Day 1

The last of the projects I've been working on over the last three years fell through yesterday. I guess it was a long time coming really, I just finally accept defeat. So everything has come up empty, a ton of shorts, TV show ideas, feature film scripts. I still have Derelict on the way of course. But nothing for the future. I had two main projects I had hoped to continue with, Iscariot, which I was working on with my old writing partner, Thomas Kennedy, but after three years of writing endless treatments and beat sheets and going around in dizzying circles to the point where we had no idea what we were writing anymore, we realised that it was going nowhere and so stopped.

The main project, which fell through yesterday, was a book by one of my favourite authors. The opportunity came up to buy the film option, so I went for it with gusto and very nearly had it. But it just proved to be too much money at the wrong time. I was loathed to let it go, but I had no choice. So, for the first time since I started trying to make films I have a clean slate. I'm at square one again.

I must admit I've been feeling pretty low about it the last couple of weeks. I'm sure if you read my rant below you'll know it began with a great deal of anger and resentment. Then came despondency and the feeling that I wanted to quit. But I knew I wouldn't. I have decided not to keep trying in Ireland. It's just proven futile. It's a small place and it seems all positions have been filled. But that's OK. I'm hoping to move soon anyway. Yesterday I felt pretty miserable. Writing the email to the author was hard. I had been working on the project for almost a year, and even though I didn't have the rights, I was reading the book over and over, making notes, making plans, drafting in people, researching, and all the things you do at the start of a project.

I could have gone through with it, if I could have had a guarantee of development funding from somewhere. The Film Board expressed an interest and encouraged me to apply, saying they like to reward this kind of effort, but they have proved that they can't be relied upon. I just couldn't trust them enough to take the risk and I wasn't sure where else that kind of money would come from. A friend of mine, long in the film industry, said an interesting thing to me after the IFB rejected Derelict, "It doesn't take much to encourage", it's true, had they even given me one fifth of the small amount I was asking for I'd be in a very different frame of mind, and situation, right now. But there you have it, nothing to be done.

So, I hit send and sunk into a deep depression... well, that is to say, I moped around for the rest of the day! My wife was very nice to me, cooked a nice meal, bought me some nice beer, said I could watch whatever I wanted on TV, bathed our daughter and put her to bed, all while I was moping around down stairs. I watched Grand Designs, it was one I hadn't seen before, so that cheered me up and I went to bed in better form. A thought had started to form.

Then this morning I woke up to a lovely email from the author, understanding and encouraging, as ever, as he has been through this entire process. He has always had my back, which was lovely coming from someone I admire so much. I felt the somber mood lift quite quickly then and I was left with the realisation that - I'm free. I am no longer tied to anything. For the first time since I sat out to make films ten years ago I have a clean slate. I can go make whatever the hell I want.

So this is Day 1.

From here on out I'm starting anew. The last ten years has been film school. I'm walking out the front gates a graduate of life lessons. Derelict was my theses film and now I'm starting my career proper. No more bullshit. No more relying on other people. If  I've learned one thing over the past decade it's that, you can only rely on yourself. People just get in the way, stall and stop you. So I'm going it alone, I'm producing my own stuff, as I always have, but most definitely and defiantly from now on. I think what's held me back in the past is my reliance on other people, or the thought that I needed other people to open certain doors for me. I've proven, to myself, I don't need other people. I can open my own doors.

So I'm feeling good about it. Excited. I feel like I did when I started, like anything was possible and no one was going to stop me. Of course, back then, I was green, I needed help and so asked the wrong people and allowed them to stop me. No more. I have ten years experience. I have six films under my belt. And I know a little bit more about the world.

Pushing Hands.

Raise My Hands has a busy June, with screenings at the Maui Film Festival, the San Francisco Black Film Festival and currently at the Short Shorts Film Festival Asia in Tokyo, with a screening just passed and two more to come - on the 23rd and the 28th.

Elliot Kotek truly is the man behind this little film, while based on Scott McDermott's incredible idea and images, Elliot was the driving force behind the project as in film form, and has remained so for over two years, even when I thought any chance of it getting out there was lost, he was the brave one who said "To hell with the rules - Let's send it."

The idea for the film came after I'd seen Scott's exhibition and it reminded me of an idea for a documentary I once had to only filming hands and tell the story of the persons life while watching the hands - so say - a midwife's hands - "these hands have brought a thousand babies into the world" - that kind of thing. I mentioned this to Elliot and he suggested asking Scott about it, I had grand ideas of getting the stellar cast back together for a live shoot... eh! Yeah right! Elliot suggested just using the photos to create a montage.

If I remember correctly I suggested Elliot writing a piece for it, as he is a poet, and he and a female narrate over the images. So he went off an did that, sent me a beautiful poem with two recordings of himself and Celia Amandaz-Fox and I cut the film together against a stunning track form Dermot O'Mahony, who has scored my last 4 films and is a genius!

Elliot's poem talked about the people on the screen. So my challenge was to connect them to Mandela, to find a through line that would also tell Mandela's own story. I always had the idea of moving the photos around the screen, pulling in and out, cropping them, creating abstract shapes, to give movement. Then I landed on the idea of using titles on the screen, which was graphically interest but allowed me to solve my problem, to find the connection, and so I picked certain words in the poem that also touched on aspects of Mandela's life, hinting at a history before seeing the man.

Quincy Jones
Image Copyright Scott McDermott © 2012

I'm proud of this film. I'm glad I was a part of it. And I'm thrilled it's been seen around the world, thanks to Mr. Kotek's dedication. I'm going to take a leaf out of his book for my next film.

Looking for Balance

The Original 'Fawlty Towers' rejcetion letter -
Sometimes, the people in the know - Don't know shit!

Yes, trying to find some balance. The scale has certainly been tipped one particular way for a very long time. How to remain hopeful when the odds are stacked against you is our eternal struggle, isn't it? Everyone's going through it. So I can't expect things to change just because for me, I don't, I just hit a wall last week. I'm still leaning up against it, catching my breath having slammed into it. The thing about hitting a wall is it forces you stop, think and reevaluate, maybe even change direction. New strategies are needed. A new plan of attack. A new line of defense. Time to regroup.

What I have been reminded of though is the amount of good will out there and the amount of people behind me, pushing me on, wishing me well. I had a huge, and very encouraging, response to my outburst. A lot of people reminding me that they're on my side and have belief in me. Which is very nice to know.

