Rough Edits = Fun Times

Hello Bloggers

The good news this week is that a rough edit has been completed. The film is currently running at around a 9 min runtime without credits and looks very good, the opening scene is like somebody has plugged a monitor into my head and is projecting my thoughts. The performances in the flick are also mindblowingly good and I cant thanks Clementine and Len enough for alll their hard work. I cant wait to sort out the sound tomorrow in the edit and get the flick sent off to Matt over at MembraneAudio so that his score can finally find it's home on film. As the flick is now in post I've been thinking ahead to marketing, promotion and film fests etc, I think the film really has the potential to be selected and is one of the main reasons I'm powering on with the edit. I'm hoping to enter the flick into the "Stoke Your Fires" Festival which is accepting film for the first time as before it was mainly animation based moving image. I think it would be great to get the film shown in the city it was filmed in and a great chance to get the cast and crew together.  As I said I've been thinking of promotional material and quickly threw together a poster for the film.

As you can see the film has been re-titled. After reviewing the footage the title "Wheels" just wasnt working, I felt it didnt relate to the story and definately didnt express the message of the film and so I went back to the drawing board and spoke to some people and one suggestion was "You've Got a Friend" and I loved it. I feel the new title really does express the film a whole lot better and of course any feedback on the poster would be awesome. Right I'm going to settle down to some season 1 "Heroes" and as always I'll keep you posted on things as they happen.

Enjoy!

We Are Shot! :D

Hello Bloggers

I am pleased to announce that "Wheels" is 98% shot. The last two days have been very very tiring but the footage looks amazing and I am very eager to get it into the edit tomorrow for a rough edit. I have to thank a lot of people for getting the film into production so I'd like to thank: Adam Georgiou (1st AD), Dave Gawne (Cam Operator), Clementine Conlon Spears (Jennifer), Len Dobson (Victor), Ben Spencer (Behind the Scenes), Rachel Wood (Producer), Steven Cooper (D.O.P), Callum Woolhouse (Sound Operator), the entire Wood household for letting us invade, my girlfriend Emma for putting up with me and anybody else I may have missed out. Below are some promo stills.

Right I am shattered and really need some sleep so I'll update in a few days.

Enjoy!

What Been Happening

Hello Bloggers

I'm sorry to say that "Wheels" was not shot this week as planned. Unfortunately one of my actors had caught a nasty case of flu and the decision was made to push production back a week to the 1st and 2nd of December. It was a real blow to my confidence and left my feeling a little down but my crew really rallied round and we got everything sorted!

Fast forward to now and I'm stupidly excited about next week, Nothing is going to stop me shooting whether it be snow or otherwise! The cast and crew have been awesome and I feel with them both at my side the film will be a real winner! I have also uploaded my Aimhigher Regional Video to the site, be sure to check it out. The video was directed by myself and a fellow student Roberta Spain and was the most challenging project either of us had ever taken on. Production took roughly 10 months and was very grueling but it was all work it in the end!

On a lighter note I attended the "Thought Bubble Comic Convention" last weekend. It was awesome! I finally discovered what my comic buying limit is.......15 graphic novels!!!! I also met John Romita Jr the artist on Frank Miller's Daredevil:The Man Without Fear, Spiderman and Kick Ass. He was such a nice guy and was nice enough to sign my Daredevil copy and have a little chat with me about comics, films and basically being a nerd. Below are some examples of his work.

 As always I'll update when I have more news! Only 3 days until production and I cant wait!

Peace!
 

Best Of The Fest

Hello Bloggers

Well I just got back from the 2010 Exposures Film Festival which was held at the Cornerhouse in Manchester, and wow! what a brilliant three days. I think the best thing I got out of the whole thing was a massive boost in confidence, I saw some truly great films but at the same time I saw some truly awful films too. Meeting industry professionals and other film students was great and really showed me how far I have come in just under three years on the BA Media Production course and how good my course is. I had to wince when a college student proclaimed "I edit my films on Windows Movie Maker".  I believe that "Wheels" has every chance in the world to be in the festival next year.

The fest was also great for ideas generation, nothing stimulates the brain into ideas mode better than sitting and watching 12 hours worth of films for three days. Below are some of the best films I saw this week.


