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.

Discussing Film with Kemal Yildirim

Expanding on our previous blogs with the team behind The Foreboding: Fractured, we talk to director, editor and DOP Kemal Yildirim about the films making.

You were a leading voice behind The Foreboding: Fractured as the director. Can you tell us a little more about the thought process behind the creation of this project?

When Alexander sent me the script I was immediately taken with the characters he created and how he captured that feeling of what comes next on our journeys into adulthood. I have always been a fan of horror and in particular ghost story and folklore genres. As Director and Cinematographer I wanted to create a sense of unease, that these characters who are on the cusp of adulthood are in danger. I also wanted to create a sense that the infamous woodland they enter has a life of its own and plays on their fears. I used the tropes from the folklore and supernatural genre to do this.

What challenges have you faced in the making of the project and how did you overcome them?

As with all films there will always be challenges. Our biggest challenge was how remote the location was and that it had no power outlets. So we had to rely on a generator to help aid our shoot. Our first generator blew up so that meant one of our night shoots was affected. The good old British weather was some of the worst I have seen with torrential rain and winds, but none of this stopped us. The thing I love about indie filmmaking is the tenacity and team spirit to get through stressful situations for the sake of the production, a singular goal of getting the film over the line and to see the vision through.

Now that the project is complete and you have started the PR and marketing what is next for you as a creative that you can share?

There are always more projects in the pipeline, I am lucky as I have a good career as a cinematographer as well so I am working with some really exciting filmmakers from the indie scene. I am also developing some really interesting scripts ready to launch into production when the timing is right.

Is there any advice you can offer to people starting out or creating their own film?

My advice is simple, the times we are in right now is a great time to be a filmmaker. Tech is more affordable and with so much talent behind and in front of the camera there really isn’t an excuse not to make your film. The script is key, have a solid script and build a team of like minded creatives to help bring that vision to life.

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.

Expanding on The Foreboding: Fractured

We are always happy to talk to filmmakers and actors who take the leap and create their own projects and The Foreboding: Fractured is one of those films that captured attention from the poster, and of course the various interviews we are lucky to be able to speak to Alexander who was part of the trio behind the creation of the film.

You were a major part of the creation of The Foreboding: Fractured as both the  writer & of course the final film production, what was the thinking behind this  horror project?  

I suppose it would depend on what stage we are talking about. At the very beginning the  main focus was how we could make a teen horror flick without it being cliché or exactly  the same as the others. Then hearing the timeframe we had made me have one thought  “Let’s do it.” If we’re talking two weeks in then I was more thinking about the SAG AFTRA strike & whether continuing the film was a good idea since the strike was  something I supported. The answer became keep the film going due to the fact we don’t  have a big corporation behind us, it was myself, Peter & Kemal with a very dedicated  team. Honestly there were so many thoughts that went through my head throughout the  course of the project. Some were purely down to the script & the story, the others came  down to my acting. 

As a writer & creator, which part of the process do you feel you most enjoy? In  front of the camera? Behind the camera? Writing the stories? Or a combination of  these?  

I mean first & foremost I’m an actor, so playing Connor was something I really enjoyed &  also quite unexpected. In front of the camera it was a joy being able to work alongside  Eve Kathryn Oliver & Olivia Bennett. Obviously there’s Peter as well but I feel like that’s  kind of a given. Myself & Peter have been wanting to act alongside one another for a  while so finally being able to do it was brilliant. It just felt right. I loved coming up with  the stories, the characters & how the world intertwines with all of it. Having Kemal come  on & really embracing the world that the story is set in made the project that much  easier & he had such an amazing understanding of it. It got to the point where even  though I created this world, it felt like Kemal & Peter had a far better understanding of it  than I did in the end. I feel like they definitely know all my little tricks now. 

You & the team are currently working on PR for your project including interviews  & festival planning. What do you feel will be the next phase after this project & the  marketing?  

Well Myself, Kemal & Peter have been talking about the future of the world that’s been  created & if we were to return to it, how we’d go about it. We love this world, we love the  characters. We’ve spoken about making a feature however it is all up in the air. If the audience likes the film & wants to see what I would consider the true perspective, then chances are it’ll be made.  

What advice do you have for people who are starting out or looking to start their  own projects?  

I think the best advice I could possibly give is throw yourself into it. If you have an idea,  run with it as best as you can. You’ve got to be a little bit risky & you have to be okay  with the idea of not running through a wall but finding a way over it. On sets big & small  there are always issues, very very rarely is it smooth sailing & believe it or not that is  quite possibly the best part about it.

To learn more about the film see:

IMDB The Foreboding: Fractured.

