Welcome back to Featured Friday!
Today I am going to do a shameless plug that my new Double J Productions website is up! Double J Creative isn’t going anywhere, but this new website will be specifically for all my film projects.
So if you are interested in film, and the other half of Double J, be sure to check it out and click below (:
Want to be the next Featured Friday? Get in touch, I’d love to hear from you!
Do you have an idea you’ve been dying to bring to life but don’t know how? Today, I am going to walk you through the process of how to make a short film.
Short films are typically 40 minutes or less. Ideally, the sweet spot is about 7-8 pages of script as short film festivals prefer shorter films but don’t let that stop you from making a longer one if you prefer! If you are just starting out, short films are a great place to start and build your portfolio. They are also great if you have a concept for a larger project, let’s say a feature film or TV series, but don’t have the capacity to film that big yet and would just like to film a “teaser.”
Whether you have a big budget, no budget or somewhere in between – the short film process will be the same. Do not let filmmaking intimidate you, but do educate yourself on all the pieces of the puzzle it takes to pull one off.
The Process
Read more below
I hope this was helpful and if you have any questions, drop them below!
I can’t wait to see all the amazing projects you make (:
Don’t forget to follow my blog if you like my posts and follow me on social media, I will try to follow back.
Welcome to my Featured Friday! If you have been with me from the start (which if you have thank you so much!) then you would know I love to invite people for interviews to share some love to their work and beautiful creations!
A few to check out on my blog!
These are just some of the brilliant creative in the tv and film industry that have been so kind to take the time and share with me their creations, skills and insight advice for anyone starting out in the industry – whether you are an actress, screenwriter, filmmaker, or anything involving creativity!
If you have a skill to share or would like to be featured, please get in touch. I like to hear from you at any stage of your career, so don’t be shy (:
Get in Touch!
Follow me on instagram for Film productions in the works @double_j_productions or twitter @Doublejfilms
Have you heard the news? Bridgerton is picked up for series 2!
If you have not watched series one yet, I highly recommend you stop whatever you are watching and go give it a try! During the Regency era in England, eight close-knit siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family attempt to find love. It is Downton Abbey meets Gossip girl, who wouldn’t love that?
It is reported by Variety to have reached 63 million households within four weeks of it releasing on Christmas Day. One of the most successful Netflix originals the platform has launched to date.
Bridgerton is based on a series written by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes is the executive producer on the TV series. If you don’t know, Shonda Rhimes is one of my FAVOURITE screenwriters. Since high school, I have always had Grey’s Anatomy as my go to television series and have also enjoyed How To Get Away With Murder. As a screenwriter myself, I actually took the Masterclass by Shonda which really helped guide me on the fundamentals and not to give up on my passion for storytelling. I currently even have my own television series that I wrote within one month after watching her course! She is truly an inspiration and someone I aspire to work with one day.
I have sat through the series twice now and I can honestly say I would watch it a third time, so when I heard the news there was going to be another series I was very excited. A would be lying if I didn’t say there was a part of me that hopes I’ll get an audition for it – unlikely, but a girl can dream. But if you are a casting director reading this, keep me in mind(;
The music, costuming and actors are all stunning. If you don’t think you are a fan of period drama, at least give this one a try because I can assure you – you won’t be bored! But I will warn you, once you start you may not be able to stop!
So I want to know, have you seen series one and are excited for series two? Or maybe you haven’t yet but now you want to start? Let me know in the comments(:
Are you passionate about mental health and spreading awareness? Then this film is for you. Physique is about supporting mental health and the struggles young dancers have with body image and eating disorders.
Donations
We cannot do this without your help. Your donation is put towards providing jobs to crew + cast, transportation, choreography and locations to film at. But remember, you get perks in return and will have the opportunity to join in on the journey.
Perks:
Shoutout on Social Media
Feed a member of crew
Digital Download
Signed poster
Physique Exclusive Member
Associate or Executive Producer
If you are a company or organisation that would like to sponsor or donate a larger contribution you will have the opportunity to put your company logo in the credits , which may be beneficial when we make our film festival circuit all over the world.
