9 Days to go!

9 Days to shoot! Scary stuff! Still a few things to sort out. Need a make-up artist! Had one, for 3 days, until she found a paying job, which is totally understandable, bills have to paid, but did throw a spanner in the works. Also need to cast one other character, an elderly lady who has three involved dialogue scenes! It’s getting awfully close to be casting characters like that, I may have to re-write to resolve. I hope not, I like the character and I like the exchanges. I would be sad to lose it because I took the easy way out.

Money has become an issue, unforseen expenses have arisen, equipment, lights, sound mixer, make-up. I guess I should have expected it. I had hoped to be ready for the unforseen, but as it happened the fundraiser was something of a disappointment, not a failure, but I earned under half of what I thought I would or should, consider I had Jason Byrne performing, who always sells out in Drogheda. Live and learn.

If you're planning a similar event I would say do it for sure, but here's some advice you could follow to make sure it's a success:

• Find a venue, ask your talented friends to perform for free - they will. 
• I had two comedians, a singer/songwriter (Originals and covers) and DJs for filler.
• Go to local business and ask them to sponsor spot prizes in return for credit and Advertising.
• Hold a raffle on the night, you’ll make a lot of money from tickets, especially if the prizes are good. €2 for one €5 for 3.
• Get the comedian to do the raffle, it’ll make it fun.
• Ask a local printer to sponsor poster and tickets for the same.
• Send a press release to local papers and radio two weeks in advance.
• Follow up, make sure they put it in.
• Spring for advertising if possible, and ad in the paper (as well as the press release) two weeks before and the week before.
• Spring for an ad on Radio if affordable for the week leading up.
• Plan at least two months before the gig.
• Start getting word out 6 weeks before the gig. Word of mouth needs to spread.
• Text everyone you know and send out reminders the week, the day, the hour before. People have lives and tend to forget - doesn’t get the cash in when you meet them the next day and they say “Awe, you should have reminded me!“
• On the night you’ll have fun, once the punter are in you can relax.
• During all this don’t let the fundraiser distract you from the most important thing - the film!
• Call you actors. Make sure they’re know what’s going on. Don’t solely rely on emails or texts.
• Make sure people involve are on the guest list.
• Give your self plenty of time after the fundraiser to get back on track with the film.

I think that’s the best advice I can offer in that department. 

Stress aside, of which there is not that much, I am looking forward to it. I’m much more relaxed on this one then I was on Emily’s Song for example. But on that I didn’t really know what to expect. This, I think I know what's coming - I hope I do! It’s going to be a light shoot anyway, I have the bare minimum crew I need, DOP, Gaffer, Sound, Make-up and me, that's 5 of us on the go. With support from my wife! Who’ll be the production manager and the cook! And friends have offered other support, so we’ll have runners, which will be handy.

I think having a runner is essential on a small shoot like this, someone willing and able to move equipment, run the shop for water, move furniture, all the last minute things that arise, that you, as director, or any of the other technical crew who have specific and involved jobs to do, should not have to think about.

I think it’s going to be good though, it’ll be intense, with a 21 page script to shoot in 5 days (that’s 4 pages a day for anyone who wasn’t paying attention!) but I think it will be fun. I’m over the moon about the cast, couldn’t be happier really. I think it’s come together really well and I’m looking forward to working with all of them. 

Hopefully together we can make something special. I think we will.

Rainy Day TV

The Nationwide team came down today, Producer Joan O'Sullivan and Cameraman Ken O'Connor, nice small team. They filmed from 10am until 3pm. In between they got plenty of footage and interviews with me, my brother Noel and my Mother.

Started off with some shots of me leaving the house, making my way to the Arts Centre. Then in the Arts Centre they interviewed me about the film, the origin of the film and the photos. 

From there Noel joined us and we visited my grandparents old house, the place my grandfather worked and then to a high vantage point behind the factory, looking down, where Noel was interviewed. 

