When Luke Bather first read a comic by his long-time friend John Tucker, he knew he had found something special. The story followed the "world's baldest man" who accidentally starts a moon-worshipping cult in a South Wales social club. This absurd premise became the foundation for Bald, a distinct, award-winning short film that balances surrealism with a heartfelt exploration of community. As a writer, director, and editor from Manchester, Bather used this project to pay a "love letter" to working-class spaces and the unique characters who inhabit them.

Creative Logic and the Power of Pre-production

The film’s central conceit relies on a series of what Bather calls "normal logical leaps". If a man is so bald he lacks a skull, it stands to reason the moon could speak directly to his exposed brain. To bring this to life on a budget of approximately £20,000, Bather leaned heavily into meticulous pre-production.

Influenced by the storyboarding process of Bong Joon-ho on Parasite, Bather used a software called CineTracer to build every scene in a 3D virtual environment before arriving on set. This "making the film before making the film" proved invaluable when production fell behind schedule.

For example, when a planned set for a doctor’s office failed to fit the location, Bather’s deep understanding of the edit allowed him to redesign the sequence on the fly, replacing on-screen action with a Tannoy announcement.

The Practicality of Black and White

One of the most striking visual choices in Bald is its monochromatic photography. While Bather cites high-minded artistic influences, such as British social realist films of the 1950s and 60s like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, the decision also had a practical root. The team initially feared their prosthetic brain effect might not look convincing in colour on their limited budget.

"We thought it'd be easier to get away with the big prosthetic makeup effect if we did it in black and white." - Luke Bather

Ultimately, the prosthetic, designed by Dan Martin at 13 Finger FX and applied by artists like Ruth Pease, looked excellent in colour, but Bather stuck with black and white to honour the limited palette of the original comic. This choice also enhanced the "eeriness" of certain scenes, such as those featuring Young Jeff, where the presence of eyebrows on an otherwise bald child added a subtle, unsettling straightness to the performance.

Navigating the Festival Rollercoaster

Bald enjoyed a successful festival run, picking up awards at the Manchester Film Festival and several Welsh ceremonies. However, Bather is transparent about the "rollercoaster" nature of submissions. Despite being a "love letter" to South Wales, the film was rejected by a festival based in the very town where the story is set.

For early-stage filmmakers, Bather emphasises the importance of playing to your strengths19. He found his most significant success in regional categories such as "best northern film" or "best Welsh film", where the project’s specific identity was a unique selling point.

He also notes that the true value of festivals lies in physical attendance. The relationships formed at grassroots, independent festivals have proven more instrumental to his career than the prestige of a distant selection he could not attend.

Keep an eye out for Luke Bather's next short film, How to Wash a Body, How to Clean a Soul. Starring Ralph Ineson and Lewis Gribben, the film is a departure from the surreal comedy of Bald, offering a much sadder tone as it begins its festival run in 2026.

You can view Luke Bather's CenterFrame profile here.

NATHAN HAINES

Co-Founder & Filmmaker | CenterFrame Team

Check his profile on CenterFrame