Ladies And Gentlemen We Were Floating In Shropshire November 8, 2009

I’ve been extremely zen like since I got back and I seem to float around with the biggest lump in my throat. I feel physically sick when I think back to the week just gone and whenever someone asks me how it went I start to cry. This is a good thing, it was magnificently perfect. I couldn’t have asked for more, I’m just in mourning for what has been an emotional and enlightening week of self discovery of not only my writing but my attitudes to work and my drive.

I’d intended to work on one of the two plays I have lying around aching for re-writing but Simon threw me a curveball whilst having a smoke on the Monday night. “Why don’t you try writing something new whilst you’re here?” I baulked, I panicked. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it because he was right. My plays are at a stage where I just need to write them and not dwell on development anymore. So I started looking at a four paragraph monologue I had banging around on my laptop that I’d done as a writing exercise rather than anything; I’ve never written a proper monologue for performance before.

Then my journey began. I’d wake up at 6am then work on the piece, have the group session at 10am and hand work to Simon. One-on-one tutorials were in the afternoon and after mine I’d work on it again before dinner, then our evenings were planned with readings or a guest speaker and then after the frolics and copious amounts of alcohol I’ll go back and work on my piece till wee hours of the morning. I did this every day I was there so no wonder I was an emotional wreck by the time I got back home after the 3 hour drive. It was a routine, my routine that worked and I stuck to; something that doesn’t happen when I’m here, back in the real world with jobs and events and stresses.

More importantly I was making decisions for myself. It’s great having a mentor to guide you through and pick you up and point out the great bits to you but when you’re capable of being able to be self-aware of those decisions it’s so much more poignant. I told Simon that I was fucking proud of my piece of work because I had made the decisions and realised when they were right. Everyone was at varying degrees of their career in writing but I did feel a little out of my depth and once again was the youngest. But to be honest we all shared the same ambition so I felt more at ease once I felt like I knew what I was doing.

To have someone out there in the profession whose just as eager and prone to the pitfalls of the commissioning process say they’re excited about your work is just something I wanted to write on my forehead so I could see it every time I looked in the mirror. There was so much Simon said to me but for fear of sounding like I’m gloating and because a lot of them were personal I won’t splash them on here. All I will say is that it felt like I had an enthusiastic tutor who was also a mate. Admittedly on the first tutorial I felt a little intimidated but he’s such an easy going, extremely fucking funny, guy that you forget where you are and your half hour tutorial has whizzed by in a fury of energy, ecstatic words and a bundle of motivation.

The last night of the week we were all encouraged to read out some of the pieces we’d been working on in the week. Simon was eager for me to read the entire monologue out and it was true that I wanted to hear it but I wasn’t too sure about me being the one to do so. Throughout the week Simon had been reading us samples of his work that had never been read before and it was electric. He also has a great aptitude to sight read and give it full meaning and resonance. I voiced my concern at reading the piece myself and when I asked him if he’d read it on behalf of me he jumped at it. Not only did it help that I’d hear it back but it was brilliant to hear it for the voice it was intended for, male. As Simon read the piece and gave it his full attention and brought every nuance to light I sat and held my breath. This piece had just been born when I arrived at the Hurst so both Simon and I had seen this develop and grow as the week had gone on. What was evident as the monologue silenced the room is that I really had done a lot of work on it and Simon could see that and stressed how strong and clear it was. He knew this piece as well as I did.

There are so many things to take away from this trip and I still can’t get my thoughts into order so that I don’t well up every time I think back to the lasting effect. Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t hunched over my laptop sobbing every night I was there. It was the idea that I had to carry on this motivation when I returned back to home. It was the big realisation when I had to leave the last morning that the rest was now up to me. I knew several of the Lovely people I had met whilst there had already left at 6am or thereabouts. I got up early and sat and had breakfast with myself but I couldn’t shake this melancholic feeling. I sat in silence and was adamant that I wouldn’t leave until I shook myself out of this slump and realise my achievement. There was no way I wanted to make the 3 hour drive back with my mind cluttered with clashing thoughts. So I went and stood looking over the hills in the morning sunshine. Then Ewan appeared and we had a laugh over breakfast and instantly my mood lifted. Simon soon followed and then the laughter continued and it was like mates saying goodbye rather than the end of a long week. My head and my heart were in the right place and as we hugged our goodbyes and kissed cheeks I knew my drive home would be a determined one. By the time I’d reached the other end I was inspired to calm down, slow down and realise my potential. Whilst I’m focused on what I want to achieve I more than often get tangled in too many projects and spend my time trying to rely on retreats like this to write when I should be doing it regardless.

