Some stuff has happenend, a lot of stuff hasn't...

I've not updated on here for quite a while. Sorry about that. I have been busy though.

In terms of One Foot From Hell...I totally finished the trailer. Take a look...



This was also shown at the last Movie Bar we ran, but more on that later, back to One Foot.

The animation is half complete, the grade is with Darren to make it look all creepy and stuff...and that's where we are.

Still a lot to get done.

Our main current set backs include helping Brother Chris on Jenny Ringo 3 and more annoyingly, having to rework the animation doll as some of the latex has started to fall apart. We'll get there though. Hopefully be doing more animation over the next week. Once that's complete then it's full steam ahead getting sound and music sorted.

I've been bogged down with a lot of other things (namely Tomb Raider), but I'm slowly getting back up and running and can see the end. It's still quite a small dot on the horizon, but it's there.

So back to MovieBar, we held the last night on 1st April 2013 - no April fool's prank here. Movie Bar is over...until June 3rd where it continues under new management. It's been fun helping to run the night over the past couple of years but we felt it was time to pass it on to fresh meat. To take it further into it's 7 year run, and hopefully beyond.

So what else has stopped me making One Foot. I only gone and done a podcast. You can check it out on it's very own web page here.

The podcast is called It Was Only a Pound. Brother Chris and I watch films that have only cost £1 and discuss whether it was worth it. It's basically an excuse to go through the massive pile of films I've bought, but never gotten around to watching. We hope to get more social with it but I'll post links when available. At the moment we've only manage 2 episodes but as you can see on here, I've been busy.

So this finally brings us to Jenny Ringo 3. Brother Chris decided to bring Jenny back a third time in a shorter adventure. Once again I was asked to provide some animation, which so far is looking great. However this time, I was also given the opportunity to try my hand at being the DoP.

I'm going to post about this in the future to give a full account of how it went down. In short it was a great experience. For more information check out (and Like) their Facebook page and website.

So there we have it. I've been a busy bunny for the last couple of months. However as we head into the final school term, I'm more focused on what I need to do.

Crazy Feature script is still in my head, and I will start working on it soon. I've also starting thinking of many other projects to spend my time on when the existing projects have been completed. Granted, there's already a long list, but I don't mind making it longer.

So I'd better get back to it as I need to go and make a human hand (spoilers).

Project 30 threatened by people...or lack thereof.

So I've been in various mood swings over the past week or so. This has been caused by trying to get a short film off the ground. However, it seems, if you haven't already got a small loyal crew set up, it's a bit of a pain getting a new team together. Even in Brighton it seems, where everyone is making some kind of film at some point.

As you've guessed it, this has become a complaint post.

So I was getting a little worried as November was looming, but I reckoned I still had loads of time. I emailed a friend interested in filming and he gave me his rough schedule.

Unfortunately it was discovered that he couldn't help out until 6th October. Great I thought. The weekend  Brother Chris and family are away so I borrow their flat as a location.

However this was the only weekend her could do until November.

So I thought...and thought...and was advised November made more sense. I did fear that Project 30 wouldn't happen though. However I decided, November would give more time for preparation, so I changed my mind. We will shoot in November!

Then I checked a calendar! "Oops!" I thought as I stared at my busy month of birth.

So it turns out, when trying to schedule, make sure you know what your plans are first.

Ok, back to the drawing board and back to October. This was now pretty much the best time I had to film. So I dived in and signed up to Shooting People, Talent Circle, posted on Moviebar and a couple of other places.

So we're off. Putting a crew together. So far, as if you couldn't work this out, responses have been disappointing.

I got a few responses from Shooting People, from some interesting people, it's just they were mainly based in London, and that may be more of an inconvenience. Not just the expenses for train travel, but general time it takes to travel.

From Talent Circle I had exactly 1 response.

From MovieBar, nothing!

From the other website that will remain unnamed, I got a rude comment back. Not sweary bum rude just a not very polite. So I'm not going back there.
Plus, to make matters worse for myself, I have decided they are Mr. Potter to my George Bailey and I need to show that people don't have to go to Mr Potter to get films made.

So, that's pretty much where I'm at. I start filming in 3 weeks tomorrow and I have some lights, a few helpers and a doll.

This film is going to be ace!

This weekend I start casting. Let's hope there are more actors in Brighton than there are DPs.

Here's to independent film making!!


Oh, by the way, if and readers are members of Shooting People, can you vote for Jenny Ringo in the September Film of the Month. We'd like get into the final please.

https://shootingpeople.org/watch/111251/jenny-ringo-and-the-monkey-s-paw

100 posts = 100 things to talk about...

So here’s how it was...

I started the blog about just under 3 years ago. On Thursday 14th August 2008 to be exact I’m not particularly sure of the reasons off hand. I was going to mention that according to my original post it was because of this...but I don't seem to have given a reason. I think I started it, as Brother Chris said, so that I can look back on what I was moaning about months ago. That, and people will want to know how it went down.

It’s always been difficult continuing to blog when you can count your readership on your fingers, and see most of them in real life regularly. I have managed to keep it up over time though.

So over the last couple of years I’ve talked about things that annoy me, things that excite me, things I’ve been working on and a lot of complaining. I also gave up at one point, only posting occasional musings.