It reminded me too of the amount of support I've had here in Drogheda too, my hometown. From family, friends, the community, the local newspapers and radio station, the council and arts organisations, both Create Louth and the Arts Centre. And a lot of individuals who can always be relied upon to show up at fundraising events, even if just for five minutes to push a twenty or a fifty into my hand and wish me luck. I can't, nor should I, stay grumpy for too long knowing that that kind of support has followed me. And I am eternally grateful to all those people.

I would say to any filmmaker starting out, first look to your local community, the list mentioned above, friends, family, local council, arts funding, community fundrasiers. Let the local media know you're out there doing stuff. Don't get to bogged down in the national stuff, by all means apply, but don't rely. Keep moving forward and prepare for disappointment and frustration, it's all part of the game. At some point you will feel like quitting. But if you love film enough, that feeling wont last long and you'll be on to your next project, reinvigorated and raring to go.

One film I had hoped to make was a werewolf film. An old school monster movie, set over three nights about a group of people thrown together and trying to survive the weekend. It cheers me up every time I'm feeling down. The script is about 6 years old, so it's been in my head a long time, and because it's set in my hometown I have it visualised to no end. Every angle. Every set piece. And when I'm feeling a bit down I go for a walk to all the locations and I visualise the action and it makes me very happy indeed. Nothing like visualising giant wolves tearing people apart to make you feel better :)

For know, I'll lick my wounds a little longer. Get up off the wall. Climb back up the hill and see if I can find another way in. Write a few scripts. Shoot a few indies.

Film is Dead. Long Live Film.

Change is in the air. It has been for a while. But in the whirl wind it was hard to see how thinks might be after the storm. Now things are starting to land and a reshaped landscape is beginning to emerge.

For a start; fans are now financing films. They're cutting out the middle men. They're cutting out the bullshit. They're taking film back. Seeing it as art once again, rather than a business. The people who have stood in the way, as the authority, are being side stepped and we, the artists, are going straight to our audience, with help from our audience and they're saying 'Yay' or 'Nay' with their credit cards. Up front and in person.

Kickstarter, and websites like it, have exploded and have, perhaps unexpectedly, changed how we do things. Just as the internet did. Just as digital technology did. It's incredibly exciting. Paul Schrader (writer of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull) is even on Kickstarter for his new film 'The Canyons', written by Bret Easton Ellis (writer of American Psycho). He has described this moment as "how film was a hundred years ago." It's a new frontier, and we're inventing as we go. The old ways are fading. The dinosaurs are dying out. A new species is taking over. One that's online, and independent.

No one really knows how things are going to pan out. How the landscape will look next year, let alone in two, five or ten years. We know it will be different. Perhaps completely different.  With new ways of doing things and different platforms for making and selling different kinds of films. Maybe we will be able to co-exist. Instead of all chasing the same dream and going after the same money and opportunities as everyone else, taking the bus to Hollywood, so to speak, we'll be able to realise fully our own dreams and create our own opportunities. Having to go no further then our computer and our online community.

I posted the link to Schrader's Kickstarter campaign on facebook and a friend said he didn't like it, he thought it took away from the little guy - I disagree. I think people like Schrader realise the potential and see the future. They're aware things are changing and they're joining the charge.

Schrader especially is a filmmaker who has always been on the outside, on the art side, out on a limb and I imagine someone who still struggles to get his films made, even though he's responsible for some of the most important and groundbreaking films in Hollywood, the afore mentioned among them. So he, like many I'm sure, can see that going down this route cuts out the middle men, the suits, the people in glass towers trying to make their jobs mean something, those who delay scripts for years and years eventually killing them, just because the keep wanting to have their say. When really they should just shut the fuck up and let the filmmaker be a filmmaker and make a fucking film once in a while.

As I said, Kickstarter puts the power back into the hands of the filmmaker. It's goes from the filmmaker to the audience, directly, and it's the audience who are paying for the film, up front, because they believe in the artist or the film or both and want to support them. And I don't think it's even about the perks. A lot of people who have donated to me just want to see the film get made, regardless of whether or not they get a signed poster or DVD. They're inspired to help, the be a part of something. There seems to be a hunger for it, so rather than be handed a fast food version of a movie and told by some executive in LA this is what they're supposed to like, they're say 'No, that's not what I want,' and they're choosing to help make what they really want instead.

And I don't think that the likes of Paul Schrader stepping into the realm of Kickstarter will take away from the smaller filmmakers either. The little guy, me for example, I fundraise within my own social network. The hundreds or thousands of people who are friends on facebook, follow me on twitter and are in my inbox. Some might be lucky and reach outside that. But generally I think we smaller filmmakers stay within our own circles. The people who give do so because they believe in me and my project. They want to see me do well. The want to support that. It's goodwill, and being on the independent side of filmmaking, I've come to realise there is actually a lot of goodwill out there!

I love seeing projects making, or far exceeding, their goals on Kickstarter, even if they are by well known artists, check out Amanda Palmers recent drive! Amazing! She wanted $100,000, alot to ask, but she got it - plus a Million on top! I love it! It shows there's a hunger out there for unique films, not the homogenised studio system drivel made to look and sound like every other movie out there. It's not to make money, not to cash in on a sequel, prequel or remake with some empty effects driven piece of junk food, it's to see something new and original.

People love good stories well told. Somewhere along the line they stopped allowing a certain kind of story to be told, or maybe a certain kind of storyteller to speak. But a new door has opened and the storytellers are finding their way back. I think we're entering a new age of film. I think we're going to see braver films get made from now on. And I for one, am very exited it's happening and even more excited to be a part of it.

Film is Dead. Long Live Film.

Official Trailer

Here at last, is a glimpse at the film, with the first Official Trailer.

I cut this one myself. Though I hope to have another, longer, trailer cut when the film is complete, with full grade and sound mix. But in the meantime, I wanted people to have a little look. It's been a long time coming! Hope you enjoy.

You can also find a HD version of the trailer on Vimeo.

A Light in the Dark

I watched 'The Artist' tonight. I thought it was a lovely film, beautifully crafted and performed. And I loved the fact that I was watching a black and white silent picture in 4:3 format made in 2011! A very sweet Hollywood love story, both within the film and to Hollywood, a Hollywood that is long gone (except for the occasional gem like this).

