Smoke Not Included Updates

‘*Smoke Not Included’ is well on its way for it’s Fringe debut and already gaining attention for its quirky story and social media savvy sharing not just updates on the cast and crew but giving us insights into the crowdfunding campaigns progress:

“I’m feeling incredibly proud that we have managed to get to this point, it didn’t feel long ago that we were just having the conversation on creating HeadlessActing. Our first play is coming to the fringe this year, I’m so excited, it’s a great cast. The play is funny and random and weird, which is what makes it brilliant” - Kayleigh Gallacher

HeadlessActing and the team behind the project are enthusiastic about the show and of course the potential of live theatre in Scotland, pushing their comedic, quirky project as hard as possible to give not only a platform to talent but some light relief to the audience in this one act play.

“I’m absolutely ecstatic to get started with this wonderful bunch! We’ve had some bumps recently but it’s looking like we’ll be well underway by April 20th! We really have something unique here and I can’t wait to share it. We’ve got lots of plans for the future! Two shows are coming next year! We will be working with a variety of different writers on one of them! Our Five Year plan has definitely grown…” - Brandon Ferguson

With the Fringe firmly in their sights, the scope of this project goes beyond a simple stage play comedy and opens up to wider possibilities that with time I am sure will make HeadlessActing developing other projects in the background. A company to watch not just for their performance but social commentary and satire. 

Moving into the future we can see so much potential for the company not just on stage but in the future TV (or even the now much lauded internet services) where stage shows are given as much of a voice as TV and film, however for now they are playing smart and building their platform based on vision and grassroots support.

To learn more about Headless Acting or ‘*Smoke Not Included’ see:

*Smoke Not Included Crowdfunding Campaign.

Smoke Not Included TikTok.

HeadlessActing Instagram.

HeadlessActing Twitter.

HeadlessActing Facebook.

A Slow Start To a New Year

Although it has been a slow start to the new year with the blog, that is not to say we are not busy working and there is some really interesting projects on the cards that will be internally built in conjunction with some of our clients.

Our creative director, JamesC, has been ill recently but able to coordinate calls and emails that will see him heading up ad campaigns and editorials in conjunction with Sons of Adonis skincare for men. A huge coup that we are incredibly proud of and will be using to add to our brand as the lost and build up other elements that Shakti Sood (Sons of Adonis founder) will be a major part of.

With concept and mood boards being built at the moment it is going to be fun to work with Sons of Adonis on these projects and a chance to mix the commercial with the artistic side of makeup for men.

Other meetings are being planned and naturally we will be releasing more information about our plans and showcasing the images we create.

Dark Forest: A Cinematic Short

Cinema started with the short film and it has been a long tradition of movie makers to take this process and work to create something fresh, a story that is strong enough to stand on its own and convey a message in a short amount of time, Nevis Studios is now stepping into that arena with their new crowdfund project: Dark Forest.

“In the gripping thriller "Dark Forest," Detectives Danny and Fiona pursue a serial killer terrorizing the Scottish highlands. The tension escalates as they close in on the elusive criminal and search for missing victim Anna Frey.”

With a creative vision that will open up doors to creativity as well as jobs, the team behind this crowd funder for Dark Forest, are looking at an expansive and long reaching movement of cinema.

Crowd funding is a common practice now and gives people the opportunity to be a part of the creation of cinema and the team behind Dark Forest are open to the challenges that this creates and see it as an investment in not just a film but in the process.

To learn more about the company or the project see:

Nevis Studios Website.

Nevis Studios Facebook.

Nevis Studios Instagram.

Dark Forest Campaign.

Film Thoughts with Peter Tilley Producer and Actor

Peter Tilley, actor and producer took time to talk to us about his latest co-project: The Foreboding: Fractured, and share his insights from not just this project but what the future holds for him as a creative.

You have been working on promotion for your most recent project The Foreboding:  Fractured, where you are part of the cast. Can you tell us more about the project and  your involvement?  

Back in the summer of this year I messaged my good friend Alexander Staunton-Hill, who is  an incredibly talented writer and actor. I said how I wanted to put my own spin on a teen  horror story and make a film specifically for the Horror-On-Sea Film Festival in January  2024. Not long later, he returned with a fantastic script that completely elevated the idea of  that take on a group of teens coming face to face with a deadly enemy in the woods. We  soon took this into production, undertaking the casting process and filming just a matter of  weeks later. I took on the credit of producer for this film, along with playing one of the titular  roles as Aaron. Balancing both learning lines and taking on all of the producer  responsibilities was certainly a challenge, but this allowed me to gain great experience within  the film industry and help to create something fresh and exciting.  

The film follows a group of university students who have just finished their first year of Uni  and decide to go on a little camping trip into the woods to celebrate, however this trip won’t  be so plain sailing as they soon encounter a deadly presence lurking within the forest.  However there’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye, for this isn’t your stereotypical  teen horror flick. What fates lie ahead for Aaron, Connor, Abigail and Lauren?  