Horror Scream Video Vault Interview.

Blazing Minds Interview.

Podcast Interview.

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

Motivational Changes

With so many changes happening in the world of cinema, our predictions are starting to look more and more like a reality as people move toward digital platforms and the rise of the Indie film scene as smaller companies step to the plate and create films and TV projects that are specific to the likes of Prime and Amazon in general and of course our own personal favorite HOD TV.

Part of this for us has been about rethinking the websites and the content, we have made some small steps in this and will be taking our creative director’s portfolio site fully offline for a few days to reorganize and rebrand to fit upcoming projects.

While this is happening we did pull out some images that for us are a marker of what we are aiming to showcase and have a very commercial leaning that suits our style and future plans. What we have also been doing is talking to other small companies via Twitter, where we have been making a push toward support for Indie film of all stripes and will be publishing interviews with some fantastic small companies who have been talking about their pre-production work for their projects and how they are working within the guidelines. taking time to talk to distributors about what is out there for us as a team.

Naturally, for us, we are going to be looking at web TV first and foremost and have looked into various festivals and options to promote with our ultimate plan being commercially driven.

Interviewing Andreas Samuelson Director of Housewife Alien Vs Gay Zombie

In what is a tour d force of fun and a prime example of low budget done right for the horror/comedy market, we wanted to talk to the creative mind behind the film Andreas Samuelson whos tongue in cheek Housewife Alien Vs Gay Zombie is a heady mix of thrills, chills and cheap laughs that is worthy of praise.

What was the motivation behind making Housewife Alien Vs Gay Zombie? 

I wanted to make a movie but didn’t have a budget so figured the best film to make without money was a bad one. So the concept of spoofing bad movies, specifically B-horror, was born. I also wanted to offer a horror-comedy for the LGBTQ audience, and a kind of gender-swapped exploitation film where the women kick ass and the men are sex objects.

Did you face any major challenges in making this and how did you overcome them? 

Working with a low or no budget is always a challenge. You have to do 15 people’s jobs at the same time and really pull magic tricks when it comes to assembling cast, crew, makeup, special effects, costume, etc. I was very lucky to meet and gather amazing people who contributed not only with time and talent but their own gear and resources.

Are you planning more films in the future and if so will you be using the same team? 

I would love to. Me and my editor/cinematographer, Rickard, have been talking about maybe making a sequel. I’m also writing on other stuff. It’s all about opportunities. Producers and financiers are hard to find… But I have too many ideas to not make something more before I eventually kick the bucket.

What does the future hold for you as a director/producer? 

Networking and finding new people to collaborate with. Aim for more serious projects outside the horror parody genre.

Do you have any advice for people looking to make their first film or TV project? 

Aim small. I went a little overboard with a lot of different locations, actors, and special effects. Even the simplest film takes a long time to make and a lot of things don’t turn out as you plan them. So a lot of time and patience. And good, loyal people you rely on.

Who is the source of your filmmaking inspiration? 

For this particular film, I was very inspired by John Waters, both his earlier work and cult movies like “Serial Mom”. Low-budget horror studio Troma was also an inspiration as well as the humor from “Airplane” and “Naked Gun”.

To watch the trailer or purchase the film see:

Housewife Alien Vs Gay Zombie Youtube.

Housewife Alien Vs Gay Zombie Amazon.

Housewife Alien Vs Gay Zombie Vimeo.

Housewife Alien Vs Gay Zombie Facebook.

Restructuring The Lost

With our two blogs (Lost Creatives on the professional side and Lost Project on the consumer), our creative director JamesC, and a new site in the wings, the overall concept of The Lost as we started it has grown in the last 2 years into a much bigger and much more refined business that while it was our plan, is still surprising how things have changed for the better. In the next few weeks, we will be adding heavily to the various galleries we have of our work and making amendments to the overall layout and general themes of our work to better fit what we feel in the direction we are heading in. What this means is we will be changing a few of the frequently asked questions, designated accounts, and announcing the longer-term plans and goals of how we will progress in business terms including that of our base location.

*We did consider an office but in the current climate that seems like a redundant step that would be overly complicated and serve no purpose for what is coming into play.

Admittedly many of the changes will be small and have a minimal effect on the business there is something larger that will be taking public soon that focuses heavily on the vision of founder, creative director, and head of makeup JamesC, who has led the charge on the basis of “be the change you want to see.” Creating The Lost and carefully selecting who we work with, researching and planning, taking additional training as and when required, he has taken the lead on the business and we do want to offer a nod to the Nepal Film Production team who have offered up several opportunities and been a huge supporter of the work we are doing.

