Updates - 24/5, Degree a New Camera

Hello all
Well, lots has been happening since my last post, but the most important parts have gone on inside my mind.
After a long time of apathy, possibly brought on by fear of faliure or worries about how my previous films turned out, I was fired up again by the thought of entering the Derby-based 5-lamps 24-hour film competiton (or 24/5) with my good friend Neil. He did most of the work, sorting out equipment, plotting the film out and arranging actors, like the proactive film squirrel he is. I did the paperwork and a few other bits, and when it came to the day (Saturday 20th November) things went well.

We attack from the north!

Although frayed nerves began to show in the long evening, we made it through. One sleepless night of film jiggery and pokery with Neil and Chris (another good freind who is always a trooper when called to the film stand) later and we had a pretty darn good film titled 'No Good Deed' which will shortly appear on the Ootoob. Our actors and additional crew were great, and all in all it was a grand experience.

The screening and awards were done a week later on Sunday 28th at Derby Quad. Sadly 'No Good Deed' failed to win a prize, but then the competition was stiff. I can't deny I was a little upset, but of course there's no telling what heights the full cut of the film (without the 3 minute restraits of the competition) will soar to.

Also I must mention that the screening formed part of the ID Festival at the Quad, a celebration of British Films, and we must continue to support this kind of thing, as it was awesome. You can read my own and Britta's reveiws at our other blog, Couple of Spoilerz.

Anyway.
So, I have decided not to go on to do a Masters Degree at this time.
Financial, practicle and artistic worries assail me about it, and I have come to the conclusion that its just not the right thing to do. I should, I think, be getting serious about my life of film making, something which I have for far too long given lots of enthusiam and no practicle action. The money alone would not have swung it, but I feel that a move back to academia would be a move into hiding, not a move into the world. Only time will tell if I am right about this.
To this end though, instead of the EXPENSIVE professional camera I was going to buy with my loan, I have instead bought a REASONABLY PRICED camcorder with my own money, along with some spiffy accessories. It is a Canon HF200, which shoots excellent HD footage onto memory cards. I am looking forward to seeing what I can do with it.

More updates soon.
Make way for film!
Jim

Autumn Projects

Hello all!
I realise its been a while, I've had a varied few weeks with little time for film making.
Actually, that's a lie. I wanted a bit of a break. But now, its time to kick ass!

Sadly, at least two projects, including the much touted Easter Egg, now have to wait until next year as the summer weather (what we had of it) has now past.
Still, the crisp, lovely Autumn weather and the dark sinister weather of Winter are useful too, and so I present to you projects which (hopefully) will be done within the year...

1) Plastic Vultures - Finally finishing it!
2) Limbo - A ghostly film about a supernatural detective
3) Culture - An ambitious PR man regrets joining a pharmaseutical company with secrets
4) Inbetweenland - My documentary about suburbia is due for another round of filming

And anything else I can think of to make.

Make way for film!
Jim

Ich fahrer nach Deustchland!

I think. I have a terrible feeling the grammar in that sentence is off.

Anyway, I am off for a week in Germany and will be in a techno-blackout, with no laptop.

My brain will be ticking away with what we used to call 'pens' and 'paper' to hand, but no word will there be in the electronic domain.

Have a great week all, see you soon.

Make way for film!

xx

Jim

Loaded Up

Hey all,

Well now the half way mark is passed and everyone involved was given a chance to see the world premiers, its time to stop being coy and say...the films have gone public!
Everyone must now go here...

Spekti's Vimeo Profile

There you will find After Ate, Freeman Michael Brothers, Judge N Jury and the trailers for Inbetweenland and Plastic Vultures.

There are a couple of others I haven't added yet, mainly because they need a final tweak, but they will be up in a week or so :)

Comment, give feedback, and make way for film!
Jim

Half -Wrapped

Ahoy!

Firstly, a MASSIVE shout out to everyone who made it to the screening, it was a joy to see you all and great to hear you reactions. Even those who were snarky. You know who I mean.

Also commiserations for those who were unable to attend, I was very sad each time I got another 'can't come' message, as your presence always means a lot to me. However, I understand life is not simple and sometimes things are just impossible to do.

Also, massive thanks to Seema and Richard who own the Gallery and Chris White the sound engineer who set me up with the PA system :)

Please check out his website Piggy Back Studios

They are all looking at a picture of a duck. They cannot take their eyes of it.

Ducky-ducky duck duck.

