At the 'Read My Lips' event today, I was asked to play a couple of quite different parts in other peoples films.
Sarah asked me to play a heartbreaking/heartbroken musician in her film 'Love Beat' and I was an extra in a film about a very nice bloke, filmed by a very nice bloke..!
I modelled my first character on David Bowie in labyrinth - I could just hear him saying 'sarah' so beautifully in that. Sarah the actor/director thought I was playing Russel Brand in 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall'... Whatever, it was fun.
I also made a film for myself - 'And Two Minutes Early' - which charted another of my legendary late runs to a writers block event. Shot in only thirty minutes and edited in two and a half hours - most of that time was LEARNING the iMovie software - I was very satisfied with the result.
It went down a storm at the evening screenings, so big thanks to Jen Nelson for filming me, Laura and James for setting it up and helping me edit on a Mac and Kirsten and team for providing the cameras and macs.
Here's a couple of links to Apples and Snakes and Writers Block NE:
http://applesandsnakes.org/page/37/Events
http://www.writersblockne.com/events/2011/05/12/read-our-lips-spoken-word-and-film/
Here's the final film!!!
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Monday, 30 May 2011
When I said 'i wanna be a cowboy', I kinds meant more like Clint!
At the Ents/Costume Construction catwalk show last week I modelled a rather dandy cowboy shirt for first year Ents student Harry Peach.
Someone thought it would be a good idea to add a kittle line dancing but didn't factor in the ZERO rehearsal time available this time if year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiBaq4dBOJs&feature=youtube_gdata_player
One outfit change and a quick shave later and I was back on as a martial artist.
I was consumed by the occasion and my inner warrior manifested itself halfway down the catwalk.
Hollywood; consider this a calling card: the Matrix 4, Brokeback Mountain 2 - I'm capable of anything!
Someone thought it would be a good idea to add a kittle line dancing but didn't factor in the ZERO rehearsal time available this time if year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiBaq4dBOJs&feature=youtube_gdata_player
One outfit change and a quick shave later and I was back on as a martial artist.
I was consumed by the occasion and my inner warrior manifested itself halfway down the catwalk.
Hollywood; consider this a calling card: the Matrix 4, Brokeback Mountain 2 - I'm capable of anything!
Monday, 16 May 2011
Cannes 2011!
Further to my recent right-place, right-time moment getting a small part in Dawn Furness' pitching trailer, last Saturday I had the pleasure of accompanying one of the lead actors, Jen Nelson to the 64th Cannes Film Festival.
It was a lot more complicated than we first thought: it's not just about walking the streets, it's about getting inside, being at the heart if the action and I suppose watching some films, although that was a stretch too far for us.
A requirement for entry was proof you are an industry professional; an IMDB page, a film show online, some form of accreditation. I should have these things but I don't. They could have turned me away but they didn't.
Once inside, I was able to put up hastily prepared posters for 'In The Grand Scheme of Things' on the columns in the basement of the marche du film. That's where everyone puts their pitching posters, hoping to be picked up by a keen-eyed producer.
Time will tell if anything comes off but I aim to use my time at film school to push forward this project so that when I graduate in 2013, I will be pitching it in Cannes for real.
From here on in I'll need all my prop, set and costume contacts, actors and cgi experts.
It's going to happen, don't fight it, please join me and support it!
Check out the link:
http://www.grandschemeofthings.co.uk/
It was a lot more complicated than we first thought: it's not just about walking the streets, it's about getting inside, being at the heart if the action and I suppose watching some films, although that was a stretch too far for us.
A requirement for entry was proof you are an industry professional; an IMDB page, a film show online, some form of accreditation. I should have these things but I don't. They could have turned me away but they didn't.
Once inside, I was able to put up hastily prepared posters for 'In The Grand Scheme of Things' on the columns in the basement of the marche du film. That's where everyone puts their pitching posters, hoping to be picked up by a keen-eyed producer.
Time will tell if anything comes off but I aim to use my time at film school to push forward this project so that when I graduate in 2013, I will be pitching it in Cannes for real.
From here on in I'll need all my prop, set and costume contacts, actors and cgi experts.
It's going to happen, don't fight it, please join me and support it!
Check out the link:
http://www.grandschemeofthings.co.uk/
Monday, 2 May 2011
Newcastle Three-for-Three!
Another trip to Newcastle, another high-five from the hands of fate.
Jen Nelson recently scored a role in a film funding trailer and alerted me to a crowd scene being filmed during royal wedding celebrations on the quayside.
As it happened, the event was a write-off; the Internet live-feed failed, so the majority of the crowd had upped and left for a nearby pub.
Director/producer, Dawn Furness, madethe most of the venue and her actors and I tagged along with them to the second location, a working mans club in Jesmond.
This is where the luck comes in: Dawn needed another actor - a ruggedly handsome, yet boyish, action hero type would be perfect, but I'd do!
I won't give details of the part I played, suffice to say I felt I was channeling a character from my favourite film, Point Break.
We did a couple of takes, refining the largely improvised dialogue as we went. Time was short and I know it could have been better, but if it's cut together right, it could be the big hit this year at, wait for it - the Cannes Film Festival!!!
