Short and Micro Films

We have been extremely lucky with our contacts across the board and privy to a variety of amazing short/microfilms that have been either experimental or designed to augment actors’ showreels. Each that we have seen (both the public and password protected) had a common thread: they make you think.

Taking this further we have been discussing with the very talented, Alistair Smith, his own scene work as potentially a festival project. *We were lucky to be given access through a password-protected link, but can honestly say that he has got us thinking about micro/short projects as a tool to promote.

We are supporters of using short and microfilms as promotional tools and understand that the concepts can vary from a 30-second commercial to a 20-minute film, the key to this for us, is the story must work and make the watcher think. You should want to see more or ask questions about the backstory, this for us is successful.

Someone else who appreciates this idea is the team behind Micromania Film Festival, focused specifically on films under 5 minutes, there is a real challenge to the process of filmmaking in general but the potential of a film of 5 minutes or less is to us, something we want to explore in more depth as a combination of marketing tool and experimental process with films that will challenge us a team.

We are going to be reviewing options and looking at scripts that will give us that room to experiment, showcase the talents of both those in front and behind the cameras with the added element of documentary footage, and potentially showreel material for certain members of the team.

Stay tuned for updates.

Tackling The JamesC Website

We have been talking (via Twitter) about taking down our creative director JamesC’s website and completely overhauling it with a mix of his work from previous shoots, and of course new editorials mixed with additional TV/character-based concepts. That is now in motion and for the next two weeks, we will be doing the wrap-up work with a view to having a profile with vShowcards that will be central to his marketing as a makeup artist.

Taking this step has been really scary, as you can imagine, but it was a necessary move that we felt was long overdue, and with so many changes in motion to the market overall, we did this with a view to the long-term goals of the Lost Creatives and it will give a more focused and cohesive look to his work. With this in mind, we are debating adding a further 3 sites to the Lost portfolio making the overall theme of our work more cohesive and taking much of our business internally which will give us a stronger control over the imaging, marketing, and projects we tackle.

For those interested in keeping up with the news and updates JamesC will continue writing for our blogs and is still on Twitter. The new site is mostly complete and will be focused solely on his artistry work, while The Lost Creatives expands with him at the helm we will be working on the development of TV projects, short films for festival entry, and photo projects, to name but a few of our plans.

Creating The Lost Dog Detective Agency with Tedium Entertainment

With numerous shorts under their belt, the team at Tedium Entertainment is working on their latest crowdfunded project The Lost Dog Detective Agency, a sweet coming of age film that has caught attention and backers in short order. Founded in 2016 they have already made waves within the film community and this latest project has the hallmarks of a winner with a touch of social commentary.

“The Lost Dog Detective Agency is a coming-of-age tale of two 10 year old boys, Darion and Emmanuel, growing up on an estate in South West London.”

Bringing a film to fruition is hard work and with their body of films is growing constantly with plans in motion for more shorts, a feature film, and a TV series in the background, we look forward to not only seeing the results but interviewing the team about this film and talking about the details of funding, shooting, and creating work in the current market.

To learn more about The Lost Dog Agency project or to help with funding click here.

For further details on Tedium Films and their work see:

Tedium Entertainment Website.

Tedium Entertainment Instagram.

Tedium Entertainment Facebook.

Tedium Entertainment Twitter.

Showcasing Talent: Introducing vShowcards

What started as a dream and project on paper has become a force to be reckoned with in the casting world, vShowcards is fast becoming the place to be seen and has garnered attention from casting agents, directors, actors, and more as the team takes their passion for acting and all things media, and offers up a new portal for talent.  

Building on their own experiences as working actors, the team behind vShowcards has gone one step further than the average casting site and brings back the personal to the process with their social media presence on Twitter being part of the discussion, supporting, and promoting each other, whilst talking about their own frustrations within the business giving the whole thing a more family feeling, taking the isolation out being an actor and putting the emphasis on friendly support that is refreshing for talent and has in short order created a series of questions about their status in the market, a positive move that has taken them from outside the bubble to a companion and contender.  Talent is being seen in a new form and it is to vShowcards credit that they are building on the successes of the initial launch with a host of new elements to be revealed soon. 

Looking to reach out to creatives across the spectrum, vShowcards is the epitome of a new wave that has been steadily building across the film and TV realm as digital platforms become more common, the need for artists and creatives has increased with the traditional sources losing ground to newcomers like vShowcards whose dedication to their clients, focus, drive, and passion, has shown them to be open to new ideas and avenues with an eye for detail, the sites entire ethos is built on showcasing and supporting people versus collecting names.

There is a raft of digital production houses that are looking at the site and seeing the potential for productions built entirely with vShowcard people, an accomplishment that is new for many and shows the scope and talents of the people already in place.  

Leading the way and taking on the market with a fresh perspective vShowcards is more than just a casting and crew site, it is the future of the industry’s new wave and a force to be reckoned with.  