From there the filmed a meeting shot outside the bookies that appears in the film and then on to my parents house and an interview with my mother about the film and her memories of her father. 

It was all very quick and easy going and enjoyable and no real hiccups, it rained some, but that didn't delay us much - Oh! There was the moment when one of my nosey neighbours came out of his house and ruined a shout by standing right in frame to ask who these people where?, why they were here? and what were they doing? Once his he filled his beak he trotted off and we got on with it! Classic!

Nationwide Presenters: Michael Ryan and Mary Kennedy

I know Noel and especially my mother were very nervous about the whole thing, so I appreciate them doing it, although they probably wont be doing it again anytime soon! But they came across well and both did very good interviews. I guess I'm used to doing interviews and talking to strangers in that way, or talking to crowds, but I never thought of the fact that they have no real experience of this! So sorry to them for putting them on the spot! But they were great!

I think it should cut together well and become a nice piece. They'll use segments from the film, images from the exhibition and images of my grandfather. With the interviews with Noel and my mother it should be a very intimate and personal family piece that I think will connect with viewers, much like the film did. 

No dates for broadcast yet, but I will keep you posted, hopefully soon. Joan informed me that they general created themed shows with several different features, so they just have to wait until it fits a theme I suppose, no idea how long that will be. Hopefully I'll be able to podcast the clip too. 

Drogheda's Scholars

Two new sponsors join the film today. 

First my thanks to Scholars Townhouse Hotel for coming through on the accommodation! This is very much appreciated and quite a relief to get! 

Scholars is somewhere I really like, it's old Christian Brothers house, in fact it was house of the brothers that once taught me! It was recently converted into a hotel and beautifully finished to a very high standard and is now reminiscent of a fine country house, even though it is right in the centre of town - and now more then a five minute walk from pubs, restaurants and shops... and more importantly in this instance, all our locations! 

It has a special place in my heart being as it was where Maryann and I went for a glass of champagne after we tied the knot on our Civil Ceremony (prior to the family and friend ceremony.) 

It has a really relaxed atmosphere with a great staff, so I'm delighted to be able to have Pat stay there for the week he's away from home.

I would also like to thank the Darren and Collette and all the guys at Calipo Theatre & Picture Company for their donnation to the project today. It was very generous of them. 

Calipo have been a hub of creativity and inspiration in Drogheda for many years. They continually strive to bring new, unique and innovative work to the stage and screen. They prove time and time again that they are among the very best Ireland has to offer in terms of creative talent, with award winning plays, popular television series and award winning short films. They are among the elite. So it is an honour for me to have them call up and offer to help. Thanks guys.

Sunny Day

A Beautiful sunny day today, I'm inside storyboarding, which is fine, at least I have a view and an open window! 

Yesterday, St. Patrick's day, I did some location scouting - found a couple of suitable places. One in particular, and while photographing the place I had drunken teens shout abuse at me! So I guess it really was the perfect place, consider it's where the main character encounter similar teens. Hopefully the real ones wont be there when we're shooting. I guess if we do it first thing in the morning we'll be OK, teens don't usual rise until after 2pm anyway (speaking from experience - having been one myself)

I'm still moving ahead on 140, although recruitment has slow this last week, which isn't a bad thing, with the Slán agus Beannacht shoot 2 and half weeks away I need the time! But we're over the 50 mark, 51 to be exact. Here's who: 

46. Sarah Egan – Outer Hebirdes, UK – asgerd 

47. Kate Murphy – Dublin, Ireland – murphk27 

48. Thomas C. Guant - Chicago, USA  

49. Aaron Goodliffe – Meakstown, Ireland – AaronGoodliffe

50. Farah Azalea - tbd 

51. Luzius Wepse - Switzerland

Excited to have all of you on board. Still more to come, had a couple of emails this morning I need to reply to, so that may increase by the end of the day.