It evoked a feeling in me, one that I haven't felt in years, from before I ever made a film. The last time I had that feeling was on a VIP tour of the Warner Bros. studio back-lot in 2001, I think. Seeing the sets and backdrops to many of my favourite films, and knowing so many more were filmed there, and so many legends of the screen walked and worked among those buildings.

I guess it was a feeling of nostalgia, a reminder of when and why I fell in love with movies. The same feeling I had when I was a kid and dreamed of one day being a part of that. And I do mean Hollywood, a part of the linage that brought Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, John Ford, Clint Eastwood, Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, The Searchers, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Harvey. A naive sense of a dream I had to make a certain kind of movie.

I think 'The Artist' reminded me that films like that can still be made. That there's still a tradition there and although everything around us is changing at blinding speed, there is still room to tell a story, a good story and to take your time with it. I feel like I've been rushing too much. Scrambling to make something, anything, and not taking the time to think, breathe, write, draw and remember why I fell in love with films, and know it's alright to do that.

I think what I should do, what I'm going to do, is stop rushing and panicking and jumping on everything that comes along just to get something done. I'm going to finish 'Derelict' and then take some time to figure out what the next step is, and make sure it's the right one for me, for the me who fell in love with movies all those years ago. I need to remember, and keep hold of that memory. That's my light in the dark.

An Open Door.

'Raise My Hands' has been selected by the Maui Film Festival (I hope they fly filmmakers in!) which is very nice! Certainly seems to be going well. Mores festivals to come. Elliot (producer) has been great with this film, he's pushed and pushed and pushed and never given up on it. I had all but, until we got into our first festival. You really do have to get behind your films, I've said it time and time again, if you don't shout about them, no one will.

My problem is that I'm onto the next one, when I finish a film, I mean finish shooting, I'm usually writing something else right away and before the edit is finished I'm thinking about being on set again (how easily we forget the pain!) Right now, while finishing Derelict, I'm thinking about what's next. Circumstance are against me at the moment to be shooting anytime soon. But hopefully not for too much longer.

I may have used this analogy before, but it still stands - I find when I'm working on a project it's as if I'm locked in a dark room on my own, hunched over a table and concentrating so hard I forget about the outside world for a time. Then I'm finished, I look up, stretch, realise how dark it is and I open the door. When I do a gust of wind blows in and kicks up all my ideas, and the all float around me. I grab at them, but I can't hold onto one for long, I have to wait for them to land and for that one idea to land on my desk, the one that's going to make close the door, turn off all lights, all but for my desk lamp, and sit down again. At the moment the door is wide open and the papers are blowing everywhere. I have one project I have to wait until August to see if comes together, if it does, that's the next one. Meantime, while doubt lingers, I two ideas I'd love to get going. But again, circumstance, everything' a bit up in the air at the moment. Sorry, I'm being vague here! Annoying!

I'm still trying to finish Derelict obviously, we're close. We have a new sound designer on board, Christopher O'Grady, delighted to have him join the team. I'll be bring the footage up the The Element next week to finally start there. So we're almost there. It's exciting. We also have an editor on the trailer, Mark Rodway, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing that and releasing it! Finally giving people a taste of what I've been waffling about for the last two years!

I need to get creative about getting the film out there. I've entered it into a few festivals already, but a lot of the festivals I want to enter are expensive, between $50 and $100, and it adds up pretty quickly - and deadlines are fast approaching. I applied to the Irish Film Board for help, but they refused. I hit kickstarter at the start of the project, so I'd feel bad doing it again! It might be an option, but I'm not sure yet. So, yeah, I need to get creative... or maybe I just need to get a job, to supplement my film habit!

But it'll come together. I'm sure of it. What I'm looking forward to now is finishing and showing people, in particular the Cast and Crew who've been waiting so patiently. Then we'll see what the rest of the world thinks!

Right, I'm signing off. Feeling a little ill tonight. Perhaps why this post is a bit messy! More soon.

Row Row.

Depression is not something I deal with daily, though it occasionally creeps up on me. I know people who do suffer daily, and I see the battle it is. I feel lucky I don't have to go through it anymore. These people are the bravest people I know. Having suffered from it in the past, I know how hard it is to get up each day, plaster on a smile for the world outside and conjure up enough energy to lie your way through the day. Those people are my heros.

I went through a prolonged bought of depression about 10 years ago, over a period of two and a half years. During that time I cried a lot, drank a lot and considered suicide at least once a week. What got me through? I wish I could say family, but I kept it a secret from them. Friends, those who knew. But it was writing and film that kept me going. Some times as a distraction, but always as a goal, a light at the end of the tunnel.

For those two and half years I wasn't the most pleasant of people, I could be grumpy, sometimes arrogant, certainly selfish and I was not the best version of myself. I lost some friends during that period. One or two I stay in touch with and still consider good friends. But I know those friendships bare some scar tissue as a result of some of my behavior. It wasn't all bad. But I was going in seven different directions and I know I left some heads spinning.

During that time I met Thomas Kennedy, who became my writing partner, my mentor, teacher, friend and confidant. I was able to talk to him. Laugh with him. And create with him. We worked on a lot of stuff over those couple of years, good stuff, and it gave me hope. Of course, I was pushy and arrogant and wanted everything NOW! I wanted THE WORLD, Thomas just wanted to make a short film. So we took the easier option... well, as anyone whose set out to make their first film will know, not that much easier! But we got there, we made the film and at the end of it I not only came away with a pretty decent film, but something I had not had in a long time, a feeling of self worth.

I was still a little bit arrogant, I thought the golden gates would open and producers and studios would be banging down our door to make TV shows and feature films... didn't happen! It was two years before I made another film and that was a no-budget doc I shot over a weekend! But the depression had gone. I was thinking clearly. I could see straight. I had a goal and a clear path in front of me.

That's not to say depression didn't creep up from time to time and stop me in my tracks, send my down some dark path into swamp and mire. I'd find my way out quick enough, but during these time I would always find myself browsing the shelves of a local DVD rental shop. During the two and a half years almost every night I would leave the apartment and head down to the local xtra-vision, which stayed open till mid-night, and browse for an hour or more.

You see, those plastic boxes with pictures of movie stars on them were so much more then that to me. They were a gate way, a door into something very pure and as clear as a fresh water lake on Fraser Island off the west coast of Australia - the dream of a nine year-old boy. Simple. Honest. Good. Hopeful. A dream I've kept with me, safe, out of harms way, in a secret place, for 26 years. It was, is, to make films. To be director, a writer, a filmmaker.