As an actor what challenges did you face involving yourself in The Foreboding:  Fractured and how did you overcome them?  

There was quite a few issues that came up on set, some of which were completely out of our  control. For example, we were shooting for long hours going into the night and was hit by a  thunderstorm with torrential rain, temperatures hitting low figures in the early hours of the  morning not having very warm layers of clothing on. Filming these scenes out in the open on  a farm in the middle of Sussex with this bad weather certainly proved tricky, but we got  through those obstacles as a team still gaining good results. 

Which side of the camera do you prefer working and why?  

I’ve been fortunate to have experienced both now, however I am primarily an actor and  mostly enjoy working infront of the camera, portraying different characters and bringing  these scenes to life. Saying that, I worked as a producer on this film which was enjoyable  and would certainly dip my toes into that role again in the future, so it is fun to work on both  sides of the camera. It’s mesmerising to see how a production all comes together from either  side. I would never rule anything out! 

What have you got planned next as a creative that you can share and how can people  find out more about you and your work?  

We’ve got BIG plans for The Foreboding, so I will mainly be putting all my attention on that  going forward. I’ve got some other projects lined up for the year ahead but am just waiting  on getting schedules for those films, which I’m very much looking forward to shooting. You can find me on multiple social media platforms, on Twitter (or X now as it’s called!) at  PeterTilley20 and on Instagram with the handle @Tilley.Peter. You can follow the official page  for The Foreboding @theforebodingofficial and tickets are now available to purchase for the  film via horror-on-sea.com with it’s world premiere screening at the Horror-On-Sea Film  Festival on Saturday 20th January 2024!

To learn more about the film see:

IMDB The Foreboding: Fractured.

Horror Scream Video Vault Interview.

Blazing Minds Interview.

Podcast Interview.

Talking Theatre With HeadlessActing

Theatre is a major part of the cultural scene and we are happy to talk to one of the people aiming to put Scottish talent on the map with a series of shows aimed at the stage and building on their own experiences in the field, from sourcing funding to casting, HeadlessActing is pushing the envelope of the creative arts.

Why don’t you start by introducing yourself and telling the lost audience what you do in the creative arts? 

My name is Brandon Ferguson and I’m an Actor and writer.  Recently, I created the production company ‘Headless Acting’ as a way to produce and perform some of my own  pieces of writing. Currently, HeadlessActing is working on two plays with a third being in early development.

You have been talking on social media about your recent Fringe show and plans to do more stage work from a Scottish perspective, can you tell us more about that? 

Yes, I have just finished my first ever run at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, I was playing ‘Peter’ in “Alba” which was written by Jack Byrne and Jordan Howat of ‘Action Theatre Scotland’. I had a wonderful time working on that. I’d never smiled more in my entire life, on the stage and off.

Once the Edinburgh Fringe was over I was just so eager to jump into something else, I decided it was time to create my own work. The Theatre industry in Scotland is dying a slow and painful death, whether that’s to do with ticket prices or even just that theatre is seen as “posh.” I wanted to fix that. I wanted to bring in a brand new audience, reach people who may never have stepped inside a theatre before. 

I had written a play about an event in Scottish history, but this play was a huge task. I would need a big team and a lot of funding. So,  I chose to start with something else, something smaller. So I wrote “*Smoke Not Included” which is a Stoner Comedy on the Stage. This play is one act, one location and four characters. What better way to bring in a new audience than putting on a stoner comedy haha.

Something we have noticed is you are very theatre focused with stage being a major part of your social media showcase, can you tell us what made this your focus as a creative? 

I’ve always been interested in theatre.  I never got to see much of it prior to being in high school, but I was always so entranced by the theatre. The sets and costumes, the actors! It’s magic! Buy a ticket, grab a drink and sit and enjoy the show. You might see a perfectly executed performance, you might see actors breaking character and causing everyone to laugh, you might even happen to see a story that touches you in a way a TV show or Movie never could. I like to say that theatre is just a live action book. When someone reads a book they can imagine what is happening and what the world may look like. Well, on the stage it is the exact same! The audience has a suspension of disbelief, you don’t need backdrops and a full room of sets. You just need the actors and a few important pieces of set or prop and the imagination of the audience does the rest. It’s great! 

“There’s also what I said before about the theatre industry in Scotland dying. I don’t think I could just stand back and watch that happen. I had to create. I had to try and show people that theatre isn’t scary, it isn’t too posh for you and it shouldn’t be too expensive.”

You recently talked about a crowdfunding campaign for your projects. Can you tell us more about the project and what is being planned?  Will you focus solely on theatre or expand into other areas of work? 