I am rather excited by this. Fingers crossed, thanks Jen and and good luck Dawn!
Jen Nelson recently scored a role in a film funding trailer and alerted me to a crowd scene being filmed during royal wedding celebrations on the quayside.
As it happened, the event was a write-off; the Internet live-feed failed, so the majority of the crowd had upped and left for a nearby pub.
Director/producer, Dawn Furness, madethe most of the venue and her actors and I tagged along with them to the second location, a working mans club in Jesmond.
This is where the luck comes in: Dawn needed another actor - a ruggedly handsome, yet boyish, action hero type would be perfect, but I'd do!
I won't give details of the part I played, suffice to say I felt I was channeling a character from my favourite film, Point Break.
We did a couple of takes, refining the largely improvised dialogue as we went. Time was short and I know it could have been better, but if it's cut together right, it could be the big hit this year at, wait for it - the Cannes Film Festival!!!
I am rather excited by this. Fingers crossed, thanks Jen and and good luck Dawn!
Saturday, 16 April 2011
Well I didn't see that coming... Or that!
Whilst accompanying Jen Nelson to an acting audition in Newcastle last week (I was hoping to get picked up too, just like in Kiss-Kiss,Bang-Bang!) I bumped into top acting talent Jimmy Hagri and he brought up a couple of potential projects to keep me out of trouble this summer; a music video, a band logo and an exercise in script-fighting...
But it doesn't stop there; film maker Matt R-Hallows held a BBQ this afternoon, whereat I met local documentary maker Michael Lett - he wants to shoot a horror film before September. Good work lads, let me just get my film school projects out of the way and I'm on it!
But it doesn't stop there; film maker Matt R-Hallows held a BBQ this afternoon, whereat I met local documentary maker Michael Lett - he wants to shoot a horror film before September. Good work lads, let me just get my film school projects out of the way and I'm on it!
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Part Timer Productions 'Rise'!
Last night the part time film stars banded together to shoot some scenes for Craig's 'live' project.
We assembled at the Neptune Centre and filmed the young-'uns playing snooker, table tennis and football, even squeezing in a sneaky kick or two..!
The best thing for me was having the time to work with the camera and to get the most from any of the set ups.
By remembering what went wrong with my own work weeks before, I hope that Craigs work will stand up against the best possible from a DVX100.
We assembled at the Neptune Centre and filmed the young-'uns playing snooker, table tennis and football, even squeezing in a sneaky kick or two..!
The best thing for me was having the time to work with the camera and to get the most from any of the set ups.
By remembering what went wrong with my own work weeks before, I hope that Craigs work will stand up against the best possible from a DVX100.
Monday, 7 March 2011
Killing Time
A few days ago I got wind of a local film maker, Clive Tonge, who needed a couple of actors for 'the shortest horror film ever'.
I showed him my work with Jennifer Nelson in 'The Woman Who Loved a Tree' and we were offered the role of 'good looking young couple'. We still needed a mad-axeman serial killer ament first thoughts were if Sean Collins, a downright lovely bloke wrapped up in a 6' 2" superhulk package.
Sean has acted on the past but for the sake of his online audition, he posed for a photo apparently about to bludgeon a poor girl to death. Needless to say, Sean got the role.
There was no script, just a few necessary directions, so most of the dialogue was adlibbed. That suits me in some respects - no lines to learn, but the bad point is if you come out with a great natural lone that sticks, it's a lot harder to remember it once you've finished the take.
The other problem I have is a knack for saying exactly what comes into my head, and just assuming my fellow actors will roll with it. A few times on Sunday night I gave Jen and Sean the giggles when they were supposed to be terrified/terrifying respectively.
It was good to work with another director and experience new ways to develop your character and performance.
The film will be entered into a competition, more news on that as it breaks...
Here's a link to Clive's website:
http://clivetonge.tumblr.com/
And here's a link to 'The Woman Who Loved a Tree' just in case you missed it the first time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljdL9zeqBYM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I showed him my work with Jennifer Nelson in 'The Woman Who Loved a Tree' and we were offered the role of 'good looking young couple'. We still needed a mad-axeman serial killer ament first thoughts were if Sean Collins, a downright lovely bloke wrapped up in a 6' 2" superhulk package.
Sean has acted on the past but for the sake of his online audition, he posed for a photo apparently about to bludgeon a poor girl to death. Needless to say, Sean got the role.
There was no script, just a few necessary directions, so most of the dialogue was adlibbed. That suits me in some respects - no lines to learn, but the bad point is if you come out with a great natural lone that sticks, it's a lot harder to remember it once you've finished the take.
The other problem I have is a knack for saying exactly what comes into my head, and just assuming my fellow actors will roll with it. A few times on Sunday night I gave Jen and Sean the giggles when they were supposed to be terrified/terrifying respectively.
It was good to work with another director and experience new ways to develop your character and performance.
The film will be entered into a competition, more news on that as it breaks...
Here's a link to Clive's website:
http://clivetonge.tumblr.com/
And here's a link to 'The Woman Who Loved a Tree' just in case you missed it the first time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljdL9zeqBYM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
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