The Lost Creatives Christmas

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hitting Deadlines

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

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

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

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

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

Stay tuned for updates and further information.

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

Talking Casting With Ray Whelan Actor and Talent Agent

In the first of a two-part look at the life of actors and talent agents, garnering some advice for aspiring actors and creative talent looking to be signed we talk to the talented Ray Whelan whose work as an actor has led him down the talent agent route with the T-ypo Agency giving him a unique insight into both sides of the business.

Can you tell us a little about your career and how you can be both a talent agent and actor?  

I grew up in Ireland from a very talented musical family, we were all in plays and musicals before I even went to drama school. After I graduated I moved to London. I have been working hard ever since. After moving into filming and creating my own work I also joined my agent Typo Artist Agency which I love. 

What have you learned in your capacity as a talent agent and actor that could benefit other actors? 

Casting directors are busy people, they have so many projects on the go, so when you send in your self-tape, make sure you label your name, project, and agent, you might lose out on the job if you haven’t done this. I also would say when you actually get a self-tape or audition you have already beaten hundreds of thousands of people to get there, you have to send it in or turn it up. I see too many people skip it or miss their deadline. You will miss your opportunity and even if you don’t land the role, casting directors remember people and usually re-use the acting agents again. It’s not just the actor’s reputation on the line it's also the talent agent’s reputation also.

What recommendations would you make to someone looking to get signed to an agency?

Good headshots are a must first. We look to see if they have a spotlight page and showreel, but we do sign people who are not on spotlight, so don’t be scared to not apply. Our new (T-ypo agency) website should be launched this week, we will have an option to upload your headshots and work and we can simply approve or not. Also, so many agent’s books are open, just keep looking and keep persisting, it’s the name of the game. 

Is there a dream role or project you would like to be involved in? 

As an actor any good role in a film or TV show is great. Later this year we are starting casting calls for a feature film called Ladies Day featuring a host of top actors and celebrities and we will be posting castings on spotlight and our social media.

To learn more about Ray Whelan and his work see:

Ray Whelan Spotlight.

Ray Whelan IMDB.

For further information or to talk to the team at The T-ypo Agency see:

The Typo Agency.

Profiling Talent with Alistair Smith Actor

Can you tell us a little about yourself, your career, and how you came to be part of the acting community?

My entry into the acting community was somewhat of a Covid epiphany.  I’ve come from the corporate world having graduated with a business degree. Over the last 20 years, I built a pretty successful career, starting my own consultancy business about 5 years ago.

I wanted to go to drama school when I was in my late teens but at the time was persuaded to go down a more secure route.  I’ve always been creative and looking back I was very frustrated in my choice of work.

At the start of lockdown, with work having dried up, it gave me the headspace to start thinking about what I wanted to do and came to the realization that I’d never given myself the chance to actually pursue my dreams.  

I called up a good friend who works in theatre and he put me in touch with my first acting coach.  My passion is film and television and so I decided to dip my toe into the water at “an introduction to film and television acting” with Actors Studio at Pinewood studios.  I loved it.  I immediately signed up for the 1 month intensive diploma course and knew this is what I want to do.  Since then, I have joined my local theatre group, taken numerous acting classes, and started to build my network and credits.

 So far in your career has there been a milestone that you want to share or a project you are particularly proud of?

 My current high-point is being cast in a feature film.   It’s filming in the next couple of months and am really excited about it.  I’d say the other high point is just experiencing the kindness and generosity of the creative community as a whole.  Having come from the corporate world it has been a refreshing and welcome change. 

If you could choose any project to tackle what would it be and why: a film?  A TV show?  Theatre? 

I feel I was made for a chunky role in Line of Duty or a gritty drama. A period drama would also be an amazing experience.

What are your goals for this year in terms of your career?

To get on Spotlight, to get an agent and appear on a mainstream TV show.

To learn more about Alistair Smith or to discuss bookings see:

Alistair Smith Showreel.

Alistair Smith Mandy.com Profile.

Alistair Smith Twitter.

Alistair Smith Instagram.

Alistair Smith IMDB.

Alistair Smith Starnow.

