Sponsor My Next Short And Get An IMDB credit!

I'm looking for philanthropic sponsors for my next short which I will be directing. £100 pounds + gets you an IMDB exec or associate producer credit. £20 gets you a Thank You in the credits but smaller contributions are also welcome. All who contribute at £20 and above will get an invite to cast and crew screenings, DVD etc.

Here's Internalised a film I produced for the London Sci-Fi society 48hour filmmaking competition 2011. It was made with a volunteer cast and crew of 50. All the cast and crew were fed via an In-Kind deal I set up with fab veggie caterers ChangeKitchen. I hope it gives you an idea of the kind of production value I aspire too.


Internalised from Brendan O'Neill on Vimeo.

Here are some stills from my most recent 2012 film Around Again. This was made for the 2012 London Sci-Fi society 48hour filmmaking competition with a cast and crew of 50.

Around Again shoot May 2012

Stormtrooper re-enactor: Around Again shoot May 2012

On set in the bunker below Ort Cafe: Around Again shoot May 2012

Please support independent filmmaking by donating.

November News

Producer Debbie Aston and the Finders Keepers production team have decided to postpone crowdfunding the film until the spring and then go straight into production - hopefully following a successful Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. Kickstarter have just made it easier for UK filmmakers to fund their projects. This makes more sense from a social media marketing point of view. The fact that Christmas is just around the corner also means that people are going to be more conscious of spending over the next months.

Sherlock Holmes star Big Joe Egan starred in the Finders Keepers trailer

In other news I'm delighted to welcome actress Louise Osborne to the team as associate producer. Louise has worked both as an actress and in production roles in Hollywood. She has worked with people like Dr. Dolittle director Steve Carr and actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. Louise is originally from Ireland but has a local connection here in Birmingham as she is married to Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne's son Louis. For those of you who are interested in acting for screen Louise runs an excellent course based at the Midlands Arts Centre. She can be contacted about this through her Acting for Screen website.

I'm also delighted to welcome art director and production designer Jude Hanly. Jude did wonders for us on the Film Division Around Again WWII themed shoot back in May.

Around Again bunker scene set by Jude Hanly

My good friend and award winning scriptwriter Dominic Carver is also attached as script editor. Dom was recently signed up by a literary agent so I'm delighted about that - especially as it puts some wheels back on my Roaring Forties sit-com idea which we're co-writing.

Dom is also responsible for the new script for the out-of-competition version of Around Again which will be its own standalone story. It was always our intention to employ a shoot once use many approach given the effort of putting together a 50 strong cast and crew to shoot it. The good news is that it is being worked on in post-production so I'm hoping we'll see it commence its festival run soon.

I'm planning to do some self-directed shorts over the winter and have started to scout locations for various story ideas. I'm also building a good relationship with the nice folks at UKFilmLocation.com who have been very helpful in the past and have some great locations.

Last but not least I have decided to go ahead with trying to crowdfund a graphic novel based on my Scampenstein feature animation idea. The idea is to create interest in the story via the graphic novel as a means of then making it into a feature film. You can follow progress on Twitter or Facebook or read the Scampenstein blog.

Thats all for now.

Brendan

Strange Tangential Networking Payoff, Other News and Praise!

Ulysses O'Mooney

I'm very pleased that a colleague of mine in the Producers' Forum West Midlands has introduced me to a literary agent relative of theirs who works for a leading agency in New York. He has promised me a read which has given me an incentive to really get down to finishing my novel. It all happened quite by chance - I mentioned it whilst discussing what I'd been up to writing/producing-wise and future plans i.e. making a first feature.

A cover design done by my talented pal Annelise Francis of Meenokawaii Design

The novel is called Ulysses O'Mooney and is a tale about a young alien who crash lands in Ireland in 1969 and has to find a way back home both helped and hindered by eccentric locals, the U.S and Soviet superpowers, friendly talking animals, other aliens -  both benign and malevolent, various mythological creatures, an ex-Nazi drug smuggler, a retired Scotland Yard detective and a time-warp stranded aviatrix. 