We are raising money for our first production, “*Smoke Not Included” , on Kickstarter, we still have a few hundred pounds left to raise. I couldn’t even describe this play to you if I tried, it’s quite silly, lighting and sound is used in a way to emphasise humour, there’s a lot of fun moments but at its heart, there’s a nugget of sadness. Neil, Jacko, Lauren and Aaron are our characters. They all have quite interesting relationships with each other. I won’t say too much haha. We’re currently casting for Aaron and Neil, submissions are open until 20th October. We are planning on going to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival next year as well as having a few performances in Fife. We also intend on filming the production and posting that on YouTube sometime after we finish doing the show. This is a way to combat theatre shows being short lived. We’re kind of immortalising it on YouTube haha. 

I do believe that HeadlessActing will remain working in theatre, but that’s not to say there isn’t a short film or two in the works.

What does the future hold for you and your team in media and creative terms?  What can we expect to see from you?

Currently HeadlessActing has a 4-Year plan. We aim to cast, rehearse and perform a show every year for the next four. We want to work with as many Scottish creatives that we can! I can’t say too much right now but we are working with a Scottish Artist and a Scottish Musician on one of our projects right now. We are also aiming to cover a wide range of genres. Starting with Comedy, then Horror, then History, Then Noir. If you’re following our Instagram (headless_acting) and our Twitter (@HeadlessActing) you’ll see we post updates all the time! Right now we are casting for *Smoke Not Included. We’ve received a lot of submissions and the self tapes are coming in now. We’re very excited for what the future holds.

To learn more about HeadlessActing or to support their work see:

*Smoke Not Included Crowdfunding Campaign.

HeadlessActing Instagram.

HeadlessActing Twitter.

IC9: A Glimpse Into The World of Film Courtesy of vShowcards

The Lost Creatives team always appreciates when we are given insight and a little bit of the background to a project and as always vShowcards has been part and parcel of that by bringing to our attention the new police drama IC9.

Tackling the controversial and very contemporary issues of people trafficking and illegal immigration, the film looks at the personal as well as the professional from a police woman’s standpoint as she hunts for her sister and discovers a startling, dangerous truth about her own family coupled with the harrowing insight into the world the trafficked people find themselves in.

With a stellar team both in front and behind the camera including such leading actors as Georgia May Foote (coronation street) and Richie Campbell (Grace, liar, ITV) and of course vshowcards founder and all round actor of note Darren Tassell who has (with permission) given us access to the documentation and files for the project.

vShowcards works hard as a casting site and has also played a part bringing in such excellent talent as Richie Campbell, and Georgia May to peoples attention thanks to their savvy use of social media and contacts, each member of the team of course brings their unique talents to the table and add dimension to a nail biting script by Kyle Titteron and Gulshan Singh making this more than a film but a true showcase of talents.

With filming underway at the moment, stories and images are leaking out that show not just a cast and crew enjoying the work but adding to a film that is gathering attention not just from social media buzz but from interested parties looking to the project to see what is happening in the business including bloggers, journalists and potential viewers who are seeing snippets and images sneaking through, the anticipation for this film is rightly high.

IC9 is a large scale UK indie production that is a showcase of talent, ingenuity and intrigue. A truly welcome project that will hit the high notes and with the support of vShowcards and many others who are seeing the potential of cinematic projects and how it can be achieved with the right people backing you.

Naturally, we will be happy to support the ongoing work and cannot wait to see the final film, we will be talking to key team members about the project itself looking at the casting process, making of, and what the future is for the production team.

For more information on vShowcards and what they do see: The vShowcards Website and stay tuned to the blog for further updates on the project.

Timeline Updates

While the blog and other elements have been very quiet of late, we do apologize for this, it does not mean we have been idle. In fact it is the opposite with so much in the works we have had to set deadlines for projects and new launches before time really ran away and we lost track of what is being done.

Some of the domains we own are now due for renewal and we are using that as the baseline for soft launching websites and taking down some of the older work to make things as clean as possible.

With a wedding under our belt, in what will be a two-part package, there is some really beautiful images coming from that which will showcase our creative director and founder working as well as our beautiful bride.

Lost Creatives is going to be changed dramatically as well with new galleries being worked out to match the upcoming Lost Project Media site that will be the home of our video and print work, a mix of editorial and commercial campaigns, more on this later.

James will be launching a fresh new site which as a makeup artist he wanted to be a whole set of new work all tailored to the lost identity and brand and completely different from his previous site with a focus on the commercial.

In the next week we will be doing a very interesting set of blogs piece about indie brands that popped up on our radar and will be playing a part in the working kit of our house artist. Both of which are interesting and will offer very different perspectives on a makeup kit as well as product usage and placement.

With an end goal of updating not just the websites but our other networking sites such as Vshowcards, by August we will be well on our way to the whole new look and entirely different brand identity than when we started and it is truly exciting to see how things have developed from where we began.

Project Notes

A habit our creative director JamesC picked up when living in India that we are actively pushing again, is keeping a notebook and pen to hand, ideal for writing down phone numbers or emails, sketching ideas for photos or as we know he did frequently, outlining plots for TV or film projects.

