« August 2006 | Main | October 2006 »
September 28, 2006
Baby steps for the blog
I made another technological discovery today. I have no idea why it's taken me this long to figure this out, but I can now upload videos into the sidebar - is this, technically speaking, a podcast?. These will all be Quicktimes for those of you who need to know that side of things and they will all be under 5Mb so that they don't take forever for you to download.
The plan is that these will have anecdotal videos from the shoot, so stuff involving cast and crew and anyone we met along the way that we managed to capture doing something interesting/funny/stupid/humiliating in front of the camera. So keep an eye out for your mug in there if you were ever anywhere near the shoot and email me to have it removed!
The first vid I have put up there is the one of me finding Roger the Badger on the side of the road, poor old Roger.
Look for this little icon in the sidebar:
Finding Roger
I will also be doing this for sound recordings and/or music and we have some special stuff coming in that department. In the meantime check out the Psapp post for a taste of how I'm going to put these together.
Posted by colin kennedy at 4:57 PM | Comments (6)
Our Man in Canada: Bulletin 2
Our Man in Canada
arriving in Toronto
Deluxe Studios
...where the magic happens...
DM & JB in the booth
hard at work
Howard
David and Jo Cameron-Brown
All went very well apparently, so we inch another step closer to production.
Posted by colin kennedy at 1:28 PM | Comments (0)
September 27, 2006
Coconut halves for clip-clops
Colin (Editor) and Giles (Asst Editor) have been at the foley sessions at Universal Sound and their specialist studios in Amersham.
Universal Sound Studios
I've always thought this is a particularly surreal part of the process. Sound is quite a difficult thing to get your head round sometimes and this is a particularly abstract part of it. Click the link above to get a detailed account of what foley artists do and how their work impacts the film.
Here are some slightly dodgy snaps but they give the idea of what happens - people noises in sync with the picture...
...mind you, I bet that pool gets used for more thann just sound effects.
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)
September 26, 2006
Our Man in Canada
I have been receiving the odd update from our foreign correspondent - Brian Coffey, Post-prod co-ordinator.
He had this to say about his trip:
Good Morning from this side of the Atlantic!
How are you all? The sun has yet to rise this side, but I have a feeling that it will shine today!!
Last night was like waiting for the news of my first born child, tense, tiring, nerve racking, lots of calls. As we lay in wait for word from above. And then it finally came. Jamie will do ADR tomorrow, horray!
I met with him and David last night for a beer at "Sneeky Petes" a kinda downtown diner, full of Grungy Canadians - a perfect hideout for a Canadian Hallam. Everyone was on great from, David and Jamie
were in high spirits.
It seems that Jamie had the busiest day yesterday that he has ever had with Jumper - a dental appointment, a script reading, a meeting with the make-up artist to have a mould of his face taken. Then a meeting with they guys regarding the wires for his stunts.
Anyway all will be good.
Deluxe studio is stunning (Colin I will take alot of pics today). Its vibrant and funky, and today it will be filled with the voice of our lead actor -Hurrah!
Ta for that Brian, we eagerly await the photos.
Posted by colin kennedy at 12:51 PM | Comments (2)
Angus Pigott's Top 10
Angus Pigott - Associate Producer
Today I got an email from Angus with his top ten posts on the blog attached. Another one for the collection...
1. blog
2. cool day
3. return to the black lagoon
4. make it rain
5. opening scene shoots today
6. slate 1 take 1 action
7. pick-ups in edinburgh
8. here we go again
9. jamie returns
10. best boy
He hasn't given me a run down of his reasons for this selection, so you'll have to ask if you're interested.
(see the sidebar for other 'top10's')
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:49 AM | Comments (0)
Trronno!
Trronno!
Oh the glamorous world of filmmaking! The team currently wing their way across the planet to sunny Toronto. Jealous? Slightly.
Brian - post-production co-ordinator - is a last minute addition to the Canadian despatch to help with all things logistical and ensure that things runs smoothly.
Photos on the way I am assured.
I'll keep you posted with any news from the front.
Posted by colin kennedy at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)
September 25, 2006
Additional Dialogue Recording
Today has seen the first ADR sessions with Lucy Holt kicking things off, then Sophia Myles coming in and then Ciaran Hinds.
ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording) is done for several reasons, chiefly because recording sound on location is a difficult task and often there are noises (traffic, airplanes, crowds, noisey props etc) that we don't want in the film so a clean dialogue track is recorded afterwards and re-synced. Also, if there are improvements that can be made to the sound of some of the dialogue e.g. if one half of a line comes from one take and the other from another, or if there have been cuts in the dialogue which make the intonation sound a bit jumpy, these can also be ironed out by recording the lines again and then carefully adding in wild tracks and EQ to get the same sounding sound as the already augmented and altered original material which the sound engineers have been working with for the last month or so. The other aspect of this is that the performance can be slightly altered too. This is not the easiest process but subtle changes can really alter the way a scene plays
Of course ADR comes with the usual host of logistical problems that every other aspect of the production has, in this case it is easier to take David to the actors rather than the other way round. So today he is in London recording and tomorrow he, Jo Cameron-Brown and Howard the ADR recordist fly to Toronto to see Jamie again and do his scenes there.
Posted by colin kennedy at 9:50 AM | Comments (0)
September 24, 2006
Process
On Friday night I went for a very emotional drink with David. We met at about eleven, he had just locked the picture on Hallam Foe. This is a momentous milestone in the journey of the film and is somewhat of a wrench on the heartstrings.
Having said that, we're not exactly rushing out the door to the premiere.
The creative process is by no means at an end, but the hardcore craft of building a film is over and the rest of the journey ahead is a balancing act of the technical aspects of the film, making sure that each of those elements plays to the strains of the film and makes the most of all the work to date.
The first step on this journey is ADR on Monday.
Posted by colin kennedy at 9:29 AM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2006
Picture what?
Picture lock.
This is the point where we call the picture editing process to a close. No more fiddling, tinkering or finessing. Nail your colours fairly and squarely to the mast because this is the point of no return. To an extent. And the time is fast approaching - there's about two hours left.
So I have called round the cutting room to get a sense of what's happening and how all the final decisions come together.
Over DM's shoulder as they edit
The atmosphere is palpable. I was greeted with a startled look from David whose eye flicked away from the screen to see who was interrupting at this crucial point in proceedings. The addition of a foreign body to this inner sanctum of the filmmaking process upsets the balance for a little bit. Not made much easier by the fact that I was brandishing my camera when I came through the door, perhaps a little insensitive on my part.
DM & CM at the coal face
I've been here for half-an-hour now though and drifted into the background. The usual bouts of deliberation have resumed between the cutting gang and I am little more than a quiet impression of David Bellamy peering into the set of animals existing in the dark, quietly going about their very precise business. They flick between scenes, debate the merits of performance over focus, tweak shots by frames and balance up the crucial against the less so on the decision making priority list.
It's a privilege to be hear at this time and something that I will hopefully reap the benefits of seeing in my own filmmaking ventures.
Posted by colin kennedy at 7:15 PM | Comments (0)
David Shrigley in the Cutting Room
David Shrigley just came over to the cutting room. Here he is relaxing in front of his laptop.
Posted by giles at 6:36 PM | Comments (0)
California Sunshine
I have just received a link to one of David and Gillian's shorts, California Sunshine.
Cal Sun, as it is affectionately known here, was one of David and Gillian's early collaborations. It's a great short but the quality of this link is pretty suspect. (I will try and find another way of being able to watch this and other shorts of D&G's)
The film stars Al Mackenzie, David's bro, and Susan Vidler, Al's partner, amongst other notable cast members including brief 'extra' appearances from various members of the Scottish filmmaking axis.
Enjoy!
Posted by colin kennedy at 1:43 PM | Comments (2)
200 blogs old
Today the blog is having it's 200th birthday. Happy Birthday blog! You're 200 blogs old x
So to celebrate here are some pictures Giles (asst. editor) took at the screening for the sign-off of the film on Wednesday.
the screen
Matthew Justice and Peter Carlton
Sean Gascoine (DM's agent)
Gillian and Ana Ayesta
Jennie (Glasgow Film Office)
Emma Zee (post supervisor)
Today the cutting gang are back in their lair and making the final final adjustments, little polishes here and there and then that will be the cut finished.
Nearly there!
Posted by colin kennedy at 10:53 AM | Comments (1)
September 21, 2006
Hallam Foe witters
I have just been to check out Hallam's MySpace page and he's coming on a little, poetic witterings about the life of a kitchen porter and music.
He needs more pictures though I think.
