Ah, bugger. Our release date has been put back nearly a month, due to some stuff out of our control involving High Street shops. TrashHouse will now hit the shelves on 20th Feb 2006, although I'm sure that the online retailers will still honour pre-orders.
I'm dropping by the set of a movie called The Prey tomorrow, ( there's a rather flash website over at http://www.thepreymovie.com ), where I'll be doing a cameo as a paramedic. The movie looks to be shaping up extremely impressively, and should be a real treat for horror fans.
I've also recently contributed a sketch to the cheerfully bizarre podcast known as 'Hammy House of Haw Haw'. You can download the show from this link here (and if you're curious as to which sketch is mine, it starts with the line "It's a horrible night, isn't it?")
Podcasting. Way of the future, don't ya know?
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
Nasty and Nice
Weirdly, that's how I'm thinking of my twin movies at the moment.
It's odd, considering there are actually some fairly horrific bits in HellBride, that I've started thinking of it as 'The Nice One'. Specifically, I've started wondering if maybe I shouldn't let a few characters currently slated for unpleasant endings 'off the hook'. Let a few live to fight another day. Remind myself that there isn't any great big rule of screenwriting that states that a maximum of two characters can actually survive.
KillerKiller, on the other hand, was always set to be a fairly edgy proposition. The script keeps getting harder-edged with every rewrite, too, (although there are shitloads of jokes in there as well). I wrote out a list of gore shots the other day, (to send to a fledgling effects company who have kindly offered to help us out if they can), and there's some fairly brutal stuff there. Especially when you see it written as a list. I'd love to share the list with you fine folks, but you know what they say about presents and Christmas Morning...
Been having some interesting ideas about casting, but we'll have to see whether they pan out or not. I have begun making enquiries.
It's odd, considering there are actually some fairly horrific bits in HellBride, that I've started thinking of it as 'The Nice One'. Specifically, I've started wondering if maybe I shouldn't let a few characters currently slated for unpleasant endings 'off the hook'. Let a few live to fight another day. Remind myself that there isn't any great big rule of screenwriting that states that a maximum of two characters can actually survive.
KillerKiller, on the other hand, was always set to be a fairly edgy proposition. The script keeps getting harder-edged with every rewrite, too, (although there are shitloads of jokes in there as well). I wrote out a list of gore shots the other day, (to send to a fledgling effects company who have kindly offered to help us out if they can), and there's some fairly brutal stuff there. Especially when you see it written as a list. I'd love to share the list with you fine folks, but you know what they say about presents and Christmas Morning...
Been having some interesting ideas about casting, but we'll have to see whether they pan out or not. I have begun making enquiries.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
The Elephant In The Room
OK, so there's an elephant in the room and nobody's mentioned it. Guess I'm going to be the one to admit that I know it's there, and maybe we can all start to deal with it.
Back before TrashHouse, I had a whole bunch of ideas for movies. Still do. Sometimes, you get ideas that sit on the back-burner for a long time, then they get their day in the sun and everything's wonderful. Sometimes that day in the sun has shitty timing, sometimes it's just plain weird.
I remember seeing the trailer for Shaun of The Dead for the first time whilst I was editing TrashHouse and thinking "Oh look. A British comedy/horror film with zombies in it. I just made one of them too, and that I can't remember there being another one since... Ooh, pretty much ever". Still, that coincidence worked out pretty well for us, I reckon. Shaun was an amazing flick, (still one of my favourites of last year), and the similarities between finished products were so slight as to not be worth worrying about.
You know where I'm going with this. I've stuck my head in the sand whilst on pre-production for the two new flicks. I've tried to wish it away. It hasn't worked, so a couple of days ago I went and saw it.
You know the movie I mean. The elephant in the room. Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride.
I had wondered if just not going and seeing it at all might be the most prudent idea. After all, here I am working on a 'ghostly bride' kind of movie with an as-yet-unfinished script. Wouldn't I be on safer ground to just deliberately never watch it?
Actually, I'm glad I watched it. Not just because it's a fairly good movie, (not up there with any of his best, but certainly no Planet of the Apes letdown), but because it's put my mind at rest. The two movies are absolutely nothing alike, beyond the involvement of a ghost that looks like a bride, (which is hardly the most original conceit in the history of fiction, regardless), and I can safely carry on the way I was headed, (although I'm going to be 'Find and Replace'-ing a particular character name that was unfortunately shared between the two movies).
By the time the flick actually comes out in late 2006/early 2007 the elephant will most certainly have wandered out of the room regardless. I just hope it doesn't eat all the potato salad like last time.
