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.

Foreboding: Fractured Applauding The Team

One of the things we applaud and stand with is people who take risks and create on their own terms, seeing the team behind The Foreboding: Fractured do exactly this with a cleverly done horror that takes classic tropes and scenarios and makes them fresh.  

The premise of the film is straightforward and a classic of the genre with the teenage group heading into the forest to camp and telling scary stories over the fire and finding themselves caught up in the tale in a way that they did not anticipate. 

While the styling is simple, the cast and crew did a stellar job of making this their own with some subtle nods to those who came before.  The acting is naturalistic with character types being laid out smoothly, giving each of them a chance to develop and build to a grand finale that is chilling in its substance and still a classic that will have you jumping in your seat. 

From the camera work in the opening that is simple and clean to the more “found footage” style as the story progresses, you can see the passion behind this film and that a tight budget is not enough to stop creatives being creative. 

The Foreboding: Fractured, is a classic example of what can be done on a low budget with passion and deserves the accolades that will inevitably follow when it hits the festival circuit in full.  

Our prediction is that the people behind this are the ones to watch for the future as filmmakers and actors, they are gearing up for big things and this film is an excellent, creepy start on the road. 

To learn more about the film see:

IMDB The Foreboding: Fractured.

Horror Scream Video Vault Interview.

Blazing Minds Interview.

Podcast Interview.

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.

Introducing Screaming Unicorn Productions

In the current content hungry world we find ourselves talking to Screaming Unicorn Productions, based in Glasgow, and making films for the world, they have already garnered numerous festival accolades for their short horror films and quest to bring cinematic projects to a worldwide audience.

A close knit group, they welcome new faces and talents who join the team whose passion for films shines out in their grindhouse style of horror filmmaking and gives them something of a unique look that works well and keeps the content flowing as well as creating opportunities such as their latest project (crowdfunding is underway) Skelf a Christmas Horror, which judging by previous projects will be a critical success and garner the team more accolades to add to the growing list.

Open to the potential of collaboration, the Screaming Unicorn productions ethos is about community and learning with each project opening up the chance to expand on skills or add to your repertoire by being part of something new, a really clever way of building not just a network but making film accessible and something The Lost Creatives approves of.

From a purely artistic stance, horror offers the most potential for creativity and fun in film, making this a concept that works and opens up (creaking) doors to festival accolades and commercial sales with the digital download market.

To learn more about the company or to support their new project via their crowdfunding campaign see:

Skelf: A Christmas Horror Short Fundraiser.

Screaming Unicorn Productions Website.

Screaming Unicorn Productions YouTube.

Screaming Unicorn Productions Instagram.

Screaming Unicorn Productions Facebook.

Frustrations Within Casting

Being an actor or working in the creative arts has always been something of a passion led career path with many feeling they cannot get a foot in the door thanks in part to the ability to gain parts, an agent, or that elusive and somewhat necessary profile with the #1 casting directory. This has come to a head now and people are feeling pushed out with the system being called elitist, we at the lost creatives wanted to share some insights and options that are gaining ground and opening doors to people with a few added options that even at the lowest budgets, can make the dream become a reality with strategic work and a little planning.

As regular readers will know, we advocate for indie film and the creative talent behind it from the cast to the crew with our own allegiances being openly stated.

We are happy to endorse creative and commercial avenues of filmmaking with companies such as New Village Video and HOD TV being two of our favoured routes,

*It is worth noting that HOD TV has parameters that you need to match to get through their vetting process, we have this in a document and will share with those who require it through email.

In casting terms, it is not quite as simple, there are certain sites and companies that have all but cornered the market and are seen as the gold standard, this however, has been changing slowly and we want to talk about 2 of those options and are open to hearing from new services that may appear or alternative options at any time.

vShowcards: a game changing paid for service with a dedicated team who not only help and support their members with advice, but a multi-faceted company that takes on actors and crew giving them a manageable route to showcase themselves and promote their skills to multiple audiences and welcome new and established talent because the site was built by actors, there is more understanding of the challenges out there.

Casting Callback: a free at point of use service for the UK, I personally checked out the layout and actors pages to see how it works and I am impressed, the company ethos is simple, they want to the creative arts to be open to all backgrounds making it one of the best of the free services for its open platform and honest approach to the industry.