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.

Frederick Edward Social Commentator and Youtuber

We wanted to look at other elements of the media including Youtube commentators and a prime example of this would be Frederick Edward who took the leap into the world of social and historical commentary giving his viewers a unique insight into the world at large. Already a respected writer with articles featured in The Conservative Woman, he is taking steps in this new direction and bringing a new perspective to the public dialogue.

Frederick Edward Social Commentator and Youtuber

Can you start by telling us a little more about your background and what led you to set up a youtube channel?

Starting a YouTube channel is something I had intended to do for years. However, I never quite got round to it. I was always interested in issues surrounding politics and ideas but had been a consumer of content rather than a producer. Perhaps I lacked confidence or was just busy with other things. For example, I spent thousands of hours in my twenties learning Chinese – an unforgiving task which I’m still trying to find a post hoc justification for.

As strange as it may sound, the thing that made me decide to become more active was the death of Roger Scruton – the finest conservative philosopher of our age. Very suddenly, one of the most robust defenders of Western civilization was no longer around. While I am in no way suggesting that I in any way fill the vast gap left by his death, it made me realize that it is ultimately up to us all as individuals to speak plainly and enter the realm of debate. It is too easy to leave it to others to do the heavy lifting!

Tell us more about your target audience and what makes your channel unique?

I’m not sure whether I have a specific target audience in mind. My guiding principle is to make videos or write articles on topics that I find interesting; hopefully, this cathartic endeavor will resonate with people. My worry would be that if I try and target myself specifically to anyone niche I would end up adopting a style or lines of argument that aren’t necessarily mine. Putting on an act in that way is ultimately self-defeating.

In terms of uniqueness… that is hard to say. There are many incredibly erudite, talented, and insightful people who put out content online. I leave it to my audience to decide in what ways my endeavors create value-added in that realm. Nevertheless, over the last few decades, mainstream media has become victim to an intellectual and cultural monoculture that fails to speak to a majority of people, meaning appetite has grown for people who will say things that would certainly be unwelcome in an issue of The Guardian. I most definitely fall into that category – I’m yet to receive an invitation to write a column for that esteemed publication.

As a “YouTuber” are you a solo worker or do you have a team?  What has been your biggest challenge in creating your content?

Other than my mum making me the odd cup of tea, I’m a one-man-band. There were a few hurdles to overcome when I started producing videos – specifically that I had never used a video editor – but the process has not been as technically difficult as I first envisaged.

The greatest hurdle for me, instead, was the very act of speaking in front of a camera. Feeling comfortable, sounding natural, and cogently expressing thoughts when just speaking to the camera on your phone is something I still have to try and get used to. Going through all this, I definitely have a newly discovered respect for people who can deliver pieces in one, seemingly effortless, take. I’m quite not at that point myself. 慢慢来！

What is the future of your channel?  What is the longterm plan for your work?

I will continue to make videos alongside all of life’s other commitments. I think the next stage would be to learn how to make more visually engaging content: when you see a video that has unique and interesting visuals it can be hard to take your eyes off it. There are some YouTube channels that do this incredibly well and deserve their large audiences.

Otherwise, I will try and write more articles as well. While YouTube is a good platform, one wonders what may be at work behind the scenes in the website’s algorithms. As such, getting my articles and videos out there on other platforms is something I will increasingly try to do.

What advice would you offer to anyone looking to set up a channel?

Get ready to put in a lot of work and don’t be disappointed if you don’t strike gold immediately. It is peculiar to see some people’s attempts immediately translate into stardom, but the reality is more likely to involve a great deal of effort and long hours staring at your YouTube channel’s statistics and worrying about SEO.

More broadly, I would advise people in general – but also those who are thinking of starting a channel – to speak plainly and not to be cowed by the opinions of others. Be honest and speak truths as you see them. Honesty is a commodity that is increasingly in short supply today, and the truth is our greatest weapon in combatting the madness we see around us.

To learn more about Frederick or to follow his channel and social media see:

Frederick Edward Youtube.

Frederick Edward Facebook.

Frederick Edward Twitter.

Frederick Edward Parler.