Back before TrashHouse, I had a whole bunch of ideas for movies. Still do. Sometimes, you get ideas that sit on the back-burner for a long time, then they get their day in the sun and everything's wonderful. Sometimes that day in the sun has shitty timing, sometimes it's just plain weird.
I remember seeing the trailer for Shaun of The Dead for the first time whilst I was editing TrashHouse and thinking "Oh look. A British comedy/horror film with zombies in it. I just made one of them too, and that I can't remember there being another one since... Ooh, pretty much ever". Still, that coincidence worked out pretty well for us, I reckon. Shaun was an amazing flick, (still one of my favourites of last year), and the similarities between finished products were so slight as to not be worth worrying about.
You know where I'm going with this. I've stuck my head in the sand whilst on pre-production for the two new flicks. I've tried to wish it away. It hasn't worked, so a couple of days ago I went and saw it.
You know the movie I mean. The elephant in the room. Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride.
I had wondered if just not going and seeing it at all might be the most prudent idea. After all, here I am working on a 'ghostly bride' kind of movie with an as-yet-unfinished script. Wouldn't I be on safer ground to just deliberately never watch it?
Actually, I'm glad I watched it. Not just because it's a fairly good movie, (not up there with any of his best, but certainly no Planet of the Apes letdown), but because it's put my mind at rest. The two movies are absolutely nothing alike, beyond the involvement of a ghost that looks like a bride, (which is hardly the most original conceit in the history of fiction, regardless), and I can safely carry on the way I was headed, (although I'm going to be 'Find and Replace'-ing a particular character name that was unfortunately shared between the two movies).
By the time the flick actually comes out in late 2006/early 2007 the elephant will most certainly have wandered out of the room regardless. I just hope it doesn't eat all the potato salad like last time.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Smaller, streamed version of video blog
Thanks to some nifty advice from JinxM, those with connections too slow to previously bother with the video blog might now want to try this link:
http://www.jinxmedia.co.uk/media/KillBlogStream1.asx
And that should sort ya!
http://www.jinxmedia.co.uk/media/KillBlogStream1.asx
And that should sort ya!
Monday, November 07, 2005
KillerKiller screenplay sort of complete
I use the term 'complete' in many different ways.
In one of the ways that I use it, the KillerKiller screenplay is finally complete. Naturally, it's not 'complete' in the sense that most folks mean it, (and nor will it ever be, probably... I was still writing new lines on-set during the TrashHouse shoot and I very much doubt whether this will be any different), but if I went and shot it tomorrow it would make sense and have a beginning, middle and an end. It wouldn't be the right length and it'd have bits that clunked badly, but it'd be a film. The polishing will now commence, probably lasting until the very last day of filming.
The HellBride screenplay isn't complete yet, in ANY of the ways I use the term. It's quite a long way off, to be honest, which is something that I really need to get sorted if I'm to succeed in shooting these buggers back to back in the early months of next year. For a while, HellBride was far further along in terms of development than KillerKiller, but KK had a real surge over the last month and appears to have crossed the finish line first. I really ought to get back to poor neglected HellBride right now.
And so I shall.
In one of the ways that I use it, the KillerKiller screenplay is finally complete. Naturally, it's not 'complete' in the sense that most folks mean it, (and nor will it ever be, probably... I was still writing new lines on-set during the TrashHouse shoot and I very much doubt whether this will be any different), but if I went and shot it tomorrow it would make sense and have a beginning, middle and an end. It wouldn't be the right length and it'd have bits that clunked badly, but it'd be a film. The polishing will now commence, probably lasting until the very last day of filming.
The HellBride screenplay isn't complete yet, in ANY of the ways I use the term. It's quite a long way off, to be honest, which is something that I really need to get sorted if I'm to succeed in shooting these buggers back to back in the early months of next year. For a while, HellBride was far further along in terms of development than KillerKiller, but KK had a real surge over the last month and appears to have crossed the finish line first. I really ought to get back to poor neglected HellBride right now.
And so I shall.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Video Blogging
Been an interesting few hours.
With one eye on the future, I've been making a video blog for KillerKiller. I suddenly realised that by this point in the pre-production of TrashHouse I had started ranting to camera on a fairly regular basis, explaining how the film was bound to fall apart any minute. Some of these little rants are ending up on the DVD, and I realised that I'd completely gotten out of the habit of jabbering to camera in the year and a half since TrashHouse wrapped shooting.