If you're watching Hallam?
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:51 AM | Comments (0)
Word back
This morning David posted a comment after reading yesterdays No News blog which I think should be posted on it's own really, so here are David's words:
Just arrived back home in Glasgow after the 'picture lock' screening in London. Essentially it was an opportunity for all interested parties in the film to see where we have got to and give it the thumbs up. This (thank f***) they did in spades. The new stuff we shot last week has made a great difference to the overall feel of the film and understanding Hallam and his journey - as we always knew it would - so there was a paplable sense of excitement from all involved.
For me it was a good experience too. Not the usual cringes (well not too much anyway) and plenty of laughs in all the right places - although it is not a comedy, there are plenty of funny moments.
For a director showing a film to an audience it is always a nerve-racking experience. But there is not much more gratifying a feeling than hearing the sound of laughter rippling through an audience (in a place you want that is - it can be horrifying if it happens in a place you wanted a serious moment).
When I made short films, most of them were comedies and you got a really clear sense of when it worked when you heard the audience laugh. A loud public laugh is so much easier to read than a private quiet tear or a blink of fear.
The last 2 films I have made have been pretty serious dramas, so I haven't felt the thrill of a funny moment landing for a while. It certainly is a buzz when you get it though.
Note to self: do more funny stuff!
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:07 AM | Comments (5)
September 20, 2006
No News
Today has been a long day. I've been working on the viral content for the marketing side of things while the rest of the team have been down in London.
I haven't heard anything from them yet but I imagine, like me, they will now be enjoying a cold beer and a well deserved one at that. They have been showing the film to get sign-off from all the financiers so that we can lock the picture and proceed with the next stages of grading, vfx and sound work.
As soon as I hear something I'll let you know how it went.
Posted by colin kennedy at 6:15 PM | Comments (1)
September 19, 2006
Colin Kennedy in the Cutting Room
Here's Colin blogging away in the cutting room.
Posted by giles at 6:33 PM | Comments (3)
September 18, 2006
Verity Foe on MySpace
Beautiful but dangerous
Verity's MySpace page has had a bit of an overhaul.
She's chosen a very nice flock wallpaper I notice and some appropriately sinister music, which I think is Mozart but she doesn't list that in her fave's(?). And she spelt Def Leppard wrong! How can you trust someone who spells it Deaf Leopard?
There's something not right about her...
Posted by colin kennedy at 5:26 PM | Comments (0)
Gut instinct
I am writing this no more than three minutes after having got back into the office.
This is how the screening worked.
We arrived to meet a few people between the ages of 16 and 25. Most importantly of all they were (bar two of them) completely unlinked to the film and didn't have a clue about the story and hadn't even read the blog (small note of disappointment about the latter!).
David introduces the film with the usual caveat that it's not finished yet, lights dim and up come the familiar leader and sync bloop! .
It was all change from that point on. The film has changed so much, economic on story, pacey and succinct, pausing to breathe at all the right moments. It's a great movie.
Obviously, I am aware that my opinion doesn't count. Hence the reason for having this screening in the first place and at this time. We are fast approaching picture lock (Wednesday) and if we want to make changes, now is the only time to do it. So we canvassed the opinion of a mixture of skiving students waving freshly signed sick notes for their lecturers and asked them for their harsh truths.
I can't imagine how difficult this must have been for David and Gillian and everyone else. I sat in my seat and the outside world melted away once again and I was young Hallam for the next hour and half, until that moment the first end credit popped out of the darkness and I was fully snapped into the reality that we would have to hear what our young(er) minds had to say. Would they get the complex plot that we have happily lived with for so long? Would they like the feral llittle rogue that we've created? Would they think it all hung together and would they recommend it to their pals?
At first, confronted with director and producer (very nice they are too, but lets face it, it's their film so what do you say?) everyone was quite quiet. I elected to keep my camera in my bag for fear of ruining any chance of anyone saying anything.
And then, little by little, dialogue began. We began with what D&G had felt were salient points and from there the conversation grew. It was all about the film so I'm not about to start recounting verbatim, suffice to say however that I breathed myself a little sigh of relief that everything not only seemed to work but evoked passion, transported our very important audience to another place and enthralled.
The young(er) team
More importantly, they highlighted a couple of areas where they thought one or two things were a little unclear, so D is off to the cutting room to make some adjustments and I'm going to go down there with my little 'making of' camera and get some shots of the computers and brains whirring.
