READING â When Rob Apse launched his own production studio four years ago, one of the first projects he worked on was âThe Last Lightkeepers,â a series of eight short films telling the story of historic New England lighthouses and those working to preserve them. While developing the series, the Reading native learned about the lighthouses, how they lost their original lightkeepers after becoming automated, subsequently fell into disrepair and how a new generation of lightkeepers emerged to help ensure their history wasn't lost. Realizing the depth and breadth of the lighthousesâ history, it soon became apparent that the short films wouldnât do the story justice.