I met some cracking people up in Craven Arms most of which I’ll keep in contact with and that includes Simon. Too many things to try and tell you about that were amazing and great and funny but it’s bound to end up being many of those ‘you-had-to-be-there’ moments. But I’ll leave you with this; drinking whiskey neat by candlelight till 3am listening to Mark Eitzel with Mister Stephens is going to stay with me for a long time. That and being mistaken for Lenny Henry multiple times.

SPARKS and Shropshire November 2, 2009

First of all I’m going to be loving you, patting your head, whispering semi-sweet nothings in your earholes and then sodding off to Shropshire. But I thought I’d at least stop by here and tell you that I possibly love you and offer something in this awkward relationship we have going on. I know I keep flitting here, there and everywhere (else) but it’s the way it goes. Look, don’t cry… I bought you flowers. But the dog ate them. I bought you chocolates. I ate them. You can have my friendship for another year? Oh… you thought it was something else. Umm… I can still warrant hugs. Everyone likes and needs a good ol’ hug. Too tight you say? But you said you liked them tight. Right, I was doing them so tight that you couldn’t breathe let alone express that they were too tight. Maybe hugs aren’t universal as I first thought. Have a handshake.

That there was a small splice of my brain smothered on the computer screen, it’s slightly grey matter but from my world. So therefore ergo it’s a little warped. Anywho it’s true; I’m off to Shropshire tomorrow and yet again I’ve been too busy to even think of anything further than 4 hours ahead of what I have planned. I’ve just packed and I still haven’t read my own script. Therefore ergo I fail. I wish I was getting the train so I can read but I will be driving and listening to the Tom Tom yell at me that I should have turned some directions behind. But I come bearing good news! One of my pieces is going to be read out at the great night called SPARKS in Brighton. It’s a neat setup with photographers and writers being each others’ stimulus and I’m truly gutted that I’m not there to read my own work and be in the company of Lovely folk. The night is run by Jo Mortimer and more information can be found out for the event over yonder:

Sparks

Other works on the bill that night include:

Vanessa Gebbie
Wendy Greenhalgh
Jac Cattaneo
Jon Pinnock
Katie McCullough (that’s moi)
Yeu-Ing Mo
Vanessa Gellard

Once again, I’m gutted that I can’t be there as I was well up for not only reading my own work but catching up on Brighton, it’s been too long.

(Brief Judo Interlude)

I walked the other way

So yes Shropshire is next on the cards. As much as I’ll be in a Lovely part of En-ger-land I won’t have time to rest. It’s a week one-on-one intensive with Simon Stephens and from what I hear there’s nine of us mentees waiting to get elbow deep in our work. The script I’ve picked is a highly emotional piece and I really want to come out the other end clutching a strong next draft with the intention of it being what I send to agents. Pie in the sky stuff? I dunno, there’s only one way of seeing if it works.

The reason I picked this piece as opposed to my other one is because I feel it’s in the same vein as Simon’s work, in fact it has echoes of Harper Regan, but it’s not a carbon copy (I’d not read the play until after I’d concocted my own) and I’m hoping this’ll make me knuckle down to work. I’m feeling extremely lack-lustre after being so busy but not actually working on my own stuff that I know is just sitting around doing nothing. I’ve missed writing my theatre and it’s been nagging at me for such a long time that I can’t wait to fall out with it again spectacularly and then start a passionate affair with it all over again. In all honesty I just want something finished so I can actually pimp myself out. I spend so much time prepping others and dishing out advice that I’ve forgotten how to do it myself so come the end of the week I’ll have either lost several stones and gained a full theatre script or kick and scream at how I didn’t want to be a writer anyway.

Not that I’m heaping on the pressure or anything.

But it’ll be nice to have a concentrated wedge of time to put aside for one project because recently my head’s been swimming with lots of different ones and in different mediums which doesn’t exactly help the ol’ noggin.

Oh, and phone signal doesn’t work there (it’s like Kilcreggan all over again!) and they don’t have Internet either. So it’s radio silence from me and technology cleansing from her.

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Fancy a hug? I won’t squeeze you too tight, I promise. Actually I can’t, I’m too busy to promise. Don’t run away, please… hallo?