Adrift from Adrift Animation on Vimeo.

I loved Adrift because it was one of the very few lighthearted films shown at the festival. One thing that annoys me more than anything about student films is that they are very rarely lighthearted and nice, it seems everything must be violent and involve death. This annoyance was one of the driving forces for me to write "Wheels".


Notice from Amy Hill on Vimeo.

I also loved Amy Hill's "Notice". I loved the interaction between the two main characters and how natural and realistic the film felt. It was brilliant to see a film which was simple and yet had character's with serious depth and personality. It just proves that a good film is not always an action packed, heavy dialogue driven three hour epic and is often based an a very simple premise.


The City from Dylan Blythin on Vimeo.


Finally The City directed by Thomas Beswick. I loved the look and pace of the film, it must have cost a fortune in film to create and the soundtrack is extremely good too. However had I directed the short I would have cut the running time a little.

Anyway I better run as I have a train to catch to Leeds for the Thought Bubble Comic Convention this Saturday. I'll update in a few days.

Peace!

We Have A Victor!!!!

Hello Blogosphere

Well what a week! I've been on three shoots, one for "The Dog and The Suitcase" by Adam Georgiou, which was great fun if a little cold and the other for "Untitled Horror" by Steven Cooper. Steven's shoot was a blast, nothing beats filming at stupid o'clock in the morning in a haunted pub in Nantwich!

The main news this week however is that I'm super excited to announce that after a brilliant audition Len Dobson will be playing Victor in my short film "Wheels". It was a close call to make as everyone who auditioned was great but Len was the right choice. I have also tweaked the script this weekend, making the number of drafts come to seven!

Now it seems nothing can stop me flying into production and I really cant wait. I have a meeting with the crew tomorrow afternoon and before I know it I'll be shooting......at last!

However before production there are some very exciting things to do. For three days this week I will be at the Exposures Film Fest eyeing up the competition and getting to know industry professionals, and next weekend I am going to be nerding out at Though Bubble Comic Con in my hometown of Leeds. It will be nice to head home before the massive rush and stress that is production and its a brilliant excuse to stock up on some comics! As always I'll update soon!

Peace!

Things are looking up!

Hello Blogworldians

Things are operating at full pace again after a slight hitch with casting Victor last week. I am pleased to say I'm currently in talks with actors wanting to play the role of Victor.  Audition are taking place next Thursday (11/11/10) and I have the shoots scheduled for the 23rd and 24th November. I am praying everything goes well next week and no other surprises are in store.

Casting isn't the only good news. I recently put out a call for composers and the response is immense! I've currently had over 70 applicants and counting, my phone hasn't stopped buzzing. It seems I'll have to take a day out to go through them all there are that many!

I have also booked tickets for the "Exposures Film Festival" held at the Cornerhouse in Manchester. I am looking forward to meeting industry professionals and watching the competition in the screenings. The fest also has some very interesting lectures and seminars and I am particularly interesting in the "How to Get a Job in TV and Radio"and "The Highs and Lows of a Freelance Filmmaker" lectures. At £20 for the whole three days its a steal!


I'll post an update in a few days.

Peace!

Jennifer Cast!

Hey Blogworld!

I'm super excited and pleased to announce that the role of Jennifer in my upcoming short drama "Wheels" has been cast. The wonderful Clementine Conlon Spears auditioned last week and was great! I was very impressed how she wasn't afraid to change dialogue about and make the character her own and how enthusiastic she was about the project. The script is also about one draft from completion, just some very minor tweaks to be made and I think that I'm there with it! which is a great feeling to have after re-writing a script everyday for two months.

Clementine Conlon Spears (above) will be playing Jennifer

However it seems the project has hit a bit of a roadblock as the role of Victor was not cast last week, delaying the shoot (planned for this Thursday and Friday).  I must admit it was heartbreaking to have to call off the shoot, I have been working flat out for the past two months to get it shot early but I guess these things just happen. I have sent out another casting call and am calling in every favor to get him cast in the next two weeks. If all goes well the film will be shooting in mid November and in post by early December.  As always I'll post an updates as they happen.

Peace!

