worked under the head of department for sound India Holdstock.
In addition to Rock, Paper, Scissors, Luke worked on another nominated film called Milk, director Miranda Stern grew up in the local area and also went to Steep Primary.
Luke’s father, John Predeth, said: “I am so proud of him, film has always been his dream. He has gone to the National Film and Television School and it’s one of the best schools around.”
Luke credits TPS for its performing arts opportunities and giving him confidence for looking at jobs in the arts and wants to educate more young people about working in the film industry.
“Last year I was able to make some films with students from schools and it's something I want to be more involved in,” Luke said.
“I didn't have any family or friends who worked in this industry, so I really had to seek it out.
“I want to make sure that when students are looking at those places that aren't near the big studios, that there are opportunities out there and they just need to be told more that it is within their grasp.”
BAFT has uploaded Rock, Paper, Scissors on YouTube, you can watch it at: https://youtu.be/wODMTCQLiNE?si=fhvTClFNrZLwYONJ.