To learn more about vShowcards or to join see:

vShowcards Website.

vShowcards Twitter.

vShowcards Facebook.

vShowcards Instagram.

Festive Thoughts From The Lost Creatives

Featured brand Lord and Berry (UK)

A slight departure from our normal scheduling but we wanted to get this post out before Christmas day and say a big thank you to all our supporters, the brands, and of course our readers as we share our final thoughts for 2020. From here we will be focusing heavily on the future and what will be happening for the team in the new year. We have been busy over the last few weeks setting in motion concepts, finalizing and in some cases reediting images for the various websites we run, there will also be a run of work that is designed specifically for editorial (we have some really fantastic magazines we have shot work for). We do want to look at the festival circuit, there will be an announcement of a new film festival media partnership in the new year, the goal of this will be to boost our video content and bring a little attention to talent. Naturally, these projects will be small crews/cast to keep the costs down and very much in the kitchen sink drama territory which will develop into other areas and our ultimate goal of tackling the horror/thriller market for TV, scripts are already earmarked for this.

One of our biggest supporters and our favorite writer, has offered us a development contract that will expand our portfolio to include video games for a variety of platforms which is an exciting prospect.

Our creative Director; JamesC, is working around different ideas and is editing, shooting, and managing our background work such as the brand placement and of course stock levels.

We will of course keep you all in the loop of changes and updates through the website and till then we want to, again, thank you for the support and wish you a Merry Christmas.

Internet TV and The Future of The Lost Creatives

We have been making calls again today to discuss a range of different business matters with our partners at Nepal Film Production, one of the subjects that got covered extensively was the future plans of The Lost Team. Naturally, we have talked in detail about the editorials for marketing and the video plans but it was the option of Internet TV that really captured the focus of our energy and where we are looking at for the future of our company. There has been a lot of research done into this and we feel that for us, TV (series based concepts) is the best route for us to go and we have been looking at keeping it genre-based. Obviously, Horror and Thriller are the two primary categories we are really looking at as we feel this is without question where we can make the most impact hence our teaming with HOD TV as a partner.

The biggest advantage we see in focusing our talents, efforts, and energies in this area is really about more than just sales avenues but how people are now viewing content ranging from streaming to TV in your home or directly to a tablet/smartphone you use on the move. In our research (and more than a little experience of traveling for business), we found that train and bus journeys, in particular, could be tedious and worked out a time frame along with our writers, that would suit this: taking a 40 to 45-minute journey to work you can potentially view a full TV series over the course of a working week of 5 days, it’s possible to watch a 25-minute episode at each end of the journey to and from work will not only kill time but gives you the space to find a seat, get settled and have the program ready to roll.

For ourselves, this is a method we feel works best and there will be extended features and standalone projects over time but our primary concern is to be TV projects.

If your are interested in learning more about HOD TV as a consumer click here or if you have a film/TV project you would like to sell check the HOD TV link on our partner’s page.

The Micromania Catalogue is Live

While many have put their careers on temporary hold and are now focusing on marketing or planning for a new slate of projects, the team behind the Micromania Film Festival have taken steps to support indie film and have opened up their back catalog of work (all films under 5 minutes) through their Vimeo channel, giving talent a new home and a chance to be seen. Which is a huge plus and opens the door to new and exciting names in the industry. A technical route that is often overlooked there is something incredible about the short that film should be appreciated and valued, a story can be as simple as a single image and Micromania is a shining example of showcasing talent, giving a voice and a platform to films under 5 minutes and talent off the charts.

The doors are open for 2020 and submissions can be made through Filmfreeway allowing you to open new doors and get your films seen.

Building a story and creating a cohesive look in a small format can be a big challenge that does not get the same reverence in the global scheme so its important to support not just the films but the talent behind and The Lost Creatives are fully behind the Micromania Film Festival.

To learn more about the Micromania Film Festival or to submit your project see:

Micromania Film Festival Website.

Micromania Film Festival Film Freeway.

Micromania Film Festival Facebook.

Micromania Film Festival Twitter.

Micromania Film Festival Instagram.

Lost In The Horror

We are in the midst of what would (and most likely will be) the source of many new thriller and horror film and TV plots, the lockdown is the start of a refresh of the industry which we will be taking full advantage of and have been in all honesty planning around for a long time as Horror is the genre of choice for us both artistically and commercially, more than ever with the support of the HOD TV team (submit your films here).

For us and our partners, Horror has all the potential we need to feel fulfilled as an artist: our actors can play the character and develop the narrative, the writers are loving the scope of the human mind for fear, for our creative director JamesC, it’s about the makeup and of course our remote teams it’s all about the locations (our Nepal production contacts are delighted with this idea). There is something in this for each of us to get our teeth into and we have room to work together as a collective to push an agenda that suits us and it does also open up other potential aspects that could be realistically deemed vanity projects with a slight commercial twist.