Anyway, I decided to use some of the location recce footage from the other week and make a little video blog, the idea being that I could use it online to keep folks informed, then bundle it onto the eventual DVD. Yes, just like Lucas, Jackson and Smith, now that you come to mention it. I've even grown a manky stubble beard for the occasion because, fuck it, a director simply has to have a beard.
The problems have come with sorting out a delivery format, and something that was meant to be rattled off in a few minutes has come to dominate the day. In this age of varied connection speeds, different ways of encoding and so on, how do you choose how to deliver video content? We got plenty of criticism for only making the TrashHouse trailer available in Real Video.
The answer?
(Drumroll)
Dunno. Haven't a clue. Tried lots of things, not happy with any of them yet. I'll get it sorted soon. Until then, you're stuck with a 10MB wmv file. Yeah, I know. Not perfect. But at least it's here.
Or, rather, here:
http://www.jinxmedia.co.uk/media/Blog11105.wmv
Let me know if you have any ideas for making this more accessible for folks.
Peace n love,
Pat
With one eye on the future, I've been making a video blog for KillerKiller. I suddenly realised that by this point in the pre-production of TrashHouse I had started ranting to camera on a fairly regular basis, explaining how the film was bound to fall apart any minute. Some of these little rants are ending up on the DVD, and I realised that I'd completely gotten out of the habit of jabbering to camera in the year and a half since TrashHouse wrapped shooting.
Anyway, I decided to use some of the location recce footage from the other week and make a little video blog, the idea being that I could use it online to keep folks informed, then bundle it onto the eventual DVD. Yes, just like Lucas, Jackson and Smith, now that you come to mention it. I've even grown a manky stubble beard for the occasion because, fuck it, a director simply has to have a beard.
The problems have come with sorting out a delivery format, and something that was meant to be rattled off in a few minutes has come to dominate the day. In this age of varied connection speeds, different ways of encoding and so on, how do you choose how to deliver video content? We got plenty of criticism for only making the TrashHouse trailer available in Real Video.
The answer?
(Drumroll)
Dunno. Haven't a clue. Tried lots of things, not happy with any of them yet. I'll get it sorted soon. Until then, you're stuck with a 10MB wmv file. Yeah, I know. Not perfect. But at least it's here.
Or, rather, here:
http://www.jinxmedia.co.uk/media/Blog11105.wmv
Let me know if you have any ideas for making this more accessible for folks.
Peace n love,
Pat
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Writing amid destruction
Jinx Media only has an official office during shoots. For writing, pre-production and so on, I use an office in my home. That's where I'm sitting at the moment, listening to the dulcet tones of my bathroom being torn to pieces by a cheerful team of guys who turned up bright and early this morning. They are going to rebuild it. By early next week, hopefully. Just wish I'd had the foresight to actually grab a shower before they showed up this morning. I'm sitting here, feeling somewhat grubby, failing to progress very far on the KillerKiller screenplay amid the sounds of destruction.
Next week is the Tokyo Film Festival, where TrashHouse is being represented and hopefully sold. Rather fancy heading out there myself, but that simply ain't gonna happen.
Prices for shooting in that asylum I mentioned were somewhat higher than I'd hoped, but perhaps we'll be able to work something out. Either way, we certainly won't be able to base the majority of the KillerKiller shoot there, which is what I'd originally planned. Maybe we'll grab some crucial shots there and intercut them; that seems the most practical plan at the moment.
Next week is the Tokyo Film Festival, where TrashHouse is being represented and hopefully sold. Rather fancy heading out there myself, but that simply ain't gonna happen.
Prices for shooting in that asylum I mentioned were somewhat higher than I'd hoped, but perhaps we'll be able to work something out. Either way, we certainly won't be able to base the majority of the KillerKiller shoot there, which is what I'd originally planned. Maybe we'll grab some crucial shots there and intercut them; that seems the most practical plan at the moment.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Update
Mailed out an update to my beloved TrashHouse cast and crew. Here it is with the business sensitive bits removed, (but otherwise intact);
* The UK DVD release date has been set for January 23rd. This may still move, but if so it'll only be by a week or so. At the moment, it looks like the disc is going to have;
TrashHouse Final Cut (As shown at TromaFling... Some changes from the BFI premiere version)
TrashHouse BTS (Mike Borland's Behind The Scenes documentary. There's a chance that the UK version might be shorter than the full version on the US disc. There's a very boring explanation for this that involves the BBFC)
Deleted Scenes with fucking awful introductions (Although this may not be the 'on box' description, it is accurate)
Director's Commentary
Oddments TBC
* The USA DVD has no release date as yet.
