About

BlackMilk Productions started innocently enough in 2008 with a photo shoot that occurred, of all places, in Ronnie Belcher’s attic. Thomas Dorman and Ronnie discovered immediately that they shared a mutual love for art and movies, and enjoyed working together on the photo shoot so much they started talking about making a short film.

KiTTY KiLL was the first fruits of their labours, shot on handy cam at two locations using only the props that they had at hand, which included an antique gas mask and a yellowtail fish.

This award-winning short film that features intricate animated illustrations was to open doors for the team, and attracted much favourable attention from other industry professionals who could see that something special was happening.

After their first short horror film, Emma-O, was well received at the SA HorrorFest, the vivacious Este Kira jumped on board, bringing with her a keen eye for detail for set dressing as well as production design, and there was no turning back.

The group soon produced the then ambitious 23 Rue d’Amour, shot in black and white and offering viewers a surrealist journey exploring signature BlackMilk themes of interpersonal relationships and love.

By the time the BlackMilk crew started tackling Regression (winner of the 2010 SA HorrorFest short film component and several Auteur awards), Leon Visser had joined the team, bringing with him considerable cinematographic and technical skills, which have added significant value to BlackMilk’s offerings.

Thomas Dorman

Born in Windhoek, Namibia, Thomas Dorman indulged in his love of horror and art movies from a young age. This was such an obsession that at the age of nine he wanted to become a horror film director.

After completing his studies in commercial art and design, he started out as a graphic designer and has won two international design awards. In the interim, Thomas has achieved the position of creative director at an advertising agency.

Photography is one of his other creative outlets and his work has been published in various art and fetish magazines, both locally and abroad, including one small seed, Marquis and Bizarre magazines.

He lives with his author wife and a small menagerie in Cape Town’s far south.

Thomas on: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Deviant Art

Ronnie Belcher

Son of a poet and winemaker father, and passionate academic mother, Ronnie has excelled at his creative pursuits. Growing up on a wine farm in Paarl, situated in South Africa’s Western Cape, he spent his childhood watching horror films and appreciating the beauty within the unconventional.

After studying art and jewellery design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, he travelled through Europe, increasing his love for culture, before establishing himself as an award-winning jewellery designer back in South Africa. Some of these awards include “Winner, Anglo Gold Shining Light – Riches of Africa Jewellery Design Competition” (2000, 2001) and “Winner, DTC (Diamond), Shining Light Awards,” Jewellery Design Competition (2004).

Music, however, is also one of his passions, and some of the bands he has been involved with included Alchemy, Gramlich, Fraustration, Revellus and, at present, as drummer for Terminatryx. His musical abilities is considered as masterful as his visual art.

Ronnie began his film-making projects in 2006, causing a stir at the SA Horrorfest with short films Die Grendel, followed by his horror classic On the Verge of Blood.

Leon Visser

Leon was born in Cape Town and grew up in the South African winelands town of Stellenbosch. From a very young age he always wanted to pursue a career in design. At first an architect, then an industrial designer and finally a filmmaker.

His love for moving images began in high school while working in the local video store. After completing his studies in film and working freelance for a couple of years, he joined Magic Hour Productions. He focused on filming & editing short films and music videos, which he earned him numerous awards, including best film (Izingwe, 2009) and best editing (Die Stilte, 2008) at the SA Horrorfest in 2009. After that he joined the 21 Icons Global Project as a documentary filmmaker.

In 2010, Leon approached Thomas and Ronnie to help them out with their (then current) short film project, Regression, even if it was just making the coffee. Since then he has become an integral part of the BlackMilk team as the director of photography and video editor.

Estè Kira

Estè Kira, Production Designer to the BlackMilk team, has been involved in the Film Industry for the past 7 years. “I have always known that I have to make films, that this is where I should be. As a young child my parents were both involved in the Film and Theatre. I practically grew up on stage.”

After running amuck for a couple of years after finishing school, she finally focussed on working herself into the Film Industry. She studied Make-Up Artistry and Special Effects at Face-to-Face in Johannesburg, while living and working in Hartebeespoortdam. Estè then relocated to Cape Town and finally caught a break working in Art Department where she started discovering and exploring the profound impact that Production Design has on a film.

Yet advertising and big-budget features such as Invictus could not succeed in satisfying her creatively and when she came across BlackMilk she immediately saw an opportunity to work on more heartfelt and passionate projects. She started her affair with BlackMilk with the production of 23 Rue d’Amour “23 Rue d’Amour is to date still my all-time favourite project. It was just such an unusual narrative; it stole my heart … and ate it.”

Apart from working in the Industry and playing with Black Milk, Estè performs with her ‘circus-troupe’ the SquidCircus, under the name Miss Demeanour. She is also a morbid poet, painter, found-art fanatic, shock artist, alternative model, fetishist and has recently ventured into writing fiction. She has an obsession with birdcages, mirrors, medical equipment, broken dolls and old telephones – to name but a few.

Estè on: Facebook | Miss Demeanour

Photos by Lohan Koegelenberg

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