Introduction
‘Dungeons & Dickheads is a fantasy comedy that explores friendship, bullying, and the chaotic game of Dungeons & Dragons. The film follows three high school bullies, Johnny, Bryce, and the infamously named Chunder, as they are forced to make up the numbers in a D&D group led by the nerds they often pick on. I wanted to make a film that flipped the power dynamics of traditional bullying by putting the often-in-control bullies out of their depth in a game that they either need to sink or swim to succeed.
Inspiration
The idea for ‘Dungeons & Dickheads’ came about from an image found online by my writing partner; it had some high school American kids playing a game of Uno with monks. The contrast and goldmine of comedy were clear to us. I wanted to bring the game of Dungeons & Dragons into the film as not only as a fan but also because it’s ultimately a game of friendship and working together. Roleplaying and interpersonal relationships are key to the core of how the game works, so this made the chance to explore not only who these characters are, but also who they wish they were by seeing the characters they play a really powerful tool in telling this story, especially when discussing bullying and trauma, and the combative nature of the film’s characters and comedy.
The Process
The film was entirely self-funded by the director and producer and was shot predominantly over the latter half of the COVID-19 pandemic, which made securing locations incredibly difficult, with the bulk of the film ending up being shot in the director’s own basement and garage. The entire film was shot within the West Midlands with a crew and cast of local indie filmmakers. The post-credits scene and the opening scene with the Dungeon Master were shot almost a year later, once we realised the film could be made into a feature-length film with a couple of the originally deleted scenes added back into the script.
What it means to be a finalist
It’s great to have our film selected as a finalist at Worcester Film Festival and even more special in its first year as a BIFA-qualifying festival. Getting here wasn’t easy, and as director, I had to really fight for the vision I believed in, but seeing it connect with audiences and the industry makes every battle worth it.
Where to watch / Follow
Follow me on Instagram @LouislampardFilms for updates and behind-the-scenes as ‘Dungeons & Dickheads’ continues its journey.