* The ******** deal is an utter nightmare. Don't hold your breath, appears to be the situation.
* TrashHouse is being represented at the Tokyo Film Festival at the end of this month.
* The TrashHouse game is now available as a download from the website, if you missed it last time!
* I had a very successful visit to a disused asylum near Brentwood earlier in the week, (not a sentence I ever expected to type), whilst scouting locations for KillerKiller. Providing we manage to work out a decent deal on money, that's looking like a likely location. Still haven't set any cast or crew in stone for either of the new flicks, but have some ideas in mind.
* Domains (with teaser artwork) are up at http://www.killerkiller.co.uk and http://www.hellbride.co.uk
* I'm in discussion for getting the novel formerly known as Blood & Popcorn out to coincide with the DVD. For those that don't know, B&P was a fictional novel set in the world of low-budget filmmaking. The main characters were making a movie called TrashHouse. I wrote the novel in 2003, then had the bright idea of actually making the movie to publicise the novel. Somewhere along the line, I forgot about the novel altogether. It has now been unearthed, but may well have a title change. Or fall through altogether. Time will tell.
* The UK DVD release date has been set for January 23rd. This may still move, but if so it'll only be by a week or so. At the moment, it looks like the disc is going to have;
TrashHouse Final Cut (As shown at TromaFling... Some changes from the BFI premiere version)
TrashHouse BTS (Mike Borland's Behind The Scenes documentary. There's a chance that the UK version might be shorter than the full version on the US disc. There's a very boring explanation for this that involves the BBFC)
Deleted Scenes with fucking awful introductions (Although this may not be the 'on box' description, it is accurate)
Director's Commentary
Oddments TBC
* The USA DVD has no release date as yet.
* The ******** deal is an utter nightmare. Don't hold your breath, appears to be the situation.
* TrashHouse is being represented at the Tokyo Film Festival at the end of this month.
* The TrashHouse game is now available as a download from the website, if you missed it last time!
* I had a very successful visit to a disused asylum near Brentwood earlier in the week, (not a sentence I ever expected to type), whilst scouting locations for KillerKiller. Providing we manage to work out a decent deal on money, that's looking like a likely location. Still haven't set any cast or crew in stone for either of the new flicks, but have some ideas in mind.
* Domains (with teaser artwork) are up at http://www.killerkiller.co.uk and http://www.hellbride.co.uk
* I'm in discussion for getting the novel formerly known as Blood & Popcorn out to coincide with the DVD. For those that don't know, B&P was a fictional novel set in the world of low-budget filmmaking. The main characters were making a movie called TrashHouse. I wrote the novel in 2003, then had the bright idea of actually making the movie to publicise the novel. Somewhere along the line, I forgot about the novel altogether. It has now been unearthed, but may well have a title change. Or fall through altogether. Time will tell.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
DVD Release / HellBride Art
After speaking at length to the fine folks at Screen Entertainment, it's looking rather like TrashHouse will be hitting the DVD shelves in early January 2006. We're working out which extras and bits and bobs we'll be able to cram onto the disc, but hopefully you'll all enjoy the package.
I've recently been in touch with a fantastic artist called Marc Crane, who has a website at http://www.marcsbrain.com with plenty of superb examples of his work. He's kindly agreed to produce some artwork for the upcoming flicks, and I'm pleased to give you a sneak glimpse of the first of these to be produced. It's concept art from HellBride, and it can be found here;
http://www.jinxmedia.co.uk/images/Hell.jpg
Personally, I think it's absolutely beautiful. In a dark, messed up kind of way, naturally...
I've recently been in touch with a fantastic artist called Marc Crane, who has a website at http://www.marcsbrain.com with plenty of superb examples of his work. He's kindly agreed to produce some artwork for the upcoming flicks, and I'm pleased to give you a sneak glimpse of the first of these to be produced. It's concept art from HellBride, and it can be found here;
http://www.jinxmedia.co.uk/images/Hell.jpg
Personally, I think it's absolutely beautiful. In a dark, messed up kind of way, naturally...
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Cash Flow / The Quick & Dirty Shoot
Money's at the front of my mind today. Just had to write a large cheque that I thoroughly resented, for a firm that I felt hadn't done sufficient work to deserve it. This hasn't happened often in Jinx Media's short life, (most folks that we end up writing cheques for have earned their cash twenty times over). In fact, this is only the second time that I've felt like spitting on a cheque before handing it over.
