18/12/06 - Blaggit Diary News and Seasons Greetings.
Just a quick note to let you know that we've taken down the Blaggit Diary page, but fear not, it will reappear at some point next year with the Diary broken down into Pre-production, Production and Post-production sections. I'd also like to wish everyone a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. Have a good one.
14/12/06 - Pete Blaggit Book Interview now online.
Back in October, myself and Rob Leetham, lead actor in 'Pete Blaggit' did a book interview which was conducted by Julia Jones. Julia's research for her book focuses on the representation of mental illness in film, and she intends to publish the book in early 2008 on the subject. 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit' will be one of the key films examined in the text.
In the interview, myself, Rob and Julia talk indepth about the character of Pete Blaggit and his psychosis, plus how we came to make the film in the first place and how Pete is portrayed in the film. Many thanks to Julia for arranging the interview. You can read the transcript here.
16/11/06 - First Draft of: 'The Illuminati: Part 2' underway!
Over the past couple of months and during any spare time I've had from the Blaggit edit, I've been writing the first draft of: 'The Illuminati: Part 2'. Obviously my focus right now is on completing 'Pete Blaggit' but it's been good to get back into some creative writing when I've had the time.
'The Illuminati: Part 2' is a project that is a long way off from seeing the light of day, but I'm a good thirty odd pages into the first draft and I'm enjoying the writing process. The script continues where Part 1 left off, and is even more dark, twisted and surreal than Part 1, if that's possible! I guess I started writing Part 2 as a reaction to spending a year working on 'Pete Blaggit', and to say that has been a stressful experience would be the understatement of 2006.
And yes, in case you were wondering, 'The Illuminati' is now officially a trilogy of films I plan to make in the not too distant future, and I'll be writing Part 3 at some point in 2007 all being well. Will keep you up to date with how the scriptwriting goes for Part 2.
15/11/06 - 40 Minutes of 'Pete Blaggit' complete.
Post production on: 'Pete Blaggit' has continued throughout November, and I'm pleased to say we have close to 40 minutes of the film complete, albeit in a rough cut form. It's all looking really good, but obviously we have a lot of work to do - sound design, ADR, grading etc.
I've shown a couple of scenes to a few cast and crew members, plus people who weren't invovled in the making of the film, and feedback so far has all been very positive. We have a second block of filming to do as well, which we're planning to do in early 2007, so there's still a long way to go.
24/10/06 - Blaggit Update for October.
October has been another busy month for Sepia Films - post production work on 'Pete Blaggit' is underway, so far we have four edited scenes and it's all looking very cool. We've brought an experienced co-producer onboard to oversee the sales and marketing aspect of the film.
A few weeks ago myself and lead actor Rob Leetham took part in a book interview about mental illness in cinema and how that relates to Pete Blaggit. Hopefully we should have a transcript of the interview online in a few weeks. We should also have a trailer ready by November as well, plus work has begun on the Pete Blaggit website. Watch this space!
07/10/06 - Photo Gallery from 'Blaggit' shoot now online.
Just to let you know that the Photo Gallery is now online in the 'Pete Blaggit' section of this website. There's 50 really cool stills from the shoot - cast stills, crew stills and behind the scenes stills. Simply click on one of the thumbnails to view each still individually, or you can browse from one still to the next. Enjoy!
06/10/06 - 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' Update
It's been emotional. Apologies for the severe lack of updates over the past two months but things have been incredibly hectic since we started shooting our second feature film: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' throughout August/September.
Firstly, I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to every single cast and crew member who contributed to the 24 day shoot. A lot of people put in a lot of hard work and I'm extremely grateful for the effort that went into bringing my vision to life. There was a lot of good times had by all and most importantly the rushes are looking absolutely fantastic - can't wait to get started on a rough cut!
09/07/06 - Last month of pre-production for: 'Pete Blaggit'!