JamesC has in the last few weeks come up with ideas that will work as short films for festival entry or expanded into a much longer concept that need to be padded to suit the plans for 2023.

Festivals are going to be a very heavy focus of the work ahead, we have spent a lot of time checking options of annual, quarterly and by far our most favoured, monthly film festivals that take film and photo projects.

Of course our favourite book for filmmakers “Don’t F*ck Up Your No Budget Film” by Ivan Peric, plays a heavy part in our thinking because this insightful first hand account of low budget creation is designed to shape your work into a commercial project and works well with our own thinking and add to this the very savvy and again, first hand account of Patricia Jones book “Opening Doors for Working Class Actors” which when combined with Ivan’s book has the scope to create a great combination and open up the projects we have to fresh talent and with the right focus and marketing (kept within a budget) see a series of smaller films and Web TV projects built with a commercially viable slant that will benefit all involved.

We will be using the Vshowcards site for casting and actively encourage people to check them out not just because we think it is a fantastic network site, but for the various casting calls that are available.

Expanding notes on our plan will be slow released through the blog and we will be working hard to get this push running with the Lost Agency supporting it and of course led by our own JamesC who will be front and centre with upcoming interviews including the Behind The Scenes Podcast, amongst the other elements at play.

Stay tuned for more updates and sneak images of our notes.

The Lost Creatives Christmas

In the last few weeks of 2022 (where has the time gone!!??) The Lost Creatives has gone from strength to strength, don’t get me wrong there have been pitfalls, but overall we have been able to create a network of people that is amazing, offer PR and other forms of support to fellow creatives that was after all the goal of the site.

Christmas for us, will be a time of relaxation with a heavy focus on what will be done in the new year, with commercial work and PR for clients having been the heaviest part of our workload, our creative director JamesC, will be returning to work as a makeup artist on a more open basis and taking on smaller projects to bolster the public side of his work and spending time on some personal projects that will be featured not just here on the Lost Creative but his own site and our partner site The Lost Agency who will be taking a heavier hand in our own marketing and internal affairs. *This means we will be returning to Instagram soon!

We have had some disappointments lately, with meetings and reaching out to potential collaborators falling through mainly due to scheduling issues which as you can imagine as a freelancer, has been a pain, however that will not stop us from pushing forward and with our ties to HOD TV, we will be focusing on that for the future and tackling things in a much more hard-line manner.

Our passion for the arts is not waning, far from it, we have collated magazines, festivals and other information that we intend to make full use of for ourselves, up until now we have put a vast amount of time into clients and not been able to put the lost concept at the forefront but, we are incredibly proud of the fact people have trusted the team.

In the next few weeks we will be releasing our goals and a schedule for this through the site along with a few snippets of art projects to test the waters.

For the moment we are going to allow ourselves a little breathing space for the festive season and release more information soon and options to get involved.

Working The Makeup Dept Budget With Desired FX

In the world of film and TV, budgets can be the biggest constraint alongside time, to the creative process. For the makeup department often this means we have to search out cost-efficient options to create a particular look or downgrade the process to fit the money available, thankfully, there are services like Desired FX that can help with this and give you a budget-friendly, professional add-on to your kit that will push the department ahead.

From silicone wounds to scars, tattoos including bruising and standard designs, Desired FX offers up a range of products that will work for most scenarios and even offers a studio custom service to allow further scope for creativity on a budget.

With increasing options in the digital market from Amazon to HOD TV (Horror on Demand), the indie film sector has never been so popular with the on-demand film/TV sector becoming bigger year on year, but budgets being tight in the circuit, having the option of a team like Desired FX who can provide cost-efficient options for the FX department, there is scope to bring a different dimension as a department head working smart with the available funds.

To learn more about Desired FX or to purchase see:

Desired FX shop ( 10% off on all products with the promo code "JamesClark10")

Desired FX Instagram.

Desired FX Facebook.

Revamping The Lost Sites

We are going to be working on the Lost sites over the next two weeks allowing us to decide what is and isn’t working, change out images, and update affiliate links and partnerships, we are incredibly lucky to have some amazing brands supporting us already and we have projects that have been completed (but shelved due to other aspects of work underway) that will be used to update the sites.

From a professional stance, in particular to the makeup side, our creative director and head of makeup JamesC’s website has already been reworked to make it cleaner and simpler to navigate, he has chosen several brands to work with including Mykitco (check out the pro discount program for eligibility), Illamasqua Pro will become a featured brand soon, and of course Sons of Adonis (JamesC personally consulted with the owner of the range and the brush).

Two small projects for the festival circuit are being written and developed with a view to expanding into a full-scale TV series, an idea we have wanted to really push forward with for a long time, with the festival path we can tailor our choices to suit garnering awards for the team including the makeup, actors, and director to help with promotion.

*This means we will add to the roster very soon to help with the creation of projects, and a new TV production site will be a part of this planning.

