Saturday 29 March 2014

Utero Film Update Press Release & Behind the Scenes Images


BRYAN COYNE’S UTERO FILM UPDATE
Utero Wraps Principal Photography

From the Press Release:
Writer/Director Bryan Coyne’s (Harvard Park and Incarnate) new horror film Utero wrapped principal photography this week in Los Angeles. The entirety of the movie was shot in Los Angeles and was independently financed by Coinopflix. Jonathan Higgins and Jessica Cameron (Truth or Dare) produced the film with former Platinum Studios executive Richard Marincic (Cowboys and Aliens, Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night).


The plot of Utero is as follows: “an agoraphobic unwed mother who finds her psyche unravelling as she becomes convinced that her unborn child is more monster than human.”

Utero is a character-driven story that is structured in a similar fashion of the horror films of yesteryear. Audiences will be in for a treat as the story is original, and not a retread of story lines that is all too common in today’s market. 

Director/writer Coyne had this to say about the movie:

“Shooting Utero was a dream come true for me. Like any film making experience it was a grandiose challenge. But the commitment of our crew and cast, a wonderful commune of pure artists, helped me achieve something astoundingly effective. I can't wait for this film to be seen.”

Upon completing principal photography, Cameron commented:

“I could not be more thrilled with the amazing production that has been Utero. The story, camerawork, and lighting, is all so impressive and fresh. I cannot wait to share this with audiences!”






For more information on Utero, please “like” the Utero Facebook page and check out their other social media links below which are updated daily!



The Tour (Short Film, 2014) Press Release & Poster Art


NEW HORROR FILM ‘THE TOUR’ POSTER ART AND DETAILS
Jessica Cameron & Heather Dorff Star in UK Haunted House Flick

From the Press Release:
A new haunted house short film, called The Tour just finished filming. Alex Mathieson and Damon Rickard are directing from a script that they co-wrote together. Jessica Cameron (Mr. Hush, Camel Spiders) and Heather Dorff (What They Say, Dry Spell) star in the film along with Tom Gordon who is primarily known for stage productions in Europe including Julius Caesar and Dealer’s Choice. This movie marks the third collaboration of Cameron and Dorff, the first being Intrusive Behaviour, and the second being Cameron’s award winning directorial debut, Truth or Dare.


The plot of The Tour is as follows: Two American tourists (Cameron & Dorff) visit the grounds of the haunted Darkmoor Manor but are unable to gain admittance. Later that day they are met by a handsome and charming local (Gordon) who tells them how he can get inside the infamous house. Upon entering the manor, they are met with untold horrors.

Filming took place in London, UK during the beginning of March of 2014 and they shot the short film at the infamous Wymering Manor which is considered to be one of the most haunted locations in all of England. The film was shot on the Arri Alexa camera.


When asked about the project, Cameron had this to say:

“Directors Damon and Alex brought such a wonderfully scary vision to life and assembled one hell of a crew! I have never been so genuinely creeped out on a film set! Horror fans will love this one!”

Dorff added:

“It was an honour to not only visit London for the first time, but work with the talented, amazing, and professional cast and crew of The Tour. I will cherish this experience forever.”
Rickard had this to say:

“Filming The Tour was an experience that will last a lifetime. The cast and crew we had couldn't have given us more and it was more like a family having a blast than a film set. I can't wait for people to see it!”

Expect the short film to be available for viewing later this year. Until then, please check out the teaser image below along with links to The Tour’s social media profiles for active updates!


You can follow The Tour on Twitter @TheTourMovie

You can also "like" the Facebook page here

Thursday 20 March 2014

Black Spot (Short Horror/Thriller) Press Release


 From the Press Release:
Black Spot” – a new short thriller from Luther Bhogal-Jones – IN 3D!

The Sussex based film maker Luther Bhogal-Jones invites you to 6 minutes of mayhem, delirium and violence in the short roadside thriller “Black Spot.”