You don't often get Monday mornings as good as this.
Posted by colin kennedy at 12:42 PM | Comments (1)
screening for the screaming
I am running out the door as I write this, camcorder in hand, we are having a screening for the young'uns, 16 to 25.
I'lll let you know how it goes.
Must dash
Posted by colin kennedy at 9:29 AM | Comments (4)
September 11, 2006
Shrigley notes
We have just had David Shrigley in to do some shots. He has been doing some writing for Hallam's notebooks. David (S) is also doing an animted title sequence for the film so the two will tie in nicely together and give Hallam some more connection with the sequence. The overall effect will be one of getting closer to Hallam, more in his head, and that's what we want.
a single cell from the title animation
There have also been discussions about adding some colour to the title sequence. If this happens I'll post another version.
Posted by colin kennedy at 10:47 PM | Comments (7)
Sparks
The electrical members of the crew are called sparks. With them come the lights, trucks full of huge lamps, flags, poly, reflectors, dimmer boards, HMI's, Kinos, transformers, jumpers, bubbles, trace frames, gels, scrims, quarter, half and full blue, kilometres of gaffer tape and red, blondes and brunettes in days gone by.
Here are a few of our sparks on the pick-up shoot:
Sparks in the back of the wagon
Gaffer, Campbell McIntosh (and pal Scottie)
John
A wide shot so you can see some of their work
Posted by colin kennedy at 10:04 PM | Comments (1)
Pick-ups in Edinburgh
The rickshaw dolly in action
Last night we were on the streets of Edinburgh, guerilla style-ee with rickshaw dolly and steadycam. I'd never seen this piece of kit in action before. It allowed us to really get some speed into the steadicam without having to use something like a quadbike which would have been a much bigger deal than our setup. It does require some manpower though, as I'm sure Angus and the grips would be happy to tell you!
The aim of the pick-ups / re-shoots in Edinburgh were to get alternative shots for the ending of the film.
Here are some snaps of us on the street:
David and Gillian at the monitor
Rickshaw dolly
...who goes there?
Angus recovering from dolly towing
Captain Marc 'Snacks' Mills
Gordie writing camera notes at speed.
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:59 AM | Comments (4)
Colin Kennedy's Top Ten
Top of the PopsMy top ten currently looks like this. As usual suggestions are welcome if there is something glaringly obvious I have overlooked:
1. Getting Pelters
This is the first blog and as such has the spirit with which we are conducting things ingrained.
2. Blog
This is a piece written by David Mackenzie (director) and explains why he wanted to have a blog and also some of the parameters we have to deal with.
3. I am Hallam Foe
This is the first blog from Jamie Bell, he has written some blogs in character, great stuff in each one so worth searching out if this is a first visit, or re-reading if you haven't seen it in a while.
4. Disaster
Just in case anyone thought that making films is a laugh a minute, this post really proves it's not all beer and skittles.
5. The 35 Feet High Club
I love this post becaus it gives an insight into one of the hardest things to do in filmmaking and is from one the people who does it the best. Sex scenes are notoriously difficult to get right and David has established a very strong reputation in getting these scenes to be all things to all people, tender, dramatic, shocking and still wholly believable, all without being gratuitous. No mean feat I'm sure you'll all agree.
6. Producers Update
This blog comes at things from a slightly different angle, that of the producers. Theirs is a difficult lot, highly sensitive and complex work.
7. Studio
This is a look at the set we built in what I can only describe as an aircraft hanger. In fact it's a shed for massive engineering works just outside Glasgow and was the only space big enough we could find to house our sets.
8. Domino Records
This blog is about the music deal we have created for the film and how David wants to approach the soundtrack, a step away from the trad score.
9. The Beautiful People
A little light-hearted fun, and stripping of dignity.
10. Big Day for Hallam
This is an approximation of how everyone was feeling before the first showing of the film and kind of brings us up to date with proceedings.
This 'top ten' is in chronological order and is meant to bring you up to speed with how we're getting on and provide an idea of the rollercoaster of emotions we've felt going through the process, as well as an insight into the process itself. You can also flick through the various department listed in the Categories I have set up in the sidebar on the right.
I'm always looking for feedback, so get in touch and let me know what's missing, what you love, what you hate and what I can do to make this a better experience.