The thing was a partial success, which is to say that the actual films went ahead and were all finished and that, but I did let people down badly in many ways. I was editing up until the last moment, literally burning the master copy of the DVD as the taxi waited outside to take me to the event that I planned and hoped to be there for at least an hour before any guests arrived.

I failed miserably, in fact arriving after nearly everyone apart from those I arrived with simultaneously by a bizarre fluke. I didn't manage to do as I had hoped and give out signed copies of the DVD to participants, or dress up nicely, or even ice the cakes with purple icing :( A sad case, indeed. I beat myself up about it pretty badly, but as always the presence of my friends being happy and forgiving made it all better.

What next?

Well, determination. Because there is one thing wrong with being a goal oriented person - once the goal is achieved, there is a tremendous urge to believe you have done everything you need to, get complacent and not try any more.

It has been my perpetual downfall.

On the other hand, since everything has been ridiculously hectic over the last week (I didn't get to bed before 2am any night, and not the fun 2am where your clubbing and drinking, the 2am where you fall asleep and get keyboard face), I feel justified in giving myself a break.

And by a break I mean getting on with tackling the mass of washing up and mess I have generated by being to busy to deal with anything but making films for the past week.

Fear not, though, Spekti fans! (no, I don't think they exist either. Sigh).

I will also be using this week as a chance to look over all my old projects, what went wrong, what went right, collecting feedback from people and, of course, looking to the future.

I will also finally, after one last check for potential improvements, be POSTING THE GOSHDARNED VIDEOS online, probably on my Vimeo account.

So, onward in 2010.

Another 6 films this year? Easy!

Sunny Side Up

Well my dears, after singing out in praise of grey days yesterday, I reveal myself as a filthy hypocrite when I say I am very glad that, according the the Beeb Beeb Ceeb Weather Page, Sunday will be a sunny day.

A very sunny day. Hooray, hooray, a sunny day ^_^

Ignore this. Its irrelevant.

I say this, mostly, because Jasmine Cottage has a beautiful garden and we can stand in it and frolic and gambol and such. And eat cupcakes and quaff and carouse and that.

However, there will be now carousing, no, nor indeed quaffing, if you have not confirmed your attendance by 10am on Saturday, when I will set off to do my shopping, and as mentioned before, the amount of food I am going to purchase depends on how many I'm getting.

Sorry to keep ramming this home. Heh. Ramming.

Or is it? Yes. Yes it is.

The SUPER SPECIAL SECRET PROJECT (TM) will be in production today and tomorrow, which means that the full compliment of 5 films will be reached! Wohoo!

Make way for film

Jim

Grey is Okay

What a day.

Grey, dark, drizzly and humdrum.

In other words, the most glorious kind of day to be plonked in front of a computer doing editing, sound recording and mixing, DVD making and generally being antisocial.

No worries about wasting good weather, no stigma against staying home all day drinking cups of tea and eating biscuits. Perfect.

Except I'm not at my home computer doing my editing. I'm at work doing work editing.

Ho hum, best make the most of it.

There is something very comforting about a grey day.

Some have described the feeling as schadenfreude, notably the cast (and puppets) of Avenue Q in their song of the same name:

'Don't you feel all warm and cosy, watchin' people out in the rain?'

Well, being generally well disposed and sympathetic to people out in the rain, I think there is a more innocent pleasure in being at home on a grey day. It does allow one the kind of impunity to actually be at home I have already described, but also has a kind of nostalgic ache to it.

Sitting here I am reminded of probably one of the best shows ever created by the BBC, or rather trilogy of shows, by the brilliant television writer Alan Plater: The Beiderbecke Triology.

Set in the often grey, run-down and shabby area of inner city Leeds, still looking similar 24 years after it was filmed, there was an amazing warmth and humanity about the show, as well as being wonderfully funny, clever, tense, romantic, exciting and blending all these elements seamlessly. Its beautifully drawn main characters Trevor and Jill were a joy, and James Bolam and Barbara Flynn bring them to life with subtle brilliance.

Listen to me, I'm gushing.

The point is, it is the televisual equivalent of curling up on the sofa under a blanket with a fire on a grey day. You feel nice, shiver occasionally, and enjoy the feeling of home.

I hope my work gives people something of that same comfort, although I'll need to work hard to be as good as Alan Plater.

In film news, just about everything is finished except the voiceover work for Eden and a very special, super-secret project that I will unveil at the screening :D

Make way for film!

Jim