Always on
This project successfully funded on 7th July 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
End of an Era
London, Greater London, United Kingdom
Aim: End of an Era is a short film tackling truth and lies with those you love in the context of nuclear fallout. Estimated 15 minute run time.
What if you knew that a bomb was going to hit your hometown? Would you tell your family? Your friends? The press? Our protagonist - Chris - didn’t tell anyone. They’ve been so absorbed in the futility of it all that they’ve decided to spend one last day, with those they’re closest to, in a cabin just outside the blast radius. But it’s only a matter of time before their friends learn why they’re there. This is a story of loving people so much that you’re ultimately willing to hurt them in the process.
The produced script is 19 pages long. We estimate that the final run time will come up to approximately 15-17 minutes. Filming will begin in mid-July, 2025. We will, predominantly, be filming in a remote cabin location near Chelmsford and are looking for support in providing transport, secondary day shoot locations (i.e an office space), funding for special effects, and overall enhancements to the final project.
Since April 2024 we (Poet Punch Productions) have released four short films, written and directed by our diverse group of creators. And, for over a year, the idea for ‘End of an Era’ has been brewing in the background. We knew that we wanted to make a short with more gravity than our previous work, and this story seemed like the perfect fit. This initially intended to be a project like the others; on the same budget level as our previous works. But, the more we worked on pre-production, and the more people we introduced it to, the more it became clear that this was not like our other shorts. We realised that we had a responsibility to get this project made on the scale and budget it actually deserved.
Drawing on inspiration from the Cold War, the fear of an impending nuclear conflict is something that we grew up learning about as if it was all in the past. Something we grew up thinking we’d never have to worry about, again. When I was younger, the constant dread anticipation of international tensions escalating to the point of disastrous consequences seemed silly, but now I'm not so sure. That fear is real and it is pervasive. This project means so much to me because it was born from my own personal development of those same fears as I’ve grown with them.
As for cinematic influences, no piece of media has been more influential on this project than the 2006 film ‘Children of Men’; A dystopian thriller in which no more children can be born. A more recent (and slightly obvious) influence was the 2023 film ‘Oppenheimer’; a biopic about the father of the nuclear bomb which focuses on the idea of guilt in terms of both morality and psychology.
We wanted to blend the feelings of personal guilt and complete dread. While also keeping with the theme of growing older. Adjusting to the changing times in an ever-confusing world. We want to replicate the feeling from films like 2013’s ‘The World’s End’; A story of growing up and learning to “let go” of the past with the otherworldly dread being a backdrop, rather than a core component of the narrative.
Thomas Tricerri - Director.
I am Thomas (Tom) Tricerri and I am a Co-Founder of Poet Punch Productions and am directing End of an Era. I got my start in film with an acting role in Natalie Hay's 'P.E.C.', a satirical short film based on a bad two sentence horror post. I have taken on many roles on the sets of short films including acting and producing, but this is my first time sitting in the ‘Director’s Chair’.
Natalie Hay - Producer, Writer
Natalie Hay is another Co-Founder of Poet Punch Productions and a freelance writer (represented by Ki Agency). She mostly works on Film and Television spec scripts with a “queer” and “genre focused” angle to them. Natalie has previously written shorts such as “Janus” and “As A Joke” for Poet Punch Productions.
Felix Cohen - Cinematographer
Felix Cohen is our Director of Photography and is crucial to the Short Film’s overall look. He currently works as a freelance camera assistant and is aspiring to work full time as a DOP.