Carlo Ortu

'The Last Man On Earth' on the BBC Film Network

2012-02-23T15:43:00.000Z

Things have been busy lately. I've been grading 'Pretty Things', polishing a couple of scripts and helping develop a couple of other projects. So it's nice to announce amongst all this business that you can now watch 'The Last Man On Earth' on the BBC Film Network. Nice.

Monday Night Picture Club

2012-01-18T09:11:00.001Z

There just aren't enough free screening events for short films I feel. So I'm pleased to announce that a new one is starting up in East London. Called the Monday Night Picture Club and run by the talented Kathrine Smith and Ari E Philips the first event kicks off on Monday 23rd January at 7.30pm at Cafe 1001 on Brick Lane. With a strong starting line up of shorts which, yes, does include two of mine ( 'The Last Man on Earth' and 'The Man Who Stopped') the evening promises to be a great opportunity to see some quality shorts and then network in the bar afterwards.

Check out their facebook page for more details and try and get along if you can.

Good luck ladies!

Kevin Curtis is Funny

2012-01-17T08:51:00.000Z

I know many of you have seen the latest trailer currently doing the rounds called 'Kevin Curtis is a Dead Man', which is a comical and somewhat truthful dig at British films but if you haven't check it out here as it does make you laugh.

I also checked out what else Kevin Curtis has been up to and one excellent short amongst many he has made that is dark, twisted and made me laugh is this, The Last Brownie:

'The Man Who Stopped' shortlisted on Shootingpeople's Film of the Month

2012-01-12T14:13:00.000Z

We were all very pleased to be shorlisted in December's Film of the Month on Shootingpeople. In case you're not familiar with the competition films uploaded each month are 'liked' by Shootingpeople members and the top three voted films are sent off and judged by a well known industry professional. For December, Andrea Arnold (Fishtank, Wuthering Heights) was judging the competition and she said this about the 'The Man Who Stopped': "I loved the man Derek. I really liked the still shots of him. I understood his desire to be still. The film was funny but made me very sad."

This result marks the second time one of our films has got into the top three as in July 2011 'One Other Thing' won the competition when John Waters was judging.

The winner for December I should add was Ed Lilly's 'The Hive' and our fellow runner-up was Jonathan Harris' 'The Cull'. Well done to you both.

Thank you everyone who liked the film and to all the cast, crew and funders.

More Screenings

2012-01-12T10:53:00.000Z

Just to let you know that 'The Last Man On Earth' and 'One Other Thing' will be screened at the Shortwave Cinema in London Bridge this Sunday (Jan 15th) as part of a screening night hosted by the New Empress film magazine. For those of you who haven't been to the cinema it is lovely and is where we hosted the cast and crew screening of 'The Killers'.

Click for details here.

Screen Social Screenings

2012-01-09T20:50:00.000Z

As part of the 9th London Short Film Festival, the charity music vs film mash-up Screen Social will be spreading its mix of music promos, shorts, animation & experiments, with special showcases and live music guest spots. As part of their line up they will be screening 'One Other Thing' and 'The Last Man on Earth' on Thursday 12th Jan at the ICA and on Wednesday 18th at The Book Club so get along if you can. Details can be found here.

'The Killers' available to view on Blinkbox

2012-01-03T12:33:00.001Z

What better way to start off the new year than by watching my ultra-low budget feature 'The Killers', which is now available to view on Blinkbox. Go and check it out.

'The Last Man On Earth' at the 9th London Short Film Festival

2011-12-12T14:40:00.001Z

There's less than a month to go before one of my favourite film festivals kicks off in the capital and if you're around then try and come along and catch my film 'The Last Man On Earth'. The film will be screening as part of the New Shorts 13: God's Lonely Men, part 2 - Against Adversity programme, on Tuesday 10th January, 2012 at 20:45 at Riverside Studios.

Apart from some great shorts the film festival also offers an exciting program of activities. Check them all out here.

'The Man Who Stopped' now online

2011-12-02T22:19:00.002Z

You can now watch my short film 'The Man Who Stopped' via Shootingpeople and if you're a member you can even 'like it'. So go on, spend fifteen minutes viewing my heartwarming comedy about death and grieving!

Filming completed on 'Pretty Things'

2011-11-28T21:00:00.001Z

It's been a busy weekend and that was due to the fact that I've been directing my latest short film 'Pretty Things' which has now wrapped and is poised to go into the editing suite. It was a great shoot and very smooth with a good bunch of people, many of whom I had not worked with before.

'Pretty Things', which is a dark comedy about a lonely old man desperate for some attention from his relatives, was made possible thanks to 'Timothy Foxx', a very cool clothes design company so my thanks must go out to them especially.

Production stills to follow shortly.

Lightworks

2011-11-22T13:15:00.000Z

I found out about this from Chris Jone's blog and felt I just had to share it with you as this could be quite exciting. Lightworks, an early NLE system that I remember from the early 1990s but which was soon surpassed by the likes of Avid and then FCP, is back on the block it seems and this time it's free. With such films as 'The King's Speech', 'The Departed' and 'Shutter Island' edited on it this is far from a basic editing software program which makes the fact that it's freely available all the more attactive.

Unfortunately it's not available to Mac users but if you have a PC then why not try it by downloading your free version here.

'Timothy Foxx' to fund my next short

2011-10-11T10:31:00.000+01:00

I'm pleased to announce I have secured funding for my next short, 'Pretty Things', which is a dark comedy about a lonely old man desperate for some attention from his relatives.

Helping me realise the project is 'Timothy Foxx', an ambitious, innovative and exciting clothes design company currently making waves in the fashion world. The film is set to shoot in November with an exciting cast (who are all set to to wear some Timothy Foxx designs) and crew attached with the ambition to make a quality short and gain maximum exposure.

Channel 4 Screenwriting Course

2011-09-18T10:01:00.000+01:00

I saw the following post from Andy Conway on the Shootingpeople Screenwriters Bulletin and thought I'd share it with you verbatum:

Thought I'd flag this up for our UK writers with no broadcast credit.

Channel 4 will again be running their screenwriting course for Channel 4 drama, January-June 2012.

They are "looking for 12 talented, original and diverse writers who currently have no broadcast credit but wish to write for television drama.

"The course will give you a chance to find out how TV drama, particularly Channel 4 TV drama, works, and to write, over a 5 month period, your own 1 hour pilot script for an original series or serial, working with an experienced script editor."

Find out more at:

http://4talent.channel4.com/extra/4SC

'Big Society' and Nick Scott

2011-09-09T08:39:00.000+01:00

It's not often I say 'I cried with laughter' without being really sarcastic but in the case of watching 'Big Society', directed by Nick Scott, I really did have to wipe the tears away. I caught this absolutely perfect short film at the Sunday Screenings at the Antelope a week or so ago and judging by the monumental round of applause the film got I think everyone else thought the same way. It's brilliant. So well done to Nick and actor/collaborator Jonathan Rhodes.

So watch the film below and then read the interview I did with Nick Scott, a really nice guy and very talented director.

So what is 'Big Society' about?

Big Society is about an officer in the British army who has developed a controversial new approach to tackle the anti-social behaviour he sees on the streets. It's a sort of Dirty Harry meets the Wombles.

What themes does it explore?

It's a satire that (hopefully) explores the link between corporal punishment and anti-social behaviour. I also wanted people to think about the moral complexity that comes with life in the military. I grew up in Colchester which is a garrison town and always found it an incredible ask of soldiers to switch so quickly from one moral world to another when they come home after seeing conflict.

How did the idea come about?

Jonathan Rhodes is a good friend of mine. We have developed several characters together through improvisation. We are both interested in black comedy and documentary real tone of films like Man bites Dog and wanted to do something in similar territory.

Describe your writing process?

Jon and I have quite a specific process. I write the structure of a scene and then we improvise within that. This allows us to find dialogue that suits Jon's natural delivery whilst still hitting the necessary dramatic beats in a scene.

How do you prepare to direct a film?

I used to be obsessed with shot lists but things inevitably get in the way so now I like to keep things fairly flexible so you can use those obstacles to your advantage. When it comes to the shoot and you know where you are, I'll make a clear choice about how the scene will be handled.

What format was the film shot on and was this a creative or financial choice?

We shot on a mixture of Canon 7D and 5D mkII. It was a financial and creative choice, we wanted to make it look like a documentary and shot on slower zoom lenses to flatten the image.

What was its budget and how did you raise the finance?

We didn't have a budget but needed a few hundred quid to make the scenes work in Leicester. Jon and I put that in ourselves because we believed in the film.

Describe the casting process?

The casting process for the kids was great. My friend Melissa runs an acting school in Leicester called Urban Young Actors (http://www.urbanyoungactors.com/). Most of the kids don't have formal training, which is great because they act intuitively which was essential for this. I ran a couple of sessions in their class and they responded brilliantly. They are super smart, got the concept straight away and brought loads of great ideas. I would have used all of them in the film if I could.

Are you a director who likes to rehearse a lot before shooting?

I love working with actors. It's my favourite part of the process, I wish I could do what they do! I'll rehearse if I can but only blocking or for tech, not with full performance. I like the actors to hold something back for the shoot.

Nick Scott

What approaches do you employ when working with actors?

Depends on the actor and the production. I've studied Meisner technique at the Actor's Temple, which is the framework I use, I found that actors usually respond well to you knowing technique. A lot of actors will tell you they can get on the money straight off, but it usually takes them a while to get into it and some are much quicker than others. You need a healthy dialogue with actors and crew so you can adapt circumstances to improve performance.

Did you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?

No.

How long was the shoot?

Two days. One in Highbury in London. One in Leicester.

Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?

All of it. It was a very enjoyable shoot. Faking the stuff on the streets was particularly rewarding as we'd worked on the blocking in the studio and we got all these reactions from people from strangers who thought it was real.

What lessons, if any, did you learn?

We were very lucky to have a very good editor work on the film. Gareth Scales pushed the material very hard to keep it as tight as possible. I was initially resistant to some changes but with time I saw that they were exceptionally good edits. It's important to keep your mind open and on the big picture.

Where has the film been screened so far?

We only recently finished the film and it's first public screening I went to was at the Sundays Screenings in Tooting, which was fantastic!

Future plans for the film?

The film has just been nominated for the Grand Prix at Encounters Film Festival, which we are all very excited about. It means the film is eligible for a BAFTA, which is amazing. We submit it to other festivals and keep our fingers crossed!

What’s next for you?

Jon and I are working on two feature screenplays at the moment. Both are black comedies with political undertones, one is a fly on the wall documentary about a fly on the wall documentary, and the other is about a relationship termination agency that you can pay to dump your other half. I think there's some exciting and thought provoking films coming out of the UK at the moment and hopefully we can be part of that.

Air Castle Music Video

2011-09-08T08:55:00.000+01:00

Air Castles

Been working on another music video. Not directing this time but helping out my good friend Robert Raby as 1AD and Online Editor. The video was for a track called 'Gold' for the band Air Castles. Check it out by clicking here. Enjoy.

DCMS Film Policy Review Panel

2011-09-06T15:16:00.000+01:00

I thought this might be of interest to some of you. The DCMS has requested comments and suggestions about what should be the country's future film policy, to be sent to them by 9 September. Jon Williams, writer/producer of 'Diary of a Bad Lad', has some very interesting suggestions and comments and is asking for support from any film producer or director with feature film credits, or with a feature in pre-production; or if you are the director or programmer of a film festival, especially one in the North West.

