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 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.

Talking Acting, Filmmaking, and Storytelling with Kate Perry

Having caught Kate Perry’s fantastic character-based showreel on her Twitter account, we couldn’t resist reaching out to talk and getting a little more insight into the woman behind the video and talking about acting, filmmaking, and storytelling with such a talented performer.

Could you introduce yourself to our audience and give us a little background on your work? 

Hello, I’m Kate Perry from Derry, an actor/writer/sketch comedian from Northern Ireland. My passion for storytelling began at ten years old, watching Westerns in a town called Dungannon. I’m from a family of twelve children so my elder brothers would take the younger ones to ‘the pictures’ on Saturday mornings to give my mother and the neighbors a break. That’s where I fell in love with storytelling, westerns, and cinema. I loved the genre for blending the comical and serious, farcical and cerebral, highbrow and lowbrow. I believe these elements have influenced my style of writing ever since. 

I have written one-woman shows, sketches, radio plays, and short films. I live in London now but prior to that, I spent time in South Africa, the US, and Ireland. 

You have been sharing your showreel via Twitter, which includes a series of comedic characters, can you tell us more about this and if there is a plan to expand on the concept? 

I began my writing and performing character comedy while living in San Francisco doing spots in the evening at a club called The Marsh. I had a full-time job at the time as an events manager so never thought of making the commitment of moving into the arts full-time. However, due to the encouragement of friends and co-workers, I developed the characters which eventually turned the 10 mins spots into a one-hour one-woman show. I toured the show in Ireland to critical acclaim, came back to the US, quit my job, and returned to Ireland to live in Dublin. I continued acting and writing and wrote a sketch show called Do Not Adjust Yourself for the Dublin Fringe Festival which led to writing opportunities at BBC NI, which led to commissions for BBC Radio 4 and RTE Radio 1. I also went to college for the first time in my 40s and did an MPhil in creative writing at Trinity College and then a master’s degree in screenwriting at the Institute of Arts Design and Technology in Dun Laoghaire. I moved to London in 2011, kept performing, and eventually took The Very Perry show to the Edinburgh Fringe. On the back of that, I was invited to the San Francisco Theatre Festival and The United Theatre Solo Festival in New York, where The Very Perry Show won the best comedy award. I have been working on other projects ever since but now I'm back writing new material and developing other comedy characters.

You have a short film currently doing the festival circuit and winning awards, what can you tell us about the project and how it came about? 

I was originally commissioned by BBC Radio 4 to write a fictional short story for a series called Under My Bed with the remit of exploring memories and stories of what characters might have found stashed away in the dark. I called it Ruthless. 

I came up with the idea of a ten-year-old boy who finds a prosthetic leg under the bed and how he uses it as currency to get something he desperately wants, which is the latest T. Rex album, Electric Warrior. He has also recently lost his mother, his father has shut down emotionally and they are stuck in a mire of grief. The problem is that PJ is skint and his Da is on the dole so PJ comes up with a cunning plan to get the dough, involving a pawnbroker, a sock, and a prosthetic leg.

I wanted to explore that sense of loss lifted with moments of comedy and lightness using the backdrop of the troubles and the glam rock movement happening in Northern Ireland. In Belfast, in the early 70s something was in the air and it wasn’t a bomb, it was a revolution. Glam Rock was drowning out the noise of armored cars and as British soldiers patrolled the streets, kids were glued to Top Of The Pops, entranced by Marc Bolan, the androgynous, satin-clad, glitter-god. 

In a nutshell, the prosthetic leg and a T. Rex album become the conduit for overcoming grief. After I wrote the radio play I knew it would make a good film so I adapted the story to a screenplay and applied for funding through Northern Ireland Screen. Luckily they liked the script, I found a producer and we shot the film in Belfast in 2019. Ruthless is currently on the film festival circuit and has won 5 awards so far and been nominated for six so I’m over the moon for team Ruthless. 

Is there a particular role or project that you are working on at the moment you can tell us about and is there a particular role you would love to be cast in?  

I am currently writing a children’s book called Saucepan Eddie. Hard to talk about as it’s in the early developmental stage so not sure where it is going….but it’s going somewhere. 