Branchage Part Three October 30, 2009

This is the bit where I blog about the film I helped make. We picked CRIME and MORNING MIST and then we made a little film. To be honest the whole process wasn’t as hectic as I thought it would be. Maybe it’s because we took an overly sensible approach and sat down for a long time to plan what our plot would be but to be critical about it, we were still crafting the story as we were shooting. I think it went through two note-form drafts, seven verbal drafts and ended up with the actors thinking one thing, the director another and the scriptwriter wondering where communication had broken down. But the result is something I’m proud of, extremely proud of. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post I’ve skirted around short film and got my hands dirty writing them and promoting them but have never actually made any. And it seems to have opened another door for me. I know they make no money but they’re a showcase for all involved and a collaborative effort which can be a springboard for something greater. And it’s from my time in Jersey where I’ve made strong contacts and have several ideas in pipelines and more ideas brewing. But here I am blathering. Rather than talk you through the different photographs I’m going to smother this page with them. So enjoy…

Branchage – Sub Section iii October 29, 2009

As promised here is the next section of behind the scenes. This time it’s the turn of the Blaine Brothers who picked WAR and VALLEY OF HOPE. Armed with their actresses Jessica Forteskew (who was there for an extremely brief time) and Rebecca Haigh as well as a turn from Rubin playing a Nazi… they embarked on this:

Brainstorming

More smiley brainstorming

Yet MORE brainstorming

brainstorming issues

brainstorming has imploded the brain

They start!

A nazi and a Lady

Two Ladies and a German

A quaint picnic

Alex Mayover - The Sound Man

hallo Chris, hallo German

ladies who lunch

beachy beach

beachy beach part two

Rebecca looking lush

Their work here is done.

Branchage – Sub Section ii October 24, 2009

I’m here again to share the delights of Alex Jacob and Sean Mackay’s film DASHES OF YELLOW under the genre FANTASY. Look on and marvel at the vivid colour and ethereal feel they achieve. Lovely people and a Lovely film…

It begins at the beginning...

aMAIZEing

Nathalie roams free.

Hallo Nathalie.

His name is Sean and my what a Lovely camera.

Mister J and Rachel

They walked around with dashes of yellow

Late night/early morning/goodness knows when editing

Time to let the ol'hair down.

The last day when we all went home in a daze

So there you have it, the next installment of the 48hr Film Challenge. Their whole group were so incredibly vibrant considering there were so few of them and most of the time we ended up in the tent chatting till breakfast time. All of them had a fantastic family-like bond and you were always guaranteed a hug no matter how stressy/how late/how early (please delete as applicable) things got. Lovely.

Branchage – Sub Section i October 22, 2009

I have been parry to some of the other group’s behind the scene photographs so thought it only best and super that I share. First up we have the rather delectable Michael Pearce and Emma Rozanski and their film OCCUPIED and their genre COMEDY.

I jest, they both start the challenge.

I'll take a picture of you taking a picture of me taking a picture...

Strolling some more.

Running.

KICK HIM!

They're the Boss.

More running, less clothes.

They don't tell you that in the brochure.

Bet it was cold.

And that’s your lot. Thank you for Emma to passing them onto me so I could share. Emma’s latest visually stunning film can be seen here and Michael is forever elusive so here’s a round up of the man himself over here.

Branchage – Part Two October 20, 2009

I left you just after I was molested in a tent by a boom. That’s a sentence I’ve always wanted to write.

Chris did not molest me with this.

Soon after that people were beginning to arrive throughout the later day and night and it soon culminated in us all having dinner at a thai restaurant that led straight into the sea. That makes it sound dramatic, I know. Again I’ve pilfered some photos from Ben’s blog but what are photographs for eh? To look at and share the celluloid love. So here be they:

He gone went n'won ten grand last year for 'is film.

Lovelies! (Rebecca Haigh and Sean McKay)

Gaëlle Denis, a candle and my competition car.

Then it was all parties back to the campsite where we chatted, laughed, introduced, re-introduced and made a french lady very angry. We realised this as soon as she started shouting at us in her nightie about “there are people trying to sleep, but as long as you have a good time it’s fine isn’t it, go to sleep, this is unfair on the other peoples…”.

We went to bed.

And then the day arrived when we received the specific information we needed. We were the last team to arrive (late) because parking in Jersey is very much in demand and finding a space on a Thursday morning was proving troublesome. But we managed it and Phil came to the rescue when we were lost walking around trying to find Société Jersiaise building. We found it and then it was the large matter in hand of picking the titles and the genres… again I pilfer Ben’s photographs for what happened next.

