Today we’re joined by Director and Composer Raine McCormack to talk classic Hammer horror, and share our mutual love for The Wicker Man as we discuss his film The Village in the Woods, out on-demand in the UK now.
Producer Robbie McKane catches up with Raine at the BFI LFF 2019 whilst Creator and host Giles Alderson gets some much deserved rest after his shoot on the upcoming Arthur & Merlin: Knights of Camelot. Eager listeners may be in for a bonus episode later this week…
Robbie and Raine chat about staying motivated throughout a lengthly production, using music to help with the writing process, getting funding together for a feature film the Kevin Smith/Robert Rodriguez way.
We also talk film scores and sound design, as Raine has a background in music and in true John Carpenter fashion scored The Village in the Woods himself.
Director and screenwriter Rowan Athale joins us today to discuss his new film Strange But True, out on-demand in the UK now.
We learn about how Rowan broke into the industry by producing shorts and commercials, eventually leading to his debut film Wasteland (known in the UK as The Rise) starring Timothy Spalland Vanessa Kirby, a script that he refused to sell without being attached as director (a trick he learned from Stallone’s fight to make Rocky).
Producer Robbie McKane flies solo on this episode, and we hear from Giles as he hits the halfway mark on his location-based shoot for Arthur & Merlin: Knights of Camelot
Actors, writers and lifelong friends Emily Mortimer and Dolly Wells join us today to discuss their new film Good Posture, out in cinemas this week on October 4th.
We learn about their inspirations, how they write, co-create and collaborate on set, in both Good Posture and their hit sitcom Doll & Em
Dolly tells us a bit about her own background and her inspiration from childhood to act, write and now direct, the pair discuss the politics of being friends whilst dealing with the director/actor dynamic. Emily shares insight from the actor’s perspective and good approaches filmmakers can have.
Giles is still fighting dragons in Wales whilst shooting Arthur and Merlin: Knights of Camelot, so sitting in today are directors Phil Hawkins and Christian James with producer Robbie McKane.
Legendary screenwriter and director David Koepp joins us to discuss his work on Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible, Death Becomes Her, Carlito’s Way and Panic Room.
We learn about his writing process, collaberation with directors Steven Speilberg, Brian De Palma, Robert Zemeckis and David Fincher.
David also speaks about his new book Cold Storage, a sci fi thrill-ride with a potent cocktail of microbiology, body horror and clandestine government storage facilities, we discuss his research approach and the differences in writing a book and a script.
With Giles on location shooting Arthur and Merlin: Knights of Camelot, prodcer Robbie McKane is joined by Phil Hawkins and Christian James.
This week we sat down with editor Colin Goudie who regales us with his wonderful stories about editing the incredible Gareth Edwards film Monsters and Star Wars: Rogue One.
How both films differed in budget but yet were the same in terms of emotion and making sure the story is key.
Phil Hawkins tells us about his Star Wars fan film: Origins and how it took 3 years to make and why he wanted to make a fan film in the first place especially after having made 5 feature films in the past.
We talk about Colin Goudie’s background, leaving school at 15, going to art college, learning 35mm B&W stills photography – Going to film school, learning to tell stories with individual still photos – Putting himself forward for jobs on student films, making himself useful – Breaking into the industry as a runner, getting hired by the BBC as an editing assistant.
We talk Colin’s first meeting Gareth Edwards whilst working on BBC programming ‘Atilla’. How he working on Monsters and the unusual film production style, entirely improvised, no script, 120 hours of rushes, a fitting challenge to even an experienced editor.
This episode is in collaboration with ScreenCraft. If you’re writing a action/adventure screenplay, you’ll want to know about ScreenCraft’s latest Screenplay Competition, open to feature film screenplays. This year’s industry jury includes executives from Fox Searchlight, Paramount, Kaplan/Perrone and LBI Entertainment. ScreenCraft’s past winners have gone on to sign with major agencies and management companies, and they’ve been hired to write for studios and sold screenplays to producers. Get your feature film screenplay to the 2019 ScreenCraft Action/Adventure Screenplay Competition! Early bird deadline now available. Learn more at ScreenCraft.org.
