So Capture Anthologies Volume 1 has been on the shelves on HMV ect for some weeks now. But every time I go in to my local HMV in Lancaster just to see my hard work on the shelf – I’m told sorry ‘Sorry its sold out.’ Now, on one hand this is great news, Capture is selling and selling very well by all accounts – but I want to see it on the shelf!

Today however while out on a lunchtime flat viewing with a mate from Workshop – SUCCESS!!

Capture is on the shelf after the staff restocked this morning. So cool to see the DVD there with the price label on, which I’m sure sounds daft but me and the team have worked so long and hard to get this project going – its great  to finally see it out there in the wild and not just on a website.

Volume 1 will soon have company with Volume 2 and 3 underway. However if you are looking for it in the shops you’ll find it filed in the ‘Feature Film’ section – just because HMV and shops like it don’t usually have a ‘Short Films’ or ‘Anthologies’ section.

Filed under: News, Projects, A1 Pictures, capture, Capture Anthologies, Capture Anthologies: Volume 1 Fables and Fairytales, HMV, HMV Lancaster, On Sale, Workshop Production | Post a comment

Hey Hey filmmakers, I’ve put together a little highlight video of the ‘Question Time Panel Event’ that was the launch event of Reel Vision.

Its a little later than I had hoped (bit tricky rendering a 10 minute HD film with 0GB left on the hard drive -  ) but its online now featuring some of the questions asked by our audience and some great responses and points made by our panelists.

If you didn’t make it to the event then this will give you a taste of what you missed.

We are investigating what people would like to see at future events of the Reel Vision Network. So its safe to say that Reel Vision’s first event was a success. And to be honest it was a great laugh too. So many creative people in one place asking questions, talking, making connections – fantastic!

Visit the Reel Vision page on Facebook for details of how to give some feedback on the event if you attended or just get in touch if you want to attend next time. As the project builds momentum and more people come on side we will hopefully see regular events and more frequent ones. Also DT at Workshop has started a number of discussions on the Reel Vision page so you get jump straight in on the debates.

We’re all in this together ‘Putting Film Together’!

Filed under: News, Review, Question Time Panel, Reel Vision, Reel Vision Event, Reel Vision Film Network, Reel Vision Launch, Reel Vision Network, The Storey CIC | Post a comment

The office got some great news from HMV this week – less than a week after its official release date Capture Anthologies: Volume 1 – Fables and Fairytales as sold out at HMV.com!

So we’re off to a great start for our label A1’s first DVD release. More stock on the way so no worries there.

But fear not Volume 1 is still available in store and at many other online retailers – Amazon.co.uk, Play.com etc. THIS POST has details about Volume 2 and where else you can get a copy of Volume 1. Anyway Volume 2 is well on the way now and HMV are taking pre-orders for it already. The hunt is on for Volume 3 films already!

Filed under: News, Projects, A1 Pictures, capture, Capture Anthologies, Capture Anthologies Volume 1, Capture Anthologies: Volume 1 Fables and Fairytales, Workshop Productions | Post a comment

On Monday 22nd February 2010 saw the first Reel Vision Film Network event at The Storey CIC in Lancaster.

The team at Workshop have been developing the idea the ‘filmmaker’s film network’ for a while now and Monday saw the new network get off to a great start. The great turnout from filmmakers from all over Lancashire and Cumbria were treated to a panel discussion with representatives of the film industry and representatives from major organisations, North West Vision and Media and The North West Development Agency. The topics covered in this first event were centred on the issues of funding / finance for films in the North West region and The Future of Film in the North West.

Despite a known irritant in the filmmaker community attempting to use the event for some ill-conceived public rambling, the panel covered a great deal of questions and the majority of the attendees found it both enjoyable and enlightening. The atmosphere was engaging and very friendly with ample opportunities for people to network and enjoy a drink at the NICE bar at The Storey.

Reel Vision has thrown open the doors for ideas for future events and programs to the filmmaking community. Please get in touch if you have any ideas or suggestions.

This is just the launching pad of Reel Vision, with so many enthusiastic and talented filmmakers operating in the North West region, I have no doubt that Reel Vision will go from strength to strength.

Filed under: News, Projects, Reel Vision, Reel Vision Film Network, Reel Vision Network, The Storey, The Storey CIC, The Storey Creative Industries Centre, Workshop Productions | Post a comment

Well I could get used to posting stuff like this! Capture Anthologies has been on sale via pre-orders online at Amazon.co.uk, HMV, The Hut, Play.com and a whole bunch of others for a while now. But come Monday 22/02/2010 Volume 1 is on the shelves on the high street!

This is going to be my first project to get to retail so I’m quite excited about seeing it on the shelves in HMV, no doubt in the number 1 position on the chart shelf

I might even pop down on my lunch-break and sign a few copies!