Well, after several months of script re-writes and nervous breakdowns, we're now in the home straight of pre-production, with just five weeks to go until we shoot our second feature: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?'. It hasn't been an easy ride in pre-production (but is it ever?), we've had numerous problems, setbacks, disappointments - but the good news is that everything is coming together nicely for the shoot in August/September.
We have a fantastic cast and a really great crew team as well, there's still an awful lot of work to do between now and August 14th, but I really can't wait to get the film shot and in the can. If there is a lack of updates between now and mid September, then obviously it'll be because I'm too busy to update the site with any news! But come the end of September we'll have loads of behind the scenes photos to put up on the site, and I will do my best to update the Blaggit Diary page throughout the coming months.
29/06/06 - The Illuminati: the Graphic Novel.
With Sepia Films currently focused on our second feature: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' you might be wondering what's happening with our feature in development: 'The Illuminati'. Well, I'm very excited to bring you news of a graphic novel that is being planned for the project. This wasn't my idea but was sprung on me by a very good friend of mine who happens to be a budding artist/illustrator.
Within no time at all we now have a team of four illustrators who are keen to work on the graphic novel, each of whom will focus on different sections of the script. This is very much a long term project, and I don't foresee the graphic novel to be finished for a year or so - just in time for me to get 'Pete Blaggit' out of my system! Being a big fan of Frank Miller and Alan Moore, I think it's a fantastic idea and can only help in making this film in the not too distant future.
25/06/06 - Location Recce week for: 'Pete Blaggit'
Last week was our location recce week with our DOP, 1st AD and location manager. We saw countless locations throughout the week, almost all within the Birmingham region, and I have to say I'm quite pleased with the locations we saw. I can really see the film visually coming together having now seen the locations, and I know exactly what shots I want for each scene. So with the locations nearly all in place, we can concentrate on working on the logistical side of how we're going to make this film!
11/06/06 - Pre-production update for: 'Pete Blaggit'
There's now only just over two months to go until principle photography for: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' and I'm happy to say everything is on track, touch wood. We had a bit of a scare with regards to the finance situation a few weeks back, but we've had some very positive news on this front lately.
The rest of June looks busy: we have our location recce week coming up soon, and we're arranging a day of make-up tests for the main character. We also have to sort out all the equipment hire, accomodation for cast and crew and more work on the SFX make-up designs, which I'm very pleased with so far.
04/06/06 - Locations secured for: 'Pete Blaggit'
Throughout May I was working closely with Itasca Films Ltd who specialise in securing locations for Film & TV productions. The locations for our feature: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' are now pretty much in place, with permission granted for the locations. I'm delighted with the locations we've found and I'd like to say a big thank you to Itasca Films Ltd for their help and support over the past few weeks.
29/05/06 - Casting Sessions for: 'Pete Blaggit'
I'm pleased to say that we've now finished the last of our casting sessions for: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?'. Throughout May we saw close to fifty actors reading for the principle characters in the film - we saw some very good actors and we now have some very tough decisions to make! I'll be making the final casting decisions within the next week or so - I'd just like to say thank you to all the actors who came along to audition - it was great meeting you all!
21/05/06 - Fourth Draft of: 'Pete Blaggit' completed!
The fourth and final draft of: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' is all done and dusted, I'm pleased to report. The script has changed so much since the first draft I wrote back in August last year, and I can honestly say I'm 100% happy with the script. It really is very surreal, quirky and dark and should make for a very interesting shoot! Remember you can still keep up to date with the production on the: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' diary page.
15/05/06 - MicroFilmmaker review of: 'The Boy with a Thorn in His Side'!
Exactly a year on since I took the film to Cannes, a new review of our first feature: 'The Boy with a Thorn in His Side' is available thanks to MicroFilmmaker. MicroFilmmaker is really cool in that it writes essay type critiques rather than just a couple of paragraphs which normally passes for a review these days.