It's a simple dream. A clear one. It's remained the same for over quarter a century and most of my life. Never changed. At no point did I ever want to be anything else. Not that people didn't suggest I move on, try something new, when things weren't going my way. But I'm stubborn like that. I dug my heals in so long ago the ground has grown around my legs. But the further I go, the harder it gets. The closer I get, the further it seems.

I'm closer now then ever to realising that dream, and like any dream that you want to make real, you have to work bloody hard at it, harder than people know, could know, unless they've done something similar. Film for me is not a job, or a lifestyle choice, it's a vocation, akin to an aid worker, a priest, a missionary. For me, it's as close to religion as I'm ever going to get. It is my religion. It's something I am, not something I've chosen. So it's not something I can just stop, decided it's not working and find another career.

In saying that, it seems life, reality, circumstance is trying to do just that. I've sacrificed hugely. I've forced my wife to sacrifice hugely. And now I hold the future of our daughter in my hands. I'm in the same boat as half the country financially, so I'm not going to get on my soap box about that. Needless to say the boat is full of holes and sinking fast.

Ironically at the same time as the end appears to be approaching, I'm working on bigger projects and new opportunities are appearing. I'm just hoping the end of this stage of life aligns with the beginning of the life I want. Because if my ship comes in, I better be ready to jump from this leaky vessel. Of course, if it sinks first, then I'm done anyway.

Reality is weighing heavily now. I still don't make money as a filmmaker. And I need to start making money. I've found myself amid those shelves again. Looking for the door. Trying to hold onto that nine-year olds dream. It's as honest and good as it ever was, but it's not simple anymore and there is less hope for it. It's a long held promise that I don't want to break.

There will come a day, very soon, this year perhaps, when I will have to decide and maybe break that promise, let go the dream. Time will have run out. I just hope those boats align. I hope the next time I'm browsing those shelves it's to catch a proud glimpse of one of my own films. For that I keep going. For work and the love of writing I keep hoping. And I am hopefully still. The wolf is at the door, yes, but my house is made of stronger stuff than bricks -it made from dreams.

Let's Get Digital.

The Derelict Digital Poster.

In other big news; the edit is complete. It's a picture lock! Quite the milestone. There is still a lot of work to do. We have the sound mix to complete, which includes sound design and adding an extra layer of depth to the film. Then we go to The Element for the colour grade and finishing of the film for screening. So we're close, but yeah, work still to do. I would like to be finished end of June, beginning of July. Hopefully we can get there! It's shaping up that way though.

I'm looking forward to getting the film complete, obviously! It's two years in the making! I'm excited to start showing people. I haven't shown it to many people, only the producers and obviously the people working on the post production side of things. I almost did, I was tempting, but then I decided to save it. I've shown people my films too early in the past. It can be helpful, but I think it takes some of the shine off of it when you're showing 5 slightly different versions of something. I'd rather unveil the piece and let it be.

I know some people are going to like it, some not, some will be surprised, others disappointed, but that's the nature film, it's the nature of the edit. You work toward the overall, you lose some good men along the way, but in the end, your goal is the mission (war analogy there, hope it worked?!... and by men I mean scene... not actors... probably shouldn't have gone with the war analogy!) All I can do is make what I think is best, put it out there, and let it find it's own audience. Then it's on to the next one... hopefully!

Poster Post.

Above are a series of posters I've designed for Derelict. I've called them the "Character" series, each pitching one character against another, and of course the larger with all the characters, and the building.

Don't know if these are going to be the final posters or if they get used beyond the internet. But they were fun to do.

Hands Up For Festival News.

'Raise My Hands' opens the Sonoma Film Festival today, ahead of Luc Besson's film 'The Lady', which is quite the honour. I wish I could be there to represent, but can't, thankfully writer and producer Elliot Kotek is in attendance. Looking forward to hearing how it goes down. I'd almost given up on that film, I really liked it and was quite proud of it when it was done, but for one reason or another it looked like it may never be releases, so I had resigned myself to that being the case. Luckily it wasn't. And after a slow start we're now riding high on the festival circuit.

As mentioned before we had Heartland, Byron Bay International and coming up we have the Newport Beach Film Festival and the Tokyo Short Shorts International Film Festival (an Academy Award qualifying festival!). Again - huge honours. I'm very excited about them. There are a few coming up after, but we can't announce anything yet. So all good.

We're in the news a little bit, you can read articles on IFTN and Film Ireland, below a clipping from one of my local newspapers, the Drogheda Leader.

In other news, I'm still finishing Derelict, still on the hunt for a sound designer. Dermot O'Mahony is working on the score at the moment, the temp was working really well, but now it's a matter of making it fit and complement the action. The Element are waiting for all the final cut to start work. I'm aiming for an end of June finish. I'm looking forward to getting it done and starting to show people. I'm happy with how the cut has turned out. Still a little bit to do, but we're almost there.

Hopefully plenty of cool news to come, on Derelict and on other projects ticking away in the background. More soon.

Three for Free!

I've put two of my short films online. Now for the first time Emily's Song is available to watch for free. Emily's Song was my first short film, shot in 2005, released in 2006, went on to screen at 30 film fests around the world, won some awards, found distribution and was broadcast on RTE and Channel 4, as well as appearing on several 'Best of Fest' dvd boxsets.

Slan was shot in 2009 in the middle of production on 140, so I a little distracted and the film never got the push it deserved. However RTEs Nationwide did a feature on the subject of the film, the last of the rent collectors, and RTE picked it up for broadcast last year.

Warning: Contains images of Violence and Strong Language from the start.

Of course not forgetting that 140 is still available!

Enjoy! Comments and welcome, questions answered!

Addition: Or should I say, Subtraction - 140 is now for sale on Seed&Spark!

A Handful of News

Few little bits and pieces:

Derelict edit officially begins tomorrow (Monday 20th) with John Murphy. I made a stab at it, but decided best to get some help. (Thanks John!)

Raise My Hands is an Official Selection at this years Byron Bay International Film Festival in Australia Screening Saturday March 10th. Looks like a great festival. I wish I could go. I bypassed Byron Bay when I was backpacking in Australia and have always regretted it. And at the Sonoma International Film Festival in California in April.

140 is still free on Vimeo and on the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland youtube channel (thanks guys). It's had over 300 views since I but it up on Monday, which is nice. Hopefully many more.

