September 2006 - Babson College, NETS UK Program

I was lucky enough to have been selected to be an ambassador for UK Entrepreneurship in Boston.

The NETS UK program was develop to provide selected scholars the opportunity to travel to America and experience business training at a leading American Business School and meet American entrepreneurs in related fields.

Click HERE for all the info.

Yorkshire Post | Bridlnigton Free Press | Babson College

April 2005 - You're Fired!

I met up with another local film maker the other day. Dean Harris . This brave young man, together with his friend, colleague, producer and scriptwriter, Danny Sunley - are attempting to make their first feature film on a very very low budget.   They are also suffering from ‘No Funding Available'.

The film is called You're Fired!! Scheduled for production in June.

I was supposed to be helping these guys with a 'behind the scenes documentary', but since I've been (metaphorically) kicked in the guts by being turned away by funding bodies and other's alike. I haven't got any way to film or edit the documentary, and I can't do it on fresh air…

So I've decided to hit the books, make some money, and concentrate on my own screenplay – which is my only ticket to getting the hell out of Dodge City!

There is the potential for a colourful film scene in Bridlington and the East Yorkshire area, but all the money and enthusiasm seems to stop at Leeds. So our very small band of local film enthusiasts have to starve on what little help we have, and fresh air...

Joking aside, I wish Dean and Danny all the very best of luck with ‘You're Fired!!' Let's hope good things are round the corner.

January 2005 - Video Forum

Day 1 - I attended ‘Video Forum 2005' where I intended to investigate this new HDV format. My mouth was watering with the anticipation of getting my dirty little hands on the brand spanking new Sony HVR-Z1E. The ‘Video Forum' was full of fascinating and informative seminars, where the different companies try and sell you their products, but also teach a great deal about new technologies. HDV is the new concept/technology that WILL sweep the DV enthusiasts off their feet, so be warned!

On the floor there were hundreds of dealers showcasing their latest toys and shiny things. I didn't know what all the equipment was, but it didn't stop me asking. The best place I found was a stall run by Optex (now called ProductionGear), where I spoke to, very helpful and knowledgeable, Phil Barker.
I told him the budget I had (if I got the funding), and he helped me price up the kit I needed.

Day 2 - The 2 most useful seminars I found to be were ‘Production on a Budget' by Christina Fox, and a number of fascinating and funny lectures on lighting by Robin Lambert. These guys really gave me a good idea how to set about shooting and lighting ‘on a budget' with HDV.

Day 3 - I attended an HD conference where Sony locked horns with JVC amongst others.

Sony was set upon by the perplexed audience as they asked a hundred-and-one question such as ‘Why wasn't the lens interchangeable?” Sony didn't really have a good answer for this - especially when Matteo Ricchetti unveiled his HVR-FX1 , which he had butchered an interchangeable lens into the body.

As beautiful as the Z1 may have been, I think this Frankenstein's monster of a camera stole the show, and I think Sony knew it! JVC had a good laugh at Sony's expense, knowing that they had something up their sleeves in months to come.

JVC 'tickled pink' in the background

October 2004 - Raindance: Beyond Structure

I felt the need to learn more about writing a good story. I was lucky enough to help out at an even held by the Raindance Film Festival in London. It was a screenwriter's workshop called ‘Beyond Structure' hosted by David. S. Freeman. I was desperate to attend, but I lived so far away, and it would have cost an arm and a leg to attend such a prestigious event. Luckily a delightful young lady by the name of Rachel managed to get me in as an assistant. This way I could attend the event, but also pay my way so to speak.

The first night was a pitching exercise where you had the chance to pitch your idea and get some feedback. David Freeman asked if anyone would pitch his or her ideas to him. Slowly people put their hands in the air I was one of those who put their arm halfway up. I really didn't want to pitch my idea because I secretly thought it was too good to share in front of everyone else.

David saw all the people without their hands raised and said ‘your first mistake! There is a good possibility you have missed the first and last chance to pitch your idea to someone who can help you'.

It slowly sank in - I thought ‘shit, he might be right'. After that I fought ‘tooth and nail' with the rest of the group as every hand shot in the air. David was listening not only to the audience's stories, but also to how that storyteller would present the pitch.

Half of the battle is selling yourself, not the story. He took their sorry pitch attempts and remoulded them into something wonderful, not changing the essence of the pitch, but making them more attractive to listen to. Alas, I never got the chance to pitch my story – valuable lesson learned.

The next night I was supposed to help at the door, selling tickets and other material. There wasn't much work for me to do, I kept asking if there was anything I could do, but they told me I was ok.

So I just sat there in the seminar, scribbling away. I felt really guilty as I sat there doing nothing while poor Rachel did her share of the work, and everyone else's share too.

Anyhow, David Freeman was very interesting, he spoke about character diamonds - how character has so many sides to their personality. He spoke about masks and how some characters would hide their true feelings from other characters and sometimes the audience. He showed great examples in films like Jerry Maguire and Good Will Hunting.

I can't even begin to explain the vast amount of stuff this guy talked about, but I learned a lot from him.

One thing I will always remind myself is ‘if you're the type of person that keeps writing one page then ripping it up because you want to write a perfect 1st draft. Quit… because you don't really want to be a writer. If you want to write just do it even if it's bad. A good writer will always write a bad first draft so they can work on it to make it better the next time, and the time after that'.