ZeroFacilityFilms.com was an idea started by Mat Johns and Rob Lucas after making several films together.  Primarily it serves as an online portfolio of films they have created, and films they have collaborated on.  Because their social circle includes people who work in the industry in some way, it seemed a logical step to recruit and join forces under one banner. They are…

Mat Johns

Ever since Mat saw Terminator 2, as a wide-eyed eight year-old boy, he knew that he wanted to make his own movies. Mat now writes, directs, shoots and edits short films, both on a professional and independent basis. Working as a freelance filmmaker for the past seven years has enabled him to practice elements of the craft, perfecting his style and incorporating the latest digital filmmaking technologies. This job allows Mat to work on his own films, something he would love to do full-time under the Zero Facility Films name.

Rob Lucas

Rob has always had a passion for music. He first learned to play piano at the age of five and began learning guitar, aged twelve. Through studying music to university level, Rob has developed his guitar and vocal techniques to a high standard, and structured his compositional skills towards working in film. He now primarily writes music for independent short films, as well as working on several community-project films in the Greater Manchester area. His musical influences are extremely varied, his speciality being adapting unexpected styles to best fit the mood of the production.

Tim Limon

With an obvious flare for the dramatics and film he pursued a means to express his interest by training in drama, and was an active member of the Northern Theatre Company for 12 years.  After achieving a degree in Media Practice he then went on to work in the industry exploring the means and practice of working behind the camera, a career which continues to this day – managing and facilitating a Camera and Grips Rental house in Manchester.  Since his introduction to the team, he has worked tirelessly on shorts films and projects.

Matt Kowalczuk

Matt Kowalczuk is a Camera Operator, Editor and Production Assistant driven by the beauty of imagination and creativity.  After an intensive film course and spending a year working as a production assistant with Activideo Communications, Matt met Mat Johns on a promotional film and was introduced to the Manchester short film community and started in making short films.  In these early days, he was the sound recordist and composer and after witnessing the syncing and editing process, moved into the visual story telling. Now he make movies.  He has also made many promotional films, adverts and the Cambridge University Press Learning English Language Documentaries. He is video editor and adviser with Manchester based dance theatre company, Company Chameleon and being frequently involved with ZFF productions and projects, he is now here officially.

Phil McDuff

Back in the day Phil could be found messing on whatever passed for the internet and recording amateur rock bands and church choirs in his native town. This translated into a career as a freelance sound engineer, working all over the continent with every band you’ve never heard of as well as acts such as some you have, and more recently at Glastonbury.  He is also a writer with experiences traveling around the world for both work and pleasure. However, upon stumbling upon Mat sometime back at the turn of the century he found that he actually quite liked movies, and that the skills he’d picked up were pretty useful in getting short films made, as well as being able to put his sound editing skills to good use.