My next project is sloooowly coming together, but it is getting there. So more about that later. It's exciting.

Got some headshots done by the very talented photographer Fiaz Farrelly (he did the supercool black & white shots on Derelict - one such picture above on the banner) Here's one shot. Some suggested I looked like a character from The Wire... I'll take that!

I also launched a new website about me and my work, it's all here on the blog, but it's a handy thing to have, more contained I suppose. Check it out here.

That's all for now. Bit of a rubbish blog entry, but it's been a quiet week. More later.

140 is Free

I've decided to put '140' online for free. So it's free to watch, share and download. I feel like this is in keeping with the spirit of the film, and something I probably should have done earlier. It's a film about sharing. Everyone who was involved shared a little piece of their world with the rest of the world. I don't want to keep that to myself now that the festival run is over. I'd rather people see the film, then it sit unseen on my computer!

I think when this film began, back in 2009 (wow!) I was just discovering Twitter and the internet was, still is, evolving. I hadn't quite seen the power of sharing yet. And now with the SOPA debate ragging worldwide I've been reading, listening to, looking at a lot of opinions on this argument. The general consesious among artists seems to be to just get it out there. Don't be precious. Share. And only good will come.

So, I've decided to stop being old school about it and put it up. So here it is 140 Filmmakers 140 Locations 140 Seconds - 140. RT. Share. Repost. Share. Enjoy!

Addition:
The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland have put the film up on their youtube channel too:

Coming Around The Corner.

OK, use DSLRs if you want! I have to admit, I wrote that at 2am, feeling somewhat grumpy because I kept having to go back to files that would convert and render them in the timeline, which was taking forever! I'm an advocate for making films however you can. So if you're going out to make your first film, or just another film and you don't have much money, use what you can. DSLRs give you a good look for very little money. So why not. It kind of contradicts the blog post previous to tell you not to use them... so here i am contradicting myself again! But hey, I'm only human!

I'm working away on the Derelict edit still, a couple of small problems have delayed me and really made me think more about getting a real editor on board. I figured I would do it myself, at least at the beginning, just because it was cheap, I could work on it in my own (of which I have very little of I'm finding out) and also the fact I have no money left and probably no more coming at this point. Also, I've cut all my own films up until now (except for Emily's Song). But this is a feature film, it's different, it needs something more and another, professional, eye. So as I continue to work on it, I've started looking into that.

I'm trying to get another project up and running at the same time, have been for a couple of months now. Bigger project than this, but still some work to do before I can talk about it. So probably pointless even mentioning it, except to show that even when one project is being finished the next one is always coming around the corner. I think it's important to be thinking of what's next and letting it simmer on the back burner, ready to move onto the boil. Anyway, hopefully I can talk about it soon. If it comes together it'll be a good one.

Meantime, back tot he edit. You've seen the new poster below, I quite like it. Hopefully there'll be a trailer of some sort up in the next few weeks too. There's enough up to cut one, but it's getting to it!

More soon.

Ed. Dit. Ting.

I'm editing. It's 2am. I am up, when I should be sleeping, trying to join to scenes so I have one long completed scene assembled. Trying to find needles in haystacks. Doesn't help when MPEG streamclip decided not convert a bunch of DSLR files, so if I don't seem to be finding the take I know should be there, chances are it's in the un-converted files, which means rendering on the timeline, which means hours of my life down the toilet, creative momentum out the window and the will to live seeping out my pours.

Don't us DSLR camera to shoot a movie people, just don't, they're cheap, they're trendy, but they're a pain in the ass. And honestly, I'm not a fan of the look. I wanted to use 2 Sony EX1 cameras on Derelict, but one didn't arrive, so I used what I had, Canons, they work fine and really it does look good, it'll work, but I do much prefer the look of the Sony, and there have been no issues whatsoever with the sony files. Just save yourself a whole heap of headaches and use movie cameras to shoot movie. Use the canons for stills.

Sorry, I'm tired and a little cranky! The film is coming together though. I'm happy with what I've assembled. But I still have a lot of work to do. I'm hoping to have the film assembled in a week or two, but then comes the creative part! Putting some shape and pace to it, creating a tone, finding the film it is, will be and will remain forever. They say a film is never finished, only abandoned - I'm hoping to abandon this one at the end of February, beginning of March for entry into the Cannes Film Festival. Whatever my chances are, I don't know, I'm not really thinking about it or worried about it, but it's a deadline, and deadlines are useful!

OK, my file has rendered. Back to the edit... sorry, this was kind of a crap post! More of a rant/update. More soon!

Oh, here's the new teaser poster.

Wanna make a movie in 2012?

I got an email a couple of days ago from a young filmmaker starting out who asked for some advice. Here’s what I wrote back.

It's often hard to give advice, for two reasons, one; everyone's situation and journey are different. And two; I still feel like I'm starting out and haven't really achieved what I hope to.

When you ask how I got into the film industry? I have to be honest, I'm not actually IN the film industry, I'm very much on the outside as an independent filmmaker. I make my own films without support or financial backing. But I'd be happy to share with you how I do that.

First, I don't make money at it, and if you go down this road chances are you wont make money at it either. I've never made any profit making films. I've sold a couple yes, but only ever broken even once. In saying that, I don't do it for the money!

In putting a film together it begins with the script, as you know, I think this is the most important and crucial stage. It's so easy to get excited and run in all guns blazing without a finished or ready script. What will happen is your film will being to fall apart, you might get it shot, but in the edit, everything you should have spent time on in the writing will be become all to apparent. It's worth spending time on the script, besides, that’s the only free part of the process! So take advantage!

When the script is ready and you want to start putting it together I would begin with a crew, people you know and trust. They don't have to be professionals, they don't have to be the best in the world, but so long as they know what they're doing and understand what you want. Try to find a DOP first, a good sound recordist is important (sound is KEY, especially at this level, you can get away with a lot visually, but if you have bad sound - your film is ruined!) - the rest of the crew will come as you move forward.

I would suggest keeping it to a skeleton crew, 8 - 10 people. At this level, everyone's going to be pitching in and doing multiple jobs. But I would say some important jobs (aside from camera and sound) would be continuity, you really need to have someone paying attention, taking notes and pictures, because if you're shooting out of sequence it can very quickly get out of hand. An Assistant Director, 1^st AD, someone to watch the clock, keep things moving and make sure everything and everyone are in the right place at the right time, someone who can take away the distractions and allow you to concentrate on directing and be creative.