With many magazines and film festivals dedicated to the Horror and Thriller genres, we can easily utilize different suppliers and resources to keep the costs down while maintaining the gore and chills.

Talking of Keeping the costs down, it is fairly straightforward and can be augmented by companies like Monster Fx or the supply house Red Carpet FX (who stock our favorite IPA palettes from Ripper FX).

The future is in our hands and we are taking our own direction on this with plans in motion to do both editorial/print work in this darker style and of course TV projects that will be at the heart of the work, a commercially driven but still artistically driven venture.

Nepal Film Production and The Future of Cinema

In a rapidly changing cinematic and TV landscape Nepal Film Productions team is working on new developments in the world market to help augment and support film and TV creators at this time and will continue to do so. Budgets and other constraints are going to be first and foremost in peoples mind and the Nepal team are working around this to ensure that production companies get the best service at the most competitive price without compromising on the quality of the work.

Nepal is a historically beautiful country at the heart of Asia with cultural heritage to be rivaled and documented, however, it is the cinematic potential that is truly appealing and offers filmmakers and TV companies a host of new avenues and potential that is out of this world. With some of the most iconic locations on the planet such as Kathmandu city and of course the Hymilain mountain range, it can and does tailor itself to the needs of a wide range of film projects without losing any sense of its own identity and it is this that the team from Nepal Film Production are there to support, offering a bridge between worlds.

From a purely financial sense, Nepal as a film hub offers a cost-effective location and of course a talent pool of highly skilled actors, models, camera crew and more that can be hired locally reducing the overall need to bring staff in to shoot, a winner when working to a smaller budget or looking to split between another continent and still having the beauty of a natural location in your film/TV project. Multicultural and still traditional there is something special about Nepal as a location that cannot be found elsewhere to a point where crews from Hollywood to Bollywood understand that this is the place to be for stunning visuals and the best creative teams.

Something that is exclusive to the Nepal Film Production company is the deal with HOD TV (Horror and Thriller exclusive online distribution) that offers yet more reason to work with them. *More details on this option can be discussed with the team and it does mean that Nepal has the more to offer than just surface looks, the country is set to become the home of horror and thriller in South Asia.

Overall, Nepal as a location has so much to offer film/TV and Nepal Film Production understands this and offers a one-stop-shop service.

To learn more about the region or to talk to the team about filming see:

Nepal Film Production Website.

The Changing Face of The Lost Business

While we are restricting our movements and only going out when we absolutely need to, we decided to look at the future and what will become of business as time goes on. It is fairly positive and we can see already changes to the market that will be making massive waves to how we view the media world.

There will key aspects of the current climate we will be maintaining such as having smaller shoots and focusing on story rather than just an image which we have talked about before but never seemed to find the time, from a photographic stance it really is interesting working out how we can do this and still have a cohesive narrative.

On a film and TV side, our favorite writers are working from home happily and have taken it under advisement that we want thrillers and horror that can and should be creatable on a smaller budget to fit with the requirements of the current market, will offer us quick turn around for shoots and of course minimal cast and crew requirements which will be a challenge in and of itself that we as a team we look forward to. The Lost Concept is something we are immensely proud of and can see the potential to take our initial idea of moving The Lost Boys and The Lost Girls as a story for stills and to turn this into a storied TV series with a dark edge built around individual stories and characters.

In the interim, we are working on designs, talking to our remote teams as best we can, naturally, we are very worried about our Indian and Nepal contacts and wish them the best at this time of full lockdown in their countries. However, everyone is in good spirits and has been positive so far.

The future is something we cannot solidly control or predict but we do know that we will continue our work for as long as we can. We will finish this by asking that our readers stay safe and well, keep positive and we will all be back to work soon and entertaining the world.

JamesC Makeup artist and Creative Director

It has been just over a year since JamesC took down his website and took a break from the world of media and fashion, focusing his energies on the blogs and building up The Lost Concept (for which the team is extremely grateful) but we all decided that it was long overdue that he came back. With new commercial projects and plans in motion, we needed our creative director standing tall and being showcased.

We have been planning this for several months and carefully selected from his previous work for the new site, showcasing only the pieces we felt were the best illustration of his work creatively and offering a starting point to what will be a resurgence in the commercial aspect of his and our business.

The team is really excited about the prospects of this and with our Lost Photo and Video project being planned strategically (for further details or collaborations please email the team) with a series of editorial shoots, cover images and of course short films to start the ball rolling, it is gratifying to see his work back online and moving toward a goal again.

JamesC has been instrumental in all aspects of the Lost Project and Lost Creatives, making the calls and arranging the meetings so it’s truly a pleasure for us to be able to showcase the work.

Naturally, we will be taking steps toward an increased marketing strategy that will fit all aspects of the work of the Lost Concept and the Lost Team with JamesC leading the charge toward new and exciting areas.

To learn more about JamesC and his work see:

JamesC Website.

JamesC Instagram.

JamesC Facebook.

JamesC Linkedin.