Team Alex

Alex picked the genre FANTASY and the title DASHES OF YELLOW. The next 48hrs were to prove a severe mission from him but he came out with a beautiful nugget of a film and I mean, c’mon, fantasy is not the easiest of genres to whip something up in 48hrs. He is a good man and his team had a wonderful family feel to it. Both he and Sean drove around Jersey and made use of the Amaize-ing Maze (it’s a maze made out of maize) and even got their actresses naked in the sea. Nice one I say boys!

Michael Pearce and Emma Rozanski

These two Lovely people had never met before and picked COMEDY and the title OCCUPIED. Armed with only one actor, a digital stills camera and editing via an iPod these two would make a brilliant funny film and hand it in 3 hours before the deadline.

Team Rob Morgan and Marcus Waterloo (only Marcus featured in photo!)

These two picked WESTERN and the title OVER TAKEN. What they came out with was not necessarily a western as such (although I’d say that they make coy reference to the grainy visuals of a western) but it’s a wicked little film that made me laugh from all the wrong places of my belly. I loved it and even though it’s a lot strange it’s weirdly sincere. And they filmed a section with an iPhone in a sandwich bag in the swimming pool on the campsite.

Team Blaine

Then we had the Blaines who picked WAR and TRUTH IN THE VALLEY. Armed with two actresses, a sound man and themselves (as well as making use of the extra actors who had stepped forward if needs be) they set about making their 6min film. I really like the fluid nature of their film, you’re dropped in the middle of a conversation and it leaves something hanging that makes you ponder on what could possibly happen or be said next… and I adore one of their long shots with superb acting by Jessica Forteskew.

And on to our team… Gaëlle Denis, Steve Hope-Wynne, Lydia Outhwaite, Marina Brackenbury and myself. We picked CRIME and our title was MORNING MIST. So in 48hrs we had to write, shoot, edit and finalise a 6min film with this title and genre (as well as making it a road movie… we kinda forgot about that) and make reference to a Jersey cow at some point. The planning commenced…

We brainstorm, thought-shower, abuse words .etc.

Branchage – Part One October 15, 2009

Branchage. 2009. Jersey. Challenge. All things I’d never encountered before (except 2009, I’ve very much been there and still dwelling, it’s quite nice and getting busy.)

Journey started from Hertfordshire surrounded by the debris of my bathroom and many cupboards in my bedroom. Our bathroom is in the process of being ‘done up’ and because I’m technically not there it’s where all the crap goes. Next stop was Gatwick which I’d not been to in about 10 years since I was a younger spritely over-eager child heading to Disneyland. A lot has changed since then. Then it was time to board my Flybe plane and head to Jersey. I was sat next to the emergency door and upon seating myself I looked up to see a very friendly flight attendant explaining to me that because I was sat next to the emergency door I was now in charge of it. I’ll give her credit she did ask me if I minded and I thought it would be rude to say no and be a slacker if our plane came into difficulty, I mean she probably has several things she needs to do in her job description as our plane hurtled towards water. So I said, “of course”. She then proceeded to explain to me what I needed to do and I’ll be honest my mind was wondering. First of all to how tired I felt and then secondly I was trying to think of how many people were on my flight (approx. 12) and if they would do the same for me. It’s safe to say my mind and attention drifted during those vital moments of information but I managed to hone back in when she pointed out that there was a row of pictures telling me how to open the door if it came to it. They were handily stuck to said door. She waltzed off and I spent the next 10 minutes staring at them so I didn’t get stage fright if we were to get into difficulty. After those 10 minutes I promptly feel asleep.

It was a short flight as you’d imagine.

JERSEY! I’VE LANDED ON YOUR SOIL! Now let’s do something.

Weclomed I am.

I then wandered out of the baggage reclaim room (I say room because it was dark and there was only one conveyor belt to reclaim luggage) and waited for my bag. There was a small clump of people chatting away next to me and it was only in hindsight as we all sat in an orange VW camper van that we were all going to the same place. I was told I was being picked up by one of the organisers of the festival but I didn’t know who. So I collected my bags and then sat down. I knew this was going to be one of the few moments I could steal to do such a thing.

Then my mobile excitedly told me via text that calls and texts to and from my mobile were going to cost a small mortgage and I should do something about it. I was given a choice of three service providers of only one actually gave me signal. JTWave it was. Thieving bastards.