Then begin to cast. You may know some actors already? Do any suit the parts? Maybe friends or colleagues have worked with actors they like? Meet with them, tell them about your script, see if you like them and could work with them. Make sure you see their work too. A mistake you don’t want to make is getting someone just because they've said yes. This goes for crew too. If they're bad it will damage your film and make it less believable. It will also be a nightmare to edit. You still need good people. You still need to do the best job you can, even if it is on a tiny budget and even if everyone has agreed to work for free and/or on deferral contracts (where you agree to pay them the daily minimum at least if and after the film goes into profit). They’re signing up to work, not hang around for a week.

Speaking of budget, if you want to shoot an independent short film, or even feature, you can do a lot with goodwill (people giving their time for free) - couple of things to remember, if people are working for free talk to them, let them know what's going on, let them know they are appreciated and thank them for their time. But don't let them get away with not working. If they are going to commit to helping then they need to help and not hinder! You can do this nicely and easily with a speech at the start of pre-production and again at the start of principal photography - something to the effect of "Thanks for coming, you're appreciated, but we have a tough week ahead and I need everyone to help me make a film we can all be proud of..." kind of thing. If someone is taking the piss and just getting in the way don't be afraid to ask them to leave.

Feed people!!!

Very important. In your budget make sure you have money to feed people, it's only fair! A well fed cast and crew are a happy cast and crew. A table with plenty of snacks, cookies, bars, plenty of fruit and sandwich making stuff, lots of water and tea and coffee. And one hot meal a day. Perhaps making soup available daily too. You can tell them there will be food, snacks and a hot meal, but perhaps suggest getting breakfast before they come and having dinner at home. Save yourself some cash.

Schedule your days realistically. I would suggest starting with breaking your script up into locations, even if in a house - shoot in one place until you have all the shots are got and then move on to the next location. It's easier and less time consuming that way. (Unless of course you're going handheld and following people in and out of rooms, it doesn't apply then) 

Again, if people are working for free, try to keep the shoot short, a week, two weeks max. If people are giving up their time their probably making financial sacrifices or passing up other opportunities, be conscious of that - but don't let it distract you, again, if they're committing to you then they've made their choice. But it's only fair that you don't ask too much of people, you might lose some good will otherwise. Ways around this if you're running over is to pull people aside and let them know what's going on, keeping people informed helps more then you think it will, or paying them, even if it's a small amount.

OK, back to budget and how to raise it.

1. Community fundraiser.

Have a fundraiser where you live. Find a venue, put on a comedy, rock, table quiz night. Charge people a small amount at the door €5 or €10, and then sell raffle tickets while the entertainment is going on to win sponsored prizes (you'll have to have local businesses donate prizes, this is also easier then you think... you will get people who will rudely dismiss you, which is humiliating, but you'll get more people who'll gladly help) I made €1000 for a short by doing this.

2. Auction.

Do you have artist friends? Do you know prominent artist? Have them donate work, set a reserve, which they get (if sold) and agree that you get the profit of the whatever is sold (some may even give you all the money) Go to a local gallery, art centre, something like that and ask them if you could host the night there, put on some wine and a light buffet. 

note: You will have to spend some money to do this. The old Spend money to make money. You will also have to do a lot of leg work to get people in the doors. Advertise. Posters. Try and get on local radio. People are also pretty good about sponsoring this stuff, just ask, the worst they can do is say no.

3. Online Crowdfunding

This is becoming increasingly popular. I've used it twice with great success, on two films, 140 and Derelict (my current film) Kickstarter is an American site and only available to American users, for now, but you should have a look at the pitch videos and other projects just to see how people put them together and how they pitch them. IndieGoGo is similar site you can sign up to from anywhere (Funit.ie in Ireland). And I believe there are others out there now.

Again, you have to push it and put the leg work in, no one's just going to just show up out of the blue and give you cash, you have to shout about it, get on facebook, twitter - It doesn't matter if you hate those sites, you want people to get behind the project you have to let them know about it and social networking is the best way to do that. We’re in the age of digital media and social network, it’s only an advantage to the independent filmmaker, use it… again – It’s Free!!!

You will need some cash, for food, some equipment rental, travel expenses, insurance and things that will inevitable pop up during the shoot. But you can make a film for next to nothing if you're clever and tenacious enough. You can get a descent short for €2000 if you want to put a little cash in to be sure. Don’t be a afraid to ask for things, for sponsorship, for free stuff, water, food, equipment, you never know what you might get.

With regard to equipment, lights, cameras, all you may need - get in touch with a local rental house, tell them what you're doing and ask if there is a way they can help, either by giving you a discount or by lending stuff for free off season, often places will do this, if they're cool they'd rather help out a young filmmaker then see the stuff lying there. After all, you may be a very good future customer and you're going to go to the place that helped you out first!

But I would say, don't let money stop you from making a film. If you want to make a film, you should. If you believe in it and start it, the money will come. Often, when people put money into a project it's not because the believe in the project so much, it's that they believe in you, and like to see people doing something creative and positive. So go do it, start it and it will happen.

It's a tough road, no question about that, and at some point you will ask yourself why you started it, I still do! But it is also very rewarding, and once you've made this film you're just going to want to get onto the next one.

Here’s a 10 point breakdown:

1. Get the script right.

2. Get people you know and trust involved early on.

3. Get a good cast.

4. Makes Sure people are committed.

5. Raise some funds, but don't worry too much about it.

6. Schedule you film.

7. Set a Date! Move toward it.

8. Feed people.

9. Communicate with people.

10. When directing, be assertive, confident, sure and put yourself in the centre of the room. You're the leader. You're the reason everyone's here. Remember that. 

Two bonus points:

Be nice to people.

Put some money aside for the wrap party!!!

Hope that helps you somewhat! As I said at the start, everyone’s journey is different so you may find your own ways of doing things. Tap every resource you have, you’ll get there.

Couple of books you should read to: Digital Filmmaking by Mike Figgis and Producing With Passion: Making Films That Change The World by Dorothy Fadiman and Tony Levelle (which is about making documentaries but so much of how to get a film up and running applies). Two of the best books I’ve read on how to make a film, because they’re practical, simple, constructive and inspirational.

So go on, go make a film in 2012, send it to me when you’re done! And don’t forget to enjoy yourself! You’re living your dream after all.


