ADAM KEMPTON

At 17 years old, Adam served in the army’s Royal Tank Corps for three years. After that, he attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and completed a Director’s Course. Approximately two years were spent in Provincial Repertory Companies – ‘play as cast’ and A.S.Ming.

Adam then went on to the London School of Film Technique in Covent Garden.

Adam’s first job in the film industry was as a runner/3rd A.D for Woodfall film (Tony Richardson and John Osborne).

The first feature he worked on was ‘Laughter in the Dark’ with Richard Burton. He then went on to work on ‘Hamlet’ with Nicol Williamson (at the Roundhouse, Film and Stage Productions).

From then on, Adam freelanced as a 3rd and 2nd A.D (1st on commercials, for Alan Parker, Adrian Lynne and others). Adam was also then 1st A.D on a batch of feature films.

He wrote an adaptation of an H.E. Bates story ‘The Triple Echo (made into a Feature Film with Glenda Jackson and Oliver Reed).

In the early to mid 1970s, the British film industry was not producing much of interest (‘Confessions of a Window Cleaner’, the ‘Carry On’ series and a never-ending production line of James Bond sagas (same plot for every film). So, Adam then moved into TV and learnt to run electronic, five camera studio set-ups.

Adam freelanced in BBC Drama for Granada, Southern, Tyne-Tees and others, he was able to do some directing as well.

Speaking reasonably fluent in French enabled Adam to work as a line/associate producer (producteur délégué) on a selection of English-French-American co- productions. ‘Hotel du Paradis’, ‘Memories de la Chair’, ‘La Mort aux bout des Doigts’ (Martin Sheen series), ‘Night of the Fox’ (George Peppard series), ‘The Return of the Saint’ and other feature films including ‘La Neuvieme Porte’ (‘The Ninth Gate’) for Roman Polanski.

Adam started writing again with the French animation series ‘Bamboo Bears’ (‘Bambou et Compagnie’), sold all over Europe. ‘Mona Le Vampire’ was also very successful, with world-wide sales, including in the UK and USA.

What followed next was a slight change of direction, teaching. Adam first taught at the American Intercontinental University, London (M.F.A students) lecturing on Film Production, Directing and Screenwriting.

Then, similar courses for B.A Hons and M.A students at Leeds Metropolitan University.

During this period Adam wrote and produced several short films, all shown at festivals in the UK and France.

Adam served on the jury for the Avignon ‘Cour c’est cour’ film festival for three years.

Recently, Adam has been obliged to slow down a bit after undergoing leg surgery (hip, knee and cartilage) but is now fully recovered and thus renewed and hoping the latest project of ‘I’ll Take That One’ with a London setting, showing the lives of a London East- End family during the Second World War, will get going.