Q&A: Nathan Head on The Mystery of Dipyramidion

Nathan Head made The Mystery of Dipyramidion because an April Fools joke got out of hand. The original plan was a fake "lost episode" of his paranormal documentary series, something that would start normal, introduce a mysterious artifact, and end with him stepping through a portal and vanishing. But the idea kept growing. The prank became a feature film.

The Mystery of Dipyramidion follows a bumbling amateur historian who uncovers the "Sky Key," a cosmic relic capable of opening portals to alien worlds and parallel dimensions. Head wrote it, directed it, produced it, and stars in it. The budget was around £500. The sequel is 80% shot.

Where it started

Where did The Mystery of Dipyramidion begin for you: the cosmic relic, the amateur historian, the ancient mystery, or the idea of jumping through bizarre dimensions?

It started as a throwaway April Fools idea. Head had just wrapped Apparitions II, a paranormal investigation series he shot during lockdown, and considered that chapter closed. No sequels, no revisiting. Then he thought of a fake lost episode. It would open like a normal installment, introduce an artifact that opens portals to other dimensions, and end with him stepping through one and disappearing. The more he developed it, the more it grew until the joke became the foundation for a standalone film.

The right guide

The film follows a bumbling amateur historian who discovers a relic that opens doorways to other worlds. What made that character the right guide into such a strange story?

It evolved naturally from the format. Head never wanted it to feel large-scale. A vlogger or amateur documentary-maker felt like the right lens, someone filming himself for an online audience. That raw, personal approach stayed the foundation even as the narrative expanded.

How weird is too weird

The movie blends sci-fi, fantasy, horror, comedy, found footage, internet chaos, and ancient conspiracies. How did you decide how weird you could make it while still keeping the audience grounded?

There was no clear direction early on. It began as a straight-faced documentary with a fake ending, then grew into something with more ancient history and a touch of sci-fi. But Head also grew up loving campy humor, things like the Carry On films and early John Waters, so characters like the nosy neighbor and a social media drag sensation made their way in to balance the tone. Some viewers felt the comedy broke the spell. He sees it as texture. "It's actually a bit of a departure for me," he says, "as I usually stick to horror and the paranormal."

The Sky Key

The Dipyramidion itself feels like the engine of the whole movie. What does that object represent inside the story?

The Dipyramidion, also called the Sky Key, starts as a legend the protagonist is researching and becomes something tangible and dangerous. Each discovery peels back another layer of what it's capable of, from a gateway to alien worlds to a force that pulls the story further than anyone bargained for. A MacGuffin that earns its status.

£500

IMDb lists the budget at around £500. What did that limitation force you to invent, fake, simplify, or embrace?

Because he shot solo on his own equipment and starred as the protagonist himself, the cost stayed low. The biggest single expense was a key sequence set in a ritualistic building on a dark parallel version of Earth, which meant hiring a venue and bringing in additional cast. Beyond that: some stock footage. Head had bigger ideas. Vast alien landscapes, elaborate creature suits, surreal chase scenes through orchards of man-eating plants. Those were not feasible. He brought in a few weird creatures and alien elements anyway, just stripped back.

Why found footage

Reviews mention the POV and found-footage style and social media clips as part of the experience. Why was that format right for this story?

He didn't want the perspective to jump around. In a lot of found-footage or screenlife films, the camera cuts from webcams to CCTV to doorbells without much explanation. Head wanted to avoid that. The whole film is meant to feel like material the protagonist filmed and edited himself for his own documentary about the Dipyramidion. One character, one throughline.

Gran Canaria as another planet

The film was shot partly in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria for the Planet Sandperdah scenes. How did that location help create another world?

Gran Canaria's landscapes already push toward the alien. Dunes, palms, strange cacti. Head knew quieter spots the tourists don't reach. At one point he had a stretch of sand dunes that seemed to go on forever, and if he framed the shot carefully it looked completely untouched. Colour grading and a few green-screened creatures added into the sky, and it passed for another planet.

The ensemble

The cast includes a large group of oddball characters, from Beau Remington III to Truther Loomis to Highway Harris. How did you build such a strange ensemble around the central mystery?

Head has been acting in film and TV for a couple of decades and has a network of friends willing to jump in on a passion project. Clint Beaver and Keiron Hollett came aboard as antagonists Beau Remington III and Highway Harris. Some smaller roles came from casting calls. His scene partner on another production ended up playing Anwen, the ritual facilitator who prepares a shrine for a sacrificial offering in one of the film's stranger dimensions.

What comes next

The credits hint that the Sky Key still has hidden potential. Do you see Dipyramidion as a one-off story, or the start of a larger mythology?

He always intended it as a standalone. But watching it back as an audience member, he noticed loose ends. Things that didn't quite resolve. He didn't want to commit to a sequel without knowing how the first film landed, but realized it wouldn't take much to at least begin one. So he did. The Mystery Continues: Dipyramidion II is now about 80% shot and edited. It ties up some of those gaps but shifts in tone. Where the first film is an interdimensional journey of self-discovery with a streak of recklessness, the sequel leans into cryptozoology and exploration of unknown creatures in the English countryside.

Before you press play

For someone discovering The Mystery of Dipyramidion on Relay, what would you want them to know?

Go in with no preconceptions. The audience can uncover the mystery alongside the protagonist as he stumbles deeper into it himself. "If you enjoy weirdness, ancient history, and science fiction with a dash of horror and a splash of humour, plus bizarre special effects and eccentric characters, there's a good chance this will be right up your street." Seventy minutes.

Fantasy

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Streaming now on Relay.