Tag Archives: Filmmaking

FilmWorks development scheme for budding directors and producers calls for applications.

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FilmWorks development scheme for budding directors and producers calls for applications.

Emerging regional producers and directors can fast track their film careers with FilmWorks, a new networked professional development scheme managed by Watershed in Bristol and co-produced by Showroom Workstation in Sheffield and Broadway in Nottingham which will give the participants the skills, contacts and knowledge required to raise their profile to a national and international level.

FilmWorks, a Film Networks project supported by the National Lottery through the BFI and Creative England, is specifically targeted at filmmakers in the English regions: it will give 45 producers and directors in Bristol, Nottingham, Sheffield and their surrounding areas a priceless opportunity to expand their creative and commercial potential, with the benefit of working with world class producers, such as Julia Lockhart (Aardman’s The Pirates), Colin Pons (Hush, The Acid House), and Alastair Clark (London to Brighton, Better Things).

FilmWorks launches in September with a live simulcast from Bristol-based Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival and runs until early December 2012. Candidates have until Mon 20 Aug to submit their application at http://filmworks.org.uk

It is a timely development scheme that responds to the current issues being faced in the film industry today: how to survive and prosper in the digital age, new models of distribution, the effect of digital technology on cinema production, new routes to market and much more.

Mark Cosgrove, Watershed’s Head of Programme, said:

“FilmWorks is a unique opportunity for emerging local talent to develop their skills and learn about the film industry from leading UK producers. Based at three creative hubs in the English regions this 360 degree fast tracked networked development programme will create that all important bridge between production and cinema exhibition. I’m looking forward to working with partners to share regional expertise, work with industry leaders, and most of all, to introducing 45 great filmmakers to the world.”

Liz Harkman, Managing Director at Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival, said:

“We’re delighted to be launching the FilmWorks programme in September at the 18th edition of the Festival. Encounters has always provided international new and emerging talent with opportunities to grow and a direct access to industry which makes it the ideal platform for the next generation of regional producers and directors to develop their projects, practice and networks.”

Innocent launch a film making competition

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On a rainy Saturday morning in February, the Frost Editors went to Innocent HQ (aka Fruit Towers) to take part in a workshop held to launch Innocent Smoothie’s Mini Movie Competition. Kind of like the most pleasant post apocalyptic scene I can imagine, we were greeted by a lush gate of green grass and vans also covered in grass. In side was more grass, picnic tables, bean bags, unusual random objects, some very tiny fences and lots of smiley happy people. As soon as I was through the door I was inundated with beverages both hot and cold.

Listening to a presentation at Fruit Towers

Inspiring this competition was Innocent’s recently made TV advert. Their Superhero ad differs from everything else on the TV at the moment as theirs is Lo-Fi. Using absolutely no CG and embracing the ‘I can see the strings’ mentality the ad was typical of the Lo-Fi style of Ben Wheatley (the ad’s creator) who gave us a presentation on film making.

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After letting us into the little secrets of the advertising industry we were given lunch in picnic hampers! Apart from the crumbs, there was one thing one everyone’s mouths…how can THEY get a job at fruit towers?! We then were split into groups and given Mini Movie Making kits, containing a bottle, a cape, stick, string, farmyard animals, tiny people and other random things presented in a show box and tied up with beautiful movie reel ribbon.

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Mini Movie Making Kit

So there we were with our teams, a theme, camera equipment and the knowledge gathered in the morning’s presentation. We storyboarded away, filmed and created masterpieces. I can’t find our mini movies on the internet anywhere so you will just have to take our word for it. Everything we did had to be edited “in-camera”, meaning we couldn’t edit anything at all on the computer afterwards, this resulted in lots of giggles to the “cut”‘s and “action”‘s being left in.

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Catherine Balavage with a chicken at Fruit Towers

The Innocent Mini Movie competition is now open and you have until 17th April to submit your own lo-fi advert. The winner (voted for by the public) will receive £5000, tickets to the London Film Festival and your advert will be broadcast on national telly. There’s a lose brief, your mini movie must be no more than 30 seconds, contain no CG, music (although sound effects are allowed) no branding (other than innocent) and they must be submitted via

the Innocent You Tube Channel. To submit your entry you need to go here: http://www.youtube.com/innocentdrinksltd