I digress… Unknowingly I was sitting near the gaggle of chattering folk again when my mobile rang. “Hallo Katie, Phil’s at the airport waiting to pick you up, do you know what he looks like?” To which I responded, “Does he wear a hat and have a beard and glasses?” To which they responded, “It’s Phil, he always wears a hat!”

(I have to point out I’d actually seen Phil standing in front of me, nay more than 4 feet, call up said Lady and say I don’t know what Katie looks like. But I didn’t want to jump the gun, it could have been another Katie and plus I’d just given up the responsibility of an emergency door so was feeling emotionally warped.)

“Hi… Are you Phil?”

Yes, it's orange, it's beautiful!

Voila! We’re all walking to the van and I end up talking to two Lovely peeps who are there to do some recording for the festival and work in the office. We talked about their pet rat Oz of which is utterly cute and then I proceed to talk aimlessly about how I’ve always wanted a pet rat and tell them about the man in Bournemouth who has a pet rat who sits on his shoulder as he walks around town. His girlfriend has a pet squirrel who did the same and they used to sleep together and play nicely (I meant the pets but then again it also covers the humans). Then there was the Lovely man who I met in Edinburgh in his pub last year who had a pet rat (Martha) who fell asleep in my scarf just in the crook of my neck and his pet hamster (can’t remember, inferior pet to me ) who fell asleep in the crook of my arm.

Once again I digress…

And then I realise through our random chatter that the man they were huddled around chatting to and the man now asking me what I’m here for is that of James Mulligan, Creative Director of Shooting People. How can I explain James? … He’s incredulously witty and has an air of childlike fancy about him; he could talk himself out of any given situation and he’s willing to pick you up and take you along the way. He’s just plain funny and extremely happy to give you the time. I thought it quite rude to start taking photographs of him seeing as I was practically sitting on his lap at the time so here’s a face to put to his name. The photograph is from the launch of the festival so credit goes to someone else who took this. ALSO he’s standing next to Xanthe Hamilton who is the brainchild of the entire festival:

Lovely People Who Do Important Things

That was the last time I saw both James and Phil (and indeed the Lovely rat people, I’m bad because I’ve forgotten their names… Fred and _____) until the Sunday at the closing gala. To which both of them exclaimed to me, “God, I’ve not seen you since the airport, you look strangely awake considering”.

Then I kept getting phonecalls about the car from Vauxhall. Let me put this into perspective:

There was the opportunity to win a new shiny nugget of a car for the duration of the festival which I mentioned in one of my previous blogs. That was fine and Lovely because I won said opportunity. Then I had a bit of a kerfuffle of organising the car because I had to supply my details and sign terms and conditions and then fax machines weren’t working and post men on strike… And just when we finally got things sorted I gave them the address of where I needed the car to be dropped off… Only for them to baulk at the idea of it going to Jersey.

Apparently the persons I was dealing with didn’t know the sponsorship opportunity they had was located in Jersey and it was apparent that it may cause a bit of a problem from the lengthy pause on the phone*. Many more phonecalls later and there was a well-planned discussion about Vauxhall paying for me to get the ferry and have the car even earlier (coincidentally where I live is the village along from where they were situated) but it would involve me getting about £10 back from cancelling my flight and driving to Portsmouth at 4am in the morning and spending 9 hours on a ferry with a car I’d never driven before.

… Instead they kindly said they’d have to send someone over to drop the car off and then do the same when I’d finished with it. In this muddle of miscommunication they’d completely ignored my plea that I’d be able to collect the car at 2pm. The poor Lady they’d sent (Margaret) was calling me at 10am asking when I’d be there. Oh the hilarity! We decided it best for her to leave the car and keys at the campsite where she’d been patiently waiting for 2 hours already and would be waiting for a further 2 hours if she wanted to meet me face to face. She was absolutely fine and not at all narky with me considering, in fact she was super duper chipper and I can only presume that this rubbed off from the Lovely Lady at the campsite who was extremely Lovely herself.

Airport Round Two

I ended up back at the airport being driven by Phil which is where I saw, striding out into the gleaming sunshine suited and booted with kit in tow, my brethren the Blaine Brothers. We set off into town which is where we met Alex and Sean and I had my first encounter with the Monopoly money that Jersey trade in and eventually at the campsite. This is a photograph I pilfered from Ben which he took when they were playing with their new toys like good excitable children.

Scratchy, scratchy...