His submission makes a case for:

a. The restoration of the film exhibition quotas revoked by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980's.
b. The introduction of quotas to ensure a greater representation of British films on broadcast television.
c. Increased support for film festivals which place their accent on British films.
d. Reform of the hopelessly out of date 1984 Video Recordings Act so as to allow independent filmmakers the same freedom as the American, Danish and other colleagues, i.e. to not just offer their films unrated as downloads, but also as "unrated-18" DVDs.

If you would like to add your support to this submission please send Jon your key credits/company details/etc + your email address so that he can cut an paste together the list.
Full details of the submission are available at: http://www.pleasedsheep.com/forums/blog/8/entry-122-jons-submission-to

Guy Ducker and comedy sketches

2011-08-25T21:10:00.002+01:00

It was quite strange reading Guy Ducker's blog posting today. He's been posting for a short time now and his mini-essays on a variety of film topics are always a pleasure to read but today was especially interesting as he talked about a subject which seems to mirror my own recent work and thinking in a very spot on way. He chatted about the advantages and reasons of making online comedy as an alternative to filming longer, more expensive shorts and I couldn't agree more.

So take a few minutes and check it out by clicking on my link above.

'She Wore Black' - No More Navigators

2011-08-24T19:10:00.003+01:00

No More Navigators

I took a foray into directing music videos recently when the band No More Navigators asked me to make a video for their new single 'She Wore Black' which appears on their new EP 'Home' released by Tactal Hots on the 29th August. The video was a pleasure to make and great fun. Check it out and buy the EP if you can. No More Navigators are also playing a gig up in the Proud Camden on Monday 29th August as part of the launch.Click for details here.

'Clowning Around' Film Poster Competition

2011-08-13T09:20:00.001+01:00

After reporting on Damien Cullen and his quest to raise the budget for his forthcoming short film 'Clowning Around' I just wanted to make you aware of a poster competition he and his team are running.

Rather than get a specific graphic designer on board Damien is inviting people from the online filmmaking and creative community to design a poster for the film, which will be seen far and wide and used for their festival exhibition and any published art for the distribution of the film. To be judged by Matthew Leyland of 'Total Film', Chris Jones and the Blaine brothers this really is worth getting involved with.

All the information is here:http://clowningaroundfilm.com/poster-competition/

If you want to help get the film off the ground then check out their IndieGoGo page here:www.indiegogo.com/clowningaroundfilm

John Waters decides 'One Other Thing' is Film of The Month on Shooting People

2011-08-05T07:43:00.000+01:00

It was a triple whammy really. Each month, members of shootingpeople can upload their films which are then viewed and 'liked' by their peers’, creating a Leaderboard. The three films at the top on the first day of the following month go through to the next round. Well my short film 'One Other Thing', which I uploaded last month, got through to the next round.

These films are sent to one of Shooting People’s high-profile patrons, who gives a personal review to each, and then chooses the Film of the Month. Well the judge this month was John Waters (very cool). And he decided that 'One Other Thing' would be Film of the Month. Thank you and also thank you and well done to everyone in the cast and crew who made this possible!

John Waters

His comments were: "The hell of romantic break up told with a cringe invoking but recognizable-to-be-all sense of humor. Revenge is always embarrassing in hindsight and this film proves that point in a precise, punching way."

Thank you Mr Waters.

A warm round of applause should also go to the two other films in the running this month which were 'Side by Side', written and directed by Jamie Hooper and 'Small Gifts' directed by Brady Hood and written by Ronnie Mackintosh.

Read all the reviews here:http://tinyurl.com/ca6amd

If you didn't get to see 'One Other Thing' then you can either watch it via shootingpeople or directly via Vimeo below.

'Clowning Around' and Damien Cullen

2011-07-25T22:09:00.013+01:00

Matthew Jure and Bill Thomas

In the past I've carried out interviews with directors about their completed films. But not this time. This time I'm going to talk about a film that has yet to go into production because I hope that once you become aware of this project you'll do your bit to make sure this film gets made.

So go on, read on.

Written and directed by the massively talented Damien Cullen, the budget for the film is being raised through crowdfunding, which, if you're not familiar with the term, is a way to raise public money to fund a private venture through an internet donation campaign. As traditional funding routes and opportunities dry up many innovative filmmakers have started to turn to crowdfunding to raise the money for their projects and Damien is one such filmmaker who needs your help.

I've known Damien a couple of years and we worked together on one of my own shorts, 'The Man Who Stopped', where Damien was a first class producer. Well, he's also a first class writer and director and I had a few words with him about 'Clowning Around'.

Damien Cullen

Hi Damien and thanks for having this chat. So first off, what's 'Clowning Around' about?

'Clowning Around' is essentially about one man’s struggle to overcome his addiction and get his life back on track. It follows the journey of an old school clown Bonzo, formerly the best in town, who after a few hard months finds himself at the bottom of a bottle. After a phone call from the union which threatens to expel him unless he gets his act together, he decides to get his business and self respect back, taking on his local rival, a younger, hipper clown called Mr. Fernelli. I describe it as a bittersweet comedy that has elements of slapstick, action and drama all thrown in too.

Can you tell me a bit about your background?

After originally wanting to be an actor, I first started wanting to make films when I was doing 'A' Levels at college and then went to University at UWCN to do a BA Hons in Film and Video. After graduating from there, I took my graduation film to a few festivals but couldn't seem to get regular work on anything other than for expenses, so worked in a few pubs whilst I figured out what to do. I then found a course at ARTTS in North Yorkshire whose motto was that it had "94% of graduates working in the industry" so studied Production in TV, Film, Theatre and Radio there for a year before being asked to stay and work there for a year as well, running studios, film shoots, theatre shows and helping sort anything technical, as well as schedule the course.

Since leaving ARTTS in 2005, I have worked at Talkback Thames, Prospect Pictures, North One Television and Endemol Sport as an asstistant producer, producer/director, camera operator and editor, all the while continuing to make short films of a very high quality and have over a dozen on my CV now, most prominently as director and producer, with the films being shown as a variety of festivals across Europe, Asia and The Americas and gaining distribution online and you can check them all out (as well as me!) at www.damiencullen.co.uk

What are your plans for the film?

The aim for the film is to create something very ambitious and visual around a very simple human story, that will be both very cinematic and highly engaging for an audience. Once the film is completed we want to get the film shown in festivals on each of the seven continents as it is globally appealing and I like to push to get the most out of every film I do to reward all the hard work everyone is putting into it. The last project I did for North One Television sent me all around the world and that, combined with our international crew, has made me determined to send this film as far and wide as possible so it can have the maximum impact a short film can have and showcase all the talent we have onboard.

Who's in the cast and crew?
We have a fantastically experienced cast and crew, starting with our lead actor Bill Thomas, who has been in pretty much every mainstream UK TV show there is! We then have Matthew Jure who appeared in 'Waking the Dead' and the 'Day. V. Lately' Yell.com ads so is becoming a recognisable face on TV screens as well and a great actor to work with. Crew wise we have producers Leilani Holmes and Graham Inman, who both worked on the Chris Jones short film 'Gone Fishing' as well Elsa O'Toole and Mike Baxter. The rest of the crew are a mix of new faces and people I have worked with on my previous projects, including the ridiculously talented DOP Azul Serra, Art Director Bianca Turner, costume designer Katerina Dipla, 1^st AD Greer McNally and Makeup Designer Kirsty Phillips.

You're trying to raise the money via crowdfunding. Can you tell me about that?
The idea to crowd fund via IndieGoGo came from producer Leilani Holmes. After we had developed the script for a few years and as we were getting great feedback and enthusiasm from those who read it on the online forum at www.ottfilms.co.uk we thought it would be great to carry this collaborative element into the funding and production process. Leilani has a lot of experience in utilising social network tools and is a noticeable contributor to the online filmmaking community.

By using IndieGoGo we have been able to speak directly to our audience and build a relationship with all the other filmmakers out there across the globe as well as helping us to create a strategy and improve our ‘selling’ skills as in this highly competitive industry, you have to be able to make your project stand out and show why people should want to see it. You can’t just have a great script and expect it to get made, you have to show the faith, commitment and enthusiasm (as well as think a little outside the box) you have for it to convince people to part with their hard-earned cash.

We have had a fantastic start to our campaign (which launched on July 19^th) and raised $1517 in the first five days so now need to keep our backers so far engaged in the process, as well as seek new ones to raise the rest of our funding which we have set at $7500 by August 23^rd.

How can people get involved?
We have a number of ways people can get involved in the project, firstly by visiting our IndieGoGo page at www.indiegogo.com/clowningaroundfilm and checking out (and hopefully contributing to!) all we are doing. There is a main video there explaining the project as well as the various perks we have made available for people who want to be part of it and info about all those involved in the film and our goals.

We also have a website at www.clowningaroundfilm.com which has more detailed background about all the cast and crew, plus videos and blogs all cast and crew have been contributing to and images we created on a stills shoot to publicise the film and show the visual and ambitious nature of it. From these stills we will also be running an online poster competition for people to enter and design the poster for us, judged by big hitters in the Indie Filmmaking community including Chris Jones, Ben and Chris Blaine and Chris Patmore, which will further raise the profile of the project. In order to really allow people to get involved, from contributing even just one dollar, you can become a part of our private online forum and get exclusive updates and info as well as discuss the film and your own projects as well. You can also follow us on Twitter @summit-nuthin

What are your plans for the future?
My current plan is to make 'Clowning Around' my last short film before branching into feature filmmaking and so that is why we are trying to show how big it can be and make the most impact whilst showing how good we are at telling unique and compelling stories. By creating an audience interested in our work too, this will serve us well when looking for funding in the future and showing what we can do with little to no budget at our disposal. Saying that, I do have two other short scripts which are ready to be made, so I guess we will see how 'Clowning Around' goes and where I feel my next steps should be as I tend to take things one step at a time and life can change drastically in such a short space of time so I like to keep my options open.

Short of the Week

2011-07-18T11:39:00.003+01:00

If you haven't come across the site already then you really should check out 'Short of the Week' which reviews and shows some of the best short films around. It's a cracking place to find some real gems.

I've just been watching the deliciously mad 'Crazy Hands' which was written and directed by the talented Charlie Graley.

'One Other Thing' on Shootingpeople.org

2011-07-01T16:34:00.002+01:00

In case you're in need of a quick fix of comedy then why not treat yourself to watching my short film 'One Other Thing' which has recently been put up onto shootingpeople.org? Go on, it's only seven minutes long and if you're a member then you can also 'like it'. I like that.

Click on the link here.

FCPX

2011-06-23T11:59:00.001+01:00

Final Cut Pro X has arrived along with a mixture of excitement, awe and distress.

If you're wondering what all the fuss is about then the reliable Ken Stone gives a clear and informative run through of the program, whilst over at Creative Cow, Gary Adcock voices a number of the growing concerns. Over at Fcp.co they are trying to allay your fears, although going by the comments below the article they don't seem to be doing a very good job. Some of the concerns include lack of XML support and the fact the new program is bereft of backward compatibility with previous versions of the software.

With accusation flying that the new program lacks adaquate professional elements and a lot of disgruntled editors making their feelings known, it is hoped and reported that the next version that Apple will soon be releasing will be much improved. Phew!