If you haven’t heard of Raindance yet, you definitely need to check them out! They’re a Film School and Film Festival based in London, and they’ve been supporting independent film for the past 27 years. The best way to find out more about what they do is to attend their upcoming Taster Day on Saturday 31st August at 11am at the Raindance Film Training Centre. You’ll get a real taste of their world-renowned evening and weekend filmmaking courses and workshops about directing, screenwriting and producing, while gaining invaluable introductory knowledge and tips on how to break in the film industry. And, there’s a networking drinks session at the end where you’ll be able to start building your film-making contacts. Because you’re listening to the Filmmakers Podcast, you can get all this for free! Just enter our exclusive discount code: OPENPODCAST19 when booking at checkout”. Booking link: http://bit.ly/RDOpenHouse
Shout out to our podcast producer/editor Robbie McKane (follow him here @RobbiemcKane)
ON THIS WEEKS PODCAST Bert Marcus dropped in for a chat with Giles Alderson to chat how he makes his Indie films and documentaries.
Bert Marcus’ production company BMP has been in the industry for over a decade and has released critically acclaimed documentaries such as Teenage Paparazzo (2010), How To Make Money Selling Drugs (2013), Champs (2015), What We Started (2018) and The American Meme (2018) that was most recently released on Netflix and has been trending for over a month since its release. He’s also worked with A-listers like Matt Damon, 50 Cent, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Susan Sarandon, Denzel Washington, Mike Tyson, Paris Hilton, Hailey Baldwin and more.
Giles and Bert talked about using the documentary form as an accessible, lower budget start for filmmakers including his produced features – Teenage Paparazzo, How to Make Money Selling Drugs.
How starting starting small, simple, basic and creating a track record of good work can take you a long way. The talk pitching unique views on each project, selling on concepts and selling on characters and having an open approach to storytelling, being flexible with the documentary form They discuss Champs – his directorial debut, A Boxing Doc starring Mike Tyson. How he acquired big names, reaching out to high grade talent on a personal level and he gets honest interviews in documentaries. We talk Documentary work vs. Fiction, different approaches and his future ambitions And we discuss The American Meme – his latest doc, which was selected at the Tribeca Film Festival 2018 and was acquired by Netflix, How it came about, observing the over saturation of social media with stars such as Paris Hilton and following key influencers, documenting a current trend, and sparking a dialogue.
AMERICAN MEME trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms8OdjWJRPY
LINKS
MAKE YOUR FILMreturns with hosts Giles Alderson and Dom Lenoir for a fourth installment after three incredible past events. Tickets http://bit.ly/2Zjma3s Bridging the gap between Independent and high budget films, with the most insightful panel talks and network around – we are delighted to announce…. OUR FIRST SPEAKER : Director & Producer James Kent James has Directed some of Hollywood’s greatest talents including Alicia Vikander, James Franco, Kiera Knightley, Taron Egerton, Kit Harington, Dominic West, Rebecca Ferguson and George MacKay on films such as ‘The Aftermath’ and ‘Testament of Youth’ and an expansive catalogue of high level Television projects. Moving from documentary, to tv drama to film in quick succession he has rapidly risen to be one of our top Directing talents. Join us from 6.45 at our brand new location at THEATRE DELI which has a full bar for a more relaxed networking time before the incredible guests arrive to talk. Tickets: https://apple.co/2Z9SWnB
This episode is sponsored by The Tracking Board, featuring the Launch Pad screenwriting competitions. The Launch Pad competitions are the industry’s most effective writing competitions. To date, over 400 writers have signed with managers and agents through Launch Pad’s annual competitions. Over 100 screenplays have been optioned or purchased. And 6 Launch Pad-winning screenplays have stared bidding wars among the major studios. Learn more at TBLaunchPad.com – and consider joining The Tracking Board as a member to get real-time access to The Tracking Board’s industry tracking. The Tracking Board covers spec screenplay sales for Hollywood, industry news and jobs. Learn more at Tracking-Board.com.