Paul is stranded on a lonely country road when his car fails to start. He walks through a melancholic landscape of missing person posters and floral tributes to roadside deaths, before chancing upon another car, but one which ironically is also broken down. Not only will this car provide Paul with salvation and suffering, but force him to face his own recent past actions and a provide him with a potential chance to redeem himself…

Shot on a minuscule budget, with a £28 3D camcorder a little larger than a Blackberry, Black Spot is another short, sharp shocking ride following the success of “Creak”, Bhogal-Jones’ previous horror short from 2012.

Black Spot was shot in one day in June at the bottom of the South Downs against an increasingly temperamental short lived camera battery life whilst also rallying against constant stop/ start rain showers. Additional shooting was done several months later at a flat in Brighton for the pivotal flashback sequence.

“I’ve always had a love of 3D films even though they’re tarnished with being gimmicky” explains writer/ director Bhogal-Jones “The red/ cyan 3d imagery is such an iconic image from cinema’s history - as well as related so closely with the world of horror and sci-fi - and I’ve always wanted to make a film with that classic look.”

With a relentless soundtrack from Brighton composer Mikolaj Holowko, Black Spot is a 6 minute aural and visual assault with an extra dimension which is sure to stand out from the horror short film crowd.


Black Spot can be viewed online now at www.vimeo.com/fasterproductions

3 versions of Black Spot are available to view – a 3D version requiring the classic red/ cyan 3D glasses, a stereoscopic 3D version for viewing on 3D TVs and a standard 2D version for those who cannot view the 3D – though Luther recommends a 3D version, as that was the main reason for making the film.

Editors – there are several stills available for promotional purposes at http://tinyurl.com/qamxoce

For more information on Faster Productions, please contact us at

fasterproductions@yahoo.co.uk

www.facebook.com/fasterproductions

@fastermovies

Press for previous short horror film “Creak

"Hollywood should take some notes on how to make a horror film from Mr. Bhogal-Jones." - The Wizard Of Vestron

"Channelling Carpenter, Bava and Argento, Bhogal-Jones' CREAK can be viewed as an exercise in precision film-making." - The Horror Hotel

"This five-minute short is great all the way around. Concise, effective, and old school creepy." - Lefthand Horror

"This is no-frills film making at its best." - Dread Central

"Creak is a cool one off short that definitely has that slasher feel to it" – Horrorsmorgasbord

"It's a very well made short, excellently shot, superbly edited and accompanied with an interesting electronic score." - Horror Movie Diary

"A brand new horror short that is not lacking in chills despite it's length! Seriously!" - Scare Me On Fridays

Luther Bhogal-Jones Bio:

Originally hailing from Sutton-In-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, Luther Bhogal-Jones has been making films for over half of his life. With only a college qualification behind him, he is mostly self taught in film making, learning more with each project he undertakes. His initial works after college were short films focusing on relationships, small slices of life that in some cases were painful, in other cases comedic. All of these were shot in the city of Nottingham where he had moved.

After making several shorts he decided to raise his game by making an ambitious no budget feature film with a large ensemble cast, shot over a variety of locations in the city. With no funding and shooting taking place on Sundays and evenings the shoot was a long drawn out affair, so long that cast and crew members left the project over the course of making it. With dwindling money and support, the filming was halted with around 85% of the film shot.

Following a move to Brighton and then to Sompting in West Sussex, a very long period passed with a painfully slow post production. Raising funds to edit the film took several years and finding collaborators to work for free on key areas of the film was a frustrating process, especially as these collaborators would also drop out of the project.

Eventually, following a re-editing process the film was eventually released online in March 2013, receiving favourable attention for Luther's dogged determination to see the film through to the end.

During this period Luther returned to making short films, firstly with the psychologicalcomicbooknoir drama The Crunch, a melancholic coastal drama Stranded and Goodnight, Halloween – a fantasy thriller still in post production. Despite a love of horror cinema, he had not attempted anything horror based since early college films, but felt a desire to concentrate on making horror shorts. His short film Creak, released online in 2012 was extremely well received by horror bloggers worldwide, leading to the current short films Black Spot and Knock Knock (currently shooting.)