We are really pleased that our main site, The Lost Project, is gathering attention (organically) and continues to be a source of information on the consumer side, the book reviews and makeup stories are proving to be popular which is something we are incredibly proud of.

More changes are coming and it is truly exciting to be working on the lost group expansion. Stay tuned for more updates and news.

Don't F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie! By Ivan Peric

As an accomplished filmmaker and actor in his own right, Ivan Peric has become something of a maven for the digital content market and with his book “Don’t F*ck Your No Budget Movie” takes you through the hard-earned and hard-learned process that took his passion for acting and film to a wider audience, detailing the process with retrospective ease to help others in the same place.

Working backward, Ivan Peric talks about his own experience of starting out as a filmmaker taking the mistakes he made, the lessons he learned, and compiling them into an easy-to-follow and frankly common-sense manner that will change the way you look at digital filmmaking and selling your product.

Many new and established filmmakers have the belief that “If I make it, they shall come,” and focus on film as an art form rather than a commercial venture, which if you want to make a career out of this is the wrong approach and often leads down the path of shelving a project. What this book focuses on is taking the art, and the commercial, combining the two, and producing work that will be a showcase of your talents and commercially viable.

What is really refreshing about “Don't F*ck Your No-Budget Movie” is the candor with which Ivan approaches the process, he openly talks about how hard it was to make things happen and why, giving a first-hand view of what he did, how he achieved it and what pitfalls he faced in the journey.

As a team, we can see the value in this book and fully endorse it, our team has worked behind and in front of the camera for over 20 years and we decided that we wanted to focus our energy on producing for ourselves which we had a broad idea of what was involved from previous work, however, taking that knowledge (along with our contacts in distribution, casting, etc), alongside the stellar advice offered by Ivan Peric in his book, we can clearly create a path that will reduce the process of creating a TV or film project and streamline it making it a much more cohesive journey. *It is worth noting even with the experience we have it is always good to source additional information and add to the arsenal of information we have in our pocket, which this book did by verifying our thought processes and giving a clear and concise plan that filled in certain gaps in our knowledge.

To learn more about Ivan Peric or to purchase the book see:

Ivan Peric Link Tree.

Ivan Peric Twitter.

Don't F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie! Amazon UK. (Kindle, Paperback, and Hardback)

Don't F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie! Amazon USA. (Kindle, Paperback, and Hardback)

Don't F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie! Barns and Noble USA

Don't F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie! Google Books.

Don't F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie! Apple Books.

Christmas Consultations and Other Business

The Christmas season (and by extension New Year) is always interesting for the Lost Creatives team. Our creative director JamesC has been working with a few regular faces pre-show in a private capacity to plan out makeup for the stellar talent Alex Robertson, currently appearing as Dame at the Falkirk Town Hall, alongside his usual work with brands.

As an old friend of the company Alex Robertson has been a supporter and a real boost to our morale, and to have him come to JamesC for advice was a genuine pleasure, he is not only an exceptional talent on stage but a respected character actor for a wide range of TV shows, indie films, and much more, so to be able to support him was a real pleasure and in truth a running laugh as he is a comical person to be around with self-deprecating humor that always makes us laugh out loud. For further information on the show, Beauty and the Beast, click here.

On top of this, we have been doing other types of consult work from PR advice to script work breaking down the financials (in basic form) to help a few indie projects that were stuck with a few minor details. We are incredibly proud of the work we do and appreciate that people see us as a viable source of information and of course promotion for their projects.

In the New Year, we are going to be taking some calculated risks and going public with our work which till now has been for clients and we have had to sign waivers preventing us from showcasing the work, frustrating but nonetheless important for our growth as a team and a company.

While we finish off some of the background work we have before we close for a few days of well-earned rest, we wish all our followers and everyone in the media industry a Merry Christmas, we look forward to coming back in the New Year with more news and updates.

Hitting Deadlines

Working from home and doing multiple blogs, consulting with production companies, and doing costings for projects has been fantastic, it has allowed us to be a part of the creative field and opened up conversations with potential collaborators for the next year. What it also means is we have been able to set deadlines for work and give ourselves flexibility on the stock we have with a view to curating and adding what is needed for the near future.

As you can imagine we are now close to one of the deadlines for an in-house project, small, but nonetheless important. So within the next 10 days, we have to complete a minimum of 3 shoots that will be submitted for a competition we have had our collective eye on for a while now.

It also has been a good time to work on a marketing plan for the new year, which is scarily close and our creative director and head of makeup JamesC has now got a profile with the fantastic vshowcards which is in need of some small updates but is officially live!

Something we have discussed at length is websites, JamesC will revert to his old website soon with some much-needed changes as we have a huge amount of his work saved on the old site, we felt it made more sense just to edit and relaunch versus a rebuild.

Another option we are reviewing and giving serious thought to is an electronic notebook to reduce our paper use or at least a tablet with a good note keeper app, with so much in the market changing we are working to keep on top of this and be as practical about our work as possible.

