A Spalding man is bringing forensic science, criminology and film-making together in a new video series examining crime scenes from Hollywood movies.
Brett Harman, host of the Brettflix podcast, has created Crime Scenes of Tinsel Town alongside the University of Lincoln. The five-episode series uses scenes from well-known films and TV programmes to explore criminal behaviour, forensic investigations, storytelling, creative writing, film production and set design.
The project examines what cinema gets right, where creative licence changes the reality of crime, and why some scenes continue to hold audiences’ attention decades after a film is released.
What the series explores
Each episode brings university expertise to a different aspect of crime and filmmaking. Topics range from the evidence that may be left behind at a crime scene to the psychology of fear and the production techniques used to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Experts in forensic science, criminology, creative writing, film production and set design contribute across the five episodes, giving the series both a real-world and cinematic perspective.
The opening episode focuses on the “Sloth” scene from the horror film Se7en. The source material does not state when the remaining episodes will be released or identify the experts taking part by name.
Brett Harman on the project
Harman said working on the series had brought together his interest in film and entertainment with the professional study of crime, forensics and psychology.
“Working on Crime Scenes of Tinsel Town has been such an amazing experience, and also incredibly insightful. It was fascinating to bring together the worlds of film and television with real-life expertise, hearing from professionals who spend their careers studying crime, forensics, and psychology.
“As a huge film fan and entertainment content creator, I was in my absolute element and learnt so much from the experts at the University of Lincoln.”
The series is available to watch on the University of Lincoln’s YouTube page, giving local viewers the chance to see how familiar fictional crime scenes compare with real-world expertise.