Three Shorts I Like

2011-06-20T15:39:00.000+01:00

Virgin Media Short Entry Uploaded

2011-06-17T08:39:00.002+01:00

With three weeks to go until the deadline it was pleasing to upload our entry to the Virgin Media Shorts competition this evening.

I hope you enjoy it and thanks to everyone who was involved in making it.

Check it out here.

'One Other Thing' complete

2011-05-27T20:25:00.002+01:00

Things have been rather hectic it feels. Last night was rather satisfying though as we completed 'One Other Thing' which we filmed a couple of months ago. Take a peek below and see if you like it.

One Other Thing from carlo ortu on Vimeo.

It was a quick turnaround by normal standards and with 'The Man Who Stopped' also recently completed the phrase 'short films are like buses' comes to mind, although I admit it isn't a very common phrase on these shores.

On top of that we filmed our entry for the Virgin Media Shorts contest last Sunday which was good fun although we all got somewhat wet. It was an early start and expecting a glorious sunny day it instead chucked it down just after dawn which didn't improve when we got locked out on a pub roof at 5am in the morning. How we laughed!

60 Best Blogs for Aspiring Screenwriters

2011-04-26T19:49:00.000+01:00

I just had to share this site I came across which, if you're a writer, you'll find really useful. As the name of the website suggests its basically a list of other sites and blogs. As the site itself states:

"Staying on top of the latest people, places and pieces, opinions, and trends is almost as crucial to forging a career as completely understanding the narrative devices that make a script stand out. The internet, per usual, delivers on this front with a cascade of reading material poking and prodding every nook and cranny of the cinematic arts. While this list is by no means comprehensive — nor does it dismiss the contributions of other resources out there — it does provide a hopefully valuable and diverse starting point for anyone hoping to see their stories get told."

I'll second that.

Check it out here.

Virgin Media Shorts, Encounters and Rushes

2011-04-11T11:25:00.002+01:00

If you haven't heard already then you should know that Virgin Media Shorts is back for its 4th year and, as ever, they return with one of the most sought after prizes offered to shorts filmmakers in the UK. The winner of the competition, as chosen by their panel of judges - including The Bourne Ultimatum and United 93 director Paul Greengrass - will win up to £30,000 to make their next film as well as expert advice along the way. Not bad!

In addition to this, the winning film will be one of 12 that are selected to screen across the Picture House network and independent cinemas all over the UK for the next year, putting shorts back on the big screen where they belong! And, as well this theatrical screening, Virgin Media Shorts will facilitate a multi-platform showcase of your work through TV, online and mobile.

There’s also thousands of pounds worth of new film kit to be won, and there will also be prize incentives along the way so check the website (www.virginmediashorts.co.uk) regularly for updates.

Films need to be 2 mins 20 secs max. Head here for submission details.

Talking about festivals it should also be noted that the Encounters Short Film Festival has also just opened up for submissions and you can submit your short until the 30th June.

And if you're really keen then you have until the 21st April to get your film into the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival.

Sidney Lumet

2011-04-10T13:26:00.000+01:00

It was sad to hear today about the passing of Sidney Lumet. The director received more than fifty Oscar nominations throughout his career and made his feature film debut with 12 Angry Men (1957). My two personal favourites are The Hill (1965) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and I highly recommend reading his book 'Making Movies'. For an informative summary of his life and work Philip French of the Observer has written a very good article.

Matthew Jure and 'Waking The Dead'

2011-04-08T10:42:00.000+01:00

Just thought I'd give a quick plug for my actor friend Matthew Jure who has starred in a number of my films. You can catch him on Monday night at 9pm on BBC One in Waking the Dead. It's a two parter so I'd advise watching the first part on Sunday evening at the same time.

Gasp

2011-04-05T12:35:00.000+01:00

Watch this. It's brilliantly bonkers!

GASP from THE FABULOUS POO BROTHERS on Vimeo.

Tom Worsley and 'Forever'

2011-04-04T20:40:00.000+01:00

Things have been pretty busy recently. ‘The Man Who Stopped’ was screened last night and went down really well, the sound mix is almost completed on ‘One Other Thing’ and I’m working with a new producer for my feature ‘Cut Loose’. But this hasn’t stopped me from seeing some fantastic short films and one of them was Tom Worsley’s ‘Forever’. It’s a very simple but very effecting film that is refreshingly poetic and has the confidence to challenge the normal narrative conventions we have become so used to. It’s a moving, intimate story with an almost unsettling atmosphere, an effect enhanced by minimal dialogue and a rich sound design. You can watch the film here and I recently has a chat with director Tom Worsley about his work.

How did you get started in filmmaking?

Acting was always my primary passion throughout childhood, but I developed an interest in filmmaking during my time at Bristol University, where I studied English and Drama: Theatre, Film and Television. I have always been a fanatical film-lover, but it was through dissecting and examining films as part of my course, and through involvement in various extra-curricular projects, that I developed a passion for filmmaking. Also, because I have always loved performing and writing, I realised that filmmaking would be a useful string to add to my bow, as rather than waiting for auditions and castings for other productions, I could create my own projects.

So what is 'Forever' about?

The plot is very simple. A young couple explore some beautiful churches, and discover how love can feel both momentary and eternal…

What themes does it explore?

The main question this film asks is, “What, if anything, is forever?”. Every scene in the film takes place in or around a rural church. Churches are so much more than just religious edifices (in fact, religion plays no part at all in this film). They are enduring symbols of togetherness and timelessness. Places of immense joy, true love, “the happiest day of your life”. Contemplation, hope and new life. Conversely, they are also places of immense grief, commemoration, eternal rest. Moments, memorials, and memories.

How did the idea come about?

I’m the youngest in my family by quite a long way, and I’ve noticed recently that I’m going to church more and more – weddings of friends, christenings of nephews and nieces, memorial services of grandparents. I realised what a wide spectrum of life is witnessed at these enduring, timeless buildings, and I wanted to explore that spectrum. Also, I’m from Worcestershire in the West Midlands, a beautiful part of the world. There are some beautiful churches near my home, and I always thought they’d make a wonderful setting for a film – nice and quiet too, which is helpful!

Describe your writing process?

It depends on the project, but generally I sway between two extremes. I love writers like Wes Anderson and Simon Pegg, writers who load their dialogue with detail, recurring jokes or motifs, not always entirely natural, but always with a real display of constructive flair and craft. So sometimes, especially with my shortest stories, I really get stuck in, choosing my words and syntax very carefully, and tying everything up together. However, my attention span is pretty bad. I frequently come up with ideas, but rarely get around to actually writing them down on paper. So often I just grab a notebook and write down the story as soon as I come up with it – I explore and develop it as I’m writing it down. And that becomes the source, from which we will just work with the actors and use improvisation to find the dialogue. In “Forever”, there are only three lines of scripted dialogue – they’re pretty important(!), but everything else just came organically during the shoot. That’s because the words aren’t what’s important in this film – it’s the performances, the characters, their relationship, and the themes that are explored.

How do you prepare to direct a film?

This was my biggest lesson on this project... I was pretty loose and carefree in preparation. There was no script, the plot was very simple, I had two great actors, and it was just them, our director of photography and myself, going around these beautiful churches around where I live, finding moments of truth, love and life, and shooting them. My main preparation was simply ringing church wardens and asking for permission to film at the churches! We did have an extensive shot list of moments we wanted to capture, things we wanted to film, but really it was more just a guideline so we didn’t miss anything on the day. I figured I could then just take everything into the edit and piece it all together. I think this approach ultimately worked in that in the end we produced a film that we couldn’t have made had we prepped and planned every moment and image. However, it took us a hell of a long time to get there! And that’s because we were so loose in the prep.

What format was the film shot on and was this a creative or financial choice?

We shot it on miniDV – the camera was our DP’s Canon XL2. This was mainly a financial decision, but despite only being a DV camera, the picture quality is absolutely fantastic. Also, we wanted the film to have an earthy, rural, raw visual style, and miniDV creates that.

What was its budget and how did you raise the finance?

It cost nothing, apart from the petrol is cost us to drive between the locations!

Describe the casting process?

I am very fortunate to know some very talented and inspirational people from my time at Bristol University, where there is a thriving drama scene. The cast was made up of two of my friends from there, Sarah Barratt, a fantastic actress, and Nick Blakeley, who has just graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Are you a director who likes to rehearse a lot before shooting?

Again, depends on the project. The film I am currently in pre-production for, we are rehearsing a lot, because it is just going to be one long continuous shot, so the performance needs to be absolutely honed. With this however, I wanted to watch and capture the scenes as they developed organically.

What approaches do you employ when working with actors?

Generally my approach is one of encouragement. If I have cast them, it means that I believe they’re right for the role and the project. I know how I want the character to be, but I want the actor to bring their own attitude, ideas and experience to that character too – through this collaboration, more rounded, true, interesting characterisations are made. Then it’s a case of giving them the confidence, trust and freedom to give everything and explore the character and the situation.

Did you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?

As I said earlier, we had a shot list, but having spent two years in post-production on this project (there were other reasons for this too, such as my time-consuming job etc), I will certainly be storyboarding future productions! Just so I can go into the edit with a bit more of a plan…

How and why did you decide on the visual style you employed for your film?

We wanted the visual style to reflect the themes and settings explored in the film. The scenes are all small, organic, real moments, so we filmed off the shoulder, to give it a more natural, authentic feel, rather than using a tripod and making it feel more set up and contrived. We shot a lot of extreme close ups, of the characters and of the architecture of their world, so we could really be in there with them, so that we could feel with them, the texture of the church walls, the grass, the skin on their hands.

How long was the shoot?

Just two days – over an Easter weekend. It was nice – unlike previous projects where we’ve had to film different scenes in different places at different types of day, we were in no rush on this one. Each scene is independent of the other, so light, weather and other continuity elements didn’t have to match.

Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?

Shooting – I always do. I love the collaboration – everyone together, pulling in the same direction, to achieve a shared goal. Writing and editing can be a little lonely in comparison.

What lessons, if any, did you learn?

As I said, I believe our approach did work in the end for this project, but I’d certainly be wary of going in with that “let’s just film everything and sort it out in the edit” approach again!

Where has the film been screened so far?

Just at the brilliant Sunday Screenings event at The Antelope in Tooting – everyone should go, it’s great – first Sunday of every month.

Future plans for the film?

Currently in the process of submitting it to a few film festivals. I’m thinking I might send it to a few international places – there’s not much dialogue so nothing should get lost in translation, and I think the setting of the English countryside will be more even unknown and impressive in foreign countries!

What’s next for you?

Got a few acting jobs coming up, and in pre-production on a number of very short shorts that I’m hoping to get in the can before I go to America for three months this summer (part travelling, part filmmaking).

The Man Who Stopped Completed

2011-03-26T15:41:00.001Z

Shot last July and funded via an innovative use of the National Lottery 'The Man Who Stopped', a short film that I wrote and directed, is at last complete. A free screening has been organised in conjunction with the Sunday Screenings at The Antelope so if you're free on Sunday 3rd April at around 7.45pm then why not pop along here.

Deborah Haywood and 'Sis'

2011-03-14T10:11:00.000Z

I was lucky enough recently to see Deborah Haywood's short film 'Sis' and I implore you to try and do the same. It really is a very well made, thoughtful and enjoyable film and I can't wait to see some of her other work as Deborah is certainly a talent to watch out for. The film is both funny and dark with impressive performances, especially from the very young cast members and a premise that cleverly hides the film's true message.