The reviewer breaks the film down into content, performances, use of budget, use of audio etc, and is very encouraging. Although highlighting a few technical issues in the film, the reviewer says the film is: 'a very unique movie' and: 'a remarkable achievement'. You can read the review here.
10/05/06 - Casting throughout May.
Apologies for the lack of news updates in May - things are really getting busy throughout pre-production! We've been holding casting sessions over the past week in Wolverhampton, and it's all been going well. Last week we auditioned a few actors and at least two of the minor supporting roles have been cast.
Today was really positive too - we saw five actors throughout the morning and met some genuinely keen actors who are enthusiastic about the production. Casting continues this week, next week and fingers crossed we'll be holding a casting day in London at the end of the month if we can secure a cheap enough venue!
29/04/06 - All Systems go for: 'Pete Blaggit'
There's only 14 weeks to go until the production of our new feature: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' and pre-production continues at break neck speed. An experienced London based co-producer is onboard and is helping to raise finance for the production. Our crew is pretty much in place and casting is soon to get underway throughout May. Locations will be secured by the end of May as well, just in time for a week of recces with our DOP. And the fourth draft of the script is coming along nicely, so it's all happening!
14/04/06 - Fourth & Final draft of: 'Pete Blaggit' underway!
Happy Easter! The fourth and final draft of: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit' is underway - I'm aiming to get the script complete by mid-May all being well. The sooner the script is complete the more time I can concentrate fully on pre-production. I'm 75% happy with the third draft of the script as it is, so this final draft will just involve some tweaking and refining here and there, improving on the strength of the script as much as possible!
09/04/06 - Pre-production update on: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit'
A brief update on our latest feature project. Pre-production is becoming very hectic at the moment, but everything is moving in the right direction. More crew members are attached to the project, including a production designer, a costume designer and more production assistants.
Locations should be secured by the end of April or mid May all being well. Our focus throughout May is casting for the film, while June and July will include recces with the DOP and overall organisation for the project. We're now planning on shooting for four weeks with a week long break in between the shoot. I'll soon be starting the fourth draft of the script which might just be the final draft, though don't take my word for it!
26/03/06 - Micro Cinema Scene review of: 'The Boy with a Thorn in His Side'!
On Mother's Day no less, a new review of Sepia Films' first feature: 'The Boy with a Thorn in His Side' has appeared online, thanks to Micro Cinema Scene. Achieving a respectable three out of five stars, the reviewer describes the film as a well produced film with rich character studies, and even compares the film to Muriel's Wedding! You can read the review here.
22/03/06 - Third Draft of Pete Blaggit script complete
A week or two has passed since the completion of the third draft of: 'Pete Blaggit'. It's a very different script now compared to the 1st or 2nd draft, but I'm very excited at where it's at right now. It's more dark, complex, surreal, dramatic, cinematic, etc! Kind of like a David Lynch comedy if David Lynch ever decided to make a comedy! We're talking Terry Gilliam/Donnie Darko territory here, which I love.
I foresee at leas one, possibly two more drafts of the script between now and August, depending on how much time is available as pre-production gets more intense - more on which soon.
15/03/06 - Become an Executive Producer with Sepia Films!
Sepia Films are launching an exciting opportunity for people to become involved with our latest feature production: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?'. For a contribution to our production, we're offering people a full credit as an Executive Producer, plus several other unique incentives.
14/03/06 - New Look Website Launched!
To celebrate the first anniversary of sepiafims.co.uk we have totally revamped the look of the website, giving it a much needed make-over, going for a cool white look as opposed to the black look of last year.
The context of the website is improved as well; the Links Section has been vastly updated, plus the Press Section has been redefined. You can still read about our previous work and our feature films in development, and of course the news page will be kept up to date with all the latest developments.
04/03/06 - Birmingham City Council Support for Sepia Films
After a recent meeting this past week, I'm pleased to announce that our next feature: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' will have the backing and support of Birmingham City Council. This is in conjunction with Film Birmingham - a new initiative set up by the City Council to support local productions.