With just these 2 options under your belt, it offers up scope in particular to new entrants, and with the media market slowly getting back on its feet with global financial concerns, it shows that no matter what your background, no matter your financial status as an actor or filmmaker, there is a means to promote and market yourself and fortunately, in this content hungry age, platforms available to sell your work.

Lost Creatives will be using these platforms both for casting and for promotion over the next year and focusing on opportunities outside the mainstream with digital TV and film being our goal and of course, supporting creatives across the spectrum with the blog being open to those who need support to promote their projects.

We will be talking in our next blog about commercial avenues for short films and touching on team building for projects with small budget.

Indie Film Thoughts

There is a lot of concern at the moment with the BBC daytime drama Doctors being cancelled, it was a mainstream way for people to gain a foothold in the industry and seen as a staple of daytime TV for many. People are naturally, wondering what this means for those entering the media market from the cast side to crew.

Changes to the market are always difficult to navigate and people are now looking for alternative avenues within the mainstream but overlooking the potential of commercializing ideas in the indie sector and utilizing avenues that are already in place such as HOD TV and the fantastic New Village Video whose platform is focused on the indies and the classic old school “straight to video” movies or the more familiar “streaming service original.”

Talks are underway for collective motion to pull new and emerging talent into pools and building something fresh. What this means is the indie scene has an opportunity to build a new network, a new platform and create.

With this in mind The Lost Creatives is willing to support and to start we want to share the books and sites we feel will be a major benefit to this:

Distribution and sales avenues.

HOD TV submissions a specialist in horror and thriller, the terms are fair and commercialization is possible, a full breakdown of the requirements is available, just drop us an email and we can share the details.

New Village Video, a friendly, open minded team who accept all genres of film and advocate for the indie scene while supporting and selling projects with success.

Books

Don’t F*ck Up Your No Budget Movie by Ivan Peric, a fantastic and personal insight into creating a feature film with a low budget, Ivan talks about the perils and offers up his own tried and tested path to creating a film and getting it sold by planning strategically. A real must read and a part of the lost library of books.

Opening Doors For Working Class Actors by Patricia Jones, a wonderful and open insight into the world of an actor giving you a clear and honest way to start out as an actor. Patricia Jones is a wonderful lady who talks honestly about her journey and gives pointers to those who would otherwise feel they cannot make the leap into the arts.

Cast and Crew

vShowcards, an alternative to the main networking and actors/crew sites, vshowcards is actor run and supported by various casting agents, production houses across the world, and offers a cohesive platform for you to market yourself to the media landscape.

Over the next few weeks we will be exploring avenues of marketing and other elements of the creative industry with a view to showcasing the potential for the indie scene.

New Village Video

As we are all aware there are major changes in motion in the mainstream market of film and TV, which is leading to the question “can the indies step in and entertain us?”  Happily the answer is yes, and sites like New Village Video are stepping up to the plate with gusto and bringing old school values and entertainment back to the market.

Focused on the best and brightest of the indie, art, and grindhouse movie scene, New Village Video is about the charms of a video store combined with the best of the digital age. 

Indie film is the heart of much of their work and their films have that “straight to video” feel that is somewhere between nostalgic and innovative, offering you the chance to support new and emerging talents, filmmakers and artists in a way that is entertainingly quirky.

What this means is there Is an option for us out there who have lower budget visuals and tongue in cheek chic films that are about pure entertainment, getting films out there and opening the door to genre based films that focus on the popcorn chucking entertainment, and scares that a good movie should.  From a filmmaking perspective New Village Video is the modern version of the VHS for hire route that gave us cult/underground movies that went from backyard films to schoolyard legend without the need for a PR team.  

Giving power to the indies is just a small part of what this offers, New Village Video is set to become the digital film archive for those who just want to entertain.  Worthy of checking out on all fronts: from consumer to artiste, the potential to showcase your work, make money on your investment, and have your film seen is enough to tip the scales in their favour and as someone who appreciates movies, and has a set of goals that include schlock horror, this will be top of the list for me to showcase my own films and with their commission rates in the favour of the filmmaker, it is without question a good time to be an indie filmmaker in a fluctuating market. 

To learn more about New Village Video or to discuss submissions see:

New Village Video.

Submissions at New Village Video.

The Behind The Scenes Podcast is Now Live

If you are a mover, shaker or media maker, then the Behind The Scenes Podcast is the place to be seen and a must for keeping up with what’s happening. Started as a way to bring the behind the camera people to the forefront, it is already offering up insights into the background work of the creative realm that would otherwise be unseen and showing how much deeper the work goes than just the stage or a screen.