Posted by colin kennedy at 10:02 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
September 10, 2006
Studio gets a little busier
working hard
Everyone is in the studio now, beavering away in the treehouse and have been at it for a few hours now.
It's getting busier (and darker)
I've had several chats with David and Jamie and the whole exercise is turning out to be even more valuable than first expected. So good news all round.
The schedule felt less relentless this morning and more condusive to experiment, but, of course, as soon as you have more time, you use it. So we have pushed lunch back a little to make the most of the opportunity we have here and later we will be heading off to Edinburgh to get our evening shots.
Posted by colin kennedy at 1:47 PM | Comments (0)
In the dressing room
the wandering minstrel
I've just been down to see Hallam in his dressing room. All his gear is out of storage and ready to go again.
Hallam's costumes and continuity photos
He has even been re-united with Roger, who has been living in a box for the last few months, but looks pretty good and doesn't smell too bad either.
Roger
Here's a little clip of Jamie drinking some fizzy energy stuff.
Posted by colin kennedy at 10:53 AM | Comments (5)
Here we go again
Trucks outside Film City Glasgow
We're at it again. The trucks are here, the gear's being unloaded, the smell of bacon rolls, spray paint and dust fills the air.
It's great to be shooting again, this is my favourite part.
Giles and David in the treehouse
Our first task is to shoot some scenes in the treehouse. As we've explained in the last few posts these are to enhance a section of the film that could do with a bit more emphasis. The film currently flies along at quite a pace and there is one aspect of it that could do with being brought out a bit, heightened for the audience. You'll have to try and guess what I'm talking about when you see the movie!
Reference station
This is a laptop we've set up so that we can compare what we're shooting to the shots already in the movie. This will ensure continuity across all the different areas: costume, make-up, props and aspects of the lighting.
The set
Here's a nugget for the boffins. I asked Giles about the colour of the light in the room, for those of you interested in lighting the reason everything is so yellow/orange in the studio is not because of sodium lights. The room is actually lit with fluorescent lights but they are bouncing off an orange ceiling, which you can't really see in the photos.
Posted by colin kennedy at 10:01 AM | Comments (0)
September 9, 2006
CGI set
Here are a couple of stills of the CGI set I got from David's reference material. These are not finished yet, but we're using them as reference material for some possible shots we can do with Jamie while he's here.
Just click through the frames to look at the individual pictures, don't press play or you will only see each image for a 25th of a second. Pretty rubbish if you're not superhuman.
Posted by colin kennedy at 3:43 PM | Comments (0)
Jamie Returns
Today we have our pal Jamie back in the fold for a short time. He has a busy few days ahead of him as he slips back into the skin of Hallam Foe. First up is a wig fitting. His hair is longer and dyed for his part in Jumper so we have had to have a wig made in the style of his HF haircut.
Jamie in Hallam Foe wig
Hopefully I’ll also be able to get some time with him to hear some of his thoughts about the process of becoming HF so I have some more material for our documentary.
click here for a little video of JB in the wig.
Sorry there is no sound, my computer can't read the file.
Posted by colin kennedy at 2:42 PM | Comments (3)
Pick-up schedule
We now have a schedule. From the refining aspect of editing has come a list of things that David feels we could do with improving or clarifying. There are certain moments in the film that could be heightened by going out and getting some more shots.
So this morning we were all given the definitive list of what is going to be shot. All the departments went to a production meeting at Sigma and discussed the practicalities of what we need to get and how we're going to get it. Click here to see a video of some production meeting chat about the stuff in the treehouse.
We will also be some other stuff that requires a bit more sophistication in terms of the tools involved. We have a fantastic set that has been built by our CG people at Base Black so we are doing some more complex green screen stuff to go with that too.
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)
September 8, 2006
The start of the pick-up set
Here is a shot of the treehouse set where we will be shooting some of our pick-ups. It's a bit dark because there's no light in there yet, but I thought it might be interesting to see the set come together from the ground up. More work will be done on it so I'll post shots of it as it develops.
It's an aspect of filmmaking that I really enjoy, it only matters what your camera sees in order to create the illusion you're after. The rest is about creating a practical environment in which you can work effectively. I suppose what I'm saying is I love the fact that with a bit of imagination, some talented people and a big room with some plywood in it you can turn the contents of this video into an important emotional scene in your movie.
