A Psychic & A Surgeon | Short Film

Director: Portia Barnett-Herrin
Production Company: Flat Keys Co.
Director of Photography: Yohan Forbes (Kumo London)
Featured Talent: Jonathan Broke & Lola-Rose Maxwell
Filming Location: London, England
Equipment: Sony FX6 with Sigma Prime Lenses
Format: HD Progressive | Dialogue-driven short film

Kumo London provided cinematography for A Psychic & A Surgeon, a dryly comic short film written by Portia Barnett-Herrin and Jonathan Broke, directed and produced under Barnett-Herrin’s Flat Keys Co.

Set entirely in a psychic’s reading room, the film finds humour and tension in stillness. A rationalist surgeon seeks answers from a clairvoyant whose insights hit closer to home than expected. Filmed on the Sony FX6 with Sigma Primes, the project prioritised subtle camera movement, natural light and rhythmic restraint, exploring how silence, space and tone can define performance.

Each frame was designed to serve intimacy over spectacle. The camera lingers rather than interrupts, allowing the dialogue’s dry wit and emotional discomfort to unfold naturally within a warm, minimal setting.

STRATEGIC INSIGHT

The film presented a chance to explore cinematographic restraint, proving that compelling storytelling doesn’t depend on elaborate camera choreography.

Working within one small London location, the brief demanded sensitivity, precision and presence. By controlling eye-line rhythm, light falloff and micro framing, Kumo London elevated a simple two-hander conversation into an immersive, cinematic experience.

The resulting aesthetic feels intimate yet ironic, complementing the script’s British humour while mirroring the tension between logic and belief.

It also demonstrates Kumo London’s role as a cinematography partner capable of applying broadcast-level precision to independent film work.

WHY THIS MATTERS

A Psychic & A Surgeon stands as a quiet study in visual discipline, a counterpoint to Kumo London’s kinetic branded and documentary projects.

It reveals how cinematography can remain expressive even when confined to two static viewpoints.

By combining technical precision with emotional sensitivity, the project underscores Kumo London’s ethos: authorship through adaptability.

It shows that the same creative rigour applied to large-scale branded campaigns can also elevate small, self-contained short films, ensuring independent voices receive the same cinematic attention as major productions.

CREATIVE REFLECTION

This collaboration with Portia Barnett-Herrin highlights the art of restraint, how lighting, proximity and pacing can transform dialogue into tone.

While the film’s rhythm is understated, every moment is carefully balanced between belief and denial, silence and expression. While the film’s rhythm is understated, every moment is carefully balanced between belief and denial, silence and expression.

For Yohan Forbes and Kumo London, A Psychic & A Surgeon reaffirmed that craft is not measured by volume, but by truth, timing and control.

The piece stands as a minimalist showcase of how visual authorship adapts across genres, blending empathy, humour and composition into a cohesive cinematic voice.

SERVICES PROVIDED 

- Cinematography & on-set lighting supervision

- Director of Photography services for short film production

- Sigma Prime lens package & FX6 camera setup

- Lighting design for dialogue-based scenes

- Workflow alignment for short-form film delivery

CREDITS

- Written by: Portia Barnett-Herrin & Jonathan Broke

- Directed, Edited & Produced by: Portia Barnett-Herrin

- Director of Photography: Yohan Forbes

- Sound Recordist: Ben Hector

- Sound Design & Mix: Leon Jean-Marie

- Colorist: Dan Beddoe

- Post Producer: Lee McKarkiel

- Cast: Lola-Rose Maxwell (“The Psychic”), Jonathan Broke (“The Surgeon”)

Need refined cinematography or camera direction for your short-film project?

Get in touch to collaborate with Kumo London, or explore more in our Film collection.

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