The Joy Of Pre-Production

Hi Bloggers

Well the chest infection is almost gone now....finally! "Wheels" is almost at the production phase and it's an exciting/nerve wracking time, the script is currently on draft six but I'm sure by the end of the week that will have jumped to eight! The story has changed and evolved so much since I first began writing I can barely believe it but I am very happy with the script now and I'm at the stage where it is tweaks rather than massive re-writes.

Casting is this Thursday and Friday, I'm very excited to meet the people who will become Jennifer and Victor. Locations have been confirmed which is a huge relief and I am extremely thankful to Rachel Wood and her family for letting me invade their home for a day or two. I have been in contact with a musician for the soundtrack and we are going to be writing a track etc for the film when we hit post-production (mid November). So all in all things look pretty groovy at the moment.

Right I'm off for a walk with my lovely new Olympus OM10 and my lovely girlfriend. I'll update after casting when we have a Jennifer and a Victor!


Peace!

Digital vs 35mm Film

Hello Blogworld

I'm still in pre-production on "Wheels", the casting call is still up on the sites until the 23rd October and applicants are still applying, the script is on draft five and just keeps getting better and better. I'm still really excited about the film but am somewhat hindered by the fact I have a chest infection.


To cheer myself up I did a bit of browsing on Ebay for an SLR camera and I discovered a lovely Olympus OM10 from about 1980 which came with a wide angle lens, a flash gun and the standard lens. All for the bargain price of £30. Having bought the camera I've been thinking about film's place and it's advantages over digital. The first advantage I can see is that you have to be economical with your shots and as a result you should become a much more disciplines film-maker/photographer. Advantage number two is the "look" of film, in my opinion digital can never replicate the grain and depth that film offers. Below are some shots taken with an Olympus OM10

 For a camera nearing 40 years old the quality is above and beyond modern digital cameras', the grain adds to the pictures unlike digital noise and the shadows looks beautiful. You cannot seriously say to me that in 35 years time people will be using 10 mega-pixel camera's or that they will match up to the technology available. I plan to use my new toy on the set of "Wheels" for production stills and hope to while away some weekends looking for shots outside of Stoke-On-Trent, but as the camera wont be here until late this week/ mid next week I'll have to focus my energies on kick this chest infection.

Feel free to comment and I'll update in the next few days

Peace

"Wheels" update

Hello Bloggers

Thought I'd best update you on "Wheels" my latest film and first drama. I'm really excited about this project right now, it feels nice to do a story that is nice and lighthearted. A lot of the projects I'm involved with seem to be killing off character left right and center, something I don't want to do.The script has had several major re-works over the past two weeks and is finally coming together. The casting call went out yesterday and the response has been very encouraging and I'm sure more applicants will appear as time goes on. I cannot wait till casting later in the month.


On another note, I am now fully trained in using Jib's, Track and Dolly and and fully refreshed with the Steadycam. I plan on using all the new equipment I can on "Wheels" especially the Steadycam which I would love to specialise in when I graduate university in just under 10 months (eeekk!). I'd also like to say a huge thanks to my web develop Thomas for hooking the blog up to the site and giving it a lovely sleek look! and what about those drop-down menu's! Anyway Ill update with more news as it happens folks, but right now I'm gonna dig into Batman: The Long Halloween

Final Year Of University

Firstly sorry for the lack of activity on the blog of late, the main reason it hasnt been updated is purely because until now nothing filmy has really been happening in my life. I recently moved back to Stoke-On-Trent for my final year on the BA Media Production course at Staffordshire University and I have definately hit the ground running.

The post apoc film with Adam Georgiou is still in development and an initial script is in the process of being created, we have a basic outline of how we want the story to go and hopefully come May/ June 2011 everything will be in place for us to shoot.

However it's my first semester film thats got me excited right now, the brief given to me was about as open as possible and for the first time on the course I have been given the go ahead to make whatever film I want to make. As I spent roughly 98% of last year on commercial projects I wanted to get behind a drama project where my brief was my own and so I have opted to created a short 5-7 minute drama. At the moment it has a working title "Wheels" and below is a brief synopsis:

"Jennifer is a teenage girl who is stuck in a job she thought was only temporary. She works for a local meal on wheels company “Scrumptious Foods Ltd” Jennifer feels unappreciated and the customers are far from friendly. We follow Jennifer on an average day, where the customers are their usual wicked selves...all except Victor, a kind-hearted old gent who will change Jennifer’s day and possibly her future."

