About the Project
Raw, no-budget and ‘outdated’ by design – the ‘Wade on 8’ series of short films is a ‘heritage’ film collection, all exclusively captured on handheld 8mm & Hi8 cameras.
More concerned with human interaction and the world around us, each film tends to focus on a scenario that makes you feel that you’re almost in the room with the protagonists. From gay love stories, to meditative poetry, Wade make’s his ‘shot on video’ films firstly for himself, and then if anyone else connects with them, then that is a bonus!
Remember how your dad used to record family vacations, or you at your school play; well, Wade’s using those cameras with a fictional art house spin on proceedings! Growing up Radford would record everything and anything on his father’s Video8 camera, then he acquired his own collection as a pre-teen and continued on. In a world of A.I and HD lies, Wade picked up his old cameras as a way to connect to the past and escape the on-going onslaught of our ‘unreality/reality’. These productions are the result of his bare-bones creativity, and need for escapism!
Volume I of ‘Wade on 8’ is now out on DVD and can be ordered here!
Volume II is to follow soon!
(The Full List of Currently Completed Productions Is Blow – Read on!)
Boys on 8 Tape – (27 Minutes)
Originally shot in 2014, Boys on 8 Tape last year was resurrected after years lost on video. The film is captured by two actors, using tripods to tell their ‘video diary’ story. Both suffering with agoraphobia, they both long for the world outside – the care, compassion and love between them is evident as they navigate their lonely existence. Starring – Wade Radford & Ricky Lyley.
Discreetest 2000 –
(Audiobook/Film Duo Version) (1hr 28 Min)/ Film Only (46 Min)
Released originally as a multi-faceted production, the idea was that you read a zine story, and then found a DVD disc at the back of the writing. Later this was transferred to digital with an audiobook recording that turned later into the film. Discreetest takes us back to the year 1999, on the eve of the Millennium – Taylor & Adam are celebrating in their quiet style with anticipation for Y2K. Recorded as ‘found footage’, the project looks at a gentler time and the interaction between the two. Starring: Wade Radford & Zee Gabriel
Dreamland – (36 Mins)
Dreamland is showcased in a mixture of black & white interactions, and colour montages, displaying the changing emotional vibes of the characters. Jack has returned from university and goes to see the repressed, tough talkin’ Billy. After a frosty reception, Jack tempts Billy to Dreamland and the culmination of their secret past together is revealed. Starring: Lewis Connor Ryan & Wade Radford
Poetry on 8 Tape – (23 Mins)
Made up of multiple vignettes narrated by poetry, the film looks at individual peoples lives and their own, often troubled experiences. From grief, desire, isolation and more, PO8 Tape is completely showcased through music and poetry. Starring: Miki Rogers, Wade Radford, Dita Von Teesside, Wil Jackson.
The Last Piss Laden Ferris Wheel – (27 Mins)
An Audio/Visual prose using the original written piece by Wade Radford as narration. The rumination at the fairground by night has our narrator contemplating desire, human nature, sexual freedom, dreams, past romances & self-discovery.
ARSE-TALK – (6 Mins)
A difficult one to explain, so, lets just put it as it is … A talking arse for six minutes discusses the exploitation of modern ‘hook up’ culture – with some pornographic polaroids thrown in for extra measure! It may sound ridiculous, we agree, but maybe the real core message of this short film won’t be lost in translation for everyone!
The Lonely Man Of Saltburn – (14 Mins)
A man calls a mental health hotline while holidaying in North East, England. The original cassette recording between the man and call handler plays amidst scenes of his isolated holiday. Starring Scott Colbert
Good Luck Getting Through This – (18 Mins)
Taking you across England & Scotland with visual scenery throughout, the film showcases the often futile efforts of non-action video, and spoken word poetry. The film simply acts as a mediative piece for reflection in a noisy world. The original poetry for this film was recorded on a 1970s Cathay Cassette recorder and then digitised from tape for the film.
The Wade Radford Archive 
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