I'd describe it as a Poitín whiskey fuelled romp through time, space and the Irish countryside. 

You can read three excerpts from it on Wattpad. I'm particularly proud of the Rathmore Rambler one but its best if you read the beginning bit first, then the bit introducing Big Tom McClinchey - the toughest Tom Cat in Ireland and then the Rathmore Rambler excerpt when our hero Ulysses is attacked. 

Its all pretty out there and has been described as both whimsical and magic realist!

Balsall Heath Little Theatre Project

In other news I organized a comedy fundraiser for the Balsall Heath Little Theatre project (@opwtheatre). The very talented and lovely Miss Barbara Nice headlined and was supported by a variety of other local comedians - all of this compered very ably by Rachel Sambrooks. 

Big shout out therefore to my fellow comedy course alumni Alex Crowther, Albert Smith and Ben Goodwin and also a big thank you to Helen Sylvester, Patrick Draper, cutlery guru Ian Crawford and Edinburgh award winner Johnny Sorrow plus all who attended. Numbers weren't great but it WAS a great night. Thanks too to artist Ildi Nagy too for helping me with the Zoodio space.

Around Again

The news on Around Again - Film Division's latest opus is that Stewart Addison who directed is preparing a directors cut which has to be ready by end of July when his new daughter arrives!

The feedback from some people who've seen the competition cut has been great. 

Dean Bamford in Around Again

"Sublime work, Brendan, rendered all the more astonishing by the lack of resources - particularly the period piece. To make a war film of such stunning calibre defies comprehension yet you've pulled it off beautifully. Time to make your feature. Simple as that. You're already a better filmmaker than most of the pretenders out there. Get out there and make your masterpiece. Well done to you on multiple levels."

                                                                                        Terry McMahon. Director.

“I loved it, very atmospheric, the young girl looked amazing, timeless, congratulations”

                                                                                        Michael Smiley Actor (Kill List)

 

  Thats all for now folks. x

Update: Stickleback Productions back in the swim

I have now decided to pursue solo interests for the time being back under my Stickleback Productions shingle following the production of Film Division's Around Again - a really excellent entry for the London Sci-Fi Society 48 hour filmmaking competition 2012.

Here are some pics from the shoot. Film Division's best ever in terms of production value.

Cast and Crew in the Bunker Scenes shot on Saturday 14th April at The Old Print Works, Birmingham

Clapperboard: Around Again.

Our mate Dean Bamford showing Adam Lawrence whats what.

Local sound production warlord Billy Bannister stands in as a wounded French soldier. Props supremo Craig joins in the fun.

Doesn't look like Hopwood!

My pals Paul Woolley and Craig Morton enjoying a laugh between takes.

The SS charge through the pyrotechnics!

The car is the star! The Citroen Traction Avant we used courtesy of Jim Fox (www.avant-cars.co.uk)

Matt Harper from Trinity FX blows up a big one. (www.trinityfx.co.uk)

Me with everything under control (Don't panic. Don't panic)

Film Division Seek Executive Producers For Latest Sci-Fi Short!!!

Ever fancied having an executive producer credit on IMDB - the Internet Movie Database? Well now you can!

Sponsor Film Division's 2012 48 hour London Sci-Fi society competition team to help us pay for cast and crew food, art department and camera equipment budget. We've got something really special planned this year which we're hoping will help us win the development deal prize that is on offer from Vertigo Films. The winning films and runners up will also be featured on the The Guardian Website.

£50 pounds gets you an Associate Producer credit on IMDB.com.

£100+ gets you an Executive Producer Credit on IMDB.com ranked according to size of contribution.

Smaller uncredited donations also welcome. All £5+ donors invited to screening.

Please send donations via Paypal to brendan.j.oneill AT gmail.com or arrange BACS transfer with me via same address.

This is what 50 volunteers made in just 48 hours last year.