We are privy to some of the upcoming interviews (one of which will be our own JamesC) and know how much time and effort is going into this from a purely creative stance, it is already on our watch list. Lost Creatives being a behind the scenes blog, we are fully behind Stephen the founder of the Behind The Scenes Podcast and cannot wait to see more and highly recommend watching and subscribing to the channel and other social accounts.

A special nod goes out to the cast and crew at City Theatre who are amongst the early interviewees and offered up some interesting insights into the world of theatre casting and acting.

To learn more or to subscribe see:

Behind The Scenes YouTube.

Behind The Scenes Twitter.

Behind The Scenes Instagram.

Behind The Scenes TikTok.

Building Your Team Featuring Vshowcards

Something I have seen quite a lot of when on social media is the individualist aspect of marketing, by that I mean promotion of just one aspect of what you do as a creative, forgetting that when it comes to a shoot be it film, TV, or photographic it is a team affair.

One of the biggest reasons we say this is because our own creative director JamesC has reached out to the team behind vshowcards and will be working with them to assess a proposal for upcoming projects.

Networking, promotion and just old fashioned relationship building over time can be a difference maker in the world of film and TV, we rely on each other to make a shoot run smoothly and efficiently so having good relationships with the team make a huge difference.

With Vshowcards you have access to the a huge number of professionals within industry that will support your moves and if you reach out are willing to help and support, you just need to ask.

From an industry standpoint there is so much more than just your skillset to consider, you are a part of a team, the machine works because we do and supporting each other is the way to move forward and building your team is a lot easier when you have all your information at your fingertips and know you can reach out to others with questions.

To learn more about the Vshowcards set up or to join see:

Vshowcards Website.

Vshowcards Facebook.

Vshowcards Twitter.

Vshowcards Instagram.

Vshowcards YouTube.

Introducing The Behind The Scenes Podcast

Entering into the podcast field and offering up a new perspective on the industry is the team “Behind The Scenes” whose upcoming podcast is creating massive buzz before they launch to such a degree that creatives of every stripe are seeking them out to talk.

Going behind the camera is something we at the lost creatives can appreciate to such a degree that our own creative director will be interviewed, and we are supporting the move fully, the leading voice behind this; Stephen, worked as a supporting artist and saw first hand what goes on and the hierarchy of the industry and wanted to give a voice to those who usually don’t get the chance to share their stories. Opening the door to so many new and established faces, the Behind The Scenes podcast is set to be the place to be seen and heard in 2023!

To learn more about the “Behind the Scenes” podcast and subscribe see:

Behind The Scenes YouTube.

Behind The Scenes Twitter.

Behind The Scenes Instagram.

Behind The Scenes TikTok.

Introducing Nikko Turner

Finding her place in the world of media, Nikko Turner is a fresh face in the industry and already making waves with her collaborations. Here we talk about finding her feet and entering the industry as and assistant director and her future plans.

Can you give us some background on yourself and your career to date?

Personally, I am only just starting out in the industry - I’m currently studying film at university, but I’m aware there’s only so much I can learn through my course so I’m trying to get as much hands-on experience as I can. That’s how I met Wolf and Alex, working on a student-led film before we reached out to professionals in the industry which led to us meeting Tequila.

Indie film commonly requires that crew multi-task, have you found yourself working more than one role on a project and what do you feel you have learned from that?  

The roles I typically have on a film are producer and AD, but I have recently directed a 5-minute film and I’m working towards trying out other aspects of filmmaking too. Despite my typical roles the duties I take on often expand through a few departments - on our first film ‘Ellipis’ for example, I was also involved in set design, props, and costume. Doing this is allowing me to gain a lot of knowledge across varying elements of film production and it has given me a better understanding of how each of these pieces fit together to create the final outcome.

You are part of a newly formed film production team, what is your role and what is the plan for the company?  

What we’re trying to do is create a dependable means of filmmaking, through building up connections, improving our skills, and evolving as filmmakers. We’ve found that we work really well together which is why we’ve formed this company, to grow together and learn from each other. It gives us an opportunity to try new things, whether that be roles we’re unfamiliar with or new styles and approaches to filmmaking. The ultimate plan is that we will be able to create bigger films; we aspire to be able to have the skills and resources to work on projects and ideas that are currently unfeasible.