I recently chatted to Deborah about the film.

How did you get started in filmmaking?

I did creative writing as part of my degree and wanted to be a writer. Then I saw a call out for short scripts for EM Media's DV shorts scheme and sent in a script. I assumed that if I got a commission I'd be paired with a director but they said I was going to direct it too. I said I had no idea what a director did and they said 'you're about to find out.' That was Lady Margaret, my first short. (you can see it here http://raindance.tv/watch/film/lady-margaret).

So what is ‘Sis’ about?

It's about five year old Lauren, who hears there's a man who 'likes children' living in the area, so she and her little friend decide to track him down to show him their handstands.

What themes does it explore?

Childhood innocence mostly, but there are a couple of other themes in there if you look hard enough. So I'm told anyway...

How did the idea come about?

I was in the cinema and suddenly these images came to me. I scrambled about for some paper and sat there in the dark, scribbling them out. It tumbled out fully formed and I didn't make that many changes to it

in development. I wish that would happen again!

Describe your writing process?

Sis was an exception. Usually I have an idea, usually an image or a character, and then I build a story around it. I write an outline, then leave it. Then I rewrite and leave it again. Then I do a step outline, and leave that, and repeat until it works. Then I write the script. I find the 'leaving' it bit really valuable.

How do you prepare to direct a film?

I make notes on every scene, and hang out with the actors as much as possible. I do a shot list that often isn't very articulate. I talk to the crew as much as I can, and try and get everyone to understand what I'm trying to achieve. I've not mastered prep (or any of it) yet but I reckon the more you prep you do the less stressed you are, even if you throw everything away on the shoot.

The film was funded by the UK Film Council, which was recently closed

down. Could you describe how they came to be involved and a little about the process of working with them?

A company called Lifesize based in Sheffield represented the Film Council on the shorts so the Film Council themselves weren't really directly involved. Lifesize commission the scripts along with your regional screen agency, and both feedback on the script and also on the edit. This put me on the Film Council's radar and I was lucky enough to get onto the Film Council's First Feature Development Scheme. They are hugely passionate about film and script and so supportive of the creative process. I've leant a lot from them.

What format was the film shot on and was this a creative or financial choice?

It was shot on the Red. We were able to shoot on that because our cinematographer Gabi Norland was able to get us an amazing deal.

What was the film’s budget?

£9,000.

Describe the casting process?

We put fliers in peoples doors and I put a call out on facebook. At first I was looking for 6-9 year olds but when I met some of them I realised they knew too much, so we went younger and cast a five and three year old. In the end they turned out to be my best friend's relatives, which was lucky because it meant the family was comfortable with me because they sort of knew me.

Are you a director who likes to rehearse a lot before shooting and what

approaches do you employ when working with actors? Did you change and adapt your methods to accommodate the two young leads?

I did a lot of game playing and impro's with the girls. They are too

young to read a script so I fed them the lines as we shot, and then we

took them out in post. I don't really rehearse with actors. We'll

go through the script and talk about motivations and subtext and

stuff. I find it more valuable to hang out with them so we feel

comfortable with each other.

Did you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?

I did a shot list that sometimes we forgot to look at.

How and why did you decide on the visual style you employed for your film?

I sort of think the script shows you how to shoot it. I wanted it to be from the girls pov so I shot at their height and often had grown ups cut off at the waist etc.A bit like you get in Tom and Jerry.

How long was the shoot?

Six days.

Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?

The shoot, although the last time I was that knackered when I went potato picking, aged 14.

What lessons, if any, did you learn?

To listen to my belly. There were a couple of things that I knew weren't right on the shoot but I let them go because I was either too tired/stressed/time pressured. When I got in the edit those

were the things I regretted.

Where has the film been screened so far?

We've been really lucky with festival screenings. The full list is on the website, here http://sisfilm.co.uk/news/. I'm very grateful to those two little girls!

Future plans for the film?

It has more festival screenings coming up and has just been picked up by a NITV distributors, so I'm hoping it will have a life after it festival run too.

What’s next for you?

I've just finished a new short called Biatch, and I'm working on two feature scripts.

Circalit Scriptwriting Competition

2011-03-14T08:44:00.003Z

Circalit have a new scriptwriting competition which is open for another seven weeks.

'London Screenwriting agency, Dench Arnold, are on the look out for feature length thriller screenplays, so upload yours now to Circalit and get represented by London's most prolific screenwriting agency.

Dench Arnold are renowned, both in the UK and internationally, for their carefully selected client list. Consisting of award winning Writers, Directors and Heads of Department, they remain at the helm of the British Film and Television industries.

Submissions must be the first 30 pages of your feature screenplay, however a completed screenplay will be required from the winner.'

Good luck.

Film London Microwave is Open for Applications

2011-03-08T10:40:00.001Z

I thought you should all know that the Microwave Film Fund is open again:

"Film London and BBC Films have launched the next round of Film London Microwave, the successful micro-budget feature film-making scheme. The deadline for applications is Tuesday 3 May, 2011. Microwave, which also receives support from Skillset, is a groundbreaking training through production scheme. Opening the fifth round of applications, it is challenging London-based film-makers to shoot a feature film for up to £120,000 with cash and in-kind support - up from £100,000 in previous rounds. Successful teams are awarded production funding plus a bespoke programme of mentoring, training and support.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 3 May. For more information visit
www.filmlondon.org.uk/microwave5.

Blind Faith

2011-03-02T16:47:00.002Z

As an old raver and also someone now doing some research into the scene for a script of mine I was blown away by the new Chase and Status video for 'Blind Faith'.

It's probably the first and best recreation of the rave scene of the early 90s that I've seen and the attention to detail is outstanding, so much so that for a while I questioned when it had actually been filmed. After seeing the video, directed by Daniel Wolfe, I found two short articles here and here.

Paul Williams and 'The Furred Man'

2011-02-28T15:48:00.007Z

A while ago I was lucky enough to catch Paul William’s multi-award winning horror comedy ‘The Furred Man’ and was mightily impressed. It has a refreshingly original and very funny premise and with a confident visual style, excellent production design, acting and special effects I’m not surprised it’s done so well at a number of festivals. I recently had a chat with Paul Williams about the film.

How did you get started in filmmaking?
I’ve always loved film. I can still remember queuing outside the cinema to see ET – running down the aisle to grab an ice cream during the interval. I think the ’80s, when I grew up, were a golden time for film. I was inspired, I wanted to create those worlds too. I always had this burning passion in the back of my brain to make films and luckily when I first got behind the camera at the tender age of 15, technology was becoming cheaper and you could actually do it. Of course it’s nothing like we have now – I shot on Hi-8 tapes and edited on a VHS attached to another VHS, but this reminded me of what is was like to be a kid – creating something out of nothing and letting your imagination run wild. I have my art teacher, Mr Denham, in school to thank for setting me off down the path I’m still travelling. He let me make films as GCSE art projects – gave me the freedom to do what I wanted. So with a cheap camera and some gullible friends I started to make films.

So what is ‘The Furred Man’ about?
It’s literally about a furred man – a man dressed up in a furry costume. This man is Max Naughton and he’s being questioned about two grisly murders that have happened on his campsite. His costume is covered in blood, he was found unconscious by the bodies and the first words he uttered when he came too was “It’s my fault! Oh god I killed them!” But Max swears he’s innocent – swears he can explain…

How did the idea come about?
‘The Furred Man’ is ultimately about consequence. I always hate in horror films when our plucky hero is faced with a horde of vampires/werewolves/zombies and stakes/shots/beheads said vampires/werewolves/zombies and is left with a pile of human corpses. The audience cheer and the credits roll. But hang on. The town our hero just saved is now littered with dead bodies. What is our hero going to say to the police when they arrive? “You don’t understand officer, these people where vampires/werewolves/zombies just minutes ago!” I don’t think that would stand up in court. So I took this idea, started at the end, and worked my way backwards. This is how ‘The Furred Man’ came about.

Describe your writing process?
I’m not much of a planner when it comes to the script. I like to see where the story and characters take me. I usually obsess about an idea for months, jointing down notes in a little black book I take with me everywhere. This book becomes my bible when I start writing the script – referring back to it for ideas and lines of dialogue. But I always feel that my writing I very organic. I like writing myself into corners because it really makes you think ‘OK, how would this character react to this moment?’ I then feel like the story has a life of its own and is almost writing itself. That sounds weird, like I’m channelling some muse. I just think and think and think about an idea until I just need to get it out of my head and onto paper, and once the story starts it hopefully flows out. Sometime good, sometime bad – but that’s where the second draft comes in.

How do you prepare to direct a film?
‘Story is king’ is the mantra we have here at Evil Hypnotist Productions (EHP). We redraft and redraft and redraft until the script is perfect, because if that isn’t right then the films going to fail before you’ve even started. It’s one of the luxuries of being a writer/director that as the director I can demand the writer does as many drafts as I want. I also bring on the EHP family early on to help me mould the film. My producer and composer Paul Terry (PT) is always there from the first seed of an idea and he helps guide my crazy ideas into a workable script. It’s very important to surround yourself with people you trust deeply, people that are not afraid of telling you when something is shit, or not working. ‘Yes’ men get you nowhere. ‘Yes’ men get you ‘Episode I: The Phantom Menace’.

What format was the film shot on and was this a creative or financial choice?
We shot ‘The Furred Man’ on HDV. This was our first film on HD. We knew we wanted to shoot on a high definition format, but were unsure as to which one to go for. Our first AD and technical guru Henrik Kolind guided us through this minefield and we settled on HDV because it was close to what we were used to filming on (DV) and fitted our limited budget.

What was its budget and how did you raise the finance?
The budget was very small and completely self-financed and came in at around £5,000. Before starting on ‘The Furred Man’ we’d spent a good year and a half trying to raise finance for our second feature project. With that film put on the backburner PT and I decided to switch focus for a year to a smaller project we could turn around ourselves. We knew we wanted it to be more challenging than our previous projects in as far as adding special effects and action – we wanted the short to be a calling card for everything EHP could do.

Describe the casting process?
EHP has been making films now for nearly 11 years and the best thing about that is the relationships you form from project to project. I wrote the part of Max for the actor Daniel Carter-Hope. He’s been involved with EHP since our low budget feature ‘The Wake’. That was more of a dramatic role and Dan is very much a comedy actor so I wanted to do his talents justice by writing him a comedy role. Plus, I got to throw him around the set a lot during the action sequences which was highly rewarding. The two police officers are played by Chris Courtenay and Martin Durrant. Chris is another EHP regular and an amazing actor – he always morphs into whatever role we throw at him, be it a love sick dentist or a serial killer obsessed tour guide. Martin was recommended by Chris, whom had worked with before, and after a meeting him for a coffee I thought he was perfect for the role of Landon. The most important role of Arlene was harder to find. Originally, we wanted an older woman, someone in their 50s. Most of the cast was in place but we still hadn’t found our Arlene. We went to a comedy night of Strong & Wrong (a comedy act starring our lead Dan). After the performance we were having a drink with Dan in the pub and this little woman came up behind Dan and gave him a congratulatory squeeze. In that moment I saw Arlene – this little woman was perfect – and looked great next to Dan. Once she was gone I asked Dan is she happened to be an actress and to our luck she was! Her name was Bronya Deustch and we arranged a meeting and the rest is history.