A rough script will be knocked up over the weekend and ironed out next week sometime so for me its all go from here on in but I'll keep you all posted.

Peace!

My Perfect Short

Hello Bloggers

Not much  has been going on filmwise for me for the past week as I have been enjoying my first week at my new job and earning some moolah to fund future films. However I did manage to pick up the 10th anniversary edition of Kevin Smith's Clerks, I've seen the film before but couldnt turn down the £6 price. What interested me more than the film, which is excellent, was the making of/behind the scene/look back feature "The Snowball Effect" on the third disc. This showed how Kevin Smith managed to make a hit film on a budget of under $30,000 and how the film became this massive indie cult flick and it was interesting to see how the managed to pull it off, at one stage editing in a video rental shop.

Having watched the documentary I set about looking for grants and bursaries for my future collab with Adam Georgiou and we have decided that we are going to apply for a grant from Screen West Midlands as we want to make the film as good as possible and this would be a massive financial help.  We have arranged a meet up to discuss some intial ideas and work out a basic script in the next few weeks so it seem the ball has begun to roll and I am pretty much the most excited I've ever been about making a film. I really want to plan this out so it can be my perfect short! Anyway I've got to go binge on some Battlesstar Galatica before I hit the hay as I have more work tomorrow :P

Peace!

P.S. I have only managed to slice my thumb off once but its been an enjoyable first week.

My Prayer's Are Answered

Hello Blogworld

Good news I have begun work on a project for 2011, in the form of a treatment and a very rough script!
Scriptwriting is not something which I find easy...sure I have the ideas in my head but putting them down in words can often be very frustrating and difficult for me. Most of my script writing occurs in the very small hours of the morning when I dont have anything to distract me and every sane human being has decided to hit the hay.

Anyway I'll get back on track the script I have been developing has been an idea and genre I have wanted to tackle since I was about 14. An apocalypse movie :D here is a rough overview of it from my treatment,

"The world is a different place to what it once was, the streets which once bustled with activity and life are now empty and silent. Buildings with no one to maintain them have become dilapidated and resemble crypts more than the places of work and homes they once were. When night falls the world does not remain silent, the former populace retake the streets but they are not what they were. In the middle of all of this just surviving is Summer, a 18 year old girl, who has lost her entire world. We will see Summer going about her daily routine and her discovery of another “normal” person."

I aim for the film to be between 10-15 minutes and want to keep it short and sweet. ofcourse It's going to be low budget so I'm taking a leaf out of Danny Boyle's book and like he did at the start of "28 Days Later" showing very little of the monsters and using ambience and striking visuals to create mood. One location I have in mind is the old Spode pottery factory as it has almost everything I want and is falling apart...but in a good way.  I wont give everything away here but I'll be dropping more hints in the coming months.

In other news I have found myself some employment! This summer hasnt been a easy one. Since starting university I have been sliding ever more into debt and being on an expensive course like BA Media Production has not helped but I'm hoping this is a sign things are improving. I will be working in a small cafe in a nearby market town earning an income and hopefully gaining some life experience I can turn into more scripts. Hopefully its bye bye debts and hello good times :D

I'll update on how its going in a few days bloggers!

Peace!!!

X-Fighter's Competition Result

Well folks the results are in and.........I didnt win or get runner up :(. However I'm staying positive, I enjoyed editing the footage provide by Dave, especially using Magic Bullet Mojo (colour grading software) for the first time and it got me thinking about my final year ideas which are starting to become less of a jumble in the old think box.

On another positive note I have recieved wonderful feedback from The Adrian Social Club whom I based my film "Last Orders" on, they are very pleased with how the club was shown and very happy that all the troubles facing them were highlighted. Jim Crabbe the secretary of the club wishes to show the film to all the members and everyone involved in making "Last Orders" and make a big doo which would be brilliant.