In an industry that is evolving and changing we fully intend to make the most of the digital landscape in whatever format we can and we are taking steps to ensure that our work is seen in the best possible light with more updates on this coming soon we are really excited about the future of The Lost.

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.

TV Production and Development

As you can well imagine, we are really keen to get back on set and start working properly again, much the same as our partners in Nepal. The Lost Creatives team is working quietly on marketing, planning and with their usual dark minds in motion, we started looking at the horror/thriller script options we have open to us with a view to the future. Taking everything into consideration we are going to be focused on TV projects and have 2 already earmarked with a 3rd being discussed and developed. We want to have a set of projects that can be set up as long term with options for multiple series follow ons and continued creative development.

In the short term, we have been watching the indie magazine world and have decided on a total of 4 photoshoots planned as part of a wider project to be done as soon as we can. With 2 male and 2 female concepts in place and more being discussed collectively by the remote team. *Naturally, we are following current guidelines and our meetings are done over the phone or via Whatsapp/FB messenger to ease the strain on those who are not in the country or cannot risk attending meetings.

Our Creative Director JamesC, is happy to hold for the moment and has agreed that he will begin stock checking so we can order in new materials that are needed for the work planned, blush is going to be a big part of our upcoming beauty shoots.

Stay tuned for further updates and news from The Lost Creative Team.

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 rise of On Demand TV

With the current climate being so uncertain for the media business in terms of new productions, there is a little hope for those with projects already made or want to find something to watch during the quarantine. Like many, I love a good thriller or a nail-biting horror movie from a viewers perspective to being a member of the team, this is the right time to be thinking about those projects that are backlogged or just to find something to fill the days and nights.

Over time we have been working on some interesting projects (that we have put on hold temporarily) that we will release through HOD TV, the on-demand service tailored to the horror and thriller market, so much is the faith in the service that we signed up as a partner to the company allowing us to offer some support to indie filmmakers across the board.

As a film buff, you can watch a wide array of films from across the world and show some support for the indie film scene, but crucially for us, there is an opportunity here to open a door (admittedly a creaky, groaning door), there are many filmmakers out there looking for an outlet for their movie and its an easier sell to take on horror than any other genre.

So with the downtime we have, the team at lost creatives are making plans for the future and wanted to share this with our contacts out there in the film and TV world, there is a way to enjoy and sell your movies that will be beneficial long term through the HOD TV network.

To learn more about the HOD TV service as a viewer click here.

For submissions and to put your film or project in the horror and thriller genre to the team click here.

We want to wish all our readers the best at this difficult time and ask that you please be sensible and safe. The Lost Project will be continuing to talk about beauty and lifestyle so check the site out for something a little more fun about the makeup world to keep you entertained.

Nepal Film Production and HOD TV

In what will be a game-changer for the team at Nepal film production, we are very happy to announce our exclusive partnership with HOD TV, a digital distributor of horror and thriller films.  This deal will open doors to new potential commercial avenues for the industry in Nepal and wider, giving not only our own in-country talent a platform for their films but also offers an extra incentive to shoot in our beautiful country.

As a partner we have access to the parameters for projects in the thriller and horror genres to potentially be sold to a global audience, a major advantage for filmmakers across South Asia and worldwide making Nepal the new home of horror. 

For filmmakers, this means they can find a one-stop-shop for all their needs with our access to the best production staff and equipment with the added draw of a platform to sell your horror/thriller film.  Nepal is one of the most beautiful countries in the world with talent coming from every corner of the globe to work here on documentary films, commercials and more, so for us to be able to offer this additional aspect of support to filmmakers and take the stress out of making a horror/thriller and giving you more room to work on the story and visuals.

To learn more about HOD TV and the requirements for distribution email a member of our team. 

Refreshing The Lost Concept

In the last month, we have been working really hard on the creative and more solid business elements of our work and we are really grateful to our partners for not only being in regular contact but helping with giving us a new direction and helping to define boundaries.

Over the next few weeks, we will be working with our creative director JamesC on what will be his relaunch, a new portfolio website and shop with My Beauty Brand is being constructed to showcase his work and separate him from the more lifestyle and art-based work of the Lost Project.

With all the new doors being opened up to us with our new collaborative relationships and partnerships in place with companies such as Nepal Film Production and HOD TV, whos horror and thriller distribution service we will be making good use of, we are really gearing up for the new year as the starting point of a whole new and fresh business year.

Lost Project will continue as an art, beauty and lifestyle blog with a new element of travel (which we are really happy to take on) with efforts made toward creating new work for that site around its current themes.