Here’s some exciting news from our friends at Raindance! Get unrivalled access to the UK’s largest independent film festival, showcasing the best in shorts, features, documentaries, music videos, web series and VR from around the world, by buying a Raindance Film Festival Pass with a 20% discount. Just enter PODCAST20 at checkout: http://bit.ly/Raindance2019Passes
The wonderful and highly fun director, writer and VFX superstar Hasraf ‘Haz’ Dulull sat down with Giles Alderson and Robbie McKane to chat how he went from VFX work on The Dark Knight to making his own films ‘The Beyond’ and ‘2036 Origin Unknown’ and his TV show Fast Layne.
We chat about his star in video games making cut scene graphics in an autonomous self-starting role. How he moved into the VFX film industry – specialised in compositing (combining different VFX elements into the final film) and pioneered the use of Shake and Combustible applications
How he worked on studio films culmulating in The Dark Knight for Christopher Nolan where a custom version of Shake was used to accommodate the 5K IMAX film
How he worked on commercials in VFX – moved up the rungs to lead compositor then VFX supervisor and As VFX supervisor was able to get a good perspective of production – began to work as a ‘shadow director’ on some CG sequences in documentary work.
We discuss how he began working on short films and building his own team where he gathered attention for his shorts in Cannes, developed relationships with Paramount and Fox for screenwriting and developing projects.
How he put is own money he had planned to buy a house on the line for his first feature – The Beyond, based on his successful short Project Cronos.
Used caché from The Beyond to push his next feature ‘2036 Origin Unknown’ over the line and then used both of those features to pitch for Fast Layne a VFX heavy Disney TV series
SCREENCRAFT – The ScreenCraft team are dedicated to helping connect emerging writers and filmmakers with career opportunities. Through talent-discovery programs and education for screenwriters, ScreenCraft has helped hundreds of writers meet and sign with literary managers, option their screenplays to Hollywood producers, get hired by major studios, get staffed on TV shows, and meet other industry creative professionals.. If you are planning to make a short film, check out ScreenCraft’s 2019 Short Screenplay Competition which is now accepting submissions, featuring judges from Cannes, Sundance, Short of The Week, and Shorts TV. Submit your short screenplay before the final deadline on July 31st. Learn more about the ScreenCraft Short Screenplay Competition at ScreenCraft.org.
Additionally, ScreenCraft has partnered with BondIt Media Capital to offer grants of up to $30,000 dollars to independent filmmakers worldwide. The ScreenCraft Film Fund is currently accepting applications at ScreenCraft.org.
Joining Giles Alderson (The Dare) and Christian James (Fanged Up) this week are film-making duo Stéphanie Joalland & Sean McConville from Frenzy films who discuss how they make their films. From writing, raising finance and getting them seen.
Stéphanie Joalland grew up in a small town in Brittany, France. She moved to America to study producing, directing and screenwriting at UCLA where she graduated in 2008. After writing, co-producing and directing her first feature film THE QUIET HOUR, Stéphanie is now developing her next projects as a writer/director: THE SEEDLING and ICE. Stéphanie is an alumna of Berlinale Talents and IFP Emerging Narrative in New York.
Sean McConville began his career as a Special Effects technician on big budget studio films, including STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE, MORTAL KOMBAT, and James Bond movies GOLDENEYE and TOMORROW NEVER DIES. Sean has a Master of Arts Degree in Screenwriting from the London College of Communications. After graduating LCC Sean moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA, and graduated in 2004. Sean’s debut feature film as a writer/director, DEADLINE, starred Brittany Murphy and Thora Birch, showcased at Berlin, Cannes, and the American Film Market in Los Angeles, where it sold for distribution to 40 territories around the world including the U.S.