The treehouse at its most basic
We're also going to be shooting in Edinburgh, so I shall get some video footage from there too.
Posted by colin kennedy at 5:21 PM | Comments (0)
Buzzing
The office is buzzing today.
Pretty much a full team has gathered for the pick-ups, today it's principally production, art department and riggers, costume, locations and accountants.
Trisha Biggar
We are re-united with Trisha Biggar today, our costume designer, and Marc Mills, production runner. The rest of our Family Foe are off on other jobs, so their shoes are being filled by others.
Hallam's stuff from the treehouse
This is not without its complications of course. The set is being re-built from plans, continuity photos and reference footage, not an easy task. Also this is in a completely different place which makes a difference, it's going to be fairly warm for example (we're shooting inside) so it will be a totally different experience for Jamie. Last time we were in utterly freezing conditions and snow.
That said, we are after specific material this time. There are less experimental aspects to this shoot. The scenes we are augmenting exist in an assembled form so we have a much clearer idea of what we're after. The jigsaw puzzle is predominantly made, it just needs some finessing.
I'm going to go and conduct an experiment of my own now...
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)
September 7, 2006
Avid fan
This is just the coolest thing ever. Sliced bread ain't got nothing on this.
Avid on my laptop
All the suites where I would normally do my post-production are busy with commercials at the moment. As a solution to this problem they have put Avid Media Composer on my laptop. This is simply the coolest thing I have ever seen. A fully blown Avid in a bag. It digitises from the camera and then I edit. I mean, how great is that?
Sorry for all of you who read this and are not interested particularly in filmmaking per se but more the journey of Hallam Foe, but this is a major one for me. Sad but true!
The upshot of this is that I am now wading my way through the hours of footage I shot (and in fact even more so the stuff that Angus shot) for the making of documentary. This footage will also be used by Special Treats who do the EPK stuff. which you will nlo doubt see on things like Film 2007 and T4 in the UK. The other thing we're going to dig out of it are little anecdotal things to put on Get Your People and Youtube, Bebo, Film Factory etc etc.
I will definitely be straying across forgotten gems this afternoon as I work away, so I will try and find something to cut together for this afternoon. It will, unfortunately, have to be fairly innocuous so that it can slip under the 'approval' radar, but I'm desperate to have a shot at editing on this thing so there will be something later on today.
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:13 AM | Comments (6)
September 6, 2006
Peter and Al
I caught up with Peter Jinks and Al Mackenzie after the screening.
This was the first time either of them had seen the film so it was a pretty important day to say the least.
This has been an important journey for Al too, it was his idea to buy the rights to Peter's book all those years ago, so you can understand why one of the things he felt on coming out the cinema was a sense of relief, to finally see it up there on the big screen must have been quite something after all this time.
Here are some words from Mr. Jinks:
Watching the film -even in its unfinished form- was quite a rollercoaster for me, mainly in a good way. Seeing a novel you wrote turned into a moving image through the efforts of many talented people (and millions of quid) was always going to be interesting, and is essentially a huge compliment. That didn't make it easy though. I felt sick before it began, only partly because I'd drank alot of beer on my first night back in the UK. And i knew I wasn't going to be able to watch it at all 'objectively'. I bled too much of my own life into Hallam's story for that. But I tried.
The first thing to surprise me was that it seemed very different from Dave's other work: less painterly and detached, quite straightforwardly compassionate about its characters. At the beginning I was reminded a bit of Festen, what with the family shenanigans and handheld photography and posh setting. As usual Dave has provoked some great performances. Jamie Bell was superb - using his charm to draw us towards a character who is quite difficult to approach in all sorts of ways.
Naturally there was also stuff that had me gnawing the armrest, namely the traumatic and disturbing sex scene which does not feature in the novel. It fairly jangled my hangover I can tell you. But it's not gratuitous and I always knew it was going to happen so I can't really complain, and I think it was very well done from the bits that I glimpsed as I spat out shreds of upholstery.
Loved much of the music too, though everything was still provisional when I saw it. And if Franz Ferdinand do make a song called Hallam Foe then that will just be superb.
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:50 AM | Comments (4)
Action again
The office is currently buzzing with the activity of a possible shoot. And below is a recording I made of a little chat I had with David.
Having deliberated and cogitated we are investigating the possibility of shooting some pick-ups for the film. We just need some extra shots that will refine some of the scenes.
