First Past The Post At Last

Hello everyone!

I'm very happy to announce that After Ate, starring many awesome people like the Loaf of Doom, is FINALLY FINISHED.

This has been on the cards since January, and was lacking about 30 seconds of footage to make it possible; now it has been completed with some fun music and titles, and will therefore be ready for the screening.

This is now being officially transferred to THE 8TH OF AUGUST AT 5:30.

I am really, really sorry if this makes it impossible for some people to attend :( I really want everyone there, and I'm sorry to change it at this late date but I'm so bogged down with work, both film and office, that it would be very stressful and half assed to do it on the original date.

In other news, I have a new logo!

Sort of.

I'm not 100% happy with it yet. See what you think.

Make way for film!

Jim

NB:

This is for the many people who seem to be getting (understandably) frustrated about the fact that I have not, as yet posted ANY VIDEOS except the After Ate teaser.

Why do I gots to be so mean?

Well, my motivations are thus: I really want the people who have helped me make my films, who I have relied on to give their time and effort, to see the films in an exclusive and special environment, the half-year screening. After the screening I will be posting all of them on Vimeo, the public domain, for anyone to see. But until then they remain with me...believe me, its frustrating me too, but ah'mma gonna stick by my guns on this one.

There's A Whole Lot Still To Do

Okay, peeplings.

It seems like the screening may have to be pushed forward a week to the 7th of August thanks to work (groan) but fear not, things are still good.

Plastic Vultures Trailer? Done.

Inbetweenland Trailer? Done.

Judge N Jury? Done.

Freeman Michael Brothers Property Law Firm? Done

After Ate? Finally shooting has finished thanks to Mr. Chris, and this is well on the way and looking spiffy despite cardboard props

Easter Egg? Still not filmed, dammit!

Others? Waiting.

In the meanwhilst, I will give you some screen shots of 'film poem' Eden, which should be at the screening too. By the way, I need voice actors to help me with this one, so if you're up for it and available that would be ace ^_^

I like pretty things.

Make way for film!

Jim

Perils of Ice Cream

Hello everybody!

Well, things are hotting up...slightly. The tyranny of a 9-5 makes it hard to make films (although of course not having one would make it impossible to actually fund them) but there are some spaces.

I put together teaser trailers for Inbetweenland and Plastic Vultures (like I totally said I would)...but lookee here! I'm not the only one making teaser trailers...

Heh. Sexes.

This is from my buddy The Cake Maker, from a play what he wrote. The footage was shot by me, over one hectic day in the historical Buxton. I must say the black and white makes it very nice indeed, a good choice that man.
Starring are some other wonderful friends of mine who are both stars.

Meanwhile, I am trying to find a way of shooting an ice cream cone in an interesting way.
It's a living, innit?

Make way for film!
Spekti


PS
Thanks peoples for the nice comments on my last post!
There are much appreciated ^^

The Space Between

Hello all!

As The Half Year Screening approaches (37 days and counting now), I am getting down to some serious film work. This weekend will be devoted to all manner of prop and costume making, and discussing with my friend/studio landlady Seema about arrangements for it.

I have also been revisiting and my as yet unfinished documentary Inbetweenland, a poetic-academic piece about suburbia and my home back home.

I am putting together a trailer for it for the Screening and those who have been kind enough to help me so far...the plan is to finish it in August/September this year.

Here are some screenshots of beautiful suburbia...

Southwood, Cove, Hants

Elvetham Heath, Fleet, Surrey

Southwood Again. Ain't it pretty loike?

Make way for film!
Jim

Sort Your ****ing Life Out!

Hi all
It can hardly have escaped your eagle eyes that I haven't posted in what...ooo...two months?
Endless frustrations of work, people and in fact just life in general means that I haven't had an awful lot to say.

I made a prop? Borrrrring. No one wants to hear that. Or do they? Maybe they do, I don't know.
Well that ends here because I am planning a big old EVENT at the end of July to screen all the films so far, and will be working extra hard in the meanwhilst to make sure I have a full set of films to show everyone. About 50 days and counting. Wish me luck!

The Egg Is Hatching

Hello all;

I have been beating myself up not a little recently due to my tardiness in preparing the fourth project of the year, Easter Egg, but now I am pleased to say it is getting on its feet.

At first too many ideas were swirling round my head to get it down on paper...should it be about paganism, or christianity? About little girls stealing eggs, or about corporations stealing festivals?
In the end it has become about springtime itself, and is quite a lot more reflective and sombre than my original whimisical idea.

Given these multiple mutations, the working title Easter Egg is now almost guaranteed to change, although to what I'm not sure.

The whole thing is narrated with a poem...here's an excerpt:

"This creature, born in earth
And raised in sunlight
Whose soul was carried thither on the air
He was known in many lands
Whose many peoples christened him in many worded tongues
With many names that went before him there"

And it pretty much goes on like that. On and on.

In other news, I met with the legendary Tom of the Craigs this week, and after a few beverages our manly reserve broke down and we found ourselves able to talk about such things as potential, plagarism, Portuguese Men O' War, working, worries and the wonder of Moths.
It's always nice to talk with a fellow film-head, and the meeting left me feeling all the more certain in my conviction that yes, it IS possible and yes, if I try my darndest, I will achieve.

And I'm taking you all with me, you hear?!

Make way for film,
Jim

PS. Some of you may be wondering where my other projects have gone. Well, FMB is now edited and finished. After Ate is getting there, hopefully filming the last seconds of footage today so that can be done and dusted.
However after long deliberation I have decided not to post them on YouTube...however, I am planning a screening in a couple of months hence (July) in which I will display the half-years worth of films, and anyone who wants is welcome to come along ^__^

But We Did Nothing, Absolutely Nothing That Day

Hey again film buds!

Well its been shinty-six (read 14) days since my last post, and it seems like an age.

Since I last posted I have enjoyed an Easter Weekend with my family, which including the world premier of Freeman Michael Brothers...

We're all totally dressed up and that.

Given the tight editing schedule of two evenings, it wasn't the polished commercial version which will be available to people in the near future, but it was well received.

It was also a landmark of editing for me as it was the first film I have so far...
a) edited on my own Mac and
b) composed an entirely original soundtrack for.

Speaking of my new set up, take a gander...

Pretty fricken sweet, eh?
It cost me a little under £800, with thrift and smarts.

In other news, I have found the perfect cure to not making films...

1) take a nice long thought provoking run or walk
2) Listen to 'Drinking in LA' (Bran Van 3000), 'Do You Know The Way To San Jose?' (Elkie Brookes) and 'Big Sunglasses' (Dragonette) on a loop
3) Realise in a melancholic moment in Farnham that you and everyone you truly care about has never fulfilled their true potential.

Make way for film,

Jim