On The Same Earth
Way back in August 2025 I responded to a post on the Facebook Group: South West Actors And Film Crew - Collaboration Group by Sam, who had written a short proof‑of‑concept film and was looking for crew to help make it a reality.
I dutifully informed him I had zero experience in this kind of thing and luckily for me his usual photographers were obviously busy 😂
So, in October 2025 I was privileged to travel to Cornwall to shoot some BTS (Behind The Scenes) photography for the production.
Sam Cox - Writer and Director of “On the Same Earth” (amongst other things)
Set in the 7th century, the film follows Eadlin, a Saxon settler surviving alone in unfamiliar territory, who discovers a mysterious dragons egg in the wilderness.
When she panics and flees, she falls and is injured, only to be confronted by Leir, a displaced Celt determined to protect the egg.
The day I was shooting BTS we were to be filming at a reconstructed roundhouse at Saveock Water Archaeology in Chacewater in Cornwall. I took the opportunity to stop off and shoot a few locations on Bodmin Moor on the way down!
The Amazing Jacqui Wood owner of Saveock Water Archaeology and an independent researcher and Experimental Archaeologist. Writer of the renowned book “Prehistoric Cooking”
On The Same Earth - Film Concept and Language Experiment
The project was designed as a 6 to 10 minute short film that aims to test a specific storytelling device.
Transitioning between the differing “views” of the two main characters by switching the spoken language between English and the historical tongue of each character.
When the audience’s point of view is aligned with one character, that character will be heard in English and the other in their native language and vica-versa.
This structure aims to provide a more balanced, or unbiased experience of both cultures.
Cast, Crew and Production of “On The same Earth”
Eadlin - A Saxon woman, alone in a new land, frightened of locals and legends, who begins to question her fear when confronted with both a “mythical” object and a living Celt.
Eadlin is played by actress Rosemary Blaker, who also contributed significantly to the project’s costume authenticity, including making her own dress with tablet‑woven details.
“Rosie brought so much to the film with previous experience in a dark ages film, sharing historical advice and creating her own costume helping build a character so that’s so authentic and unique.”
Leir - A Celt, displaced from his home by Saxons, running low on hope, who has to decide whether to abandon or aid the injured Eadlin.
Leir is portrayed by Toby McLellan.
Although Sam serves in multiple roles as writer, director, producer and director of photography, drawing on his prior experience making other shorts such as “A Vampire’s Reflection” and his work for Novel Visuals, the film is also supported by Exeter Phoenix - Watershed and The BFI Film Academy
Will I enjoy watching “On The Same Earth”?
The film aims to be at once, historical, mysterious, poetic and beautiful.
Attempting to fuse a grounded, rigorously researched historical world with a single fantastical element in the form of the dragons egg.
Sam cites as influences for the project both popular period and fantasy dramas. “Harry Potter”, “The Last Kingdom” and “Vikings” are some of the productions that had an impact on the film.
The story seeks to focus on a far more intimate encounter rather than large scale battles or world changing events.
Sam hoped that this short proof‑of‑concept film will provide a springboard to a longer script expanding the characters and world into a full action‑adventure narrative set in dark‑ages Devon.
The premier of "On The Same Earth" is on Friday 6th March 2026 at Two Short Nights Film Festival in Exeter
If you require any BTS photography, I’m happy to help out, drop me a line 😍