I’ve noticed something. Stephen Woolley, the British Film Producing legend, has been appearing at significant points in my career to sprinkle magic on it. I’ve never worked with him, probably only exchanged a few sentences with him in the space of 21 yrs and yet he’s played a part in a number of the highlights. Has Stephen got special powers?…

Anyway, here are the markers in mine and Stephen’s relationship

1. In 1990 I made my first film – a half hour documentary about the Scala cinema (aka Sodom Odeon) in London’s King’s Cross. Stephen was one of the founders of the cinema and therefore responsible for its distinctive programme and all night culture. He’d moved on to Palace by 1990 but kindly gave an interview to a very nervous young director.

1. Cut to 2004. Stephen was a panel member for The Turner Classic movies shorts prize. They gave my short film ‘Brown Paper Bag’ third prize in the competition. Although we didn’t win, the resulting exposure almost certainly helped raise the film’s profile in the run up to the BAFTA’s which we most certainly did win!

1. 2010 After years of development hell and unfulfilled expectation created by the BAFTA wins, myself and the producer of Brown Paper Bag, Natasha Carlish decided enough was enough, we were gonna ‘just do it’, a decision which led to making ‘Turbulence’, my first feature film. It just so happened that Natasha had been able to secure Stephen as her mentor (I had no part in this) on the guiding lights scheme at that very same time. She showed him the rough cut I’d mostly put together (no money for an editor), which was painful but turned out to be extremely useful. Stephen declared the film to be not at all his cup of tea, then went on to say something like the following (I wasn’t there you see)

‘but its not really about me, who is your target audience? Show it them and see what they make of it’

We went away and set up test screenings for Turbulence, there were none in the pipeline before this moment. I’ve written some blogs about them and the experience of that. Let’s just say it was a total revelation, not only one of the highlights of making the film, I’d go so far as to say it has completely shifted the way I see the film making process. I had no idea that was coming. Its too early to say what the result will be of this particular revelation but it feels significant.

So, Mr Woolley, I thank you very, very much and look forward to seeing you for the first time in seven years at this Saturday’s ‘Scala Forever’ event at the Cinema Museum in London this Saturday 17.9.11. They’re showing my documentary and there’ll be a panel talking about the cinema’s legacy and what not too. Cant wait!

http://www.cinemamuseum.org.uk/visit

http://www.scalaforever.co.uk

http://www.turbulencefilm.com

Wednesday 14^th September at the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath-be amongst the first to come and see comedy feature film TURBULENCE in the very place it was created. The film features many of your favourite bands and almost every part of the Hare & Hounds! Screenings at 7.30 and 9.30 and tickets are £5 on the door or click the Ticketbud logo below to purchase tickets now. If you require further information e-mail info@dreamfinder.net

Click logo above to purchase tickets now

For more information on ADR, check out this website – http://filmsound.org/terminology/adr.htm

By Michael

I had an extraordinary day in Stratford last week, which I would like to describe in reverse order. Now, I’ve never been a fan of Stratford Upon Avon, which is a shame because my ancestors are from the area. I think its because the place never seemed to live up to the world famous name. Any time I’ve been there, I’ve felt as if I could just as well have been in any other Midlands Town and Solihull Town Centre in particular. Now, the end of my day in Stratford changed all that because I went to visit the new look Royal Shakespeare Company. The tower they have built on the edge of the building is a stroke of genius. You go up and suddenly you get a whole new perspective on things – the river, the church where Shakespeare is buried, the Warwickshire countryside around you. Suddenly, Stratford was much more than traffic jams, tourists and small houses, much more than shopping malls dressed in tudor beams.

Inspired by this I decided that the top of the tower was the best place to make a call to Turbulence producer Natasha Carlish and tell her about my afternoon at Stratford College. Julia and I had just shown the film to thirty three 17 year olds who had been very enthusiastic indeed.  Natasha had also shown the film in Hereford that day and we exchanged notes excitedly. Indeed, Stratford may have been a breakthrough moment. Whilst older audiences have been positive about the film, it felt as though this age group wanted to ‘wear the t shirt’, they wanted to make it theirs. This is going to be so vital to our film because we have none of the tools available to a big budget movie and our success will be built entirely on an engaged and enthusiastic audience. Perhaps the feeling in the room can be summed up by one audience members description of watching the film –

‘It was like going to a party. At first you don’t know anyone, then you relax, have a drink maybe, and then by the end you think I JUST LOVE THESE PEOPLE!’

Exciting, no?

My own feeling at the top of the tower, on a sunny afternoon, after a screening like that can be summed up by the bard –

‘My crown is called content, a crown that seldom Kings enjoy’

We are so thrilled to be able to tell you that we have been successful in our bid for completion finance from SWM and we are in the process of signing contracts! 

THIS MEANS WE CAN FINISH THE FILM AND SET IT ON ITS JOURNEY INTO THE BIG WORLD!

We still have a small amount of money to raise but we are confident that we’ll be able to do this. 
We may well be using a crowd funding site to do this so watch this space. 
We have already engaged an editor and started the process as of last week. 

We have numerous plans and ideas for distribution of the film and we’ll keep you updated with news via the website, facebook & twitter. 

If all goes according to our schedule we plan to have test screenings of the film during the second half of May and early June and to have the finished film ready to deliver Friday 22nd July. We’ll certainly be calling on all of you to help us find test audiences and screening venues.

We will be aiming to have a big cast, crew and anyone who has contributed screening the following week-that is last week of July- probably in Birmingham. 

We then hope to organise a series of screenings at music festivals and bars and to enter the film for its festival premiere at SXSW in Austin, Texas March 2012. 

We will be asking you to work with us in raising awareness of the film, getting people hooked into the re-launch of the social media campaign to follow very shortly and ultimately to buy the DVD/go and see it in the cinemas when the time comes! 

I know we have a great film on our hands but its success is going to be down to all of us doing everything we can to get as many people as we can from across the globe to see it and SPREAD THE WORD. Hollywood movies have marketing budgets of millions of pounds – WE HAVE YOU!

In the meantime, hope you enjoy the first trailer (will post it shortly), I think its fab and it owes its creation to Nat, Adam, Michael and Stav. We need you all to SPREAD THE WORD and to CELEBRATE the fact that you are part of such an amazing project! So tell/tweet/facebook/poke/blog/mail/carrier pigeon/message in a bottle everyone you know and get them watching the trailer, signed up to the Facebook page and subscribed to the website.

And remember “there are no limits, only your quest for them.” Christian

Natasha, Michael & Julia

Here’s some coverage the Turbulence movie received last month whilst the crew were back in Birmingham shooting the final scenes from the Birmingham Post and the Birmingham Mail. Thanks to both publications for their support.

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