Filed under: News, Projects, A1 Pictures, Capture Anthologies, Capture Anthologies: Volume 1 Fables and Fairytales, Workshop Productions | Post a comment

I maybe starting to sound like a broken mp3 but just wanted to plug the Reel Vision Launch Event again.
As of today we’re at 75% capacity so there is still time to get a ticket – but not much!

The Reel Vision ‘Question Time’ evening is going to the a ‘reel’ good time, lots of local filmmakers and people involved in the wider film industry have signed up to the event. Its going to be a great opportunity to see what everyone is up to and an excellent opportunity to make contacts. As well as having your questions answered by the panel.

Please visit the Facebook page for details and the Eventbrite page to sign up for the event – its FREE!

Filed under: News, Reel Vision, Reel Vision Film Network, Reel Vision Network, The Storey CIC, The Storey Creative Industries Centre | Post a comment

After what seems a very long time living in the office I was out on location yesterday filming for a project that Workshop is putting together for Lancaster University. LU Live is a new recruitment program designed to show potential students some of the advantages of studying at Lancaster.
Before Christmas the first episode of a short series of web based films was handed off to Lancaster University for inclusion on the new LU Live website. This first episode dealt with life on campus, the facilities and also what The City of Lancaster has to offer students. Have a look:

Episode 2 is all about sports clubs and societies. Each of the films is lead by a current student at Lancaster who introduces themselves and talks about the uni.
The shoot was a lot of fun, the team and I endured a wide variety of conditions ranging from glorious sunshine, rain, snow and of course the freezing cold! Fingers crossed there will be more to come.

Filed under: News, Projects, Work, Lancaster University, LU Live, LU Live Episode 2, Workshop Productions | Post a comment

After working on so many film projects over the last year its about time I got back into working on some fun 3D projects of my own. So after much, much, much (not much) deep thought on this subject I’ve decided to put together a quick starship to play with in some VisFx projects I want to try out soon.

No points for guessing any influences, the point of this project is to try out some design ideas and eventually work on some visual effects shots with the model. I’m putting the imaginatively titled ‘Starship 1′ together in Maya. I’ll come up with a fancy classical literature sourced name for it in the weeks to come.

So far I’m still developing the basic shape, there’s very little detail so far but I’ve textured it with a simple reflective metallic grain, just as a test.

This is going to a be a bit of test bed for some things I’ve wanted to try for a while but I’ve had no time to play with because of commitments to other projects. So this might end up being a bit of mess, but hopefully will lead to some fun results to use in future projects.

Filed under: Projects, Work, 3D animation, 3D modeling, 3D Starship, 3D WIP, David Forrest | 1 Comment

Like the first volume of Capture, Volume 2: Love, Lust and Tragedy comes loaded with some great ‘Filmmaker Insights’.

As well as loading Capture with director’s commentaries to provide the viewer with a insightful perspective on the world of short film production, the ‘Filmmaker Insights’ are designed to give an accessible glimpse into various subjects within film production.

For Volume 2 me and the Workshop team have been hard at work producing some great stuff:

“The Kuleshov Effect” – Film Theory Documentary. Another fascinating short documentary from DT Guest of Workshop Productions. In this he leads you through the work of Lev Kuleshov, a pioneering Soviet filmmaker and theorist, leading to the impact that his work has had on film technique right up to the present day.

“Masterclass:  Film Sales and Distribution” – The second in a series of ‘Masterclasses’, where industry professionals share with you their knowledge and advice, this time on the complicated topic of what to do with your film masterpiece once its complete.

“Script 2 Screen Workshop: Character Creation” – This is our first interactive workshop. In this installment of Script 2 Screen the view in lead through the various stages required to ‘construct’ a film character from scratch.

The team at Workshop who are working on Capture have some other surprises planned for Volume 2 which will set the bar even higher for short film anthologies.

Filed under: News, Projects, Work, A1 Pictures, capture, Capture Anthologies, Capture Anthologies: Volume 2 Love, Workshop Productions | Post a comment

Here’s a quick update on the Reel Vision event on the 22nd. The confirmed line up for the question panel is:

Tara Cook – Head of Film at North West Vision and Media.

Iain Bennett – Sector Leader for Digital and Creative Industries at the North West Regional Development Agency.

Mark Strange – Star and producer of British films ‘Underground’ and ‘Bodyguard: A New Beginning’.

This is a great opportunity for filmmakers and people working in the wider film industry in the north west to pick the brains of some of the industry’s regional leaders.

Sign up for the event at the Reel Vision Eventbrite page. Also fill in the Surveymonkey questionnaire and get a FREE copy of Capture Anthologies: Volume 1, Fables and Fairytales.

At last check the event was filling up fast so sign up soon to avoid disappointment!

Filed under: News, Projects, Reel Vision, Reel Vision Film Network, Reel Vision Network, The Storey, The Storey CIC, The Storey Creative Industries Centre, The Storey Lancaster | Post a comment