Juice

It been a quiet and cool few days - I took some time away from it all and went to visit my sister.

A lot of things have been playing on my mind - and I wish I could blog about them because it is this real nitty gritty stuff that is what I want to feature on my blog. Alas, my anonymity is not as well preserved as perhaps I would hope, and I do not want to reveal anything that might come and bite me in the ass down the line.

In short - in one development there is a third party (another director) whom my producer is acquainted with and who wants me to re-introduce to my producer with regards to my producer representing him as a director.

With him on the books it would make the production company more marketable - and therefore make me a greater chance of employment through them - but it might also squeeze me out.

However, at least it would mean there is something to be squeezed out of because right now there is nothing.

I will have a think about it. But after a few days to clear my head I think the best choice is to make the re-introduction and let the producer deal with anything he needs to.

BUT

there is more to every picture than is immediately apparent - and whilst I pride myself on my perception, if I cannot get close enough to something then I cannot get a full picture.

I hope that makes fucking sense

x

Feature Film Script

10 months ago I had about 10 meetings with various writers based in London - my objective to find among them a collaborator for a feature film script I want to produce.

In those meetings I met a varied bunch of people with varying degrees of talent and experience. Among them I found a writer - a very talented chap and together with more or less weekly meetings we have been developing a feature length movie over the last 10 months.

Over time I am developing a style - and that style is to move silently - most people do not know what I am up to and I prefer it that way.

Of course, I would be prejudiced about this - but it is my belief that we have come up with a really strong concept and script. And it is my belief that with concentrated effort I can turn this into a viable project. My co-writer agrees on this because of course - we have put a lot of effort into this. Now is the time to make noise about what I am doing.

Presently we have a second draft treatment and it is now time to start putting into motion the logistics of bring this project into fruition.

The first draft of the script will be written soon - and now it is time to begin to search for actors to star in it. Raising money will all be based around that.

Let me explain:

As a first time director:

Completed Script + no cast attached = bugger all interest from anybody.

Completed Script + 1 or 2 recognised stars = People want to give money.


and it is that simple

As a first time director - if i can also attach experienced Directors of Photography, Camera Operators, Art Directors etc then all become good - their experience balances out my newbie status.

This is what I want to do. This is my dream.

So, if any of you know an A-List Actor - drop me a line please cos I have a treatment I want them to read.

Doom
xx

Progress

Just in case any of you have been wondering about my progress in becoming a commercials director etc.

Well today I received an email.

My first rejection e-mail

So at least somebody watched enough of the reel to know they hated it.

xx

What do MMOPRGs teach us about real life?

An online-role dungeons and dragons role playing game has more in common with real life movie making than most people would imagine.

Film.

You put together the package. Each element a specialised factor in itself.

Script

director

Lead cast

Producer

Director of photography/Cameraman


Role Playing Raid Party

You put together the team. Each element a specialised factor in itself.

Put together core players in core classes:

Cleric,

fighters,

wizards,

Bard,

Paladin,

Rogue



Now - in both - if the team are all newbie skum then the project does not work and everybody dies/fails.

In both - If the team are all seasoned veterans then they might often be jaded and cannot be arsed to run at project 100% if undeed then run project at all.

The best blend in either a movie making project or a group raid, IS a blend of ENTHUSIASM and EXPERIENCE.

The experience GUIDES whilst the enthusiasm DRIVES.

So, as part of this movie I am trying to bring together I am gonna have to pull together a team of veterans to balance out my newbie-skum-ness.

But I won't talk much about it for now, be assured however, that the Lord of Doom has cards to play not yet revealed.

Aces and Eights

Today, with my mother and father I went for dinner at my god-mother's home in Chelsea - although I have barely seen the lady in 20 odd years she is still technically my god-mother.

Nonetheless, after dinner we smoked cuban cigars and we played poker.

And my dad whooped mine and everybody elses fucking asses.

I did not get ONE single decent hand and he went on to ace nearly every single hand winning every chip on the table.

Still, dinner at a plush flat in a fantastic part of town was a splendid way to spend an evening. There is a lot of backstory to many people there and what led us there tonight, and a lot of interesting points that I cannot be arsed to explain - which is a shame.

But in short, money/success is fleeting and for those to whom it comes with no real effort can find themselves unstuck very easily.

Anyway, I consider life to be a game of poker, we have the hand we are dealt and from that we have to play. I wonder how different things would be for me if I was to be given a different hand?

Would I be better or worse? Would I be more successful or less? Would I be a nicer or nastier person?

The truth is, I don't know. And any pondering over this is fruitless - I have what I have and that is what I have to play with.

Lucky for me that I have my father's charm and my mother's good looks.

In other news, showreel blah blah blah. Sending it out. Not sending it out. Making calls. Not making calls.

I still do not have a job and I have no apparent leads over getting one soon either. I just need to keep on doing what I am doing.

Just do it more.

x

With the smell of cowshit

With the smell of cow shit and fields for miles and miles around me I spent the last few days up in the Northern wastelands of England visiting my beautiful 22 year old girlfriend.

It was nice to get away from the dirt and noise of London and chill out way up north.

I am a London boy, born and raised and I love the city - she asked me whether or not I could live in the countryside when I am older - I cannot really see that happening.

But never say 'never' right?

On the plus side I called up on Friday a guy I did a video for about a year ago.

He has a new track out soon - featuring a pretty respected artist in the house/soul world and a video for that tune might be in the making - which is ALL good.

At the moment I have 3 leads for new music videos and they all range in budget and scope and whatnot. There are no real leads for paid work at the moment BUT as long at the projects are coming in then I have no reason to complain (much) because it means my reel will get better and better.

There is a short film I want to write the script to very soon as there is a production fund I want to submit it to.

anyway

xx

Adaptive change

Today I had two meetings:

a) Lunch with an old school villian/gangster.

b) Late night appointment with a guy who appraised my showreel for me.


The first meeting was cool and I had fun.

The second meeting gave me a lot of postive comments on how to change the way I have promoted my material on my showreel. so much so that I regret the last 10 copies I have sent out of version 2.

The guy I met is an actor I know who I cast in a film I shot years and years ago. More recently he had a small role in one of the biggest films of the year...

Nonetheless, he's helped my do some fine-tuning of my reel which means I have yet MORE editing and authoring of my DVD.

But it's all good because it means my reel will look MUCH better.

(Matilda, I should send you the NEW reel because the old one was shit.)

xx