We have an amazing crew and a producer who has credits recognisable on IMDB. So, if you have just 5 minutes please read through our crowdfund page and consider donating. Alternatively, if you would like to donate via Paypal you can do so here.
Indiegogo Page –
https://igg.me/at/physiquefilm/x/23090417#/
Physique Short Film Donations
All donations will go towards making the short film Perk with this donation : Digital Download
25.00 £
Physique Short Film
Perk Associated with this donation : Digital Download + Tshirt
50.00 £
Physique Short film
Perk Associated with this donation : Signer poster, digital download, signed script
100.00 £
Physique Short Film
Perk associated with this donation : Join the team and be apart of the journey every step of the way with perks such as a one of the kind member t-shirt, behind the scenes footage, signed copy of the script, a shoutout on media, first one to hear updates and a digital download when the film has made its film festival run.
175.00 £
Physique Short film
Perk Assiciated with this perk – Executive Producer
2000.00 £
Welcome back to Featured Friday! I had a very exciting week filming for the Nightriders, some of you may be familiar with from a previous Featured Friday post. I just want to give a special thanks to all that helped out and made that wonderful project happen, I can’t wait to see it progress.
This week I am very excited to introduce Elliot Grove, founder of Raindance Film Festival and BIFA, as this weeks feature. I feel very honoured to have had the pleasure to talk to him and get to share our interview here. As you may know, Raindance Film Festival will be mainly online this year but don’t miss out on streaming some amazing films from 28 Oct. – 7 Nov. and some other events going on worth checking out.
Interview with Elliot Grove
What gravitated you towards the film industry, and how did you get your start?
I am a farm boy from southern Ontario, Canada. I became fascinated by movies when my stick Protestant Amish parents told me that the devil lived in the movie theatre. One day (I was 16) I snuck into the Devil’s house in the small village near where we lived. One only had to pay 99 cent back in those days.I had no idea what a movie was. I was just told never to go to the movie theatre. I paid my money and walked into a large room – a bit like church. Chairs where lined up, facing the front. The curtains opened and the first face of the devil I saw was Lassie Comes Home. I cried like a baby and at the end I rushed up to the screen to see if I could feel the bark or the fur and it was all gone in a twinkling of the eye and I was totally hooked.
I ended up in art school in Toronto where my sculpture teacher got me a short stint with Henry Moore. I am a qualified technician in cine Perdue – list wax bronze casting – the ancient art of the Greeks. After that I got a BBC job s a stage hand and worked on many iconic British TV shows like Monty Python and Dr Who. I then moved back to Toronto in the late 70’s and worked for 9 yers as a scenic artist on many truly horrible movies – ones with words like ’Slime’ Gore” or ‘Massacre’ in the title.
I moved back to London and at a moment of a total low started the festival.
What inspired you to create Raindance Film Festival?
It was really a thought experiment – can you make a movie with no money? No training? No real film experience? And people I knew like Edgar Wright, like Chris Nolan were all making films for next to nothing, with no training or NY experience. The festival was starts to celebrate their work, and very nearly filed due to the fact that Raindance was considered to be a disruptor by the establishment – and in many way still is.
Besides Covid, what has been your biggest challenges over the years to bring Raindance to what it is today?
I am often asked this question – and the answer is always the same ‘How do you create public awareness and appetite for the independent films we have at Raidance?’ No audience, no box office, no sponsorship and no money. We would have failed years ago hd it not been for the generosity of our patrons, or members, our filmmaker, and most importantly our audience.
What makes a good short film? Take me to world I already know and show me something new that makes me a better person, or, take me to a world I do not know and teach me something that makes me a better person.
What do you believe to be the pros and cons of holding the festival this year primarily online?
Creating a new distribution model in the COVID era is an exciting creative opportunity where artistry, innovation and commerces compete for my attention 24/7
Do you have any advice for aspiring filmmakers, especially while trying to navigate the current climate of the industry?
