February 2012 – EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS

God’s own light: My second weekend as co-producer+ on Out of Hours

I’m handing over the blog for the next couple of posts to the mighty Stuart Wright, co-writer, producer and man of many talents on short film Out Of Hours. The second weekend of shooting on location at a Central London office block saw a smaller crew, and a bigger challenge. There was plenty of footage still to get. How would our brave crew cope? Stu fills us in after the jump…

(as ever, please be mindful of the SPOILER ALERT)

Continue reading God’s own light: My second weekend as co-producer+ on Out of Hours

Darker Light: My Weekend As An AD – Day 2

Previously: I have volunteered to be second assistant director on a short film shoot directed by Leading Man Clive. I am desperately inexperienced, getting by on enthusiasm and a puppyish urge to please. We go into day two of the shoot with no illusions as to the size of the task ahead of us…

NOW READ ON, and be mindful that there is a SPOILER ALERT running…

Continue reading Darker Light: My Weekend As An AD – Day 2

Available Light: My Weekend as an AD – Day One

This weekend was something of a change from the norm for me. Instead of chiling out and maybe watching a movie, I was running around helping to make one. It was one of the most exhausting and rewarding couple of days I’ve spent in a looong time.

[Please note, there is a SPOILER ALERT in operation after the jump.]

Continue reading Available Light: My Weekend as an AD – Day One

Devil In The Details: Ghost Rider vs. Marvel

I finally caught the 2007 version of Ghost Rider over the weekend, and gave it two searing-hot thumbs up. It had the proper balance of pulpy horror fun that made the original comics such a joy. But an episode back in the real world has overshadowed the release of the sequel, out on Friday–and this is one battle that Johnny Blaze, and the man that brought him to life, are set to lose.

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Be Vewwy Quiet, We’re Hunting Banksys

A call to action hit my inbox last week, from that most damn’d elusive of characters, the pseudonymous documentarian DocoBanksy. “I need cutaways,” he declared. “I need fresh pics and footage of new graf from my namesake.” Like Sancho Panza to his Quixote, I could only respond affirmatively. I packed my go-bag with cameras and memory cards. On a fresh, bright Tuesday morning, DocoBanksy and I set out for an adventure.

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Fall

Spent a great day yesterday with that damn’d elusive docoBanksy, shooting a few cutaways just to fill in the odd gap in what is now an essentially locked project. More on that in the next post. For now, here’s a shot of the most recent graf from the man hisself, on a shuttered building in a quiet side street in Mayfair.

I’d like to see the scrapers get this one off the wall…

Hearing Things: The Artist and the illusion of silence

For many people, the fact that a black and white silent movie can play the multiplexes of the world and lead the Oscar nomination list in 2011is a reason to celebrate. The movie in question is marvellou, part pastiche, part loving tribute to a long-gone era. But the thing is, everyone shouting about The Artist is only half right. Sure, it looks gorgeous thanks to Guillaume Schiffman’s luminous monochrome cinematography.

But The Artist is no silent movie.

(some spoilers after the cut.)

Continue reading Hearing Things: The Artist and the illusion of silence

The Saturday Shot: Sun Arise

God, it’s cold. Cycling to the station this morning, a ten minute run, leaves me unable to feel my fingers even in thick leather gloves, and my face aches and stings on the train as it slowly warms up after the sub-zero shock. It feels like I’ve been slapped in the kisser. Hot coffee becomes a necessity, not just to wake me up, but to bump my core temperature back up to operating levels.

But thank the gods, at least it’s not dark when I travel in now. We’re past the pit of winter, out of the doldrums, and the vicious cold has a sweet spot–beautiful clear skies and stunning sunrises. I love the deep Wedgewood blues graduating down to a warm citrussy orange at the horizon line. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can catch a real stunner.

Getting up early on a Saturday does have its benefits.