Dark Sea Pictures

Independent Film Studio — Los Angeles

Stories Beneath The Surface.

Dark Sea Pictures is an independent Los Angeles film studio creating bold cinematic stories, powerful visuals, and unforgettable worlds. Driven by a passion for unconventional storytelling, we explore the darker edges of the human experience—where compelling characters, striking imagery, and unexpected stories come to life.

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The Collection

Seven films. One current running beneath them all.

A Fearing Place

Crime Thriller

Ghosts of the Homefront

Crime Drama

Eulogy

Western

Blood Runs Riot

Sci-Fi Horror

Run Like Hell

2026Horror Short

Ghouls A Go-Go

Pre-ProductionHorror Short

The Feeding

Pre-ProductionHorror Short

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Credits

Film, theatre, and literature — and the role behind each.

Film

  1. A Fearing Place Film Screenwriter
  2. Ghosts of the Homefront Film Screenwriter
  3. Eulogy Film Screenwriter
  4. Blood Runs Riot Film Screenwriter
  5. 2026 Run Like Hell Short Film Screenwriter, Producer, Actor, Co-Director
  6. Pre-Production Ghouls A Go-Go Short Film Screenwriter, Producer, Actor
  7. Pre-Production The Feeding Short Film Screenwriter, Producer, Actor

Theatre

  1. A Fearing Place Theatre Playwright

Literature

  1. Outlier Poetry & Prose Author
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Theatrical Projects

Based on the film script

A Fearing Place

The outlaw motorcycle club, Jokers MC are transporting 6 lbs of pure, high quality crystal-meth in a funeral urn across the southwest to begin a new market with a Midwest Jokers club, when they are forced to temporarily postpone their trip due to an electrical thunderstorm and dry out in a café along rt. 66. Suspicion, betrayal, and old scores rise to the surface before a variety of Americana.

The copper funeral urn from A Fearing Place, catching a streak of light
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Literary Projects

A silver Triumph Bonneville with a hand-tooled leather tank panel and seat, parked beside a second vintage motorcycle

Poetry & Prose

Outlier

Outlier is a collection of poetry and prose by Mel Bain, featuring his distinctive and unconventional voice. The collection has been described as poetry “hotter than a jalapeño buttplug,” by Johnny B. Baker of Johnny B. Baker Publishing.

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The Showreel

A collection of moments, stories, and worlds created through the lens of Dark Sea Pictures.

Portrait of Mel Bain, founder of Dark Sea Pictures
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About
Dark Sea Pictures

Dark Sea Pictures is the brainchild of Mel Bain, a union character actor who has worked in Hollywood since 2000. His creative journey, however, began long before his arrival in Hollywood.

After leaving the U.S. Navy in the late 1980s, Mel continued to pursue acting and creative work while drawing inspiration from his experiences at sea. His naval career took him to remarkable places around the world, including the Arctic Circle, the Panama Canal, and the Strait of Magellan, as well as across the Equator at the Prime Meridian. Those experiences—and the people, places, and stories encountered along the way—helped shape his distinctive perspective as a storyteller.

A lifelong journaler, Mel has always been drawn to the written word, particularly prose and screenwriting. His creative interests extend well beyond acting and writing. He has a passion for expressionist art, film, history, experimental music, and motorcycles, with a particular enthusiasm for vintage motorcycle racing.

These varied influences—art, history, travel, life at sea, performance, and the unconventional—come together in Dark Sea Pictures, a project born from Mel’s fascination with storytelling and his desire to explore the darker, stranger, and more compelling corners of the human experience.

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Creative Services

Bringing stories to life from concept to final frame.

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Film Production

From concept development to final delivery, creating cinematic films and visual stories.

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Directing

Creative direction and visual storytelling designed to bring powerful ideas to the screen.

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Cinematography

Creating visually compelling imagery with a cinematic and atmospheric approach.

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Creative Direction

Developing visual identities, concepts, and creative campaigns.

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Post-Production

Professional editing, color grading, and finishing for cinematic projects.

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Commercial & Brand Films

Creating cinematic promotional films and branded visual content.

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Behind the Scenes

Sets, camera, and the quiet hours between takes.

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Recognition

  • Global Talent
  • Artist Armor
  • Terror Salad
  • Theatre4Now
  • VA
  • Triumph Motorcycles

Currently in Development

Untitled Project

A new cinematic story currently in development.

Coming Soon

Follow the Journey

Let's Create
Something
Unforgettable.

Have a story to tell? Let's collaborate and bring it to life.