As I work this project however I do find a lot of resistance against twitter, and I have encountered more and more people who have a strange paranoia toward internet social networking sites. Makes me wonder who they think is watching them? Or do they really think they're that interesting or important that some secret government agency is storing this information? 

First of all, why? And secondly, who? Why would the government want to know any of the mundane day to day of our lives? And who is storing all this information? They'd need thousands of people working around the clock on some super-sized computer storage system... it just doesn't seem plausible to me - or maybe they want me to say that - maybe they've programmed me to think this way - maybe I'm one of them... 

Haha! They, them! Give me a break. You have to take all this stuff with a pinch of salt. The only thing worth worry about is the level of fear mongering orchestrated by news and tabloid media that has people thinking this way. We're just playing here, it's like passing notes in class, doodling on our copy book, twitter and facebooking is just a bit of fun, I really don't think there's anything to worry about... except maybe addiction - as some people have pointed out to me!

But in defense of the amount I twitter - I work on the computer, I'm usually writing, or storyboarding or emailing. I don't watch a lot of TV and I work from home. Twitter is just a side thing - I have a thought, I put it down, doesn't take that long and I enjoy doing it. I also find it useful and entertaining. If people don't care or are fed up with me clogging up their twitter page or facebook home page then stop following me, or click 'Hide' on your facebook - stop complaining, change the channel! 

Between the blogging, emailing, twitter and facebook updating I still manage to get all the work done I need to do, so I'm not worried about it. If it starts getting in the way I'll stop. 

Which is now - time to venture out see if I can find some sponsorship for this film! 2 and half weeks!!! Holy... But that's OK, I'm looking forward to it!

New Cast Members Join Slán agus Beannacht

I'd like to welcome Elaine Reddy and Rory Mullen to the cast of Slán agus Beannacht. I'm looking forward to working with them and delighted they've come on board. 

Elaine Reddy as Ann

Rory Mullen as Liam

Modern Times

Had and interview this week with The Sunday Times about 140. Went quite well, was fun to do. Photographer came down yesterday and had me lounging around my office in awkward positions while trying to emulated relaxed positions, bit odd, but fun nonetheless, will be interesting to see the end product.

I'm not sure when it's going out, not tomorrow anyway. But I'll post it when I know. It was fairly straight forward. We talked about the project, who are involve so far, how many more I hope to get, the themes and what the end film will be. Also about how the internet is changing how films can get made and how much more accessible filmmaking is these days.

We also talked a lot about twitter and whole point of it, which, it seems, is impossible to explain to anyone who doesn't get it, and more so to anyone who doesn't want to get it... luckily the interviewer was not one of those people - otherwise I think it would have been a bit redundant! 

Jan Battles was she, she coined a very funny word with regard to wives who had lost their husbands to twitter (mine included!) - Twidows! - I like it! I added that husbands would therefore be called Twidowers! I'm sure there's a few out there!!!

I will let everyone know when it's coming out and probably post a scan of the article. It's great for the project, it'll get word out about it and help us get new filmmakers on board and hopefully other media outlets will pick it up and we can keep the ball rolling to the magic 140.

Film Ireland

Film Ireland mentions Bill, For Short this month as part of the Heart of Gold Film Festival, where Bill is screening this month as part of the Irish film night. It is also up for best documentary at the festival.

Pictured in the article above is my brother Noel Kelly, who appears in the film.

News

Just a couple of things today. First, thanks to IFTN.ie for this wonderful article. Should help to get some Irish filmmakers on board the 140 project.

Secondly, Nationwide, the RTE regional magazine show is doing a feature on my film Bill, For Short and the accompanying exhibition Old Shoes and Broken Walls. The crew are coming down next week to film it. So that should be cool, will get the word out about the film.

De-cluttering.