Addition: When looking for funding go to you local Council, they usually have an arts fund, ask about it. Some other organisations you may not expect may also have arts or education funds, some charities do, ask around, you might be surprised what you find.

Glance Back.

End of year. Stock taking time. Looking back. Reflection. What have I learned this year? A lot.

The year began as the previous had ended, trying to get Derelict off the ground. It was a slog. But we got there and the film got shot. Easy as chips. No, not really. It was hard work. But I'm happy with it. Happy with the experience. Worked out in the end. Although it was a tough shoot. One that left me drained and questioning whether or not I actually wanted to continue directing. But I got back on the horse. Got over it. Found my passion remained intact. I learned a few things along the way. To take with me to the next one.

140 won an award. Raise My Hands got into a couple of festivals. Slán agus Beannacht sold to RTE and was broadcast on national television. Couple of disappointments. Couple of interesting prospects. Doors began to open that had always remained shut. Even if only slightly. A crack. A sliver of light. But light nonetheless. And once there is light there is hope and once there is hope we keep moving forward.

So onward.

One thing I did learn, not so much learn as - have been reminded of - I need to listen to my instincts more, I need to remember my own vision, especially in the darkest times when all around are questioning the direction I'm leading them, because it was that vision that brought us there, and it will be that vision that leads us out, some may doubt, but as long I don't I know we'll get there. I have to have faith in myself, because if I don't - how can anyone else?

Faith, belief and strength moving forward. Happy Christmas all. Enjoy the holidays. And a very prosperous New Year.

A Dose of Reality.

I was a guest speaker at my old college today, Ballyfermot College of Further Education (or Senior College as it was known back in the day). I was an animation student, graduated in 2000. So I was asked to come in and talk to the same class, as it is now. I was delighted, if not a little apprehensive, to do so - just because I get nervous before these things, also because I almost flunked out of that college and because I didn't pursue animation afterward. So I was trying to find an angle to approach the talk from. I decided honesty was the best policy.

I wanted to give them a very real look at what it's like to be an independent filmmaker working outside the system, outside the industry. So I did. I'm a bit worried I may have depressed them!

I tried to be constructive, offer hints and tips, advice and direction and tell them how to go about putting a film together, without backing. But amid the constructive were the harsh realities, the lack of income, the toll on personal life, family and finances and the sacrifices required to pursue a creative life, a life where you're a working artist. It's not an easy one. It's not glamorous in the least. It's bloody hard work. It's pressure. Stress. And when you find yourself clasping you chest with pain walking up a hill and find yourself strapped to a heart monitor later that same day... can be questionable!

(For the record I didn't have a heart attack, it was anxiety from lots of different things going on at that time!)

I talked about everything I could get to in two hours. I admit I did find myself rambling at times. Going off script and losing my notes. But going back over them on the way home I found I hit most of the points I had hoped too. Also managed to show my 3 shorts and the first cut scene from Derelict (so bit of an exclusive there for them! - No one else is allowed to see it, so don't ask.)

I think I'm better at answering questions then just straight talking. I'm good in Q&As. But when I have to stand in front of a room and just talk I tend to ramble and lose my place! Hopefully I wasn't too bad today. Gareth Lee, the course co-ordinator who invited me to talk, said to me afterwards that he felt it was a dose of reality for them and probably not a bad thing!

I agree with that in one sense, I think it's good to see the real side of things, but I also like to be inspired and to inspire. I always remember Glenn Keane's lectures when I attended the school, I would come out of the class flying, zooming, buzzed and fueled for weeks to come. I don't feel like I did that, in fact, I know I didn't, so I'm a little disappointed. When I listen to my favourite directors speak I'm always inspired, and even when they tell the harsh realities of there life, I'm still inspired... I guess though it's because they're in a better place, they've made it, they are where they want to be.

I'm not there yet, I'm still on the outside, still struggling. So hopefully that will change soon. Hopefully I'll be able to go back in a few years and inspire, rather then frighten!

Something with Swords.

Here's an interesting thing.

In 2001, when I made the decision to fully commit to pursuing a career in film and started writing a kidnap crime thriller, my two top films of that year, that I drew a lot of inspiration from, were Memento and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

I have two kinds of films I love to watch, well, I love all kinds of films, but I always come back to two - the contained dark and violent crime thriller and the epic adventure.

This year, 2011, ten years on, having finally made my first feature film, a dark and violent kidnap crime thriller, I find that my two top films of this year are Drive, a smaller contained violent crime thriller, and 13 Assassins, an epic adventure (also an asian swordplay movie as it happens!)

Just found that interesting. A couple of full circle moments.

So I guess now that I've made my small crime thriller I'll have to make an epic adventure next...  something with swords!

Behind the Scenes

Some behind the scene shoots from various cameras on Set:

Base Camp. Two story below the floor we were shooting on we had our break room. It was a cozy little corner, food, fridge, tea and coffee, couches, chairs and a rug. Tech station for sound and camera. Room for make-up and props. Back to the Future, Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen hanging on the wall to watch over us. It was still chilly, dusty and I'm sure everyone was glad to see the back of it when they left!!! Still was a nice break from the pressure cooker of the top floor.

Everyone hanging out in between shots. I remember it was chilly, I never really felt the cold that much. I know it effected some people more than other... probably the ones who were hanging aroun for hours at a time, but I was constantly running around. But when we went back for the pick up in October, the temperature drop made me grateful we'd shot in September, then again in November! That was cold.

Steve gets Make-up from Mary Ellen while I figure out what we're doing next.

Setting up a shot, shooting day for night.

Roger Ryan, our Gaffer. He rigged most things on set, all the wiring, electricity, lights. He was always on hand with his trusty Duct tape. There would be a probably, I'd say 'Rog, we need this to do this so we can film this" - he would disappear for ten minutes and come back with some tool, or rig, or invented contraption I'd never seen before that would make it work. He also has a great attitude, brought levity. Employ this man on your set.

Below is Wendy Tinsley, John's girlfriend. She has been a friend for many years and has worked on all of my films in one form or another (even played a part in one of my dodgy amateur efforts back in the day). Wendy came to the mill on the Saturday before the shoot and spent the afternoon with me, John and roger sweeping up half a ton of pigeon shit! Thanks Wendy!

Steve Gunn, playing Davey-boy, takes a moment between scenes. I enjoyed working with Steve. He brings a lot of energy to the set and is fully commited to making the scene work, hitting the right beats and understanding everything each character is saying, why and where it leads. He builds the archs of each scene, each exchange and delivers.