It got me thinking about this money situation, though. We're unlikely to see any actual cash from the DVD deal for some considerable time, (maybe never, if the flick tanks). Quicker cash injections from more straightforward deals, (TV ones, and the like), seems tantalisingly close but never seem to get sealed. This has left me hanging out for a cheque, before I can really put the wheels in motion for the next two flicks. I know that regular readers will already know this stuff, but here's why I'm recapping:
I've just spent most of the afternoon trying to work out the viability of just shooting one of my two new projects, (probably KillerKiller), in the quickest, dirtiest, cheapest way possible, just to break this state of fucking limbo that's driving me nuts. Main problem would actually be the location. I could assemble a tiny crew and dedicated cast and just shoot the movie fairly easily... The problem would come in working out where it could be shot. Renting large premises and building sets inside them as we did for TrashHouse just isn't the way to do something as cheaply as possible. What it comes down to: Disused buildings.
If anyone out there reading this could connect me up with a building that I could shoot in, that would look like an asylum or prison, without me having to pay more than a few hundred quid for permission to shoot there, I'd drop everything and just shoot the bastard next month. I'd feel good about it too :)
So, fire away to killer@jinxmedia.co.uk if you feel like suddenly changing the direction and mood of this blog. 'Cos I've spent most of today quietly seething and I could seriously use something to cheer me up.
It got me thinking about this money situation, though. We're unlikely to see any actual cash from the DVD deal for some considerable time, (maybe never, if the flick tanks). Quicker cash injections from more straightforward deals, (TV ones, and the like), seems tantalisingly close but never seem to get sealed. This has left me hanging out for a cheque, before I can really put the wheels in motion for the next two flicks. I know that regular readers will already know this stuff, but here's why I'm recapping:
I've just spent most of the afternoon trying to work out the viability of just shooting one of my two new projects, (probably KillerKiller), in the quickest, dirtiest, cheapest way possible, just to break this state of fucking limbo that's driving me nuts. Main problem would actually be the location. I could assemble a tiny crew and dedicated cast and just shoot the movie fairly easily... The problem would come in working out where it could be shot. Renting large premises and building sets inside them as we did for TrashHouse just isn't the way to do something as cheaply as possible. What it comes down to: Disused buildings.
If anyone out there reading this could connect me up with a building that I could shoot in, that would look like an asylum or prison, without me having to pay more than a few hundred quid for permission to shoot there, I'd drop everything and just shoot the bastard next month. I'd feel good about it too :)
So, fire away to killer@jinxmedia.co.uk if you feel like suddenly changing the direction and mood of this blog. 'Cos I've spent most of today quietly seething and I could seriously use something to cheer me up.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Publicity...
TrashHouse has won two awards from the TromaFling festival, which is rather fine and funky. We've been given the Best Screenplay award, and a runner-up award for Best UK Feature. It was a very nice surprise. Reckon if they'd had an extra award for Best Drunken Babbling by a Director we'd have had that one in the bag, too.
Been a publicity-orientated couple of days. A photoshoot for the local paper resulted in a somewhat vampiric shot that you can find at;
http://www.trashhouse.co.uk/images/echo22sep05.jpg
Those with a keen eye for detail will notice that the clapperboard is broken. It not only has no clapper, but there's splintered, broken wood where the clapper used to be. And it's not a real clapperboard. I think my Dad bought it for me in the souvenir shop at the late, lamented Museum Of the Moving Image in the 80s sometime. I am also wearing a TrashHouse t-shirt, which now means that everyone wants one :)
There was also another story about the DVD deal over at Chortle, a comedy website that I hang around on the forums quite a bit. That's over here; http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/sept05/trashhouse190903.php
Rewriting the beginning of KillerKiller to beef it up a bit... It felt somewhat lacklustre. I've increased the number of cast, (and, thus, the inevitable bodycount). Still can't set a shoot date, though...
Been a publicity-orientated couple of days. A photoshoot for the local paper resulted in a somewhat vampiric shot that you can find at;
http://www.trashhouse.co.uk/images/echo22sep05.jpg
Those with a keen eye for detail will notice that the clapperboard is broken. It not only has no clapper, but there's splintered, broken wood where the clapper used to be. And it's not a real clapperboard. I think my Dad bought it for me in the souvenir shop at the late, lamented Museum Of the Moving Image in the 80s sometime. I am also wearing a TrashHouse t-shirt, which now means that everyone wants one :)
There was also another story about the DVD deal over at Chortle, a comedy website that I hang around on the forums quite a bit. That's over here; http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/sept05/trashhouse190903.php
Rewriting the beginning of KillerKiller to beef it up a bit... It felt somewhat lacklustre. I've increased the number of cast, (and, thus, the inevitable bodycount). Still can't set a shoot date, though...