Stay tuned for updates and further information.

Creating a Story and Building the Brand

When Lost Creatives was first started it was about a journey and finding a path, in that time we have covered a wide range of people’s stories and given a voice to some amazing filmmakers who have helped bring our creative narrative as well as their own, to the public domain.

Over the next few months we plan to add to the stories in a more visual sense, with so much of our work having to be held due to publication terms, it will be fun to finally be able to showcase the work that has been done in the background by our creative director and head of makeup JamesC. Some new portfolio pieces are being finalized with the JamesC portfolio site (frustratingly) taken longer than planned we will be reverting back and reworking the current site with the new content and bringing in a much more cohesive workflow across the sites we already have with the additions of showcasing his work as a photographer into the bargain.

When it comes to production, there is some light at the end of a long tunnel, we have chosen two TV shows to produce along with two short films that we will use as entry back into the market, and with our work with some Amazingly talented filmmakers when it comes to cost, we have been able to work the angles and find additional avenues of marketing, sales, and of course open up our team to different potential projects outside of horror and thriller.

Naturally, we will be working with vshowcards who have been fantastic and are rapidly gaining ground in the production realm and have even got Bollywood on their side which is an amazing coup for the team.

In the next few weeks, we will be making a return to social media with the Lost Creatives and Lost Agency Instagram being updated with new work and some experimental shots we have been playing around with as part of a planned concept.

More news and updates on The Lost coming soon.

Talking Youtube and Politics With That Preston Journalist

As a social and political commentator, That Preston Journalist Channel has become a go-to for a grassroots style of social and political commentary, as the journey continues we wanted to talk to founder Ashley Karmanski about his motivations, plans, and the future of the channel. 

Your Youtube channel is growing in numbers thanks to your quick news bite style of work and narrative approach to the work. Can you tell us more about what motivated you to start this channel? 

I have been in politics and political campaigns for many years now, but I myself have become disillusioned with the way British politics is conducted, the tribal nature of it today seeks to prevent any meaningful debate or sensible discussion. I believe people can, and should be able to disagree with each other without resorting to personal insults.

I wanted to create a channel that provides common sense, from the mouth of a working person in the UK. Too much of the media, especially the mainstream media, comes from the rose-tinted spectacles of the London metropolitan bubble, but the views held by people in wealthy areas are rarely those held by the wider public. 

I try to say things as I see them. Members of the public have bigger things to worry about than what the latest political correctness crusade is, I believe they want the truth with no hidden agenda behind it, I believe they want to be aware of how government policy will impact them without being talked down to by the BBC, Sky or ITV news. Most of the mainstream media are privately educated and do not know the daily struggles or concerns of working people in this country, but I do, that is my world as well, I want to be, and am slowly becoming the go-to place for unedited news, and the truth about how our lives are being impacted by the politicians in the UK.

I do not do this for profit, I work full time as well as running my channel, it may sound cheesy, but I really do it to bring simple, to the point, effective news to all the millions who no longer trust the mainstream media anymore. When I first started the channel, I had three or four subscribers, and to see it reach over two thousand in just a couple of months, is hugely rewarding and I enjoy every minute of it.    

Watching your videos, you have a very grassroots style of working with a simple, clean background, talking about political scandals in a fact-based manner adding your own thoughts to the piece, are you planning to stand for election or will you continue to focus your energy on the channel?  

I have no plans to stand for any elections, but as for campaigning, I am very open to getting on board, and try to campaign in the hope that common sense will once again prevail in this great country of ours. 

I keep the videos and backgrounds simple because that’s how I want the channel to be. A trustworthy source of news, I do receive negative feedback for my background to the videos, for my northern working-class accent, but that only strengthens my resolve and keeps me going. In fact, it proves to me that what I believe to be true, that working-class people are looked down on by the metropolitan elites, is the case in the UK today. Free speech has been on the decline for some time, people are no longer allowed opinions that don’t go along with the “be kind” brigade, who, by the way, is the first to call somebody a “racist”, or a “fascist” for not having the same opinions as them, and that is completely wrong, and that isn’t democracy. 

There isn’t a political party out there at the moment that really represents working people, there aren’t many media organizations that do either, so it is up to people who still hold common sense and traditional values to bring that news into the public domain. I believe it is the overwhelming consensus within the UK, but the elitist minority pressure groups get all the air time, telling people what to think, rather than actually providing news and letting people make their own minds up. We see it time and time again, every time there is a vote, be it a referendum, or a general election, the media get it wrong every time, and that proves how out of touch they are with the common man and woman today.

I do try and keep my personal opinions out of my videos where I can, but I am only human. I am unapologetically passionate about the UK and my belief that we are all better together as one country. On the other hand, many people on my videos ask about my political allegiances or asking how I vote. This tells me that I am doing a good job of being reasonably impartial on most issues. 

