Life

On the set of Life. Photo: Nick Hardy

A sci-fi short film conceived and produced by an emerging make up artist, Life was shot on a tiny budget but has a galaxy-sized ambition to make something spectacular.

LOGLINE: An alien races home aboard a decaying spacecraft, accompanied by a cyborg caretaker and a human doctor, only to discover that the mutating virus consuming the universe may be evolving into something far beyond their comprehension.

Life is a science-fiction project created by MUA Hailey Ellis-Bennett, born from her passion for prosthetic-led characterisation and a deep love of retro sci-fi cinema. Beginning with a story concept built around fully realised characters, creature designs and practical make-up treatments, the idea was subsequently developed into a short screenplay for micro-budget production by Paul Harker of Jugganort Films.

What makes Life particularly distinctive is that it originated from the perspective of a make-up artist, giving the film a creative identity rooted in the fragility, decay and physicality of the body itself. Rather than relying on spectacle or CGI-driven imagery, the narrative draws its power from texture, atmosphere and transformation, allowing the virus at the centre of the story to feel disturbingly organic and tangible. This approach shaped every aspect of the production — from the deteriorating spacecraft and biomechanical character designs to the handcrafted set design by Mia Thomsen, Thananya Kaewsanthia and Darcy Leigh, the atmospheric lighting by gaffer Phillip Gamble, and the intimate, tactile filming style developed by Director of Photography Steph Melling.

The result is a haunting and atmospheric piece of science fiction in which the horror emerges not from monsters, but from the corruption and evolution of life itself.

At the point where a working script was available, Hailey then took the producer’s reigns to bring together the cast and crew and take the project into production.

Life was shot on 7th May 2026 at Tungsten Studios, Leeds.

Screenshots

Cast
Jack Loy as Shana
Tommy Walton as Chakri
Darcy Leigh as Bailey

Crew
Producer: Hailey Ellis-Bennett
Writer and Director: Paul Harker
Director of Photography: Steph Melling
1st AC: Ben McFarlane
2nd AC: Jarrah Marchio
Gaffer: Phillip Gamble
Sound: Harrison Baines
Set Design and Build: Mia Thomsen, Thananya Kaewsanthia, Darcy Leigh
MUA: Hailey Ellis-Bennett
Assistant MUA: Ashton Symonds
Stills: Nick Hardy
Concept Artist: Tommy Parsons
Editor: Amy McCann