Are you a director who likes to rehearse a lot before shooting?
Vital. Filmmaking is all about planning. You don’t want to turn up on set with the actors and the crew not knowing what the hell they’re supposed to be doing. Plus rehearsals are a great time to redraft. Actors breathe life into these characters you’ve only heard in your head. You start to change certain words to better suit the actor interpretation of the character. You block out movement. You get to see you film acted out in front of you. When you’re on set you are up against the clock, madly trying to get as much quality work in the can as possible. When you’re in the rehearsal room you have the time to try different things and find the best way to tell the story.

What approaches do you employ when working with actors?
Telling them to stick to the script! No, I think you have to be there as a guide, a sign on the path making sure they head in the right direction, but not there as a big road block saying ‘DO IT MY WAY OUR ELSE!’ The thing I love about filmmaking is that it’s a collaborative art form. Everyone will have an idea on how best to tell the story – it is my job as the director to act as a filter for those ideas. Some we’ll use, some we won’t, but they’ll all make the film better.

Did you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?
For ‘The Furred Man’ yes. Like rehearsals, storyboards are a cheap way of seeing your film. The great thing about storyboards is that you start to get a feeling of pace and style. And from the boards you can start to plan what equipment you’ll need on each day. Plus we had the added stress of special effects – we knew these shots would have to be planned out meticulously and I think the final result of all this planning really shows on screen.

How and why did you decide on the visual style you employed for your film?
Two words: Eugen Gritschneder. Eugen is my director of photography and another vital part of the EHP family. One of the main ideas PT and I came up with during pre-production was the idea of the circle of light in the interrogation room. They’d be a pool of light in the middle of the room were the table and characters would sit and then the light would fade out into almost black at the edges of the room. This worked for the mood of the short and also the budget, hiding the limitations of our location. We came up with the idea, but Eugen made it actually happen and made it look beautiful. We have worked with Eugen since ‘The Wake’ and I can’t imagine working with another DP.

How long was the shoot?
We shot for six days – each day being roughly 12 hours.

Paul Williams

Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?
All of it! From the moment PT and I came up with the title and turned to each other and said ‘we have to make this film’, to the last bits of the mix. We were lucky enough with this project to have a full post-production schedule, something we’d done ourselves on previous projects. We worked with an amazing sound team Cristina Aragón, Michael Koderisch and Ben Fewster who did all the foley, editing and mixing on the film. This just adds that extra sheen of professionalism to the project. Also working with the amazing effects wizard Jon Moore in creating the incredible ‘beast’ in the film. You’ve got to love every bit, because when you start writing you’re looking at a couple of years of your life spent making the film a reality.

What lessons, if any, did you learn?
This has been the best experience making a film I’ve had so far and we will never go back to trying to do everything ourselves. And the lesson you always learn is to give yourself more time – which you never have!

Where has the film been screened so far?
The biggest reward for all the time and effort the 24 people who helped make this film is how it is now being received. To date we have been accepted into 12 international film festivals and won 2 awards – and we’re not even half way through our festival campaign.

Future plans for the film?
More festival and more screenings. We want this film to be seen, and the festival circuit has an annual turnover, so we will continue to send the film out to festivals till late 2011 and then look at DVD release and making it available online.

What’s next for you?
As I’ve said one of the reasons for making ‘The Furred Man’ was to act as a calling card for what we at EHP can do. We can handle story. We can handle special effects. We can handle action. We can handle Daniel Carter-Hope. Off the back of the success of the film we want to get a financed feature project off the ground. I’m in the middle of one of the best parts now which is writing the first draft. The ideas are flowing and this one, like ‘The Furred Man’, will have teeth…

Guiding Lights

2011-02-17T13:03:00.001Z

If you haven't already heard applications are once again open for the Guiding Lights mentoring scheme. This is what the organisers posted on shootingpeople today:

"Guiding Lights, the UK film industry's leading mentoring programme, is now open for applications. We're delighted to be running the scheme for a fourth time and are looking for twelve writers, directors and producers who would benefit from the support of a high-level industry mentor to help them move to the next level in their careers. Previous mentors include Danny Boyle, Sam Mendes, Barbara Broccoli, Alex Garland, Kenneth Branagh, Alison Owen and Kevin Macdonald.

The deadline for applications is 2pm Friday 11th March.

We are pro-actively seeking applications from all sections of the community across the UK so it would be fantastic if you could please help disseminate this information to anyone you think might be suitable and would benefit from this type of high-level professional development support.

Further information about Guiding Lights, including previous participant case studies and FAQs can be found at www.guiding-lights.org.uk

Interested candidates already familiar with Guiding Lights should be aware that a number of changes have been made to the scheme. Details of these are contained in the guidelines on the Guiding Lights website. "

'Vincent' and Mazin Power

2011-02-15T12:56:00.000Z

If you haven’t seen ‘Vincent’ yet, which is directed by Mazin Power and written by Arivind Abraham, then, quite simply, you are missing out. With a simple yet very inventive premise ‘Vincent’ is an original take on the time travel film that is a pleasure to watch. With a touching and funny script that is skilfully directed and wonderfully cast I urge you to try and catch the film when you can.

I was lucky enough to have some words with director Mazin Power.

How did you get started in filmmaking?
I got started, like most people of my generation, because my parents
bought a camcorder. I used to make stop-motion films using in-camera
editing. It was great fun.

When I was older, iMovie came out, which completely changed the way I made
movies- but again, it was only fun, I never actually saw it as a career.

That changed completely when I was 21 years old, living in Austria- my
friend was in a band at the time and, just for fun, we made a music video.
I really had no idea what I was doing, but we had a great time shooting
an extremely silly music promo. Then, suddenly, his band was picked up by
SonyBMG, and they released the song on a major label. They bought the
rights to my video, and put it all over television. Pretty soon, the song
hit #1 in the charts.

It was bizarre- I saw 12 year old girls in the street singing the song.
And I had made the video for it. That's when I knew it could be a job.

So what is 'Vincent' about?
Vincent is about a man who has been living behind a church for five years.
He says he's a time traveller from 2079, and that he's stuck in our time,
because his time machine broke. All he wants is to get back home to his
family.

What themes does it explore?
Vincent is about what it means to be homeless... Not necessarily to be
living on the street, but to live without a place you feel at home. Many
people have been there at some point in their lives, where they don't feel
they have a home. It's also about hope, in the face of extremely tall
odds, that everything is still going to be ok. Almost a blind faith in
positive outcomes, if you will. I think there's something extremely
courageous about people who have that kind of outlook.

Mazin Power

How did the idea come about?
This is really silly but- I wrote to Arivind (the writer), asking him if
he wanted to write a script that was 1) five minutes long 2) featured one
actor and 3) featured only one location (this was later changed).

He shot me a script back two days later. It was brilliant, and though I
did add a few scenes to it, the core script didn't actually change very
much from draft 1.

Describe your writing process?
I like to write characters, and then put them in challenging situations to
see how they hold up. So the first thing I do is really get to know the
characters, to really understand how they would react in any situation you
put them in. This was especially the case on Vincent, where I did
additional writing- I had to make sure I did justice to Arivind's
character.

The second step then is to work out the plot structure. What's important
to me is to always be raising the stakes- to make the character's journey
more and more challenging. People don't generally like to see a character
have an easy time- it bores them.

That doesn't mean they should be sad characters of course- I think Vincent
is so interesting precisely because of the unusual way he reacts to his
situation.

How do you prepare to direct a film?
Preparation is everything to me.

I like to have lots of meetings with key crew members, to really make sure
everyone is on the same page, telling the same story.

But probably the most important thing about preparing a film is hiring the
right crew.

I put a lot of trust in my crew- but I also expect them to carry a lot of
responsibility. I like to arrive on set and let everyone do their thing.
I really appreciated the relationship I had with my DoP, for example,
because I barely had to talk to him. He would (very quickly) frame up, and
then ask me if it worked. 95% of the time it was great, and so we could
just get on with shooting.

That kind of work is only possible with people who are damn good at what
they do- its extremely liberating, and I would urge all filmmakers out
there to find the best damn crew they can get, and not to work with just
their friends.

It leads to a kind of military precision on set, which in turn infects the
set with a high level of energy.

What format was the film shot on and was this a creative or financial
choice?
We shot Super16mm film- and it was both a creative and financial choice.

I'm one of the few filmmakers who don't believe that the so-called digital
revolution has actually resulted in bringing down the cost of production.
Yes, the RED camera looks good, but it'll cost you just as much to use as
celluloid, since you need the extra processing time in post-production.
And things like the Canon 5D, while decent, still have a very 'video'
look, and aren't actually great quality as they work on heavily compressed
codecs.

On the flipside, I think nothing looks better than celluloid- it's just
completely believable. And yes, though it's expensive, it also attracts
talent to your project, who would otherwise not come on board. We got the
entire post-production workflow for Vincent done at a major London
facility, including the Edit, Dubbing Mix, and Color Grade... for free.
Why? Because they liked the fact that it was shot on celluloid (and a good
film). That's thousands of pounds worth of in-kind support.

What was its budget and how did you raise the finance?
Vincent was made for 3 grand. We got a lot of great deals on equipment,
and the whole crew worked for free, but there are just some costs that you
can't avoid.

The money was raised by me- I knew nobody was going to give me money to
make a film, because I didn't have a proven track record. Still, I knew I
could do it... so I worked a crappy, but well paid job, and saved up.

It was totally worth it, but it's definitely the first and last film that
I will ever fund out of pocket.

Describe the casting process.
We saw about 25 actors- Bill Thomas was the immediate standout. Watching
the rehearsals back in the evening, I immediately saw something very
different in him. He had memorised his lines, and was really getting into
them, instead of reading them back. It wasn't a tough decision.

Are you a director who likes to rehearse a lot before shooting?
I like to rehearse, but not too much. What's important is that the actor
understands where the character is from, and where they want to be going.

Everything the actor does should be based on those two things.

What approaches do you employ when working with actors?
I like every single line, and every action, to have one active emotion
behind it. Actors do their best work when they do one thing at a time,
and are focusing their energy outwards. Saying to an actor "right now you
are sad because of X, but also happy because of Y" will end up in a
muddled performance. Do one thing at a time, and do it well.

And whatever you do, always keep your actors outwardly focused- so that
they projecting their emotion onto other actors, and not keeping it to
themselves.

Did you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?
Yes, very thoroughly.

I storyboard in excruciating detail. This is especially important on a
film like Vincent, where we had 40 minutes of Super16mm stock- on a 6.5
minute film, that's a shooting ratio of 6:1 - not a lot, to be sure.

It changed quite a bit once we got on set- but simply having that
storyboard can help you understand what each shot is supposed to be about,
and so that when you do change things, you don't change the meaning you
were originally after.

How and why did you decide on the visual style you employed for your film?

It grew through discussions with the crew. Crucially, I knew I wanted the
film to feel bright and positive. The most important people involved in
that process were the DoP, production designer, and Bill Thomas (Vincent).

In the original script, Vincent was sitting on a bench beside the river-
we realised early on that this would make for a very boring film, so we
ended up changing his location, so that it became more an expression of
his character.

How long was the shoot?
Two days. The first day we shot the bench, and the second day we shot the
street scenes.

Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?
Definitely the shoot.

It was extremely positive, very well organised, and the crew was
fantastic. We finished early on both days, and even had some footage left
at the end to play around with- some of which actually did end up in the
film.