Film Division Night at Ort Cafe 27th January

Our kind friends at Ort Cafe have chosen to host a Film Division Night on Friday 27th January, 7.30pm. 

"Film Division are an up and coming local filmmaking partnership. They will be screening a selection of their recent film work including award winning shorts, world premieres of new shorts and also work by close associates. For one night only at Ort! http://ortcafe.co.uk/

Panny Hire to offer new camera and Final Cut training courses

Film Division's recommended hire partner Panny Hire are now offering new camera and Final Cut training courses in Birmingham or at client's premises UK-wide.

Final Cut Training Courses

Apple Final Cut Studio Training

This hands-on course covers basic editing functions while becoming familiar with the Final Cut Pro user interface. In this course, you will learn to use the same tools that are being used to cut music videos, documentaries and feature films.

Start with basic video editing techniques and work all the way through Final Cut Pro's powerful advanced features. Learn to mark and edit clips, mix sound, add titles, create transitions, apply filters, and more.

Topics include basic setup, customizing preferences and settings, capturing video and audio, various editing and trimming techniques, Ripple, Roll, Slip, and Slide tools, audio editing and audio creation, finishing and final output.

Apple Color 1.5 Colourist Training 

Final Cut Studio edit suite already has a piece of industrial-strength color grading software integrated directly with your existing Final Cut workflow.

It's called Color.

Complex color corrections are no longer limited to high end post production houses. Color is an incredibly powerful piece of color correction software, designed for professional colorists, that allows you to create stunning color grades and effects. While Color is tightly integrated with Final Cut, it can also interpret EDLs from other editing environments, including Avid and Premiere.

In our Apple Color 1.5 Training course you will learn:

Understand scopes

Diagnose and correct common color deficiencies in your footage

Guarantee consistency between shots in a sequence

Create moods

Isolate and adjust specific features of your shot

Simulate different times of day

Relight scenes for corrective or creative purposes

Draw your viewer's eye to specific parts of your image

Simulate film stocks and processes

Build sophisticated procedural effect trees.


Apple Final Cut Pro X Training


Final Cut Pro X has been rebuilt from the ground up to meet the needs of today’s creative editors. With its revolutionary Magnetic Timeline, powerful media organization, and incredible performance, Final Cut Pro makes editing faster, more fluid, and more flexible than ever.

We provide 1 day, 2 day, and 3 day Final Cut Pro X courses in Birmingham or we can travel to your studio/office/home.


Camera, Cinematography and Lighting Training Courses

Camera Training Courses in Birmingham or at client premises - We provide hands-on camera training courses with the camera of your choice.

We specialise in training with these cameras (but we can train you with almost any):

* Canon 5D MK2 Training

* Panasonic HVX200 Training

* Panasonic AF101 Training

* Sony EX1R Training

* Sony EX3 Training

* 35mm DoF Adapter Training

* SGBlade Training

* Letus Ultimate Training

* Follow Focus Training


Cinematography Training

The 5 C's of Cinematography Course is hands-on training with Stewart Addison of Panny Hire & Film Division. This course branches out the five central subject areas; the 5 C's - Camera Angles, Continuity, Cutting, Close-ups, and Composition.

Included in the course in detail are these topics:

* Cinematic time and space

* Compositional rules

* Point-of-view (POV)

* Camera height and angle

* Master scenes

* Types of editing

* Screen direction and much, much more


Lighting Courses

Lighting knowledge & technique courses for corporate, film and broadcast television. Detailed guidance on lighting in studio and on location.

Hands-on practical workshops covering the following areas:

* Basic portraiture lighting

* Basic studio lighting equipment

* A strategic approach to basic location lighting

* Lighting for HD drama

* Training in the control of exposure, white balance, shutter and use of filters

* Risk assessment and professional safe working environment practices

* This course includes studio lighting methods related to multi-camera productions.


Contact Stewart Addison at www.pannyhire.co.uk (0121 469 0070) for more information on training courses and the best deals on dry/wet camera hire.