Film Birmingham will support Sepia Films during the making of our feature film, helping to secure locations and permission to film in certain areas in the City. This will make our job a whole lot easier during pre-production and will also help generate interest for our film. The days of guerilla filmmaking are over!
20/02/06 - Pre-Production Update for: 'Pete Blaggit'
Just a quick update to let you know where we stand in pre-production for: 'Pete Blaggit'. Our DOP and myself have been working out a lighting list that we can afford with the budget currently available. I can also confirmed that we'll be shooting on Super 16mm, which is really exciting and will be a change from shooting on DV! Alot more preparation will have to be undertaken for shooting on film, but it's a challenge I can't wait for!
One of the crucial locations for the film has been secured, which is fantastic news considering it's only February, and I've been in talks with a local music composer who has agreed to write an original music score for the film. Most of the crew is already in place, although I still need a production designer, make-up artist and a sound designer for post production. I'm chuffed that everything is coming together nicely in the early stages of pre-production, but I know alot more challenging days lie ahead between now and August!
Remember you can still keep up to date with the latest developments for: 'Pete Blaggit' on the pre-production diary page.
08/02/06 - Third Draft of: 'Pete Blaggit' script on the way!
Not one to rest on my laurels, I've recently began work on the latest draft for the: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' script. I really want to push the surreal elements in this latest draft, as well as changing certain plot points throughout the story. Basically I want this film to be as exciting and entertaining as possible, so I'll be making a few changes from the second draft to make the script as original and refreshing as possible.
I've also been wearing my producer's hat of late, contacting various location scout companies and pricing up quotes from various camera & lighting hire companies. Plus I've been hard at work completing my business plan with my accountant, which will soon be ready to show to potential investors. All in all, a quiet couple of weeks!
02/02/06 - New Rogue Cinema Q & A Interview Online!
My first Q & A interview of 2006 is now online, thanks to Rogue Cinema. In the interview I talk about my experiences making: 'Boy with a Thorn' taking it to Cannes and the difficulties in promoting the film myself. I also discuss how these experiences will help improve my filmmaking skills for Sepia Films' next feature: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?'. You can read the interview here.
23/01/06 - Director of Photography on board for: 'Pete Blaggit'
Apologies for the lack of news updates lately on the website - I've been occupied with securing possible funding for: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit?' - hopefully I'll have some good news about this soon.
With regards to our second feature: 'Pete Blaggit', I'm pleased to announce that Mike Muschamp has been selected as Director of Photography for the production. We were overwhelmed with applications for the job, but Mike's showreel simply stood out above the rest.
My decision was made all the more easier by the fact that I've collaborated with Mike on a short film production back in 2004. Having worked on countless commercial features in the Far East over the years, I know that Mike is a very talented DOP and will be a great asset to the team during the production.
08/01/06 - Second Draft of: 'Pete Blaggit' now complete!
Throughout November, December and the festive period I was busy hard at work rewriting: 'Whatever Happened to Pete Blaggit' - and the second draft is now finished. I'm pleased with the second draft - there's a lot of new surreal ideas in the script and I feel the story is much tighter and the characters more refined.
I plan at least another two drafts of the script between now and April - the story is paramount for me and I want to make sure the script is as strong as possible. I'm now concentrating on pre-production work for the film - a few locations have been secured and I'm looking into possible investment opportunites - so far so good, though there's a long way to go yet!
01/01/06 - New Boy with a Thorn Review for 2006!
Happy New Year folks, and what better way to kick off 2006 than with a new review of our first feature: 'The Boy with a Thorn in His Side' - courtesy of Rogue Cinema.
Although the review is quite critical of the technical aspect of the film (low sound quality, no surprise there!) it is a positive review overall, and is interesting to read how such a quirky little Brit flick translates to an American audience. You can have a read of the review here.