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Big mountain of stuff
No matter what stage of anything you're at, there's always a great big pile of stuff to do. I've been working flat out to get my pile of stuff reduced to a decent level, but more stuff always comes along to replace everything that I cross off my 'To Do' list. Is this how it's always gonna be?
Ah, sod it. I'm not complaining.
I've finally mastered the art of only going to the Post Office once per day, and picking up things that I think I might need the next day whilst I'm there. Whereas a slightly more efficient film producer than myself might stock up on padded envelopes in greater quantities than 5 at a time, I feel that the adrenaline rush that I get from always having run out of the exact items of stationary that I need at any given time probably keeps me healthy. Or substitutes for exercise in some way.
Just watched the final cut of Mike Borland's "TrashHouse-Behind The Scenes", a 50 minute documentary that we're hoping will end up on the DVD. It's kind of awkward for me to watch, because there's an absolutely endless amount of footage of me talking crap in it. I can talk nonsense pretty well at the most relaxed of times, but I was so wired on the set that my TalkingBollocksOmeter goes clean through the roof. It's a good documentary, though, and Mike did us proud.
There was a rather nice article about the flick over at Chortle today. Check it out at http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/sept05/trashhouse190903.php
Ah, sod it. I'm not complaining.
I've finally mastered the art of only going to the Post Office once per day, and picking up things that I think I might need the next day whilst I'm there. Whereas a slightly more efficient film producer than myself might stock up on padded envelopes in greater quantities than 5 at a time, I feel that the adrenaline rush that I get from always having run out of the exact items of stationary that I need at any given time probably keeps me healthy. Or substitutes for exercise in some way.
Just watched the final cut of Mike Borland's "TrashHouse-Behind The Scenes", a 50 minute documentary that we're hoping will end up on the DVD. It's kind of awkward for me to watch, because there's an absolutely endless amount of footage of me talking crap in it. I can talk nonsense pretty well at the most relaxed of times, but I was so wired on the set that my TalkingBollocksOmeter goes clean through the roof. It's a good documentary, though, and Mike did us proud.
There was a rather nice article about the flick over at Chortle today. Check it out at http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/sept05/trashhouse190903.php
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
DVD contracts
I said I wasn't saying anything until I had the paperwork in front of me.
I now have the paperwork in front of me.
TrashHouse will be released by Screen Entertainment in both the USA and the UK. No release date has been set as yet, but you're looking at March 2006 at the very latest. More news as we get it folks...
I now have the paperwork in front of me.
TrashHouse will be released by Screen Entertainment in both the USA and the UK. No release date has been set as yet, but you're looking at March 2006 at the very latest. More news as we get it folks...
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
TV deal also crawls closer...
Man, this is getting too tantalising.
Feels like we're forever teetering on the very, very edge of being able to announce the details of both the TV and DVD deals of TrashHouse, but we're always one step away. A couple of weeks back, I couldn't announce them because the heads of the companies concerned had yet to sign off on the deals. Heads have now signed off, but I still have no contracts. Not going to announce the deal until I have it in writing in front of me.
Also, not going to set shooting dates for Hellbride and KillerKiller until I have the TrashHouse deal in writing either, (for reasons explained in a previous entry), so I'm sitting here in LimboLand. It's a nice place, all told, but I'm looking forward to moving on. I had some good news on the TV deal front today, but I'll hold it to my chest until, until, until...
Our Gaffer/Lighting Director, Barri, dropped by yesterday afternoon. Good to see him. Weird thing about movie shoots: they bring together all these different people who've never met before, those people go through an incredibly big experience together, then everyone goes their separate ways. Barri's been working with Al, (our DP), on quite a few projects and has an awful lot of interesting stuff going on.
I also caught up with our Associate Producer/Production Manager Nick last week, who had been scouting for props, (and making a couple), for the next two movies. Despite having no firm start-date as yet, he was determined that we were gonna get ahead of the game this time. Star, that bloke.
Maybe another week for the contracts. As soon as I have something to report, then report I shall...
Feels like we're forever teetering on the very, very edge of being able to announce the details of both the TV and DVD deals of TrashHouse, but we're always one step away. A couple of weeks back, I couldn't announce them because the heads of the companies concerned had yet to sign off on the deals. Heads have now signed off, but I still have no contracts. Not going to announce the deal until I have it in writing in front of me.