Luther plans to return to feature films in the near future, with several horror themed features in development.

10 Frequently Asked Questions about “Black Spot”...

1. Where did you get the 3D camera?

The camera was a Christmas present for writer/ director Luther Bhogal-Jones from his brother after Luther spotted it online Despite the negative reviews denouncing the camcorder as “little more than a toy” Luther was still curious to see how effective the camera could be in conveying the 3D effect. The size and capability of the camera has been a source of much bemusement from people involved in the film, being that it is only a little bigger than a Blackberry phone.

2. What was the inspiration for the story?

Luther was looking for a scenario that would let him test the device out against landscapes, but also a compact interior. He didn't want to film something entirely set in a house, as it felt somewhat limiting on scope.  Luther isn't too sure where the actual inspiration for setting the film around a broken down car came from – possibly as a result of his day job travelling around as an account manager – but also it references back to his previous short film “Stranded” which involved a broken down car in one of the three story lines.

There was definitely a desire to give the film a 1970s horror feel – not necessarily the now cliched grindhouse style but something that felt relentless, grim, trashy...

3. How was the film cast?

As the film was originally planned to be shot in late January of 2013 all casting of the film was done via the Internet, with Luther posting in various actors groups on Facebook. Knowing that the budget would have to be kept small, the film was deliberately cast using actors local to Brighton in order to keep transport expenses down. From showreel footage Raine MacKenzie was cast in this manner in the lead role of “Paul”, Brighton performance artist Alexa B was cast in the role of “Mummy MacKenzie” and “Jason Rhodes” was cast in the role of “Junior MacKenzie.”

“Daddy MacKenzie”, played by Andrew Calverley, was cast after Luther appeared as an extra in the Worthing short film “House Trafalgar”, in which Calverley featured and Helen Ball, who features in Black Spot in the emotional role of “Linda”, is a friend of Luther's, but as a member of the successful Brighton improv comedy troupe “The Twitnits” has proved her performing credentials.

With Christmas and New Year “getting in the way” casting was done almost blind, with Luther only meeting 3 of the cast for the first time on the day of the shoot, an experience which could have resulted in some serious miscasting, but luckily all of the cast proved themselves admirably, throwing themselves into their roles.

4. Where and when was the film shot?

Shooting took place in late June, several months later than the originally planned late January shooting date!

Using knowledge and experience of shooting his short film “Stranded”, Luther knew of an almost deserted layby around Fulking, at the bottom of the South Downs. However, it wasn't quite as isolated as he wanted, with a house being nearby and the size of the layby potentially opening it up to other cars parking up during the shoot. Luckily Luther found another smaller layby a little bit further back along the road – it also had a house nearby but was thankfully obscured by foliage. All of Paul's walk to discover the car was shot either side of the layby, with his broken down car simply parked in the same layby but at the front!

Several of the end credit shots were filmed over the Devil's Dyke area, one shot at the bottom of Cisbury Ring in Worthing and the end pub shots at the Dog and Dog in Fulking around the corner from where the majority of the film was shot.

The flashback with Paul and Linda was shot in a basement flat on Brighton seafront several months after the initial shoot due to various scheduling issues.

5. What problems did you face during the shoot?

Although Luther was aware from the reviews that the camera battery life was not that long, he wasn't quite prepared for how problematic this would be. As the camera could be charged from the USB port in Luther's car, the plan was to shoot the exterior scenes, then shoot the interiors with the camera plugged in while it charged However, when plugged into the in car USB port, the camera read this as being connected to a PC and would not switch on for any filming, making this initial plan impossible.

The battery problems immediately reared their head after having only completed the first few opening shots of Paul's walk to discover the broken down car, resulting in a forced retreat to the car to wait at least 20 minutes for the camera to charge enough to continue filming. This would then result in another sprint of shooting, working against the rapidly decreasing battery which would often switch off while in the middle of a take, then cast and crew would have to sit around for yet another 20 minutes to charge enough energy to continue shooting again.