A day of listening to podcasts, Creative Screenwriting and The Treatment, and reorganising and cleaning my office! It's amazing how much stuff one person can accumulate in one place! Filled an entire wheely bin with junk and I'm still finding it hard to find a place for what's left! Where was it all to begin with? Well, I know where, all over the floor and stacked high on and under my two desks!

I do feel bad throwing stuff away, I think of as an archive - to what? I'm not sure, my career, which has really begun yet, and even if it does take off, who's going to want to see fifty out of date posters to a fundraising event, or obscure photocopies of film notes I've never read, or stacks and stacks of outdated funding application forms?! It all must go, lest my office floor give way and I end up in the room below leaving an even larger mess on my hands.

This is something I often do to clear my mind I guess, a physical enactment of a mental process. With Slán agus Beannacht drawing ever closer it's time to focus and I find decluttering gets me in the right frame of mind to do that. Even though I started at 4pm today, it's now 12:30am!Some might say that time might be better spent storyboarding or something. But tomorrow I'll find a cleaner, more spacious environment to work in and I think it will be conducive to clearer thought and productivity on a busy time ahead.

Anyway, better get back to it! Half my stuff is in the bedroom and Maryann wants to go to bed!

Fundraiser Night

Last night's Fundraiser was a success. A few last minute hic-cups and half the crowd I had hoped for, but I raised some money, which was the aim, so better then a kick in the teeth!

Kicked off an hour late. Place was empty till 10pm. Jason got lost because of my bad directions. I don't drive, so I'm the worst person in the world to give directions to someone in a car! Robbie Bonham took the place of Bernard O'Shea two hours before the gig, so thanks very much to him! 

The night kicked off with a screening of Emily's Song, seemed to go down well. Then Jason got up and warmed the crowd up, he did some new stuff, which was great. Got the crowd going and then brought on Robbie, who did a 40 minute set! Great! He went down well and had some great material and great lines, he's a kind of sarcy dry witted vagabond, looks like some brain cells may have been laid waist to over the years but his sharp observation and well structured material shows he's hung onto the important ones!

Little break, sold a bunch of raffle tickets and then back to have the funniest raffle I've ever been to with Jason drawing the number and me standing beside him like a pleb getting the piss ripped out of me for dodgy prizes! Jason is a genius though, only he could make €10 kodak print vouchers funny! He also seemed to display a remarkable psychic ability at predicting who was going to win what! The funniest moment came when one of the sponsors won his donated prize back! But he put it up again!

Everyone really seemed to enjoy that part of the proceedings. Then Paddy McArdle came on to play the night out, good as always. 

So all in all it was a fun night, I enjoyed myself immensely, which, after the stress leading up to it, I thought I might not! But it was fun. Good to see Jason again, good to meet Robbie, good to get a group of people together for a good night of entertainment in these dark days when media buzz words like recession and credit crunch are stalking our every thought. And I raised some cash, which was a plus.

Thanks to all the sponsors for their support:

That was the fundraiser. I still have a ways to go to get what I need, So I have no idea how that's going to happen. I'll figure something. In the meantime I still have lots of work to do.

A special thanks too to the acts, Jason Bynre, Robbie Bonham, Paddy McArdle and External Sounds. McHughs for the room. Everyone who attended and bought tickets. And especially my wife, Maryann, who helped with all the preparation and sat in a freezing cold corridor for most of the night taking tickets. 

The List So Far...

The journey continues and more and more filmmakers join the 140 project. I'm delight to welcome new filmmakers from China, Australia and Ireland.