Also, not going to set shooting dates for Hellbride and KillerKiller until I have the TrashHouse deal in writing either, (for reasons explained in a previous entry), so I'm sitting here in LimboLand. It's a nice place, all told, but I'm looking forward to moving on. I had some good news on the TV deal front today, but I'll hold it to my chest until, until, until...
Our Gaffer/Lighting Director, Barri, dropped by yesterday afternoon. Good to see him. Weird thing about movie shoots: they bring together all these different people who've never met before, those people go through an incredibly big experience together, then everyone goes their separate ways. Barri's been working with Al, (our DP), on quite a few projects and has an awful lot of interesting stuff going on.
I also caught up with our Associate Producer/Production Manager Nick last week, who had been scouting for props, (and making a couple), for the next two movies. Despite having no firm start-date as yet, he was determined that we were gonna get ahead of the game this time. Star, that bloke.
Maybe another week for the contracts. As soon as I have something to report, then report I shall...
Thursday, September 01, 2005
DVD deal crawls closer
Got positive news on Tuesday from our (subject to contract) DVD distributors. Not going to name the company until pen has scribbled on paper, but TrashHouse has just gotten sign-off from the final head honcho in the chain and we can get started on the paperwork for both UK and USA release. It's been a real journey to get sorted, but it looks like we're finally there.
Pretty much.
Our sales agent is on holiday this week, so I'm not sure how the TV deal is shaping up, but I did get a text from him saying that things were looking good and he'd update me on his return. It'd be fantastic to get the TrashHouse deals done and dusted so that we can progress with the Killer and the Bride at full steam.
Had a conversation with Pip the other day about my female characterisations, and why they always seem to be stronger than the male ones. The two new flicks are hardly exceptions; I keep rewriting the end of 'Bride to give the male lead more to do, but it's always going to be the women who get the best bits...
Pretty much.
Our sales agent is on holiday this week, so I'm not sure how the TV deal is shaping up, but I did get a text from him saying that things were looking good and he'd update me on his return. It'd be fantastic to get the TrashHouse deals done and dusted so that we can progress with the Killer and the Bride at full steam.
Had a conversation with Pip the other day about my female characterisations, and why they always seem to be stronger than the male ones. The two new flicks are hardly exceptions; I keep rewriting the end of 'Bride to give the male lead more to do, but it's always going to be the women who get the best bits...
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Writing Two Flicks At Once...
We put out a call for cast and crew for HellBride and KillerKiller a while back, but haven't contacted anyone for auditions yet. We've done a bit of CV sorting, but haven't made any phone calls. Mainly because we can't set the shoot date in stone just yet, and I'm not happy to actually offer people positions on this until the shoot date is locked. In case they end up changing plans to fit our schedule, and then our schedule goes tits up and they end up hating us. Because we really can't be doing with people hating us.
Can't set the shoot date in stone until we're sure exactly what's happening with TrashHouse in certain territories, because we don't want to miscalculate and overspend on the new flicks with money it turns out that we're not going to get, thus bankrupting the company and making people hate us again.
So, what am I doing at time? I'm writing and polishing the two new scripts, because I want to make them as good as I can. I'm only going to direct one of the movies myself, (which, since the title of this blog has given it away somewhat anyway, I might as well admit is going to be HellBride), but they're both very much Pat Higgins scripts and right now they are both very much my babies. I'm working on them kind of alternately, depending on my mood. Some days are HellBride days, some days are KillerKiller days.
Actually, since I've already admitted that we haven't finalised cast and crew, I might as well pimp the cast and crew address here already.. If anybody is looking to be onboard for cast and crew on these movies the address to apply to is killer@jinxmedia.co.uk but please bear in mind that the money will be absolute shit and the work will be hard.
Although it might be fun too.
Can't set the shoot date in stone until we're sure exactly what's happening with TrashHouse in certain territories, because we don't want to miscalculate and overspend on the new flicks with money it turns out that we're not going to get, thus bankrupting the company and making people hate us again.
So, what am I doing at time? I'm writing and polishing the two new scripts, because I want to make them as good as I can. I'm only going to direct one of the movies myself, (which, since the title of this blog has given it away somewhat anyway, I might as well admit is going to be HellBride), but they're both very much Pat Higgins scripts and right now they are both very much my babies. I'm working on them kind of alternately, depending on my mood. Some days are HellBride days, some days are KillerKiller days.