What advice would you offer to people looking to enter the arena of film and TV in the digital market?  

“I’ve found that building connections and expanding your network is one of the most important aspects of filmmaking.”

Making use of social media has been an effective way of connecting with people, finding cast and crew to work with on projects, and getting these projects seen - the digital age has really increased accessibility into the film industry, and I would recommend making good use of online platforms to reach likeminded people.

To learn more about Nikko or the Dead Origami Films team see:

Dead Origami Films Twitter.

Dead Origami Films Facebook.

Dead Origami Films Instagram.

Dead Origami Films Youtube.

*Images from the 48-hour film challenge project “Hear My Voice.”

Talking Film and Starting Out With Alex Chalatsis

As part of the upcoming new team and production house Dead Origami Films, we have been lucky enough to talk to Alex Chalatsis about his entry into the industry and what his plans are for the future.

Can you give us some background on yourself and your career to date?

I’m from Greece and currently studying Drama & Theatre at Royal Holloway University because I think England is the best country on this side of the Atlantic to pursue this dream and eventually work in the entertainment industry. I am currently working on productions laid by Dead Origami Films and really enjoy my time there, working with equally passionate people to create something we are truly proud of. My resume is still relatively small mostly due to my age, but I am working on enriching it with quality projects as the years come.

Indie film commonly requires that crew multi-task, have you found yourself working more than one role on a project and what do you feel you have learned from that?  

 Yep, crew multi-tasking is a thing alright… I have done my fair share already. It really showed me how much useful it is for a filmmaker to be informed about everything because they are all connected, and I am interested in walking that path, learning about everything as much as I can. Filmmaking feels like cooking in some ways to me. You have a lot of separate ingredients that you try to figure out the correct amount to put in and make a tasty dish. You better know what each ingredient is and does!

You are part of a newly formed film production team, what is your role, and what is the plan for the company?  

 I’m fortunate enough to have found like-minded people with a similar vision of what they want to do in the future. The plan as of now contains 5 short films. Our current one is “Brutus” which is a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (Act I, Scene II). Next, we’ll be doing “Garmr”, which is going to be the surrealistic exploration of a deranged WWII sniper. After which we’ll be doing two more modern adaptations of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and “Romeo & Juliet”, and finally “Iscariot: House of the Red Door”, all of them challenging and exciting in their own ways, building us up to our first feature film planned for 2024.

“My role in all of these will vary since I’m interested in various roles in filmmaking and still trying out and willing to learn new stuff, so I will be a little bit everywhere, I guess… I like to be involved in films and keep myself busy, I really enjoy it.”

What advice would you offer to people looking to enter the arena of film and TV in the digital market?  

I think I still haven’t broken into that “arena” myself to advise others in the first place, but I would say be nice to others. It’s advice that would be helpful in life in general and regarding filmmaking, connections are really important since you end up spending a lot of time with each other on set, it would be better if you get along! I hope in a few years I will have a more insightful answer.

To learn more about Alex and his upcoming work with Dead Origami Films see:

Dead Origami Films Twitter.

Dead Origami Films Facebook.

Dead Origami Films Instagram.

Dead Origami Films Youtube.

Introducing Dead Origami Films

We are really pleased to be able to introduce the team behind the up-and-coming Dead Origami Films who have been making waves in the circuit. With a new project on the cards, it seemed to be the perfect time to talk about filmmaking and their collaboration with vshowcards.

You have been working on some smaller projects as a starting point for your new production company Dead Origami Films, can you tell us more about how you came to do this and your background as a team?

I had written the script for our first short film 'Ellipsis' and I was trying to find a crew to make it with through my university but I really wasn't getting anywhere until I met fellow students, Alex Chalatsis and Nikko Turner (who had the same roles). We found that we not only worked exceptionally well together but that it was a team dynamic and with a group of skills that stood out on set as well, to very positive notes from others. We'd already begun talking about doing other films together by that point, but after we finished shooting Ellipsis we set about bringing that dream to life through the foundation of our production house, with Tequila Carter who was a producer and SFX makeup artist from Ellipsis, who we found to be incredibly resourceful and passionate.

Whilst Alex and I have known each other for about a year now, it's amusing to think that Nikko only joined us six months ago and Tequila a month after that, when I feel like I've known and worked with them all for much, much longer - we've got an unusual kind of symmetry that makes working together fun and effective. We all have weaknesses and strengths that complement each other and more than that we're incredibly passionate about what we're trying to build as a team.

