So what have I been up to?

Regular readers of my blog will know I quit my old job with the Job Centre last April. SO, what have I been doing since - apart from winning thousands of dollars at poker and catching the gay?

Well, I have been learning film production. I am doing, for want of a better phrase, an apprenticeship with a local director and producer. In return for my time (read un-paid), I have been helping him produce a short movie called Cinema of Horror. We shoot at the end of Feb for 7 days. Through Peter Kershaw, of Duchy Parade Films (www.duchyparadefilms.co.uk) I met his Production Manager, a young film maker called Duncan Laing who has already worked for the BBC and on Hollyoaks. Duncan (aged 22!) has made 3 short films - all of which have been shown on Sky. He has written a short horror film called Bitten which he decided to shoot as the Cinema of Horror roadshow gathered steam. Duncan asked me to be his Production Manager.

This basically had me in charge of all aspects not concern with the actual filming (sound, camera, lighting, and make-up), from location to props to set dressing, and a hundred and one other little jobs; all designed to make the directors job easier, so he can think of shots and direction and other arty-farty stuff ;)

And all I can say is I rose to the challenge. I obtained use of an empty Victorian Terrace house in Knaresborough (free), obtained furniture enough to kit out the rooms we needed (free) and generally was a quite a clever clogs.

Also watch out for my Oscar winning performance as The Shadow! dun dun DUNNNN! ;)

We shot this weekend! And it was a fantastic experience. We hired a professional actress from Liverpool called Claire Wilson, and she was phenomenal!

Bitten is a PROPER horror, with blood by the bucket full, and a make-up transformation that was amazing to see. Duncans make-up girl Hannah was unbelievably good. Like Duncan also very young, very keen, and very good!

I wont given the story away because I will post the film here in due course. Instead here are a few production stills taken (mostly) by me.

Sleep tight. Dont have nightmares!



PS. Peter has asked me to be his Location Manager for Cinema of Horror. This is quite a responsibility as it includes the logistics (parking, water, power, toilets, permissions) of 12 locations around the area, from Almscliffe Crag (shoot-out) to Cartwright Hall in Bradford (Bollywood dance number with 20 dancers and 20 crew) or Virgin Megastore in Leeds). Fun times ahead. Watch this space.


PPS. Bitten will premier at the Bradford International Film festival in March in the Short Films catagory, and Peter intends Cinema of Horror to be shown at the Cannes. Venice, Berlin, and London film frstivals. He will get working on that after he returns from the Berlin film festival couple of weeks time. He's there raising money for the feature film he is directing and producing next. ;)