Fun fact time, whilst this blog has existed I’ve lived in four houses/flats, 3 towns and had 4 jobs, included a period of unemployment.

I’d just finished a making of, completed a shorter making of, made a 2nd E4 ESting and a music video. I’ve seen a number of bands, seen a load of films and mused a lot of random musings.

So that’s basically how it went down...

...and here’s how it is.

So right here in the present I'm still busy. I'm still working, which yes is good because I get money, but it does take up a hell of a lot of time, and is a bit annoying. I've lived in my current house for over 6 months which is looking good. And I'm still playing games. Got my hands on a PS3 now thank to the Girlfriend's gaming madness. Uncharted is amazing by the way.

So with all the above going on I'm still busy with the creativity. I wrote a list recently of all the things I have to work on and there were about 10 items on there, and they're all in different stages. Some are more urgent than other, some are writing based, some making of based. 1 is a whole animated film. Not feature length of course, but long-ish. I am quite confident to announce, over the next year or so I will be working on:-

Lost in 5 Towns: A Tale of an Everyday Joe.

Did I juts break a rule and announce a project... oh crap. I wont divulge too much information, just that it's a film close to my own heart, set in good old Stoke-on-Trent. Now, if you never hear of this again, I will have learned my lesson about announcements on blogs.

Still I've still got the secret writings I've got going with Brother Chris which will hopefully come to fruition in the near future. And on that note, you're all up to speed.

So here’s how it will be...

Some stuff I guess.

Here's to the next 100 posts.

Strange things are afoot at Circle K...

It's all a bit odd at the moment. I can't gauge how this year is going. On the one hand we had our first MovieBar which went down surprisingly well. A couple of sound related hiccups but nothing too disastrous.

We also showed Elasto!. Yes Elasto. For those in the know, Elasto is a film I made just out of College with my Dad. I still had the fresh creative urges and needed something to keep them busy. So he provided a music tack he had from 1982 called Elasto. now this is where I like to remain tight lipped. There is an explanation to Elasto. Quite a simple, yet mundane explanation. However, I feel it actually speaks for itself. You can take what you want form it. At the root of it all, it's just plain weird. And Awesome.

Elasto had a good response. There was a short Q&A where I tried to remember how long it took and why I'd made such decisions. Once again, I think I left everyone just as confused as the film did.

Anyway, MovieBar is working and continues next month. The complete rundown of the first night can be seen on the MovieBar blog here

So far so good.

Then came the email conversation. I'm not too good at covering these things. Brother Chris has already post his frustration with the state of play at the moment.

In short, as we previously joked, I loaded in Chris' Save Game and have joined him co-cooperatively on Level 2 of script writing. It would seem I obviously don't have all the necessary experience points as he does and couldn't afford the bionic arm power up, but I continue plugging away the best I can. I just have to learn to block more.

This whole game analogy has gotten a bit messy. What I mean to say anyway, is we had a script, production company was and is interested, but only it seems once we've defeated hoards of enemies. We're talking Level 2 here, not final boss. Things shouldn't be this difficult. I mean if this was the same with every game, how do things like Sharktopus ever get made.

Anyway, you can read the in depth frustration here.

Imaginary games...

So I was sitting at my PC, editing the new MovieBar logo, in it's seven part logo. I split this up with checking the Internet for randoms as one does when I happened upon on an XBox 360 game trailer about psychics or whatever. Initially this looked a bit run of the mill, however from memory, the end of the trailer had a really cool twist. I continued to work, then checked the time, suddenly it was half seven and I thought it best to get some dinner.

So away I went, ate some food and returned to the PC to continue the logo. At this time I remembered how cool that game was but couldn't remember the title. Mind Warp or something along those lines. I decided to look for it online. However I didn't seem to be able to find anything about this game.

I then thought back, I couldn't actually remember watching a video online. This trailer just happened to start playing, but I couldn't remember where I'd seen it. I don't think it was on TV and I hadn't watched any videos online, that would be preceded by a game trailer.

At this point I started to freak out a little as the only explanation I could come to was pretty far fetched. Whilst editing the logo, I must have blacked out and dreamed about the trailer. this would explain why it didn't exist, and the sudden realisation of the time.

I'm sure I'm probably jumping to conclusions, but until someone can show me that game, and the cover art for confirmation I am convinced of my theory.

Blacking out whilst editing logos. That's not so good is it!

**UPDATE**
And it totally didn't happen. It's good to know my brain isn't about to explode from a hidden tumor, or a scanner.

I found the game. It's called Mind Jack. Check it out. Luckily it still looks alright.



Blacking out at the PC. Seriously, like that would hap ...

I gave a Q&A.

This is just a quick update whilst I finish burning some cds. The other night Jonny the Pessimist was shown at Son of Movie bar and I had to do a Q&A. Me, of all people had to get up and speak publicly. And I did, and it went rather well I think. It didn't actually help that it's been five years since I made the film so I can't remember most of the details but it was cool to see it in front of an audience. There were a few questions asked about how long it took, how John Otway got involved and why the London Halloween films festival (where it was shown) is held in January. I just hope I came across well and not like a blithering idiot as I've got to do it again next month with In case of Zombies. I'm looking forward to this on as although it was shown at the Halloween festival, I couldn't make it down so I've never seen an audience reaction. Hopefully it will go down well.

Until next time.