In tandem with this the weather on the day was dreary and wet, which suited the mood of the film perfectly , but the occasional heavy rain shower would also force shooting to stop until it had passed.

As a result of this there was a forced immediacy on the actors to get their performance right before the camera was switched on and shooting could commence.

It's a cliché that the majority of film making is sitting around and waiting, but on this particular shoot that was a very accurate description.

Luther did learn on this film that the easiest way to get away with murder would be to wear a high-viz vest. Aware that cars passing by may misinterpret what they saw happening in the layby, Luther ensured that himself and fellow crew member Mark Tew wore high viz vests during the shoot. This  seemed to do the job in avoiding any disturbances or enquiries as to why there were several people covered in blood around the roadside or why there was a knife wielding maniac jumping up and down on the bonnet of a car.

Shooting the final home made road signs for the end titles proved to be a long winded affair, waiting for suitable weather conditions across the bleak wet and windy winter that the UK has endured.

6. How was the film edited?

All editing was done by Luther at home on his ageing Mac tower. As there were plans to submit the film to a particular horror festival it was cut mercilessly down to a 5 minute running time which resulted in a fast paced but barely comprehensible film, even to those who knew the script! As a result the film was re-edited, adding footage and breathing space back in to create the finished 6 minute edit.

Grading of the footage and assistance with the conversion to red/ cyan 3D was completed by Darren Berry, who Luther has worked with on several other films.

7. Where did the soundtrack come from?

Brighton film making comrade and friend Terence Drew recommended Mikolaj Holowko having worked with him in the past and having seen a recent sci-fi short that he had created the sound design for. Luther's initial idea for the soundtrack was for it to be created entirely using samples taken from a car – almost like a horror version of The Art Of Noise's pop song soundscape “(Close) To The Edit.” After recording various aspects of Luther's car (the very same car that lead character Paul finds himself trapped in) Mikolaj went away and used them as the backbone for his intense industrial inspired score, moving away from the Art Of Noise starting point to something much more vivid. Ever the professional, having done the sound design Mik then decided the old score wasn't quite right and produced another score!

Luther's intention that the score could stand alone from the visuals, with a view that it can take a listener on a trip without seeing the film, has borne fruit, with a score that is as much as a journey as the film itself.

8. What was the budget of the film?

Removing the “cost” of the camera from the film's budget, Black Spot was made for less than one hundred and fifty pounds, with all cast and crew working for travel and food expenses only. Specific props and clothing were required for the film which was where the majority of the expenditure went.

9. Where can people see the film?

The film is available online at www.vimeo.com/fasterproductions with 3 formats available to view – in 3D with red/ cyan glasses as Luther intended the film to be seen, in stereoscopic 3D for those with 3D TVs at home and, lastly, in a 2D version for those who cannot view the 3D versions.

The film will also be submitted to various horror festivals around the world over the year.

10. What's next for Faster Productions and Sincerely, Psychopath?

“Black Spot” comes under the umbrella name of Sincerely, Psychopath which is used by Faster Productions for the films of a more horror/ fantastical nature. The next film to come under that brand will be “Knock Knock”, which is a short horror showing the mental breakdown of a woman terrorised by a knocking at her door.

The next offering from Faster Productions will be “Pick-Ups”, which is currently in post production, and is a short drama with a comedic sting in the tale about a man gives up everything and travels to Eastern Europe to be with the woman who he thinks is “the one.”

Luther is also developing several low budget horror feature films, including a feature film showing more of the MacKenzies from “Black Spot” – if anyone is seriously interested in these from a financing point of view then please get in touch.

FASTER PRODUCTIONS
Watch Faster Productions online here:
https://vimeo.com/fasterproductions
Follow Faster Productions on Twitter
@fastermovies
Read the Faster Productions blog here:
www.fasterproductions.blogspot.com