Here are some words from David about pick-up shoots:
So sometime soon we think we'll have our cast and crew re-assembled, where possible, and picking up some extra material for the film.
Jamie is working on a studio movie with Doug Liman at the moment, so he has longer hair that has been dyed, which means we have to have a wwig made for him amongst all the other things that have to be organised.
So we teeter on the balance of 'will we / won't we' as we wait to hear from the people Jamie is working with in the States as to whether or not we will be able to shoot with him.
No matter what happens we will definitely be doing some ADR (additional dialogue recording) work so these are busy times.
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:26 AM | Comments (0)
September 5, 2006
Viral material
A virus I found on wikipedia.
Today I will be trawling through all the footage that hasn't made the cut, and possibly some that has, to find viral material for your delectation. We have such wonderful things as JB taking the longest slash ever, compete with this one if you dare.
Unfortunately, there are the usual and hugely frustrating clearance exercises to go through before we can post anything on the site, so my hands are tied in terms of letting you see it just yet, but it will be winging its way to you soon.
Next on the blog will be a post of an interview I did with David yesterday and also some reaction to the film from Peter Jinks - author of the novel.
Posted by colin kennedy at 12:29 PM | Comments (5)
September 4, 2006
Franz Ferdinand
Nick McCarthy - Farnz Ferdinand
The gang in the Hallion
I am currently in the Hallion again for another meeting post-screening. This time with Nick McCarthy from Franz Ferdinand, plus the usual suspects, of course.
David and Nick outside the screening
He has been working on a track for us to use in the film, David describes it as a 'personality ballad', which I think is a kind of genre approach to writing from the 60's, I think I may have to do some research into that though to be sure.
Nick McCarthy
It's a cool track in a pretty rough form, no lyrics and some pace issues still to be reconciled, all part of the writing process. It's really not the kind of thing I was expecting, a kind of lyrical drunken waltz rather than the angular fare that I associate with a FF sound. Very cool indeed.
FF are soon going off on tour to South America so that is where the finished track will be recorded, probably in a studio in Sao Paolo.
Posted by colin kennedy at 1:33 PM | Comments (2)
Hallam meets a girl on MySpace
Hallam Foe's Myspace page is gathering a bit of interest. He only has a few friends at the mo, but they seem to be taking an interest in him, he got a blanket mailer this morning.
He got a questionnaire from Emmafork yesterday, so I looked her up and got his reply:
----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Emmafork
Date: Sep 3, 2006 4:09 PM
If you're on my friends' list...I want to know 20 things about you. I don't care if we've never talked, never liked each other, or if we already know everything about each other. I really don't. You are obviously on my list, so let me know with whom I am friends! JUST HIT REPLY.
1.Your Full Name:
Hallam Foe
2. Age:
18
3. Single or Taken:
Taken(ish), my heart belongs to someone, I think
4. Favorite Movie:
Birdy
5. Favorite Song:
Today it is Voodoo wop by Clinic, who knows what it will be tomorrow.
6. Favorite Band/Artist:
Archie Bronson Outfit
7. Dirty or Clean:
Dirty
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:
One self-inflicted piercing
HERE COMES THE FUN ... ... ...
1. Do we know each other outside of myspace?
No
2. Whats your philosophy on life?
Keep searching
3. Would you have my back in a fight?
It depends why you're fighting
4. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?
Definitely
5. What is your favorite memory of us?
I don't have any
6. Would you give me a kidney?
Almost definitely not
7. Tell me one odd/intresting fact about you:
I'm a creepy guy
8. Would you take care of me when I'm sick?
Would you take care of me when I'm sick
9. Can we get together and make a cake?
No probs, I work in an industrial kitchen
10. Have you heard any rumors of me lately?
Nope
11. Do you/have you talk(ed) crap about me?
Nope
12. Do you think I'm a good person?
Why are you so concerned?
13. Would you drive across country with me?
Nope
14. Do you think I'm attractive?
You seem a little self-absorbed
15. If you could change anything about me, would you?
I'd probably make you less concerned about what people think
16. What do you wear to sleep?
A badgers hat and my mum's old dress
17. Would you come over for no reason just to hang out?
Nope
18. Would you go on a date with me if i asked you?
Try anything once
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
Sit on the roof and watch the world you're about to leave behind
20. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?
Post it where?
Posted by colin kennedy at 11:56 AM | Comments (0)