Play-back. John shows Steve the last scene.

The Van Scene... Gerry Shanahan and Patrick O'Donnell. Patient Men! They waited around all evening to shoot this scene. It was supposed to be an easy day, this was the Tuesday and we didn't have Michael, so we only had two scenes to film with out him. I thought we'd be done by 8pm... we start shooting this scene at mid-night! I forget why. But the boys pulled it off.

Slightly evil look of from me! Pat was great to work with. He really changed the character of Tone to something all his own. It's a joy to watch an actor take something you've written, read it line for line, but change the character and meaning so completely you feel like you had nothing to do with it's creation. I was thrilled with Pat's take on the character. It was a surprise, and I love surprises!

Me below, dancing as I leave set!

 

Michael during pick-ups in October. The effects of the shoot beginning to show!

Michael was great to work with. As the lead of the film he set the tone and created the over mood of the piece. J became a dark, brooding character, one who tries to do good and keep himself contained. Michael did a great job of showing that. As he slipped into make-up and character I often felt bad for putting him in such a dark place, it must be a draining thing to portray someone so tormented... but then cameras would roll and I would feel so bad anymore.

That was a brief look behind the scenes. There should be some more pics to come and there is plenty of behind the scenes footage which I'll try to get up as I'm going through the edit.

Fully WRAPPED.

We shot the last day of pick-ups today, which included the opening scene, some pick-ups we dropped on the last pick-up days (so pick-up pick-ups) and an a final scene in the Mill between Michael Bates and Steve Gunn. Went great, really good. Couldn't have been better in fact. I was slightly worried about it because we were fighting against the light. First we were up at 4 am for a driving scene that had to be filmed on empty road in the dark, so we were fitting against the sunrise. And then later, we were shooting day for night and so fighting against the sunset... why is everything backwards in film?

Steve, Michael and John really pulled it off this morning in the van. I was left sitting in the back peeping through a window... which I almost went through at one point when Michael slammed on the breaks to hard and the entire contents of the back of the van slid toward me! It was a fun scene though. The lads read their lines and then improvised a lot of stuff. So I'm looking forward to cutting it.

We finished bang on 7am, just as the sun started to poke its head up. Then back to my house for a delicious breakfast as prepared by Maryann. Then back to the Mill for 9am. Shot the pick-ups with Michael we missed on the previous pick up days and then up stairs for a final, and important scene between J and Davey-boy.

It went great, the boys gave awesome performance, really ratcheted up the tension in a 6 minute one take wonder! It looked fantastic.

So that is it. Derelict is in the can. My first feature film. A dream I've had since I was small and an idea I've been working toward for 10 years. I'm feeling a bit sleepy right now (4am wake up call) but very happy, very satisfied, it feels like an achievement.

I want to thank everyone who was involved, who believed in it, me and stuck by me and the project.

The Cast: Michael Bates, Steve Gunn, Gerry Shanahan, Elaine Reddy, Rory Mullen, Catherine Wrigglesworth, Brian Fortune and Patrick O'Donnell.

The Crew: John Lawlor, Susan Downey, Richie Quinn, Marie Valarie Jeanalot, James Mullholland, Roger Ryan, Mary Ellen Darby, Eddie Quinn and Keith Ward.

Seek these people out. Work with them. Employ them. They are talented, reliable, hard working, committed and awesome.

To all the encouragers, supporters, sponsors, friend and family who stood by me and this project, my thanks.

But of course, as always, most of all, thanks to my wife Maryann, who bears the brunt of compulsion to make film! Who must be the practical thinker in our household. Who must figure out how to buy food and pay bills and balance life when I come in bright eyed and excited saying "I have a great idea for a film, I've already called the cast and crew and they're in, we're shooting in September..." She is the most patient and incredible woman I've ever known and I'm very very lucky to have her as my wife!

Thanks everyone. More new soon. Hopefully some footage. Maybe a trailer!

I'm off to lie down...

Picking Up

Post from a couple of weeks ago after pick-ups I forgot to post:

Just finished two days of pick-ups and feeling good about them. Saturday we shot 12 pages! Well done everyone, haven't done that since the madness of Day 1, way back when. We even managed to grab a couple of cool little extras with Patrick O'Donnell. He had only come in to (SPOILER!!!) lie unconscious in the background, but sure while he was around we threw in a few extra bits and pieces.

We picked up all the shots we dropped with Brian Fortune and Michael Bates, important scenes that needed the time by themselves, really the moral centre of the film. So I was glad to have the time just to concentrate of them. Admittedly we spent a long time concentrating on them!!! I thought we'd be finished the day's shoot at 9pm, maybe 10pm! We went till 3am!!! But that's nothing new. Still, it was good, we were getting nice stuff and remaining creative, even at the end of a very long day.

One lesson I've learned on this one, some worth baring in mind, for a reasonable day of shooting, where you're not stretching yourself, rushing, running into silly hours, 4 pages is probably realistic - and if it's a complicated fight scene, maybe just do that in a day. Although, in saying that, Derelict probably would have taken a month, of shooting everyday, and when people are working for free, giving generously of the time and talent, a month would just be impossible to ask. I hope I get the chance to repay, and pay everyone who worked on this with a paid gig at some point, and not one that's crammed into a short time period, but has room to breathe!

Again, in saying that, we got great stuff and for an ultra-low budget film shoot in a week, I think we did OK.

Today was complicated, we were shooting day-for-night (that's when you shoot during the day and colour it to look like night - quite common in film and when done right unnoticeable) So that meant we were burning daylight. We already lost the morning be we shot so late yesterday, giving us 5 hours to do 4 pages. Doable, sure, but again, fight scenes, and a stunt. Fights get fiddly. We were belting along, get stuff in the can one shot after another. But it's just incredible how time slips by on a film set.

So, we unfortunately ran out of sun before we were done and had to drop the end of one shot and another (short) scene entirely. We have to go back anyway so better to do it right than do something rushed, or unusable. It also meant we finish at 5pm, which was lovely!

Still one day to go. Feeling good about it overall and looking forward to getting back and finishing.

In the News

Just a quick one, have house guests so not much time to blog, but thought I'd post these before they passed.  Oh, and I came up with an idea for a sequel to Derelict which I might write!!!

Front page of IFTN, here's the article.

Recent article by the Drogheda Leader.

In the shadows. In the dark. Watching us.