This is, I think, because we were all so well prepared. I think that the
Vincent shoot is probably one of the best moments of my life.

What lessons, if any, did you learn?
I learned that I could make a good film- I didn't know that before. I
thought I could, but I hadn't proved it yet. Now I know.

I also learned that the MOST important thing in your film is having a good
script, with good actors. If one of those elements is missing you're
dead. Vincent has both those things- having made this film definitely
proved it to me.

Where has the film been screened so far?
We had a private screening at BAFTA, and an invitation screening at Sunday
Screenings. But there haven't been any actual public or festival
screenings yet.

Future plans for the film?
The film was made as a calling card- though I might also turn it into a
feature at some point down the line. Right now, I just want to enjoy
giving it a run around the festivals. I hope it does well.

What’s next for you?
I'm working on three feature scripts right now- one of which is aimed
squarely at a mainstream audience. I'm really enjoying the writing process
on that one. I'll be announcing more on that as work progresses.

I'm also working on a new project with Arivind Abraham, who was created an
episodic series of video games for the mobile apps platform- they rely
quite heavily on video content, and I'm directing one of the episodes.
It's a very cool project, very different. The best part is that it's
Sci-Fi, which means special effects, and action scenes- something I've
never done.

Matthew Jure

2011-02-10T22:02:00.001Z

At a screening of 'The Killers' last night it was a pleasure to have a nice catch up with the talented Matthew Jure. Matt played one of the leads in the film and will also shortly be seen in my new short film 'The Man Who Stopped'. Keeping busy as ever it was great to hear Matthew is currently starring in the new yell.com advert which is an update of the JR Hartley ads from twenty or so years ago. Instead of a book though the search this time is on for a record made in the early nineties. Anyway, without advertising yell.com too much, go and have a look as Matt is, as ever, really good in it.

Matthew Jure in 'The Killers'

John August

2011-02-04T21:25:00.002Z

As a writer, I've been reading John August's blog for a while now and I think it's worth a mention here as it is such an interesting read. It contains a vast wealth of information, advice and top tips from the writer of 'Big Fish' and 'The Nines' and my favourite 'Go'. It really is worth a look, from his 'scriptcasts' with advice on how to write better scene descriptions and how to write better dialogue to his library of pdfs of the various projects he's written over the years. And this is just scratching the surface as there really is so much there. So if you're a writer or just interested in the craft of writing go take a look.

John August

John Michell and Rupert Raby and 'Barry'

2011-02-01T13:12:00.000Z

I’d like to draw your attention to a brilliant short film I saw a little while ago. It’s called ‘Barry’ and was directed by John Michell and written by Rupert Raby. It is the story of a seven-year-old girl and her relationship with her best friend, Barry, her rabbit. This short is one of my favourites and I’d like to sing its praises for a variety of reasons. It’s touching, thought provoking, beautifully shot, exquisitely well acted, deftly directed and brilliantly written. I saw it when it was screened at the Antelope Sunday Screenings and the reaction from the audience was immense and overwhelming. Everyone knew they had just watched something special.

John Michell and Grace Smith

As part of my remit and ambition to big up my fellow filmmakers I saw it as my duty to have some words with the director and writer about this gem of a film.

How did you get started in filmmaking?
John: At nine I saw Jurassic Park and knew I wanted to direct. At 22 I'd had enough of testing this desire and gave up economics to start working in film & TV in the camera department. I was very fortunate and two years later the person who trained me up shot 'Barry'.

Rupert: I had a bash at writing when I lost my job in 2001. It's something I'd always wanted to try and when I got the opportunity, went for it.

So what is 'Barry' about?
John: A young girl trying to cope with her situation. She actually does so very maturely, even if it is wrapped up in a child's imagination. But it's this that makes the short so endearing, accessible and emotive.

What themes does it explore?
John: Friendship, loss, childhood, loneliness, happiness.

How did the idea come about?
Rupert: I was trying to find an idea that would be visually interesting, emotive and surprising. I'm very interested in kids and their viewpoint on life and this is something I was keen to explore.

John: In terms of the production, myself and Faye had shot a short for Straight8 and felt we could apply the diligence to shooting on 35mm. It coincided with a looming competition deadline, which gave us something to aim for, and having felt good after the Straight8 shoot Faye approached her fellow Guiding Lights mentees. Fortunately, Rupert took the bait and the ball rolled from there.

Describe your writing process?
Rupert: I generally start with a nugget of an idea and build the story around it. In Barry's case I imagined a girl who had an unusual best friend and it grew from there.

John: My approach is to try to work with the writer rather than physically do the writing. It's the same for working with every HoD: I try to be like a front-seat passenger in a car, that's helps navigate/suggest a route but doesn't lean over to take the wheel.

How do you prepare to direct a film?
John: Go through the story from the characters' eyes; know the arcs; know as much as possible about each craft; have alternative plans for the worst case scenario; know the edit, shot list, shot order, musical accompaniment... Overall, ensure two things: that everyone's singing from the same hymn sheet, and that you get more sleep than the actors.

What format was the film shot on and was this a creative or financial choice?
John: We shot on 35mm for both reasons to be honest: the texture of 35mm intrinsically suited the tone of the narrative, and Faye - our excellent DP - argued long and hard that it could be as cost effective to shoot on 35mm as on HD. She was right, though we secured a lot of favours - stock for free etc - on the strength of the script. I'd also argue that 35mm does bring a cost saving through attracting a calibre of crew that wouldn't necessary be prepared to work on HD.

What was its budget and how did you raise the finance?
John: Christine Hartland and Julian Bird were exceptional here, and managed to raise the entire budget through private investors.

Describe the casting process?
John: We went to a few young actors schools and also ploughed our pasts for kid actors we'd worked with. In the end we found Grace at the Young Actor's Theatre. Everyone reminisces about having that feeling or simply knowing when you've found your actor, but it's true. Even her head shot had the spark we needed. Joe Tucker came on board after Juliet Gallagher, a casting director of quite a few very good shorts, kindly gave us some recommendations.

Are you a director who likes to rehearse a lot before shooting?
John: Absolutely. I've heard both arguments in regard to rehearsing, but in my opinion the important thing is not to over-rehearse. I always try to rehearse at about 75% to coin an acting phrase, but even if the actor's reluctant to rehearse it's beneficial to highlight what areas will be difficult and to build up a rapport with the actor. Thinking about it too, I've done two shoots where we didn't rehearse and a common thread through them all was how difficult the shoot became.

What approaches do you employ when working with actors?
John: I feel you can't adopt one single approach. I recently shot something where it was necessary to side-coach the actors. It is important to remember that directing is asking rather than telling, and that the role's primary function is to be there for the actors first and foremost.

Did you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?
John: Yes.

How and why did you decide on the visual style you employed for your film?
John: Everything derives from the script, always. Myself and Faye spoke in depth about the aesthetics, in fact we shared a 'production office'. With 'Barry', I felt like there was a three-part visual structure: reality/leaving her life, the safety of her world, and the static of home. The last part came from knowing that it's impossible to fully understand a situation like that; all we can do is respectfully stand back and be there if we're needed. Her safety derived from the visual culture that children would probably experience today, and the first part from wanting to catch up with her and her life or story. I.e. she's addressing us, filling us in, she draws us in on her own terms. It felt documentary-esque to me.

How long was the shoot?
John: It was a two-day shoot.

Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?
John: I honestly can't think of one experience that surpassed the others, it was a gem of a shoot and entirely enjoyable. Bar Rupert suggesting that we change Barry to a sea-horse the day before the shoot. Turned out he was joking. Funny, Rupert.

What lessons, if any, did you learn?
John: Learnt plenty of lessons, from the value of collaborating and correctly choosing who you work with to trusting your instincts and sticking to them.

Where has the film been screened so far?
John: BSC's New Talent Night, Foyle, London Short Film Fest. We're waiting to hear from a few others.

Future plans for the film?
John: Further festivals.

What’s next for you?
John: Find a producer for the next short by the Barry team; it's the missing piece of the puzzle. Our producer, Casey, was so good we lost her to the NFTS. I'd like to do one more short before focusing on a feature. I've just been signed up to an ad agency but I'd also like to find a literary agent.

Rupert: I love to write but I also started directing last year and loved it. I've got two shorts under my belt and am developing a feature follwing young people growing up in Deptford - it's a comedy drama with an Olympic theme. It's ambitious but hopefully we can pull it off.

Directing and Dictaphones

2011-01-26T20:42:00.002Z

In a recent Guardian interview Richard Ayoade, the IT Crowd actor and director of the forthcoming 'Submarine', summed up what directing is like using such an accurate and truthful metaphor that I feel I have to share it with you. "It's like trying to tell a joke by recording one word a day into a Dictaphone out of order and reassembling it and hoping the cadence of it works". Brilliant.

George and Harry Kirby and 'The Messenger'

2011-01-24T16:30:00.003Z

Recently I was fortunate enough to see George and Harry Kirby’s short film ‘The Messenger’. The film was made as part of the 48 Hour Film Challenge and is a fantastic example of what can be achieved by a bunch of talented individuals in such a short space of time. It’s a cracking piece of work that is atmospheric, stylish and in no way betrays the stipulations and requirements placed on the team by the competition. Below George and Harry discuss the film, the competition and more.

How did you get started in film making?
I guess our first real experience of film making was at university. We both studied Live television at Buckingham Chilterns University but we were required to make short films as part of our practical learning. But we have been making videos since we were young, often making stop motion animations using Lego characters with our dad's Hi-8 camera. We have both always loved film and were interested in how they were made, so I guess making films ourselves was a natural progression.

So what's 'The Messenger' about?
The Messenger follows the WW1 messenger or 'runner' Sam Harris, who after escaping from an enemy attack is left alone at a rendezvous point waiting to deliver his message. As the days pass and only his gun for company, Sam develops a strange friendship and we see how war can warp a man's mind...

The film is part of the '48 Hour Film Challenge'. Could you tell us a bit about this competition?
The London 48 hour film project is a fun and sleepless weekend in which you and your team make a short film—write, shoot, edit and score it—in just 48 hours. On Friday night, you get a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre, all to include in your short film. 48 hours later, the film must be complete.

We love doing 48 hour film challenges as they are a great way to test your film making skills under pressure and whatever happens you will get a film made in two days. Plus there are some great prizes to be won including getting your film shown at the Cannes film festival.

How did the idea for the film come about?
As this film was specific for the 48 hour film project our idea for the film came about for various reasons. In a previous 48 hour film challenge we took part in, we had 4 or 5 locations, a lot of dialogue and quite a few complex scenes to shoot which made completing the film within the 48 hours very difficult and resulted in the film feeling rushed and not as good as we had hoped and planned for it to be. So with this in mind we decided to make something that was simple yet visually pleasing, with one actor, very few locations and minimal dialogue. We knew of an old isolated tree at a friend's farm that we thought would look good on camera and our Grandfather being an avid antiques collector had an authentic WW1 uniform so the idea of one man alone in a crows nest in an isolated environment fitted with the brief we'd set ourselves perfectly. When we received the genre of 'Buddy Movie' we were disappointed at first but then as we worked on writing the script we realised it was in fact a great genre for what we had planned.