I do not, and will not ever tell people how to think, I simply wish to present the news in a simple, easy-to-understand format, and people can make their own minds up about what is best for them, and their lives. Politicians and the media seem to have forgotten that people have their own brains, and their own common sense, they know what is best for them. This means people disagree and agree with me at times, and that is healthy for any democracy to function.   

In creating That Preston Journalist you have tapped into what could be called “the working class” experience and focus on the dangers of political blindness to the people outside of those enclaves.  Do you think that Youtube has allowed you a greater platform to air your views and what challenges have you faced with tackling the subjects you do? 

As I’ve said before, I am a working-class person, which qualifies me to talk to a working-class audience, unlike many in the public eye who don’t talk to their audiences, but down to their audiences. YouTube has been an excellent outlet for me, if anything I did or said was discriminatory YouTube would shut me down, but it isn’t, and although I do tackle tough subjects, I do it in a way that I believe brings balance and common sense to the table.

The vast majority of the wider public in the UK do not subscribe to the views held by the mainstream media, if you ever wanted to see evidence of this, you only have to look at their audience viewing figures, and their short, sharp decline. 

Personally, I haven’t found any major challenges as of yet, sometimes you get negative feedback from people, but that’s part of the course, if you are going to read positive comments about your work, you have to accept the opinions of people who disagree, that is why I don’t delete negative comments from my videos unless they are personal attacks upon me. Personal attacks are what I am trying to stop, and open up sensible debate, so I can’t allow it on my channel as it defeats the overall message I am trying to get across. The message is that we all have opinions, and we all have the right to disagree in an assertive, yet polite manner. Politics does not have to be the toxic cesspit it is at the moment.  

 If you could offer advice to someone starting out as a political or social commentator what would it be and why? 

The most productive piece of advice I could give is to keep it simple and stick to your principles. With today’s world being what it is, you will come up against trolls who wish to close you down, you will receive abuse, but you must not let that stop you. 

Nothing in life worth doing is easy, and getting involved in politics, or political commentary certainly isn’t. But if you truly believe in what you are doing, you will succeed. 

Patience is also very important. Don’t expect job offers or subscribers to start appearing immediately. Share your content to as many different social media sites as you can, post the link to your website/YouTube channel, etc… everywhere you can. 

Once you start getting more and more followers, your content will grow much more organically, but the initial hard work is all down to you, and it can be a hard slog. 

To learn more about That Preston Journalist or to subscribe to the channel see:

That Preston Journalist Youtube.

That Preston Journalist Twitter.

House of iKons Press Opportunities September 2021

As we come closer to fashion week, one of the leading names of the independent and off-schedule events: The House of iKons, has opened the doors to press and photographers giving yet more opportunities to the creative talents of fashion.

Being a part of the creative industries, especially fashion, is hard work requiring a good agent or contacts that can open the door for you, which is something Savita as the founder of the iKons show understands and appreciates and why as a show, The House of iKons has become so important in the global market and built in a short amount of time, a reputation for excellence and a place in the top 10 globally for fashion shows.

“Proud to announce that America’s Got Talent Winner Sal Valentinetti will be performing at the House of iKons Fashion Week London Show September 2021, in collaboration with our American TV partner “Rising Fashion TV” and will be aired on Amazon & ROKU TV.”

Since its inception, House of iKons has been able to connect not just brands and designers with an audience, but open the door to creative talents such as makeup staff, backstage production, photographers, and press/bloggers. *The Full schedule breakdown can be found by clicking here.

At the moment House of iKons is supported by The Fashion Life Tour, Chengdu Fashion Week, Girl Meets Brush & Zarya Azadi, with the event itself garnering accolades from across the globe and the press pit being one of the most coveted slots during fashion week to capture the latest trends in clothing, makeup, and the networking opportunities that go with it.

To learn more about the show or to discuss options available through The House of iKons email by clicking here. For tickets or further information on the show see:

House of iKons Website.

House of iKons Facebook.

House of iKons Instagram.

House of iKons Twitter.

House of iKons Youtube.

House of iKons Tickets.

Whouknow a New Marketing Tool

We were really intrigued by the idea of the site Whouknow for marketing targetting the creative side of the world and opening up doors to new and interesting prospects with both clients and collaborators. The site itself is straightforward to set up and our creative director JamesC has already thrown his cap into the ring and created a profile.

“There's no such thing as buyers and sellers in creative communities, which is why Whouknow works the way you do. We've also thrown in a bunch of other features that'll make your life a whole lot easier.”

Whouknow offers the option to set a base budget and offer your services to projects on other terms such as barter, it has real scope for marketing and has gathered some interesting talents to the table who are open to opportunities and marketing their skills through the site.

Naturally, we plan to use this as a part of our upcoming projects and where possible source additional team members to the fold for this. In fact, with our 3 shorts and a small-scale commercial/showreel project in the works, this could be something positive and give us access to a host of new faces to work with which is a real boost to our goals both short and longterm.