Here's the full updated list:

Name – Location – Twitter handle

1. Frank Kelly - Drogheda, Ireland – frankwkelly

2. Elliot Kotek - LA, USA

3. Gustavo Ron - Madrid, Spain

4. Iulia Rugina - Bucharest, Romania – iulia_rugina

5. Santana Issar - Mumbai, India

6. Varda Hardy - LA, USA

7. Anna Christopher - LA USA

8. James Gross - Indianapolis, USA – 1stswashbuckler

9. Shannon Mullins – Indianapolis, USA – thirteenthman

10. Laura Kidd - London, UK – warriorgirl

11. Ryan Little & Adam Abel - Utah, USA

12. Luis Sosa – Mexico City, Mexico – luis_sosa

13. Chris Ford – Mill Valley, CA, USA - hotshave

14. Marc Havener – Lawrence, KS, USA - yohaves

15. Alice Brooks – Biddeford, Maine, USA - alicebrooks

16. Margaret Johnson – San Francisco, USA - maggiejca

17. Marina Blanco – Southern CA, USA

18. Jon Fitzgerald – Venice Beach, CA, USA

19. Lisa Gornick – Kentish Town, London, UK

20. Chris Billing – Washington DC, USA

21. Robert Sucato – Phoenix, Arizona, USA

22. Jill Carter – Toronto, Canada - jillcarter

23. Guy Shahar – NYC, USA - viteforguy

24. Michael Albanese – LA, USA - mivialarts

25: Rob Sorrenti – London, England – monsoon130

26: Oskar Thor Axelsson - Reykjavik, Iceland

27. Emily Best – Brooklyn, MYC, USA – emilybest

28. Trampas Thompson – Los Angeles, USA

29. Mairin DeBarra – Dublin, Ireland – mdebarra

30. Gavan Muprhy – Marino, Ireland – touchmeimhappy

31. Brent Gudgel – Pasedena, USA - brentgudgel

32. Markus Görgens – Berlin, Germany – schattenwandler

33. Brendan Phelan – Dublin, Ireland

34. Steven Robinson – Melbourne, Australia - jackmaddox

35. Natasha Pincus – Melbourne, Australia

36. Chris Lawlor – Bejing, China – crawlor

37. Tara Grimshaw – Sydney, Australia – tara_g

38. Matt Bisson – Sydney, Australia – eggfilm

39. Paddy O’Shea – Cork, Ireland - PaddyOShea

40. Robert Zappia – USA – rzappia

41. Noel Farrell – Trim, Ireland –

42. Gina Dow – Canberra, Australia –

43. Gennifer Gorzula – Canberra, Australia –

44. Damien Donnelly – Paulstown, Ireland - 

45. Johnny Blank – Melbourne, Australia - 

46. Sarah Egan – Outer Hebirdes, UK – asgerd

47. Kate Murphy – Dublin, Ireland – murphk27 

48. Thomas C. Guant - Chicago, USA  

49. Aaron Goodliffe – Meakstown, Ireland – AaronGoodliffe

50. Farah Azalea - tbd 

51. Luzius Wepse - Switzerland

The Weekly Report

A busy week indeed. Started with a slightly embarrassing meeting with an actor first thing monday morning. We were half way through the meeting and I was thinking he'd be great for the role, he was probably thinking the same thing. It was only after the small talk when we eventually came to talk about the character that we realised we were both thinking about two different characters! Awkward moment to say the least!

My fault entirely! I had been rushing around so much I didn't check the first emails he sent to me and went on the conversation we had the week before where the actor seemed to express an interest in the character I came associate him with. 

I tried to allay the awkwardness by offering the role I felt he was suited for, but alas no, he had his mind set on the lead and that was that. Nice man though, I'm sure I'll call on him in the future.

Then there was the fundraiser and all that entailed. Posters and tickets and sponsors and begging all the things I hate the most! Well, not really, it was fine, it's just a pain. When I'm wearing myself out doing something I don't really like, like graphic design, printing, distribution, walking into businesses and asking for free stuff, I often wonder why I can't just write and make films? Why do I have to do all this stuff first? Then I realise it's because I'm an independent filmmaker and if want to make the films I want to make then I have to do everything and anything I can to make that happen. And then I stop complaining and get on with the job!

