FILM & TV
Film is a passion and when I can, I like to get involved as a character actor in low-budget films and an extra in bigger productions.
My ambition would be to get an acting role that utilizes my sword making skills in a major productions.
'Elephant' - Musico Video
‘White Rabbit’ - Eddie Pharell
‘The Manager’ – Sky Q advert
My TV work is mostly informative and to demonstrate aspects of the art of blade making. As a maker of historic replicas I am available to make iconic artifacts in an historical context, such as forging an authentic Iron-Age Greek Xiphos to explain the legend of Cyclops.
‘Forged in Britain’ part of
‘Forged in Fire’ – History Channel
‘History in the Making’ – Discovery Channel
Reality Craftsman – Victorian House of Arts & Crafts – BBC2 Arts
Forged in Britain for 'Forged in Fire' - History Channel
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Forged in Britain is an exclusive serie of shorts. In each episode, ‘HISTORY Channel’ meets five of Britain’s leading forgers, each of them who have their own unique approach to this ancient craft. Each week, the forgers demonstrate how they create new blades and share their knowledge on the item they have made.
Forged in Britain completes its journey exploring Britain’s blacksmithing community this week with Rod Hughes, a blacksmith who specializes in making pieces of history. Hughes works from his forge in Surrey, unusual in that it is a Viking Forge which he constructed from local timber. Rod uses charcoal and hard power to create his blades.
“I think there is an elegance and beauty in creating something as dangerous as a sword”
Hughe’s works tends to combine blades with an element of sculpture. To demonstrate this Hughes forges a pirate cutlass. Cutlass’s were used by sailors and pirates as boarding weapons, short in size and well protected at the handle they were perfect for close combat.
“The cutlass has a beautiful blade but sculptural aspect is the bronze hilt which depicts the legend of the Mermaid of Zennor”, he tells HISTORY.
The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts - BBC2 Arts
This new four-parts series from Lion Television Scotland for BBC Arts will air on BBC Two in early 2019 and transport six modern-day craftspeople back in time to live and experience first-hand the ideas and practices of Arts and Crafts visionaries William Morris, John Ruskin and Gertrude Jekyll.
Formed in protest agains the dehumanization of workers and mass-produced goods, these pioneers felt a return to nature, and taking a pride in handcrafted goods would enhance their lives and create a better society. But will it work today and what, if anything can the craftspeople take from the experience that might enrich their lives in the modern world?
Cut off from 21th century life, the group of six artisans will be transported back into a remote Victorian Arts & Crafts bubble where they must lovingly breathe life back into an original Arts and Crafts property.
Forming a community and living and working collectively, they must decorate and furnish four key rooms, one per episode, making everything from scratch, inspired by nature and in keeping with the rules of the movement.
They’ll make hand-printed wallpaper, be scope craft furniture, furnishings and ceramics using archives and original source material related to the home and community, transforming it into a spectacular Arts and Crafts showcase.
Making the ‘Victorian House of Arts and Crafts’ with Lion TV, the BBC and five super talented makers, now friends, was a great personal experience. Here are a few images to show you behind the scenes.
It was great to collaborate with Alec Steele this year and invite him to work at my historic forge. The young British bladesmith is a youtube phenomenon with over 1.3 million subscribers to his channel and now premiering in his own show, 'Made with Steele' on History Channel. We made a great video 'Casting a Bronze Skull' and hope to collaborate again in the near future.
I recorded an episode of 'History in the Making'
forging, casting and building a really unique skull cutlass in my home forge. The programme looks in depth at the making of a blade and will be transmitted on Discovery Channel in the New Year.
Watch out for 'Myths and Legends' another great recording on Discovery Channel. The legendary Cyclops was reputed to live on the island of Hypereia, modern Sicily. One theory is that the one-eyed giant could be a bladesmith who has lost an eye from sparks. In this episode I forge a stylish Greek Xiphos sword and work with historian Joanna Palermo to recreate this legend. Due for transmission in 2019.
Recently I was selected to be involved in a major craft program for BBC Arts, a living history program. More detail of that in January. It was an honor to represent my craft and I hope that you enjoy the programme in the New Year.
In 2019 I am collaborating with world class armourer Terry English. The smith, best known for his stunning work on the classic 1981 feature film 'Excalibur'. We plan to build a hand cart and set up a portable bladesmith demonstration and 'Forge-off' to entertain visitors at the 'St Ives Arts Festival', held in September. We are hoping to combine making pirate cutlasses on the beach with shanty singers and other artists and with a film crew in to make 'To Hayle in a hand cart' a film about making swords and drinking rum, not necessarily in that order.
This video is the one used for Rod Hughes application to the Victorian House series on the BBC. So glad to be part of Rod's journey. Burton Media.