Lost creatives as a site is going to expand and we will have a new banner for production coming soon, with ties to our current team members here in Scotland and some more options coming to the fore with our partners overseas.

Overall, we are happy with our new direction and will continue to push boundaries with our team and media partners.

MicroMania Film Festival

Short films have a magic all their own, the skill and talent in front of the camera, the talent behind it and ultimately the ability to condense and convey a story concept in a short amount of time is often overlooked and undervalued as a skill set. From a commercial stance, it’s common to see an advert designed to convey a narrative quickly and effectively.

As a storytelling format its an incredibly smart move especially now in the social media age where there can be time constraints on your piece posted to one of the many platforms or you could be taking that first step into the world of media and want to show your talents.

Creating a narrative is important to your journey and with the festival circuit, there is no greater start than the MicroMania Film Festival who see and value the art behind films of 5 minutes or less.

What was the inspiration behind the Micro Mania Film Festival?

Last February, I took my two-minute short ‘Ostarbeiter’ to screen at the Santa Fe Film Festival (which I highly recommend). It occurred to me, at that time, that the odds of film 5 min or under of winning a festival award, no matter how amazing, groundbreaking or incredible it may be, are really slim when juries with films up to 44 minutes in length - which is the standard definition of ‘short film’ across the industry. Apples and oranges. These are distinct film-making forms and should not be judged together. Finely crafted micros are great proofs of concept and skill that cost less to produce. They are an accessible avenue of entry to an industry well known for its barriers.

By that logic, if film festivals really want to #SupportIndieFilm they need to modifying rules and fees with regard to micro-short submissions. Premiere restrictions make no sense for micros and neither does exclusivity in

terms of online availability. Micro short films are not in the same game with regards to distribution and should be free to build audiences anywhere and everywhere. I get why most fests only accept recently produced films but for me, only quality and impact matter. I don’t care when a film was made. It’s a shame to put effort and passion into creating something only to have it sit on a hard drive, unseen, after one run. Ultimately, I’d like to see micro-short film-making as a viable means of revenue generation and audience building for the millions of filmmakers out there doing their thing. I’ve got a big idea that I’m working on to make that happen.

Who is it aimed at as an audience? Animation? Live-action? Drama? Horror?

micromania Film Festival was created for film lovers who either already love short content or are unaware of all the great work out there. I want audience members to be surprised and inspired; surprised by the quality that matches the longer length theatrical releases they are used to, and inspired to make micros themselves. Accepted films run the gamut of genres from animation to experimental.

What are the short- and long-term plans for the festival?

In the near-term, I’m organizing encore presentations for those who weren’t able to make the first event. I want these films seen by as many people as possible. Ultimately, I want to micros recognized as a distinct and respected form of film-making alongside ‘short films’ and features. I’m working on collaborations and partnerships with other fests to share promotion, lessen restrictions on micro-short submissions and enhance value for filmmakers.

Year two - find sponsors. I’d love to make submissions free and offer some cash awards. I’m also considering building this out to a few genre-specific single-day festivals that build to an annual multi-day fest.

How can people get involved and show support?

Let the filmmakers you know about MicroMania Film Festival. Submissions will be opening again in the next few months and the best way to hear about it is to follow us on twitter @MicroManiaF and add us to their FilmFreeway watch list. We’re also on Instagram @micromaniafilmfest and on Facebook (which I want desperately to leave). If you work for a company that is trying to reach a big filmmaker audience, have them reach out. We have a number of fun sponsorship opportunities. And always, #SupportIndieFilm - and by an indie film, I mean real films with budgets far under 1M that have faces you don’t recognize.

Lukia Costello

MicroMania Film Festival Director and indie filmmaker

How We Plan To Move Forward Creatively

There have been some really interesting changes and updates in the background of our work that from a creative perspective have been good and bad. Our creative journey is really getting interesting and as we have a very definitive idea of what we want we have had to put somethings on the back burner to allow us the space to focus on the grander scheme.

We were approached by a New York agency that wanted to take our creative director on their books for development, a huge compliment, but not really a fit for what is planned for the Lost Project and Lost Creatives at the moment but we will look at this in the future.

From this, it becomes clear to us how we want to move forward and we are planning accordingly. As we have outlined previously there is to be a studio shoot, some location work and we are waiting for feedback from a film festival about working together as a form of a PR support network which is fantastic.

Our goals have been getting worked on for a few years and now we have started the ball rolling toward what will be a long term plan with some smaller short term projects in between to bolster the narrative. The dream won’t come true unless we work for it.

With some longstanding inspiration behind our plan (we will be revealing details in the new year), and careful research and experience backing our goals it is really about creating the narrative that we want to see in motion.