Actually, since I've already admitted that we haven't finalised cast and crew, I might as well pimp the cast and crew address here already.. If anybody is looking to be onboard for cast and crew on these movies the address to apply to is killer@jinxmedia.co.uk but please bear in mind that the money will be absolute shit and the work will be hard.
Although it might be fun too.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Tromafling and Edinburgh
Back from a frenzied few days in Edinburgh.
TromaFling was a blast. The organisers, Avone and Louise, have juggled together a programme of 205 movies, (from shorts to features), and are managing to attract audiences despite the myriad of other stuff going on in Edinburgh at festival time. Drunkenly babbled my way through a Director's Q&A session after the screening, having forgotten to keep a decent track of my booze intake. Top fun.
Amongst the other shows we checked out were Radio Blah Blah from TrashHouse's music composer, sound recordist and Zombie Doctor #1 Danny James, which was entirely unscripted, brave as hell and very funny. Danny's archiving each show here: http://www.radioblahblah.co.uk/download.htm
(the show we were at was Sunday 14th if you fancy downloading it)
Got back to find that our cats had decided, in our absence, that the litter tray was very old-fashioned and pissing randomly all over the house was the next big thing. Less than delighted, especially since they got fed, watered and had the tray changed every day so it wasn't like they had grounds to go on dirty protest. Living in fear of discovering more poo and wee as the evening progresses.
TromaFling was a blast. The organisers, Avone and Louise, have juggled together a programme of 205 movies, (from shorts to features), and are managing to attract audiences despite the myriad of other stuff going on in Edinburgh at festival time. Drunkenly babbled my way through a Director's Q&A session after the screening, having forgotten to keep a decent track of my booze intake. Top fun.
Amongst the other shows we checked out were Radio Blah Blah from TrashHouse's music composer, sound recordist and Zombie Doctor #1 Danny James, which was entirely unscripted, brave as hell and very funny. Danny's archiving each show here: http://www.radioblahblah.co.uk/download.htm
(the show we were at was Sunday 14th if you fancy downloading it)
Got back to find that our cats had decided, in our absence, that the litter tray was very old-fashioned and pissing randomly all over the house was the next big thing. Less than delighted, especially since they got fed, watered and had the tray changed every day so it wasn't like they had grounds to go on dirty protest. Living in fear of discovering more poo and wee as the evening progresses.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Leavin' for a TrashHouse premiere
In a couple of hours, I'm heading out of the house and heading up towards Edinburgh.
Accompanying me on this merry trip will be my wife, (Pip), and Richard Collins, (who played James The Psycho in TrashHouse). The current plan is to drive until we're knackered and then find a TravelLodge or similar to crash out in, but Rich seems to have a growing desire to simply drive all night, which might mean arriving in Edinburgh at some stupid time in the morning.
The TrashHouse Premiere is on Tuesday. It's part of the TromaFling festival, and should be a laugh. I'm down to do a Director's Q&A afterwards, and I'm not sure what to expect. We'll spend the other three nights checking out stand-up shows and soaking up the Edinburgh vibe.
Our next two projects, HellBride and KillerKiller, are both shooting towards the end of the year. I meant to spend today working on the scripts, (since neither of them are actually finished yet, and I'm really going to need to pull my finger out), but somehow I got caught up checking through the copy of TrashHouse that we're taking down to TromaFling instead. I've been tweaking sound effects and so on even up to this week, (which considering the flick was first shown at invite-only screenings in January this year probably shows that I never quite know when to leave things the hell alone).
I'll report back after the festival.
Cheers.
Accompanying me on this merry trip will be my wife, (Pip), and Richard Collins, (who played James The Psycho in TrashHouse). The current plan is to drive until we're knackered and then find a TravelLodge or similar to crash out in, but Rich seems to have a growing desire to simply drive all night, which might mean arriving in Edinburgh at some stupid time in the morning.
The TrashHouse Premiere is on Tuesday. It's part of the TromaFling festival, and should be a laugh. I'm down to do a Director's Q&A afterwards, and I'm not sure what to expect. We'll spend the other three nights checking out stand-up shows and soaking up the Edinburgh vibe.
Our next two projects, HellBride and KillerKiller, are both shooting towards the end of the year. I meant to spend today working on the scripts, (since neither of them are actually finished yet, and I'm really going to need to pull my finger out), but somehow I got caught up checking through the copy of TrashHouse that we're taking down to TromaFling instead. I've been tweaking sound effects and so on even up to this week, (which considering the flick was first shown at invite-only screenings in January this year probably shows that I never quite know when to leave things the hell alone).
I'll report back after the festival.
Cheers.
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