I was on the Radio then, while fighting food poisoning, uncomfortable to say the least! Never reheat previously reheated food. I know this. I was just hungry. Man did I pay for it! Of course in my discomfort I forgot to mention the sponsors of the fundraiser! Sorry about that The Wine Buff, Kodak Express, The Salthouse, The Droichaed Arts Centre and Beulah Print. 

Then of course came 140. A simple idea that is of course turning out to be much more work then I had imagined! Elliot Kotek, friend and colleague, answered my call for help by sending out an email to 60 filmmakers. In the following 2 days 20 answered. 

So it became a busy time of trying to email everyone back, create up-to-the-minute lists, researching filmmakers, creating link, answering questions, writing posts, designing posters, sticking pins in a big map and getting very excited that this simple idea I had seemed to be taking off and inspiring fellow filmmakers around the world. For that reason the work seem less a chore and more like a rush of exhilaration. 

Of course there was also Slán agus Beannacht, which kind of got left in the dust of 140 this week, even though the fundraiser is in aid of S&B. I managed to get a re-write done on the script, changed a significant element, always trying to make each moment more poignant and resonant and take the characters to the very limit of experience, even in such a simple story, so I was happy with that. New scene too which may or may not stay, depending on time. Will require another location. But I think it's important scene. Shows how the world of the main character is changing and how this world he is fighting against is encroaching on every part of his life, even in the safest places. 

I managed to get two important locations locked. I was supposed to view the hospital location on Wednesday but that was postponed until next week sometime. So hopefully it will fit. I'm sure it will, heck, we'll make it fit! Would be nice if we could get into the hospital around the corner, but I don't think that's going to be a possibility. They made national news a couple of weeks ago for have 40 people on gurneys in the halls and in the waiting room because they didn't have any room! 

So everything seems to be on track. I'll need to start concentrating on S&B a whole lot more and get everything locked down for that. Some help would be nice! I'm still doing all of this on my own. There have been a few head spinning moment this week. But that's not to be just yet, so on I go. 

I still have five parts to cast in that film! Jeez! Two teenagers for background, but they will have involved action to do. Mr. Smith, an elderly lady with 3 significant scenes. Liam, the rent collector who gets mugged, and his wife Ann, both important and vital roles that require good actors delivering strong performances. Well, no point pondering about it, just have to get on and do it. 

The cherry on the cake came late last night when I received and email from Expresión en Corto International Film Festival in Mexico inviting Bill, For Short to screen at the festival and inviting me to attend! So that was nice! 

Busy week indeed, but all good! Should be a quiet day today, a friends birthday party tonight. Photo shoot tomorrow with External Sounds, hopefully they'll show up on time, unlike last time! Which actually was fine because I ended up taking half the photos that went into my exhibition while I waited!!! So maybe it would work better for me if they were late!

Then Monday again and back to work.

More updates soon. Thanks for reading.

What a morning!!!

It's been quite a  morning I must say. Elliot Kotek, the fine fellow that he is, has spread the word about the 140 project, and as a testoment to the kind of fine fellow he is, I awoke to an inbox full of emails from talented filmmakers form all over America, and indeed the world, wanting to take part in this project.

First I should tell you what the plan is. I've been keeping it under wraps until more people came onboard, but now we're at 20+ I feel I can. 

140 

Film-makers - Locations - Seconds

Filmmakers of the world (and Twitter) Unite. 

140 filmmakers from around the world will join together on Twitter for a very unique film project, of global proportions.

Via Twitter we will converge from our respective cities around the world and await the signal. That signal will come from me. The filmmakers will commit to being by their computers, laptops, mobile phones at the designated time, whatever it may be, whether it be 2am, 3am, 11pm, 5pm, 8am… you get the idea!

When the signal is given we will all film at the same time and in the expedient spirit of Twitter we must only film 140 seconds. The same 140 seconds the world over.

This is about connection. Look at how the Internet connects us, how twitter presents a unique way to be a part of someone’s life as it happens. Connection.