Its a terrific time to be breaking into the industry because all the big players have been stopped stone cold. And everyone is screaming for content. The opportunity is really quite simple: Make a film/web series/podcast/VR Immersive piece that is so bold fresh and original that no one else has thought of before, and thy will send the limos!
Thank you so much Elliot for joining me on Double-j-creative. To learn more about Raindance visit: https://www.raindance.org/festival/ for more information and the line up for this years festival!
If you like my blog be sure to like and subscribe. Get in touch if you want a feature!
Welcome to Featured Friday!
I am excited to announce a new short film I am currently producing! I have got a great crew coming together and cannot wait to see where it takes us all.
A little bit about Physique
Our choreographer, Clair Gleave, is a beautifully talented soul. Please check out her Youtube Channel and Choreography “Body Love”, which alines perfectly with this project.
The crowdfund for this project will be launching next week, but please visit the pre-launch page to sign up for new updates and a chance to support the project!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/physique/coming_soon/x/23090417
That is all for today, lovelies! I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and I look forward to all those following the journey of Phsyique.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @PhysiqueFilm
Hello, and welcome back to Double-j-creative! Today I will be doing another “must-have books”, you can find my last one on helpful books for actors in a previous post.
So, if you don’t know, I went to university to study film and got to do a lot of practical work for film and tv production. Although I love being an actress, and hope to continue to pursue it when the right role comes along, I am very interested in becoming a production assistant. It has come to my attention that this is where my skillsets are strongest out of all the roles in production, and I am very passionate about pursuing it.
Over lockdown, and even now, has posed a significant challenge to do anything in the film industry. There are some productions starting up, but for those still trying to get their foot in the door it is a little harder to get work. However, I have been determined not to do nothing. I am one of those people that has to have something to do and be proactive about my career. It is a blessing and a curse because as times such as now, I am feeling that more and more I don’t know what more to do with myself. So if you are in the industry and have ways you have been staying proactive comment below, I would love to hear from you!
More to the point, one thing that has kept me occupied is reading! Lots and lots of it! There are so many great books out there if you are wanting to learn more about the industry and get some good tips. Here are some of the ones I’ve been reading and love:
Must-have Book List :
Producer to Producer – Thinking of becoming a producer one day, or are making your own films? This is a great manual to get you going! From pre-production, budgeting & finance and distribution – this book has got it all! You can even get free downloadable templates.
Action! – Now, there is an actress and a crew one of these books so make sure you get the right one. Or if you are like me, get both! This is a very helpful guide to navigating you career into the film industry. A breakdown of each role, CV tips, looking for jobs and what to expect when you are on set.
Making Your Own Movie – I refer to this quite a lot and could be very useful to aspiring filmmakers, especially during COVID. Take 39 steps to creating your first film, which could be completely on your phone! Also, there are some helpful templates in the back of the book to refer to, as well as film suggestions.
Poldark : The Complete Scripts : Recently I have been rewatching the Poldark series, and I am a sucker for period dramas. I was so excited when I saw they had a book with the complete scripts so that I could follow along as I watch the series to see the translation from script to screen. If Poldark isn’t your thing, I still highly recommending reading scripts. Whether that is from online download (check out Shore Scripts) or finding books like this one.
These are just a few I have, but I am sure there are plenty more!! I am constantly on the look our for more helpful books to add to my collection so if you have a suggestion drop it in the comments.
UPDATE
A little life update, I have been pretty busy lately and will soon be filming this month on a teaser. It’s all very exciting and I’m looking forward to what lies ahead. With that said, I will now be posting every other week. I hope you continue to follow my blog and let me know if there are things you want more or less of. Thank you(:
Stay safe, stay well!
Welcome Disney lovers, and if you aren’t a fan of Disney, continue reading anyway to maybe learn something about the company you didn’t know.
As some of you may know, I studied Disney Animation in my last year of University and fell in love with the history behind the company. People sometimes only acknowledge Disney for what it is now, but there is so much more and how it continued to be the successful studio it is today. Today, I want rewind all the way back to the original hand-drawn animation and how it evolved.