You are working on a new short film at the moment, what can you tell us about the project and your plans for this film?

Absolutely, it's called 'Brutus' and it is a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (Act 1, Scene 2) which we're shooting in Southend-On-Sea in late September. It portrays the titular Brutus and his fellow senators as a group of gangsters plotting to kill their boss in a pub. Narratively, the film follows Brutus' journey through a single night as he wrestles with the decision to murder his close friend for the sake of his people and the consequences of that emotional turmoil on his marriage.
I'd tentatively call it a proof-of-concept piece as I do have interest in the possibility of adapting the entire play into a feature eventually, but by the same token, I'm adamant in my desire to make this film feel capable of standing on its own two feet as well.

One thing that has been noted is that you're working alongside vshowcards: what was the motivation behind this and how has it affected the dynamic of your projects?

I became aware of vshowcards at the Southend Film Festival, where I'd just watched the feature 'Fixed', which had cast Darren Tassell, one of their founders. I'd already been thinking about doing some modern adaptations of Shakespeare for a long time, but it wasn't something I took seriously until I met Darren and thought to myself, "That's my Brutus!". From there things snowballed, and it became Dead Origami Film's next project.

I had a meeting with Darren shortly after the festival and he told me more about vshowcards and what they were trying to do with it and I decided to try casting the film through their network, which I found to be a brilliant asset. It was more the case that I just found the people I felt were perfect for the roles there, rather than the idea that I set my sights on casting through vshowcards exclusively, a fact evidenced by my casting Kim Gjersøe who I'd worked with on Ellipsis. But how vshowcards is set up, just lent itself naturally to helping me make clear-cut casting choices.

With Dead Origami Films now moving forward, what is the goal of the company in film terms? Do you have a genre or particular theme you want to continue with?

Well, we've got four more short films slated for production after the Brutus. Next, we'll be doing 'Garmr', which is going to be the surrealistic exploration of a deranged WWII sniper. After which we'll be doing two more modern adaptations of Shakespeare (Macbeth + Romeo & Juliet), which brings us to 'Iscariot: House of the Red Door', which I'm extremely excited about in terms of our set design and visual effects.

Through 2023/2024 we've been talking about doing our first feature film, which will be named after and inspired by Victor Hugo's 1829 seminal novella “The Last Day of a Condemned Man”, which will philosophically and morally explore the mindset of a prisoner sentenced to death.

Nikko and I are blessed in that we have incredibly specifically similar tastes in film, heavily leaning towards the surreal and dark themes in general which pairs well with Tequila's love of horror films. Alex loves anything starring Tommy Wiseau, but we forgive him for his sins. I think those themes ring true in a lot of what we're planning on doing over the next few years, but on a personal level I wouldn't want to see us pigeonholed into doing just one genre of filmmaking, I've certainly got aspirations towards making other kinds of films.

What advice would you offer to people looking to enter the film/TV industry based on your own experiences?

That's a challenging question to answer as I imagine most people's situations would be quite different from my own. I'm lucky in that I found a group of people who believe in me and in each other and want to see where we can go with that belief. For us, that extends into developing a youtube and Patreon community with a large amount of content we'll be developing from next month - this allows us the opportunity to not only get in practice as filmmakers between short films but also ultimately, develop a financial stream that will allow us to function self-sustainably in the future if need be.

“I think I only have one piece of advice worth sharing that is as true to life as it is to filmmaking. Find yourself good people to enjoy life and create art with, people who will embrace you for who you are and you them. It might take a lifetime to find them, but they are out there.”

To learn more about Dead Oragami Films or their project work see:

Dead Origami Films Twitter.

Dead Origami Films Facebook.

Dead Origami Films Instagram.

Dead Origami Films Youtube.

Monsteer Artistry Brings Their Vision To The Stage

One of the best places to earn your craft as an actor, director, or crew has always been the stage, and Monsteer Artistry has taken this notion and run with their new play “The Feeling” which debuts at the Union Theater London on the 8th of September.

“A solid comedic piece about relationships, alcohol, and betrayals. the technical team has been working hard on the play alongside a stellar cast to create a play that is already getting attention from across the scene.”