So capture what connects you to your home. Whether it be landscapes, cityscapes, the wind in the trees, cars on the highway, a lover sleeping, or making tea, the smile of a child or laugh of a friend… whatever it may be. What is special about your home? What connects you to it? And can you capture that in 140 seconds?

The filmmakers then send the footage to me, uncut. I will cut it to a feature length visual dedication to our homes and the 140 seconds that connected us.

I will make each segment available online in its entirety at a later date. A world map will be displayed, so a user can click on your home and view you 140 seconds.

Everyone will be credited as Directors in their cities. If you feel up to the challenge then join Twitter today and follow me, frankwkelly and await updates.

Thanks,

Frank Kelly – Director – Drogheda – Ireland

Where are you from?

The filmmaker who have joined to date are:

Name – Location – Twitter handle

 

1. Frank Kelly - Drogheda, Ireland – frankwkelly

2. Elliot Kotek - LA, USA

3. Gustavo Ron - Madrid, Spain

4. Iulia Rugina - Bucharest, Romania – iulia_rugina

5. Santana Issar - Mumbai, India

6. Varda Hardy - LA, USA

7. Anna Christopher - LA USA

8. James Gross - Indianapolis, USA – 1stswashbuckler

9. Shannon Mullins – Indianapolis, USA – thirteenthman

10. Laura Kidd - London, UK – warriorgirl

11. Ryan Little & Adam Abel - Utah, USA

12. Luis Sosa – Mexico City, Mexico – luis_sosa

13. Chris Ford – Mill Valley, CA, USA - hotshave

14. Marc Havener – Lawrence, KS, USA - yohaves

15. Alice Brooks – Biddeford, Maine, USA - alicebrooks

16. Margaret Johnson – San Francisco, USA - maggiejca

17. Marina Blanco – Southern CA, USA

18. Jon Fitzgerald – Venice Beach, CA, USA

19. Lisa Gornick – Kentish Town, London, UK

20. Chris Billing – Washington DC, USA

21. Robert Sucato – Phoenix, Arizona, USA

22. Jill Carter – Toronto, Canada - jillcarter

23. Guy Shahar – NYC, USA - viteforguy

24. Michael Albanese – LA, USA - mivialarts

25: Rob Sorrenti – London, England – monsoon130

26: Oskar Thor Axelsson - Reykjavik, Iceland

27. Emily Best – Brooklyn, MYC, USA – emilybest

28. Trampas Thompson – Los Angeles, USA

29. Mairin DeBarra – Dublin, Ireland – mdebarra

30. Gavan Muprhy – Marino, Ireland – touchmeimhappy

31. Brent Gudgel – Pasedena, USA - brentgudgel

32. Markus Görgens– Berlin, Germany - schattenwandler

So that's the shape of things so far. More filmmakers are joining daily, even as I type this emails are coming in! 

I feel like I've started something special and it is already becoming bigger then me. I know it's going to be something quite special for all involved. And even though it's on a global scale, it's going to be something personal and intimate for everyone involved and I think that will come across in the final piece as we endeavor to capture a few moments of our entire planet, connected in a single vision.

Fundraiser Interview

Oops! Slight error, sorry Daire and Gerry! I was on the Daire Nelson Show.

Thanks for having me on Daire, nice to talk to you as always. Nice to get the chance to be able to talk about the new film and promote the fundraiser.

New podcasts up: Episode 11 and Episode 12! 

12 is the interview. Enjoy!

Radio

On the radio tomorrow. Gerry Kelly Show I think! At 12:15pm, there abouts. Tune in to 95.8fm or click listen live at lmfm.ie 

I'll be talking about the new film and the fundraiser and who nows what else! Should be good. 

Meet the cast... so far!

Paschal Scott as Pat - Gerry Shanahan as Charlie - Tony Leddy as Ewan

Shane Murray-Corcoran as Teen - Noel Kelly as Brian - Eric O'Brien as Teen 2

There are a few more parts to cast: Liam, Ann, Mrs. Smith, Teen 3 & 4! But we're making progress and I'm excited about the cast so far and how everything is coming together.