Disney Animation Studio The Beginning
The Disney Animation studio was first found by Walt and his brother Roy Disney on 16th Oct. 1923. At the start of the company they had a series called, The Alice Comedies, which were short silent film with half animation and half live action. These lasted from 1925-1927, when they decided to go a different route and the birth of Mickey Mouse was not too long after. Mickey was the first to have a short with synchronised sound by the company – Steam Boat Willie (1928).
Over the years, the studio continually improved their animation skills and started a series of experimental animated shorts called, Silly Symphonies. Here are some of the processes early animators went through when it was all hand drawn :
Note: Some of these techniques are still used, but with the technology of computerised animation these days, some may vary.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White is Disney’s first animated feature film released in 1937, which became an amazing success and milestone for the studio. Snow White had 250,000 painted celluloids and photographed nearly half a million times on the master camera to complete the film. It launched the studio into a new direction and along came films such as Fantasia (1940), Pinocchio (1940) and Dumbo (1941). Although not as successful as Snow White, because of WWII going on, the Disney company was continually developing and progressing animation in a whole new way.
Due to Walt’s death in 1966, sadly the company began to decline. Even with animated futures still coming out, the company was struggling to stay afloat. Until, the resurgence happened.
Disney Renaissance (1989-1999)
After a few difficult years after Walt’s death, the studio decided to get back to Musical animated films, and along came The Little Mermaid (1989). The film was a major success and went on to win an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Score and Best Song for “Under the Sea”. Disney once again found its footing, and reclaimed its classical Disney style. Beauty and the Beast (1991) also found major success, nominated for multiple Academy Awards and won Best Song Score. These successes continued to lead the studio into producing Aladdin, Lion King and so on. Many of these films went on to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful, all of which are based on well-known stories.
To summarise
The Walt Disney Studio’s has had many successful films, most recently Frozen 2 that is computer animated. But, what I love about hand-drawn animation is the aesthetic and feeling of it. Don’t get me wrong, I think CG animation is great, but when you go back to the classics you can almost feel the animators work through every movement. Some of my favourite classics are Robin Hood, Bambi, Sword in the Stone and Beauty and the Beast. They all have a unique quality about them I can’t quite put my finger on, but I just get a different feeling when I watch them compared to CG animation.
When you look back at how the studio started and how animation continuously evolved, it is quite amazing to see how far animation has come. I do love the recent films Disney has made, but I’d love to see another classic hand-drawn film again. What do you think? I’d love to hear your thought on whether you are an hand-drawn classic Disney fan, or a CG?
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Welcome back to Featured Friday!
Today may seem a little familiar to last week’s feature, and if not, then be sure to check it out! Or here is a little summary: The Nightrider is a new TV series, created by award-winning director, Jane Sangers. An exciting period drama where a beautiful squire’s daughter is feared and captured by Barbary Pirates.
On Tuesday, 15 September, we launched our campaign and have already had amazing support! 20% towards our goal has been made in just four days. We are all so grateful, but still have a way to go and want you to get involved and join us on this journey!
Why donate?
You are probably thinking right now is not the best time to donate because of COVID, and we all completely understand, but by donating you are helping the film and tv industry who have been tremendously effected and kickstarting production again. Also, with meeting our goal means being able to provide jobs for many unemployed film crew and actors at the moment. So if you are interested in aiding the film industry to get back on its feet, help get some jobs opportunities going again or simply just wanting to support an exciting television series make it’s way to your screen – then please donate. Plus, there are some exciting opportunities to get involved with production (:
The Perks of Donating
Of course no donation will go without a little giving back, and is why we set up a range of fabulous perks for you to choose from!
Most of these perks are at discounted prices, so don’t miss out!
If none of these perks suit your fancy, but still want to donate, you can do that too!
Check out my short video on how to donate and where to go. If you do donate, DM me on insta @double_j_creative or leave a comment on this post to be featured in a special shoutout addition next week!
LINK ->
https://igg.me/at/nightridertv/x/23090417#/Thank you again for your support, and we all look forward to welcoming you along this journey with us.
Be sure to check us out on facebook and twitter @nightridertv
For your chance to be featured get in touch!
