Bloody Knuckles/ The Trade EO1: 'Pilot'

By Harry Clapman

Johnny has blood on his hands and a weight on his chest. A tremble in his leg and a chill in his spine. It’s cold in Chicago, as cold as London. Though Johnny doesn’t know the place, he finds the people all too familiar crooks, thieves and pricks. He finds himself in the company of some bad men, tough men. But no one is as tough as Johnny.

This story is based on a family legend, about a cousin who killed a man in the 1930s and fled to the United States.

He fell in with Al Capone’s gang and the rest is a mystery. This is fun and I like to think it has real heart. It pays homage to the genre’s greats while trying to keep as true as I can to the stories my Nana would tell me as she sat in her armchair.

Editors Notes-

I feel this piece has an excellent heart to it. Suspense and soul. I thoroughly enjoyed this piece being read at the degree show by talented actors who gave life to this excellent script.

Edited by Izzy Judd

Quiet Transactions

Reader Discretion Advised.

By Aisha Azam

A short film surrounding a young woman burdened by the unsettling and inappropriate advances from her grandfather. As the family’s unwavering belief in keeping their shame hidden unravels, our protagonist figures out how to come to break the news to her mum and take her revenge…

Aisha Azam is a passionate Media and Communications student at Goldsmiths, University of London, specializing in creative and screenwriting. As a Royal Television Society bursary scholar, she has engaged with industry professionals, including Apple TV+ executives, and is set to be mentored by an industry expert. Aisha has honed her storytelling skills through projects such as TV pilots, short films, and audio dramas. She has a keen interest in both pre-production and production, with a strong enthusiasm for film, photography, and creative writing.

Her Instagram can be found here- @aisha_rough_draft.

Editor’s Note

Aisha’s script incorporates many interesting themes around family dynamics, climaxing in a gory and satisfying ending. I believe that the plot would work well as a piece for the screen and that it would be amazing for her passions to lead her into the creation of a short film with this piece.

Edited by Izzy Judd