A KINGSTON lecturer's first scary movie is set to be seen by thousands of people across the country after it was chosen as the bonus feature for the blockbuster Paranormal Activity.

Kenny Evans, head of Kingston University's moving image department, said he promised himself he would fulfil his lifetime's ambition of making a short film before he turned 40.

True to his word, he finished filming on his 40th birthday and the result, The Lift, is causing big waves in the business.

He said: "I promised myself I'd make a fiction film by the time I was 40, and we actually finished shooting it on my 40th.

"Writing it took about six months over two years, and we shot it in 10 days with professional actors and crew.

"I had to use special effects to hide the many rough edges on the sets and I also digitally added elements that we couldn't afford, like signs, vehicles and big explosions."

He began writing the 28-minute film in 2007 in his spare time, and put in £15,000 of his own money.

But to save costs Kenny, who has worked as a technician for musicians including Queen, Paul Young and Leo Sayer, wrote and sang the theme tune himself, and the lift was built as a set in Kingston University's moving image studio.

The Lift was shown at the Cannes short film festival and Kenny entered it in a competition to find a short film to accompany the DVD release of hit film Paranormal Activity.

As well as this opportunity to be seen by thousands of film fans, it also won the best film category in the Balticon science fiction festival, and been shown at another 10 festivals across the world.

Set in London, the film features lead character Daniel being sent on an errand by his boss. But when he takes a trip in a lift, he is plunged into the most frightening experience of his life, and is forced to face something from his past that he had, quite literally, buried.

Actor Luke Jasztal played Daniel and it was his first main role on camera.

Following the success of The Lift, the pair are teaming up again.

Kenny said: "I'm making an advert to enter into a competition called King of Ads.

"If it wins, the film will be used as an advert for Doritos, and we'll get £100,000, which we can plough straight back into making another movie."

And after that? "I want to make another fiction film, but not necessarily a scary one."