Tuesday 27 March 2012

Lecture- MA Producing at Royal Holloway

At the end of last month I was invited back to deliver a talk on short film making with the Masters students studying producing at Royal Holloway, University of London.

During the talk I got to screen our three complete shorts for the students to see what they thought.

This years group of students seem a driven and enthusiastic bunch of guys, all seemingly working hard on their own projects, some of which sound brilliant. Genuinely excited to see what they do next.

It felt kind of strange to be sat in the very room at Bedford Square, where for a year I sat, listening to the guests who would come in to chat to us. To suddenly become one of those people was something that I couldn't really comprehend.

I would like to thank Ceci Dempsey who is not only a brilliant head of course but also a fantastic person.

Tuesday 6 March 2012

'Meeting Daddy' in the Official Selection at the 36th Atlanta Film Festival


Last week we received the fantastic news that our project 'Meeting Daddy' has been selected for the 36th Atlanta Film Festival. It is brilliant news to be picked for any festival, but it's an even more incredible feeling to make it into one from the Academy Awards list.

I'm most happy for the cast and crew, as a festival appearance rewards all of their hard work and allows other people to view it on the big screen. Making a film is always a nerve racking experience, so for the director Rebecca Rycroft, I was so thrilled for her for the achievement of her first short behind the camera.

We have been confirmed to play in the BBC America Narrative Shorts block, which means we screen alongside five other excellent UK shorts. Proving that filmmaking is an extremely small world, 'Tooty's Wedding' is also playing in the same programme and is co-written, produced and starring the lead actor in 'Meeting Daddy', Ben Willbond. It must be an amazing feeling for an actor to feature as the lead role in an festival selected film, but to be in two in the same selection at the same festival must be even more so.

At this point, I need to mention Clementine Starling, who was sensational playing Ben's daughter, character title "Girl". She brings the likability and vulnerability to a character that so easily could have come across selfish in the wrong hands.

The whole crew on this shoot were a blessing, coming in and working insanely hard with very little budget available and very little time, to make a short we are all proud of.