*Vauxhall did know about it being in Jersey, it just so happened that the people I were dealing with did not. I’m sure they have a lot more things to worry about on their plate at the moment.

Melee of Goodness October 12, 2009

It’s all been crazily busy since I got back from Jersey and I do promise in the most breathiest of ways that I will be blogging about the whole experience as soon as I have the time to gush all the Lovely words down on to this here computer tool. Here’s a teaser photograph…..

Capturing some establishing shots at the end of the first day.

But in the meantime I have two tasty nuggets to smile about. First up I’ve got another piece up at the fantastic site, The Pygmy Giant. It’s called, “The Odd Fleeting Moment” and I’d love it if you were to go visit the site, not just my piece.

Aside from that I received that gorgeous news that my story, “Providence” is going to be one of the short stories featured in their next publication “Even More Tonto Short Stories“. I got the rather witty and sneaky email telling me the news whilst in the mad throng of stressful work so for a brief few moments I was allowed an, ‘OH MY GOD’ moment. Then it was back to work. Then later I had a few glasses of red wine to reiterate to myself that I had succeeded. It’s lovely to have work not only read by established peers but for a newcomer such as myself it goes to show that things do happen and if any opportunity comes up; grab it by any bit that you can cling on to and go with it. I also have to thank the Wonderful Stephanie Ressort for looking over my work and giving me feedback as well as creative support. Lovely to know you hun!

The Kids Aren't Alright, They're Fine And Gambling.

I feel like I’m rushing this but I’ve been so madahectically busy that I nearly forgot I had a wedding to go to yesterday. A slight exaggeration but nonetheless I was working right up till I got dressed for it. Branchage blog coming soon but whilst I’m too busy dilly-dallying about check out Boss Ben’s blog whose doing a rather splendid job of capturing the Loveliness of it all (and he has pictures).

48hr Film Challenge September 26, 2009

I’ve been asked to be involved with the 48hr Film Challenge over in Jersey at the Branchage Film Festival. I’ll run the idea past you just in case you’ve not come across this before…

*In teams you arrive at 11am to the designated meeting place.
*One member from each team will pick from a hat a genre and a title.
*You go off and write, shoot, edit, finalise and bring your film back 48 hours later.

That’s pretty much it to be honest. You hardly sleep, run around like a blue arsed fly, eat shockingly shoddy food stuffs and what’s more we’re doing it in Jersey. A pretty place. The event itself is sponsored by Vauxhall and all the films will be screened after a drive-in showing of The Wizard of Oz. On a big fuck-off screen. I’m getting quite excited now. I love working in a collaborative nature and my Lovely Boss has put me in touch (and vice versa) with a fantastic director called Gaelle Denis who makes extremely pretty things like this:

… and this…

… And who has also requested that I join her team. So along with one male actor of 35, a female actor of 24, an editor and designer, Gaelle herself and moi we are competing in this crazy task. I managed to talk to Gaelle in between her leaving from one job in Berlin at the airport before she flies back here; she’s French and I have a cold, hilarity ensued.

What’s more is that the rather nice people at Vauxhall offered to loan a new shiny car for the entire festival to one team. What’s more is that I secured it! After many phonecalls, faxes, emails and anything else this brilliant opportunity has thrown my way so far it’s done and dusted. I’m not entirely sure what I’m definitely getting but I think it’ll look something like this…

The festival looks a cracking piece of marvellous things. I entered one of the Blaines’ shorts films into it last year and they both went and had mountains of fun. Whilst out there Chris mentored several filmmakers over in the Branchage Bootcamp and out of that sprung Laura Brocken’s film, “Tell” (posted below) which is what I’ve been pushing into festivals the last couple of months.

The Blaines are no strangers to this filmmaking format. They’ve competed in the Berlin challenge which resulted in them making a comedy musical spy thriller called, “Anything Goes”. Then they flitted to Paris where they made an action horror called, “Pour Un Temps” and their other foray (my personal favourite) was their comedy, “Making Juice” which was here in London. For more info check out Johnnie Oddball’s pages.

We’re all going to be camping on one site and the idea is that because all the teams have been personally asked we can all help each other out if needs be. To be brutally honest I cannot wait to be freezing my gibbly bits off standing in a field at 3am, I mean it. It’s going to be the first time that I’ve actually been involved with a short film and after learning about it all, writing short films as a degree and promoting others I think it’s about time I got my hands dirty in the most intense way ever.