Describe your writing process.
Other scripts we have written have taken weeks/ months/ years going through focus groups and several re-writes which have involved changes to entire story arcs, characters and dialogue. When we sit down to write we usually find a comfy room in the house link our laptop to the TV and just keep writing until we are too tired to continue. Sometimes this process is easy when you are feeling particularly creative and other days it can be harder.

But due to the nature of the 48 hour film project and time being against us, we had to write the script on the same evening that we received our criteria. So after leaving the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester square we headed straight for the nearest restaurant, ordered some food, banded some ideas around between the team before writing a basic script to work from. After returning home, we reviewed the script through tired eyes and made some last minute adjustments.

How do you prepare to direct a film?
When we're working on something as time restricted as a 48 hour film challenge the main thing we try to do is make sure everyone in the team is on the same page and knows where the film is going. There’s nothing worse than trying to direct a film and your team and talent isn’t sure what’s going on.

What format was the film shot on and was it a creative or financial choice?
Having previously shot on a Sony HVR-Z7 which produces a nice image but didn’t give us the filmic look we were after, we decided to shoot on a Canon 5D MKII using prime lenses. This was both a creative and financial choice as it gave us the shallow depth of field that DSLR's provide and also we could get the camera for free through a friend so it worked out nicely for both reasons.

What was its budget and how did you raise the finance?
We spent roughly £300 on 'The Messenger' which was out of our own pockets and was mainly spent on petrol, feeding the crew and a few props. We were very lucky to have a group of crew and actors that were willing to work for free because they were interested in the project. There were a few miserable looking faces by the end of the 14 hour shoot but no one complained!

Describe the casting process.
One of the main things you can prepare for the 48 hour film project is your actors. Knowing the type of character and look we wanted, we put out a listing on Casting call Pro for a principle actor and a supporting actress. We were surprised by the number of applicants interested considering we had listed the job as expenses only. For any actor to be in a film made in 48 hours and a chance to be shown at Cannes film festival is a great opportunity. We chose our lead actor Panny Skrivanos as after watching his showreel we could see he had a very emotive face and could express feeling without talking which was great for us considering we had a minimal amount of dialogue. Ari Phillips was our choice as supporting actress as she had a very classic English look which is exactly what we needed for the period the film is set in.

Are you directors who like to rehearse a lot before shooting?
Ordinarily we do like to rehearse as much as possible so that when it comes to shooting time is not wasted trying to explain scenes and lines of dialogue to actors and crew. But we do think if you rehearse too much you can lose some of the rawness and natural feel that can be attained through a more improvised approach. Filming 'The Messenger' we obviously had no time for rehearsals but we were lucky that Panny cottoned on quickly to what we wanted from him.

What approach do you employ when working with actors?
We always like to have an informal and friendly relationship with our actors as we feel the more relaxed they are around us, the more prepared they'll be to give us what we want from them in a performance. As we are relatively new to dealing with actors we have found it has helped to have another professional actor (In the case of The Messenger, Nathan Stickley) as part of the crew to help explain in more technical acting terms, the emotions we want our actors to convey. We have a bad habit of saying things like “try to look more sad..” This is something we hope we will improve upon over time!

Do you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?
In the past this isn’t something we have done. We are now starting to because although it does take a substantial amount of time in pre-production, it ultimately saves a lot of time when it comes to shooting, which is where most of the money is being spent. For the 48 hour film project we simply didn't have the time to storyboard.

How did you decide on the visual style you employed for the film?
We decided that we would shoot most of the film hand held rather than using a tripod as we knew we would be pushed for time and this style of shooting would allow us to get through the shoot quickly and efficiently. We also used a 30ft Jib to create the bigger, more cinematic shots that also add some variety to the film and increase its production value. When editing, we stuck with cuts throughout to emphasise the abrupt jumps in time and also to help create the sense of the sharp decent into madness that Sam experiences. Crushing the blacks and desaturating the colours helps to reinforce the bleak time of war, much inspired by Saving Private Ryan.

How long was the shoot?
48 hours!! We shot for 14 hours on the first day and then did a 10 hour edit on the second day.

Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?
The most enjoyable part was definitely filming the scene where the soldiers are being chased and shot at through the woods. To achieve a smooth chasing shot that had the right speed we had to strap George to the front of a quad bike with a steadicam and speed back and forth after our actors. This took quite a few takes to get right but was great fun and gave us some really cool shots.

What lessons, if any, did you learn?
The biggest lesson we learnt from shooting 'The Messenger' is that preparation is the key to a successful production. Whatever happens things will go wrong, but if your preparation is good then you can usually find a solution to your problems. Another thing we learnt is that even when things do go wrong, it can force you to think on your feet and sometimes it works out better than what you originally had planned. For example, we were supposed to have a scene were Sam is eating off of the bone of a rabbit he’s just shot to fulfill the prop criteria of the competition, but we forgot to pick up the bones before we left and so ended up having to shoot the scene back at the house when he’s eating dinner. Which actually worked out better and flows better in the film. Also we learnt not to leave a 30ft metal jib rigged in the middle of a thunderstorm!!!!

Where has the film been screened so far?
As part of the 48 hour film project it was screened at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square, London. We also recently screened 'The Messenger' at the Sunday Screenings held in Tooting which is a great screening night for independent film makers in the London area where you can have your film shown to group of like minded individuals and it's a great place to network.

Future plans for the film?
We hope to enter 'The Messenger' into as many English and European film festivals as possible.

What's next for you?
We currently have a few projects in the pipeline but we have just finished scripting a five part sci-fi/fantasy mini series which we hope to start shooting in April 2011 and we are very excited.

Little Episodes/Circalit competition

2011-01-21T11:11:00.002Z

For all you writers out there you have until January 31st to enter the Little Episodes scriptwriting competition in conjunction with Circalit.com.

They are looking for 6 new scripts to showcase for a weeks run in a London theatre in 2011. The 6 produced finalists will then be judged by a celebrity panel of industry professionals who will offer the winner invaluable development feedback. Scripts can’t be longer than 20 minutes and they will also accept submissions of monologues, one person shows or entire short plays. Scripts can be of any genre or subject and it’s free to enter. To enter go to Circalit.com.

Is this the Future?

2011-01-19T16:29:00.010Z

Having just seen and enjoyed Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, I was interested and not too surprised to find out that one sequence was shot on the Canon 7D (the subway scene).

Using the 7D on the set of Black Swan

There’s been a lot of talk over the last year concerning DSLR cameras and their increasing use in film production and my latest short film, The Man Who Stopped, was shot on the Canon 7D. I’m certainly a fan of these cameras and the footage we got looks amazing and using it was a pleasure - especially when shooting in tight spaces. Regarding Black Swan, it seems on this occasion Hollywood has also joined the cause and utilised a camera which has previously been the preserve of low budget filmmakers. Indeed the season finale of House was shot on the Canon 5D Mark II as well I believe. My question is how long will it be until it is the norm that the low budget producers are using the same technology as the big budget ones? Not long I feel.

The recent introduction of the Panasonic AG-AF101 onto the market, which looks and operates more like a video camera and is a camera I certainly would like to get my hands on, will, I believe, supersede the DSLR and its dominance among low budget filmmakers as well as appeal to the big budget ones. And this could just be the start as the big brands answer the needs of the budget conscious filmmaker and release more affordable video cameras that have both the professional design and results that we are increasingly coming to expect.

The AG-AF101

'The Killers' Screening

2011-01-17T10:04:00.004Z

My debut feature film 'The Killers' is to be screened at The Antelope Bar in Tooting on Wednesday February 9th at 7.45pm. The event is free and will hopefully be the first of a series of feature film screenings the bar intends to put on so do come along if you're in the area.

Michael Gilroy and 'Dance For Eternity'

2011-01-11T16:04:00.003Z

As I have said previously, I’d like to use this blog to draw your attention to filmmakers that I both respect and believe deserve more praise for their work and one of those filmmakers is Michael Gilroy. I had the privilege of working with Michael on my short film ‘Safe Zone’ a few years ago where he proved to be a passionate, dedicated and very talented actor. He also directed his first film a short while ago called ‘Dance For Eternity’ which I want to talk about. It’s a poetic film, confidently and elegantly directed and beautifully acted where all the elements combine perfectly to present a thoughtful and moving piece of work that explores our own mortality. I recently had a chat with Michael about the film.

How did you get started in filmmaking?
I am an actor by trade. I graduated from the Drama Centre, London in 1997 so I’ve been working as an actor for 13 years. ‘Dance For Eternity’ was my first film as a writer/director. Technically, I didn’t know a great deal so I had to educate myself very quickly but I knew how to work with actors so it was this that gave me the confidence to direct the project myself.

So what is 'Dance For Eternity' about?

It is about two lovers who make a special promise to each other on a beautiful day by the sea, a promise that will change their lives forever. Between them they try to muster the greatest courage they have ever shown and embark on a journey that they will never forget.

What themes does it explore?

The film is an exploration of love and suicide. I wanted to explore those last few minutes before a person chooses to end their life. Their condition, their dreams and fears of the future, but most importantly why? I think for a lot of people (myself included) life can be very frightening. The older we become the more we realise that ultimately we are on our own in this world and there is nowhere to hide if our problems become too painful. Adulthood is something forced upon us and I think that is when the bubble bursts for many people. I know I would love to be a child again and the same is true for my two characters in the film. My story is not intended to sadden but to find the empathy and understanding for them as they have once again rekindled that childlike innocence which we as ‘grown ups’ have lost and also because they firmly believe they are on a journey to the paradise that they have dreamt of.

How did the idea come about?

Strangely I was on my way to an audition one morning on the train and the idea just came. I started writing in an old church diary over all the entries on each page as I didn’t have any paper, I was writing right up to when I was called in to the casting, I did the audition and was pretty appalling as all I could think about was finishing the film, I came out of the room, carried on writing and it was all finished that afternoon. Consequently I didn’t get the acting job but I had my first script which then consumed me for the following two years as I set about saving the money to get it made.

Describe your writing process?

I’ve written a further two short films and a feature film and I’m not sure that I have a specific process other than I will write everything out by hand and then type it up at a later time. I suppose I do this as I feel more connected to the piece and I adopt a natural flow as opposed to being held up by my inadequacies with typing. I don’t set out a specific time, if I am inspired by certain ideas I will find the first available opportunity to write it all down.

How do you prepare to direct a film?

I was very meticulous with my preparations as we were on a very tight schedule so I couldn’t afford to encounter any problems on set. Plus we were filming on a very isolated coastal location so we weren’t close to any immediate assistance. I made sure that I had a very competent team who were all without exception fantastic. I think due to the frantic nature of pre-production on low budget films it is easy to over look the actual story of the film and why you are making it so I was very adamant that I spent a great deal of time talking, researching and rehearsing with Anna-the actress in the film. I’ve been on countless films as an actor where this vital work with the actors has been overlooked and it has sadly been at the detriment to the performances in the film. I think ones work with the actors before filming is as essential as any other aspect of pre-production.

What format was the film shot on and was this a creative or financial choice?

The film was shot on Fuji 35mm film and it was a purely creative choice. My DP Ciro Candia was very keen being as the film was set on a beautiful hill top location in North Cornwall and looking at the end result I’m pleased we made this choice. I think it also helped to attract a certain caliber of crew who wanted to be involved in a 35mm film.

What was its budget and how did you raise the finance?

The budget including post production was £14,500. I couldn’t find any outside finance so I saved for two years in order to raise the required funds.

Describe the casting process?