It is worth noting we are giving serious consideration to relocating the business as well, we can see from demographics across our sites where the support is coming from and who is conspicuously absent and will adjust our plans accordingly so watch this space.

Working Smart in a Hustlers Market

Working Smart in a Hustlers Market

We are taking our time over how and where we market ourselves as a business, building the groundwork before we go full scale in 2020 with our projects in the wider media spectrum. We are focusing on the bigger picture overall and adding smaller details as we go.

To us, the hustle of creating in this market is part of our reason for taking time to get things right, dotting the I’s and crossing the t’s to ensure that every single aspect of the work is clearly defined and fits our brief and look.

We are working with some amazing talents across the globe and have a solid idea of what we want to do and how we want to approach this from a business perspective it does look slow but trust us when we say it, there is a method to the madness.

Aside from our studio based shoot plans, we will be doing a series of location shoots in the UK focused on the Lost Boys and Lost Girls concept taking the dynamic of these ideas and expanding it in a visual context and padding out the idea overall to match our vision.

With our media plans, we have in place the HOD TV option for horror and thriller (they have some amazing projects already in place) and Streamlette who are nonexclusive and open to all styles of shoots, that we will be working with to push our film and TV projects.

Taking the initiative has always been at the heart of our work and will continue to be so, The Lost Concept is built on experience and expanding to encompass and support creative talent.

All We have is Now

When I was asked about the motivation behind The Lost Creatives, my answer was simple. All we have is now. Over the last few years, we have seen a dramatic change in the industry both from an observational standpoint and as a hands-on member of crews for film projects.

Not all have been good experiences and made me realize that the only way that would change is if I did something to rectify it and move forward.

Professionally I see my work and that of the Lost Creatives taking a more film and TV-based route geared toward something solid that can be sold, creating projects from a commercial stance may seem against the grain for some but that does not stop the artistic process contrary to the myth you can be artistic and commercial.

It is not easy to build something solid and takes time, earning credentials and getting started is a scary process but for me, that is half the fun.

Taking the stance that “all we have is now,” I plan to keep moving forward and taking creative and personal risks in business whilst supporting the arts. Each step we make will be a triumph and give more fuel to the business.

*We will give consideration to taking a team to an off-schedule London show during fashion week if we can work the marketing to suit.

Progressing forward we are now looking at additional script ideas for festival projects and editorial concepts that we will use as promotional material over the coming months and then in the new year (watch out for this one) our big marketing push. Creating a new narrative is what we are about.

The expansion will be over time and give us a more solid base to work from with a range of placements coming up which will be designed to give professional experience in the media and fashion arena.

Laying The Groundwork of The Lost Creatives

The Lost creatives site is being built around the idea of the cast and crew of future projects, we are talking to potential festivals to tie up with on the cross-promotional front and looking at what will be a series of films built around this from a few minutes to an 8 part TV series and of course ultimately, a feature film.

With the Lost Project, we have been doing a lot of groundwork and have successfully created a respected beauty blog with PR agencies and brands across the globe come to us for support and product placement, etc. Which we will continue to do.

For the remainder of 2019, we will be focused on smaller photographic shoots, looking at creating a series of editorials and character-based projects from a single image to a series for print and online magazines to help with pushing the Lost Creative narrative. This may include some behind the shoot films and creation of fashion films with either a youtube or Vimeo channel added to the Lost Creatives stable to showcase behind the camera moments.

Naturally, our primary focus is the be thriller and horror, over the course of years we have seen how much easier it is to sell this type of project and we also have ties to two fantastic independent distributors we will work with on this and are more than happy to have in our arsenal for the future.

Stay tuned for more news and updates.

Starting a New Journey

We are firm believers in the idea of a journey beginning with a single step. At this time we are building up a database of different magazines and projects that will be worked through in a two-fold fashion:

Magazines (particularly online) will be used to promote not only The Lost concept but the team behind the shoot. With a focus on a more character and a dramatic feel touching on naturalism, *the insta/social media makeup style doesn’t appeal to us.

Film and TV, we do have one project earmarked (more details on this later) with a writer from Iran who has been fantastic about supporting the concept and has agreed to be a part of what we are doing. We are negotiating terms to pick up the first of what we hope to be a series of projects starting in 2020.

The Lost Project continues to grow and we are really excited about the prospects of this new avenue of The Lost Creatives which will allow us to work a different side of the business and keep to some degree our artistic roots at its core while opening up commercial avenues that we will explore over time.

We do try to think about our work as commercial with an artistic edge allowing us to create and gives a distinct and soon to be an identifiable edge to our work that will become synonymous with The Lost Concept.