Movie Fundraiser Night Confirmed

Come one come all:

Special Thanks to our sponsors

The Wine Buff

Kodak Express

Beaulah Print
The Droichead Arts Centre
The Salthouse

Fundraiser

A good day today, got plenty done. Managed to arrange the fundraiser pretty much. Venue booked and almost all acts, one or two more to confirm. So far...

Movie Fundraiser

McHugh's Venue

Drogheda 

Thurs 5th March 

9pm - €15

 featuring Comedian

 Jason Byrne 

and local musician

Paddy McArdle

More acts to be confirmed

Prize Draws All Night Long!!!

Where to Start?!

Many things to be getting on with this week. Where to start?! 

I'm organising a fundraiser for the film. I have a couple of people attached, but I'll wait until it's all confirmed to advertise it or tell you more. But there's a few nuts still to tighten! 

I'm also putting together a proposal to attract local sponsorship. I don't know how successful I'll be but at least I've had some professional advice! Thanks Claire Norton of the Heartland Film Festival for some great ideas.

Still some actors to talk to and cast on S&B, which is fast approaching. Still some work to to there. I'd like to have another look at the script and tighten that up and also do some storyboards, just to get it clear in my head. I also have some location work to do and I have to confirm two venues! 

I'm slightly worn out after Paris! It was four days of non-stop activities, which involved alot of walking! The Metro is great, but Paris is still big! Got home late on Saturday having missed our flight (had to wait in the CDG airport for 5 hours! Forced to buy coffees for €8.50!) Had something of a lie in yesterday but was off again to go see a 3D screening of Coraline as part of the Dublin Film Festival in Dundrum, so that was a walk to the train station, a train, a walk to the Luas line and a Luas! Tired, hungry and thirsty we sat down to watch the movie, which was fantastic!

I thought it was wonderfully unusual, the 3D was great and fun, but secondary to a very good film, beautifully made and told in a very dark and satisfying way. It really is wonderful to see films like this being made for kids. Reminds me of the edgier Henson films like Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, which were scary and creepy. Not like the homogenised pasteurised paste they make for children these days (Pixar excluded).  

As Neil Gaiman (author of the book the film was based on) said during the Q&A, films are being made for kids these days that act as a distraction from life, they're something you can sit a child infront of and not have to worry about them being afraid, or engaged, or educated, or have them ask questions after. 

It's important to allow children to be challenged, to find out for themselves what they're afraid of. Allow them to hide behind the couch if something scares them and to return when the wicked witch is gone. It helps shape their minds, helps them form opinions, decide for themselves what they can take and it makes them braver. Don't fast forward the scary parts! No. I think nightmares are like chicken pocks, its better to get them young and deal with them then, because if you have to deal with them when you're older it much much worse.

I think the problem is that most adult forget what it was like to be a kid. I remember vividly. I saw American Werewolf in London when I was 8 or 9. It did me no harm. In fact, I loved it, I still love that film and I have fond memories of hiding behind the couch terrified, but feeling safe because my dad was with me (I only found out years later that he was as terrified as I was!:)

It opened my eyes to what film could do and how interactive it could be as a medium. Perhaps that's not what I was think aged 9 hiding behind a cushion! But it informed something in me that has stayed with me to this day. I would not have had that experience if my parents hadn't trusted me and allowed me to take that step.

Well, back to work I guess. Have to get my head into gear. Alot to do this week. Starts now. Exciting updates to come, keep watching. And hopefully there will be a podcast soon! Sorry for the delay. Also, big announcement on a very very exciting new film project coming soon, I may have mentioned it before, it's going to be called 140 and all will be revealed soon. I want to get a few people attached first and then there'll be a big press release. 

More soon. Thanks for stopping by.