We will be talking about the story, the work behind it, and of course the various elements of the setup (with a full show review coming soon). Combining the talents of the backstage with a fantastically written story by Monsteer Artistry’s own Kyra Jessica Willis, The Lost creative team is solidly behind this show and happy to be talking about the show, the process, and of course the hard graft it takes to make a play happen.

To learn more about the show or Monsteer Artistry see:

The Feeling” Union Theatre.

Monsteer Artistry.

Opening Doors For Working-Class Actors By Patricia Jones

There has been a push to get more working-class people into actors but with that, there has been little to no attempt at providing any information or support, which is why we at the lost creatives were very happy to be able to talk to Patricia Jones, a working actress of note, and the author of the book “Opening Doors for Working-Class Actors.” 

Opening up to her readers about her own journey from her Northern English roots, and struggles, her honest and upfront approach to the art of acting offers up hope for those who want a career in the arts and shows that it can be done. 

The book itself covers the basics of starting out and takes you through the process, offering advice based on experience, anecdotes about people she has met, and how her own life shaped her journey. 

Each chapter sets out a map of the craft and puts you in a position to set a clear path from starting out to finding yourself an agent, with a series of current options that are designed to be researched and cross-referenced to fit your plans, budget, and aspirations. 

Something that stood out for us was the reference to theater as a learning platform, we are big advocates of working on stage as an actor or backstage as a crew member, you will learn a huge amount about time management, voice work, character development and working to the constraints of the stage, another plus is the short and student film market, both of which can give you a chance to build showreel material and network (a very important part of the job of an actor). 

The *book “Opening Doors for Working-Class Actors.” is a book that has been needed for many years and in a content-hungry age of digital downloads, shows that the craft is not just for those with financial means, it is a journey that can be made by anyone with the determination to do it. 

With the full support and endorsement of The Lost Creatives, the book “Opening Doors for Working-Class Actors” is something we highly recommend to anyone looking to delve into the world of acting or to expand their knowledge of the working world of actors. 

To learn more about Patrician Jones or discuss bookings see:

Patricia Jones Twitter.

For further details of the book which is available in Kindle, hardback and paperback format see:

Opening Doors For Working Class Actors Amazon UK.

Travel and Meeting Contacts Featuring vShowcards

We are really pleased when people reach out, especially when our contacts who have taken time off, come to us to talk about working on something fresh which has been happening a lot recently especially with photographers and a few actors who feel that the time is right to start working on smaller projects to stretch their muscles a little after the uncertainty of the last two years.

Naturally, this has given us the impetus to think a little more deeply about concepts and start stockpiling items that may seem strange but will in the long term be of advantage to us, such as the mix of ready-made prosthetics, butterflies, and other items that would on the surface seem strange.

In addition to this, we are planning a trip to London, part buyers trip and part meet up with friends, although the timing for this has been a little tricky due to family commitments, there are advantages to this that aside from being able to shop, we can discuss plans with the team at vShowcards gaining further insight their upcoming changes (which look to be amazing), our creative director JamesC is already a member which is another reason we want to sit with them and work out some details and add to his profile with strategic work.

What we are planning for is trips to the major makeup retailers, meeting with clients/friends, then returning to Scotland to work on additions to the sites across the board. There is something to be said for this plan that goes beyond the obvious networking, it really is about finding new sources of inspiration on route.

The scope and potential of this trip should be interesting and be a welcome break from the background work we have been doing.

To learn more about JamesC or the vShowcards site see:

JamesC vShowcards.

vShwocards official site.

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.

Project Development With The Team Behind The Memento Mori Portrait film

With an important and historical message, the short Memento Mori Portrait film is tackling a heartbreaking moment in Western history and bringing it to a wider audience.  

Having already won 7 awards for the script, the film itself is a love story with a twist, looking at the voices of those left behind and mixing in science fiction, imagination, and memory to create a beautifully sculpted narrative that takes the Holocaust and gives voice to the people who were lost with, the pink triangle badge, being the symbol of their shame and degradation.

An excellent team of filmmakers are already behind the project with accolades across genres and a collective CV of note, this film is a project designed to showcase their work, the story being part of a larger tapestry, it is a moment in time that is important to highlight and a story that deserves to be heard. 

The importance of the message this film creates is part of the reason it is being made and shows that there is still a long way to go with certain rights in the global narrative.  

To learn more about the project or to offer support see: 

Memento Mori Portrait Fundraiser.

Memento Mori Portrait Facebook.

Lumino Films.