Our sponsors: PERFORMANCE INSURANCE https://www.astonlark.com/performance/ They are our insurance company who have been providing insurance for the Media Industry for over 20 years, offering bespoke policies on both annual and short term insurance visit our website www.astonlark.com/performance or call 02082564929 and mention us!
Raindance aims to show the boldest and most innovative work that
challenges the boundaries of filmmaking. And, they’re an Academy Award
and BAFTA-qualifying festival for short films, and a BIFA-qualifying
festival for British films. Submit your film by 26th April with the
Early Bird fee, and get 20% off on your submission with the discount
code PODCAST 20.https://filmfreeway.com/Raindance
Dominic Brunt joins us to chat acting, film-making and directing horror & thriller indie films. He chats going from acting in Emmerdale, A TV soap to directing horror movies via running a zombie short film festival which got him and his wife Joanne Mitchell talking about making their own movie which they did with Before Dawn. And how making his debit feature was the hardest thing he’s ever done. How he shot in his own house and rehearsed it but how hard it was to direct and star in Before Dawn and how he wouldn’t do it again. And how it got picked up at Fright Fest and selling the film to Metrodome.
What he took onto his 2nd feature Bait and working with a studio. He gives some great advice on how to deal with a studio or your investor who is hands on. How a big £6M project he was on was pulled two weeks before shooting and heartbreaking it was and he give some great advice to film-makers.
BOUDICA Support this great crowdfunding campaign here: http://bit.ly/2UkogSI Ends 16th April
MAKE YOUR FILM The next event is on Tuesday 23rd April. Guests announced so far are ALICE LOWE & ADO YOSHIZAKI CASSUTO Link for tickets here: http://bit.ly/2Txvayp
Raindance aims to show the boldest and most innovative work that challenges the boundaries of filmmaking. And, they’re an Academy Award and BAFTA-qualifying festival for short films, and a BIFA-qualifying festival for British films. Submit your film by 26th April with the Early Bird fee, and get 20% off on your submission with the discount code PODCAST 20.https://filmfreeway.com/Raindance
How the freedom in Documentary film-making that you can use in feature film or TV work as a director and when your in edit suite it is just you and the editor and you need to have got your coverage and material on set. With docs there is not often a story until you are in the edit
Making the leap from docs to TV and features. Working with actors. Respecting them. Working with young up and coming acting talent. And moving into directing features and how important rehearsal time is.
Making period drama The Aftermath. And how the actors have transformed into something else when in costume. A different character and they can come with preconceived ideas. Rehearsal can help over come this. And he gives some great Directing tips to work with actors on set.
Working with Will Smith on a Documentary. And watching Darren Aronofsky working was a education.
And shooting AMERICAN TV and the difference between U.K. TV.
Working with A list stars on The Aftermath with Keira Knightley, Jason Clarke and Alexander Skarsgard and feeling intimidated and shooting sex scenes
We chat Mother Father Son starring Billy Howle and Richard Gere which is OUT NOW on BBC
MAKE YOUR FILM The next event is on the 23rd April. Guests announced so far are ALICE LOWE & ADO YOSHIZAKI CASSUTO Link for tickets here: http://bit.ly/2Txvayp
20% DISCOUNT at the Raindance Independent Filmmakers Ball.
Our friends at Raindance are getting ready for the annual Independent Filmmaker’s Ball on May 1st – this year, they’re back with a swing-era special! Join them for an evening of live swing & jazz music, networking, and a fundraising raffle with special guests at the hottest party in town. Taking place at the lavish Café de Paris in the heart of London’s West End, the Ball will bring together 600 film industry professionals to celebrate independent film and have a great party. Enter the code PODCAST20 at checkout to get 20% off on your tickets: http://bit.ly/IndieFilmBall19