On that nice little note I'm gonna hit the hay as in the morning I have.......a fence to paint :(

Peace!

Update

Well well well blogging world long time no see! I havnt really had much to update since May, I finished my second year of uni on a lovely 2:1 and have moved house in Stoke-On-Trent. However the past week has been crazy busy with filmy stuff! My website www.DMCFilm.com has finally gone live after months of designing and building it and I cant express enough thanks to my friend and now website manager Thomas Keenan who took on board my ideas and changes without too much fuss. Other great news is that I have entered the Red Bull X-Fighter's Mash-Up 2010 which was for the TV Channel Dave and I'm hoping I am the winner or atleast runner up on that competition as the prizes are a trip to Rome for the final of the X-Fighter's Tour or VIP Tickets for the London leg if Im a runner up, either way i'll find out on the 26th July. The Mash-Up can be found on my new site at www.DMCFilm.com.While slogging around the job circuit for summer work I stumbles across the BBC's Intership program and I have applied for a position in Manchester in October and I'm hoping I'll get that great opportunity.

As you can tell I have a lot of spare time on my hands and one thing that has been bothering me, epecially since seeing Inception at the weekend, is the stagnation of creativity in Hollywood. Am I the only person who does not want a great film ruined by a remake or as they are now being called reboots! Im talking about remakes of such great films as The Crow ( a great film in my books), The Karate Kid and Piranha! Do we really need Mr Miyagi ruined or Brandon Lee's great performance tarnished....personally I think not. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this so why not check out the DMCFilm facebook group?

Right I'm off to watch original films such as Dirty Harry or The Motorcycle Diaries :D Peace!

On a side not Christopher Nolan's Inception is awesome if you havnt seen it.....do!

Some Photography

It says on the banner I need photography so this blog will get photography :D

All the above photos were taken at the Spode factory in Stoke-On-Trent,Staffordshire,UK

(Photographer: Richard Stephenson)

Whats Been Happening

Hello Blog World

I haven't been able to post anything in a while due to me moving house, as you read this I am surrounded by all my worldly possessions in about four boxes! However when I havnt been packing I have been busy on wednesday last week I helped a friend shoot a primary school version of Britains Got Talent which although the subject matter was far from engrossing I gave me a chance to improve my freehand camera work. Freehand is an area I haven't really tried, yes I have done a few shots freehand and am a trained SteadyCam operator but shooting for three hours straight was a challenge. The next three days were agony for my back,neck and shoulder but it was worth it. I have been thinking up some more idea for a third year collab with Adam Georgiou and have been reading "Tank Girl" comics and listening to the artist "Burial" for some inspiration and ideas for costumes. I am sure more will be revealed as the ideas form something cohesive :D

Peace!!!!

Creating The Site

Hello Bloggers
I've got about a week off from university so instead of staying in my lovely bed all day I've been pro active and have started to design my site with my friend Thomas, we are well on the way making this a great looking site and I cant wait for it to go live. Here is an early example of what it may look like.

Last Orders

Last Orders from Richard Stephenson on Vimeo.

Uploading My Latest Film

Hello Bloggers
I am about to upload my latest film "Last Orders" up onto Vimeo.com. The film highlights the importance of clubs and pubs to the areas they are a part of. The Adrian Social Club where I filmed the film is a place very close to my heart as my grandfather was president of it for sometime before he passed away in 1998 and both my father and uncle are members along with my Grandmother. I hate to think of the club not being there as it is a vital social lifeline to so many member who without it would most likely stay in their homes as there is nowhere else to go in my local area. The film was shot over two day and had a crew of only four people ,myself, Dave Gawne who is and excellent camera operator, Gary Foster who is very good and capture sound at its best and Thomas Keenan a childhood friend who was an incredible help. Please leave feedback on Vimeo and I'll be in touch in the next few days.

Starting The Blog

I have started this blog to add a personal element to my website www.dmcfilm.co.uk which should go live in the next few months. What is the point of this blog? well to answer that I intend to document my ideas, thoughts, and activities throughout my final year of university and hopefully beyond. I create roughly three short films and year and you will have the chance to see them go from an idea on some paper to a polished and professional film which will im sure be added to my vimeo account.