I didn’t have to hold auditions as the main actress (Anna Bolt) who I had in mind when I wrote the film agreed to play the part upon reading the script. She flew over from the USA where she was living to do the film and her work for me was just fantastic. I was very lucky to have her.

Are you a director who likes to rehearse a lot before shooting?

Yes definitely. Everyone remembers a bad performance and no matter how well the film is shot or lit the audience will remember little else. They are the main storytellers; they need to feel confident in you as a director and in the performances they are going to give. Without them you have no story so it makes sense to do as much work with them as time will allow. Even if for whatever reason you don’t rehearse the script I feel it is vital to collaborate with the actors on the world of the piece and the characters within that world.

What approaches do you employ when working with actors?

Although they won’t show it, I think most actors are nervous. They desperately want to be good in the role, they want to be the very best that they can be because everybody is watching them and so first and foremost they need to feel safe. Safe enough to be able to relax and do the best work they can. I think the way to achieve this is to ensure they have confidence in you as the director, infect them with a white hot passion for your story and to NEVER result direct them. Coming from an actor’s background I can guarantee that all actors would agree with this last point. I’ve had directors say to me “Michael, we’re not quite getting there, can you crank it up a notch”. An actor just can’t play that. What exactly does that mean and how are they supposed to react to that in a room full of crew? If you say this to an actor they’ll just retreat and step outside the character. People may say “well you’re the actor, you should know what to do” and yes to an extent they’re right but the truth of the scene is now lost because the only thing the actor will be thinking about on the next take is “is this what the director wants?” as opposed to being that character, in that moment and telling the truth. It all depends on how authentic you want your actors to be. With this film and the teaching I do with actors I will talk to the character and not the actor, that way they are always in the world of the piece, the actors’ inner critic will dissipate, they will be present with the other characters but most importantly they are doing it from the heart.

Did you storyboard/shot list every shot in pre-production?

Yes I was very thorough in my planning for each shot. I had a very specific vision which I wanted to translate. Also, shooting on 35mm on a restricted budget leaves very little room for error or improvisation.

How and why did you decide on the visual style you employed for your film?

My piece is very dialogue based and mostly takes place inside a small car so I wanted the audience to feel like they were sitting on the back seat. Ciro the DP and I strongly agreed that we should resist the temptation to do anything too dramatic despite the placid nature of the story as it wouldn’t have suited this style. We were watching the last 10 minutes in these two people’s lives so I needed to respect that. We started outside to take in characters view and give the audience a sense of where we are and then I wanted to create a continuous slow movement right up until he tells her his first story to give the impression we are creeping in on their world and entering their bubble.

How long was the shoot?

Two very long shoot days! We were all London based so there was also a day’s traveling to and from Cornwall either side of that.

Which part of the production did you find most enjoyable?

I actually started to relax and enjoy it when there were only a few hours left, we’d filmed most of the difficult dialogue scenes and we were just filming pick ups etc. I could see the rain coming in from the sea and it was quite a rush to get it finished but I knew we’d finally achieved it and I’d made my first film. It was also my birthday and as soon as we’d filmed the last shot-it rained!

What lessons, if any, did you learn?

Don’t assume something has been done with out double checking first. The film nearly didn’t happen on the strength of one stupid detail. I was also producing so this was entirely my fault but the night before we left for Cornwall I had a phone call from the camera hire company to say that my insurance wasn’t valid and they wouldn’t be releasing what we’d requested as the equipment was worth half a million pounds and I was only insured for a quarter of a million. I couldn’t believe that they were telling me this at 6.30pm when the insurance company had closed for the day. So the next day at 7am I had to sit in a mini bus full of my crew (whom I was also driving) outside the camera hire depot franticly pressing redial on my phone until someone from the insurance company answered so that I could upgrade. I never want to go through that again. Ever.

Where has the film been screened so far?

I sold the film to Channel 4 last year and so far it has been transmitted three times. It has also been Officially Selected at various film festivals in the UK. USA, Ireland, Turkey, Romania and Jordan.

Future plans for the film?

Channel 4 will be showing it a further seven times and I will also be using it to promote myself and the crew for our next project.

What’s next for you?

Another short film about two young sisters who run away from a children’s home. I have most of the crew in place plus the locations. I now just need the money !

What Cinema Can Teach Us

2011-01-10T09:34:00.003Z

With the grade and sound mix progressing nicely on my latest short ‘The Man Who Stopped’ I recently got into a weighty discussion about all thing film with some of my colleagues. At some point someone said ‘Cinema can teach you things’. I couldn’t agree more. My mum took me to see Gandhi when I was eight years old. I loved going to the cinema and had begged her to take me. Next to us in the queue to go in was a nun. She saw me and shook her head. ‘He’ll never sit through this film, it’s over three hours long’. ‘I can assure you he’ll sit through the entire film’, my Mum responded defiantly. And I did sit through the entire film. I didn’t move from my seat once. The nun sitting a few spaces away was very impressed. What was even more impressive was the strength my mum employed keeping me from getting up to go to the loo. No one even noticed her pinning me to my seat. Cinema taught me two valuable lessons that day. Always go to the loo before watching a film. And keep away from nuns in cinemas.

Interview with the Sunday Screenings team

2011-01-04T21:08:00.002Z

As a filmmaker getting your film seen is what it’s all about and finding that audience comes in a variety of ways. You have festivals, video-sharing websites like Youtube, pay per view websites like Dynamo or you can flog or send out your DVDs. And last of all you have the old-fashioned screening event.

Screening events, often held in or above pubs across the country, remains the best way to experience a short film bar watching it in a cinema. Why? Because you’re watching that film with other people. It is the closest you will get to a cinema experience and there is something magical, collective and personal about seeing films with your fellow man and woman. In an age where many interact more with each other via their computers than in actual person, going to a screening night reminds us of the communal spirit of the medium. It’s that sitting round a campfire vibe. It’s what it’s all about.

As some of you know I help run a film night at The Antelope bar in Tooting, South London. Having attended various screening events across the country and capital over the last few years I can honestly say that the Antelope is arguably the best screening event that is currently going. It regularly pulls in over a hundred people, it serves fantastic and affordable food, it has great Q & A sessions with filmmakers and most important of all it shows some wonderful short films. I said this blog would be about giving others exposure so I thought I would interview the two organisers and founders of the Sunday Screenings - Phil Deguara and Andy Bate. I caught up with them recently for a chat.

Phil and Andy

So first off chaps, how did the Sunday Screenings come about?

ANDY: We realised that there weren’t any independent short films nights going on in the South West London area that was showcasing upcoming new talent, at least not that we knew of. Also, both Phil and I have trained in film and are into making films so watching shorts is something that we enjoyed doing anyway...I think we were quite happy doing the night for ourselves regardless if anybody else had turned up. But people did turn up and we made some good friends and contacts so we carried on. I think there was also a part of both of us that wanted to show that there is a good arts scene in South London. Everyone always thinks of Camden and Shoreditch as the cool, trendy places where you have to go to for good film nights etc so why not Tooting?

PHIL: I couldn’t agree more. We really started talking about it after I showed Andy the screening room in the Antelope and we realised the potential it had. It took a number of beers before we actually decided to set a date and stick with it and pull our fingers out to get it sorted. The rest is history.

What types of films do you screen?

ANDY: Anything really, as long as it is under 20 minutes and has a narrative and credits. We have had animation, shadow puppets, mockumentaries, horrors, thrillers, comedies...the only things that we don't really accept is music videos for the simple reason that we get a lot of submissions and we had to draw a line somewhere as we try and screen everything that we receive. One of the best things about doing the night is seeing the broad variety of things that we are sent from the super-low budget and student films to the top end funded and financed shorts and seeing that sometimes even the most simplest and basic films can still be amazing if the original idea is a good one and it is done right.

PHIL: I agree with everything Andy has just said.

When is it on?

PHIL: Sunday Screenings is the first Sunday of every month at The Antelope on Mitcham Road in Tooting. We normally start at around 8.00pm and aim to finish by 10.30pm. Oh...and it's FREE!

You’re both actors. Has putting this night on helped your careers?

ANDY: Ummm yes and no is probably the best answer I can give. No in the fact that there tends not to be much money in short film so it's not as if I can quit the day job yet because of contacts that I have made through running the night. But I have met some amazing directors, producers, writers and film makers who I'm sure will go on to do big things in the TV and Film industry so it's a good way to make acquaintances and also to meet people whose films and style you admire and who you would like to work with in the future. Most importantly I think it is just important to be involved in the industry. To be able to watch a lot of short films is also a bonus - to see what you like and what you don't like and to be learning from the film makers and the actors that I see involved in these films.

PHIL: Yes. I met Marc Price through the screenings and we're now making a feature together. I also helped produce a short film with you Carlo if I remember rightly called "The Man Who Stopped" in which the crew (and some of the cast) was assembled from people who came to the screenings. Whether or not any of this has helped my career only time will tell!
Why do you think the nights are so successful? It’s usually packed out. It’s amazing really.

ANDY: Because everyone likes films....don't they? Even if people don't turn up and love all the films that we show that night I can pretty much guarantee that they will have really enjoyed at least one of them and that a few of them will have made them think about the topic that the maker wanted to get across. Also, it’s popular because I think we have a very friendly and enjoyable atmosphere at Sunday Screenings. There isn't the pretentiousness that I have experienced at other screening nights across London and filmmakers and other regular attendees have said the same thing to me as well. What else? The venue is excellent and have been really great with us, we sell cheap hot dogs and burgers which seem to go down really well (and there is normally free popcorn or chocolate!), and we ask that the directors (or someone involved in the film) can attend to introduce the film so that people can connect a person to the work....it's not just some faceless guy or girl who lives in London and made this film....it's ‘this’ guy or girl standing in front of you telling you ‘why’ they wanted to make this particular film and what they enjoyed or hated about the process. I like that. It also then gives people who are interested in that person's work a chance to go and speak to them during the break or after the night.

PHIL: It's just a great event, no pretensions; it’s straightforward and fun. Simple.

Any plans to change the format/hope for the future?

ANDY: We have nearly been running for a year now and the night has started to bear fruit in the fact that as well as just getting together and watching some great films, people involved and who attend the night have started to get together and actually make films together, read through scripts and share ideas. I would love to see the night grow into a bigger network for film making in the South West of London where people can use it as a way to share equipment, contacts and expertise etc and then keep the night running as it does to carry on showcasing the talent and work that is being made. There are also plans and talks about maybe starting a short film competition in conjunction with Sunday Screenings which I would absolutely love to do.

PHIL: I really want to see us get a website started, so we can develop a resource for sharing films, scripts ideas and potential projects.

Where can we find you?

76 Mitcham Road, Tooting. Our email is sundayscreenings@gmail.com. We've got a website for the pub and we do have a Facebook group as Sunday Screenings. Or the alternative is to contact The Antelope pub itself and someone there should be able to put you in contact with either Phil or myself.

I’ve started but I don’t know when I’ll finish

2011-01-04T11:11:00.002Z

Okay I’ve finally got on the bandwagon and started a blog.

If you’ve seen my website www.sugarspunpictures.com you’ll know I’ve made a few films and whilst I have a Latest News section on my site and am on Twitter, sometimes you just feel like being a bit more personal. This blog therefore is not just going to be about imparting information about myself but also about other filmmakers, events, competitions and the film world in general. I hope you enjoy it and do comment if you feel the need.