We recommend you go check out the site and see the potential for yourself:

Whouknow website.

Whouknow Instagram.

Whouknow Facebook.

Whouknow Twitter.

Talking Film, Scripts, and Starting a Business With The Champ Films.

We have been watching the indie scene for a long time and a name that pops up frequently when talking about scripts is Tom Reynolds (AKA The Champ Films) who has become a go-to for monologues, film scripts, and with plans now in motion to produce we wanted to talk to Tom about his background and motivations.

Can you tell us more about yourself and your background? 

Born and raised in Reading, Berkshire, I grew up obsessed with films & sport. I studied English Literature for 4 years and enjoyed writing my own stories & plays which were always great fun to perform. When the lockdowns started, I decided I would get back into writing and when I started, I couldn't stop. 

As someone who writes scripts of varying lengths and styles, what is your favorite genre in terms of creative potential? 

At this moment, it is definitely horror scripts. horror allows you to tell a story without necessarily being limited by facts or reality. if you can imagine it, you can write it in a horror film. having said that, where I am right now in terms of available budgets for films etc, I am limited to what I can actually write in order to keep the script realistic for Production. 

What is the plan for your business as you go forward: TV? Film? Commercial? Documentary work?

The plan is to focus entirely on Films right now. As of today, I have 10 feature film scripts completed and the goal is to produce projects one after the other in a conveyor belt style system. Each script is more ambitious than the last and the whole business plan is geared towards progression.

As we move further into 2021 what is your strategy and goal set for the coming months? 

The goal right now is to find other like-minded filmmakers to join the team in order to move into Production. Specifically, I'm on the lookout for an ambitious Producer to join the team. The industry has been hit hard over the last 18 months or so and I want to do whatever I can to help bring it back stronger than ever. By bringing in the right people to join the team, I'm hoping we can all work together to create good quality films with the sole goal of providing entertainment and a bit of escapism for the viewer. In addition, I am looking to gain investment and have launched an early crowdfund for my 1st feature film in order to build a pot as big as possible to cover all film-making costs including wages for all those involved.

What has been your biggest challenge to date as you build your business? 

So far, the biggest challenge has definitely been finding other like-minded people to join us.  This is completely understandable as obviously, I am new to the industry, and thanks to covid canceling all in-person festivals, I've not been able to meet like-minded people in person. Not knowing anyone in the industry or having any good contacts has also been a real challenge but hopefully, this will all change in time, particularly if I'm able to move my 1st script into Production. People will then realize this is a genuine venture and will hopefully want to be a part of what I am hoping to achieve.

What has been the best part of the journey so far?

Without a doubt, the best thing has been all the amazing people I have met so far through Social Media. The response I have received from the various networking tweets I have sent out has been really incredible. The Twitter entertainment community has welcomed us with open arms and we have made some awesome new connections. We have made contacts with so many incredible Actors and Actresses and have worked directly with some of these people to develop characters that have found their way into scripts that I have written. Indeed, some of these performers have even performed monologues which I have written, and that has been fantastic. This has helped raise our profile and has enabled some people to see the sort of writing I am looking to do. The feedback, both positive and negative that I have received from the Twitter community has been invaluable.

If someone wishes to donate to your debut film crowdfund, where can they go to donate?

We currently have 2 crowdfunds collecting donations for our first film:

Gofundme The Champ Films Campaign or here on buymeacoffee,

Thank you in advance to anyone who decides to help us out!

If people wish to keep up to date with what you are doing, where can they follow you on Social Media? 

Here are all of our current links,

Twitter.

The Champ Films Twitter.

Thee Tom Reynolds Twitter.

Savage The Film Twitter.

Instagram.

The Champ Films Instagram.

Thee Tom Reynolds Instagram.

Fundraisers.

The Champ Films Set up Gofundme Campaign.

BuyMeACoffee Link

Updates From The Creative Sphere

Over at the Lost Creatives home office, we have been plugging away at our work and will have some project announcements and cast/crew requirements going live very soon. While this is being worked out, we have some announcements that as a team we are really excited about and wanted to share.

As creative director and head of makeup, JamesC, has been instrumental in the development of his new site and working on a consultation basis, for Sons of Adonis makeup (it will be added to his working kit), as part o this a limited edition brush was created featuring his logo and the brand: available from the Sons of Adonis site.

In terms of production and editorial, we have decided to add to our site holdings and will be launching a separate photography site that will feature the work of JamesC both his commercial work and the behind-the-scenes stills on film and TV shoots. The reasoning for this is to allow an expanded sense of his creative work and offer a different perspective on the work of a makeup artist.

Lost Agency is being formed and set around the needs of the main business and will handle the overall marketing, banking, and other elements of our work as an umbrella creating an in-house and full-spectrum setup that is own, controlled, and managed for the needs of the Lost team.

Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing additional details on what is happening and casting/crew opportunities for smaller festival entry projects.