As for a role I’d like to be in, I was cast as one of the Yoga Mums in season two of Ted Lasso and would happily jump into that lycra again!

To learn more about Kate Perry and her work see:

Kate Perry Twitter

Kate Perry Youtube.

Kate Perry Website.

Cut Frame Magazine

Designed to be a showcase platform for talent, from emerging to the established, Cut Frame Magazine has been making waves in the arts for its frontline look at the industry and passion for showcasing voices that might otherwise be missed. 

A creative hub that talks to the different people involved in creating the music we love, the theatre we watch, and the film and TV projects we enjoy, Cut Frame has become a go-to for the creative talent sphere that is rapidly gaining eyes outside the industry for its open dialogue approach and easy form. 

Insights from talent are something that frequently gets overlooked especially from the crew, what this magazine offers is them the chance to speak and show the reality of being part of an industry that spans the globe.  

Standing out in the market, Cut Frame has been instrumental in opening up a dialogue with filmmakers and actors who are telling the world about their journey, looking at the films that captivate us, and reviewing them with the critical eye of the talent behind the camera.  

With plans in motion to expand the platform with membership options that will open up further stories that are industry-related and give a more comprehensive and in-depth focus to their work, alongside a podcast culminating an end goal of going beyond the current boundaries and opening up the world to the potential of the creative fields. 

In an industry that relies on networking, marketing, and of course contacts, Cut Frame offers professional insight into that world and gives valuable advice and support to the creative networks out there, and shows us that we are not alone, the industry is there to support you.  

To learn more about Cut Frame, support, or get involved see:

Cut Frame Magazine.

Cut Frame Instagram.

Cut Frame Twitter.

Cut Frame Linkedin.

Support the magazine and its writers via:

Cut Frame Paypal.

Cut Frame Buy me a coffee.

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

Discussions On Publishing With The Red Cape Team

When we were approached by the Red Cape Publishing team to review the new short story collection “Six” by Mark Cassell, it was too good an opportunity to miss in what has become a series of blogs looking at different aspects of the media business. Taking time to ask questions about the publishers themselves and how the business was formed, is the growing presence and support of indie authors in the digital age.

Can you tell us more about Red Cape publishing and the services you provide? 

Thanks for having us! Red Cape Publishing was formed towards the end of 2018, initially as a brand name to cover a few things – my own writing, Leanne’s design work, and some author promo services we had begun to offer. Since then, the range of services has grown, we moved into publishing anthologies towards the end of 2019, and in 2020 began taking on other authors. It’s very much a family-run business, with even our children reviewing books on our website (age-appropriate, of course!). 

What was the motivation for starting your business and building the brand? 

Writing had always been a passion but a few years ago I never would have thought we’d be doing what we are. In 2016 I wrote my first novel (books available on Amazon), with no expectation that anyone would read it and no knowledge of what to do with it when it was finished! I went down the route of self-publishing, learned as much as I could, and put the book out there. At the time, Leanne and I were running a catering business but at Christmas 2016 she ended up in hospital for some time and was diagnosed with quite severe Crohn’s disease. This led to us closing the catering and taking a chance on my writing and building a book-related business from home. It hasn’t been easy and it’s taken a lot of work but the horror community has been great with advice and support and, we hope, we’ve been able to give help to a number of authors as well. 

Is there any advice you would give to aspiring entrepreneurs and potential authors out there looking to get published? 

Connecting with other people is a huge help. Most of the people we first connected with were through some promotional blogs we would run, spotlighting other people’s books. This was done purely to help writers gain a little more exposure and it’s something we still do, of course. Most people are incredibly supportive as so many of us are in the same situation and networking is key to building a following and reputation. 

Regarding getting published, do your research. Look at the presses who work in your genre, see who has open calls and what their other releases are like. Make sure your manuscript is as ready as you can make it. And if you’re submitting to an anthology call, ensure you’ve followed the guidelines. Around 10% of stories we receive get discarded immediately for silly things like having no name on, no title, or too far beyond or under the word count. 

What are the future plans of Red Cape Publishing and how can people get involved? 

Our releases are now scheduled into 2022 so there are many new books coming. We have been releasing a series of horror anthologies (The A-Z of Horror) and submissions for book nine close on May 31st, with book ten opening June 1st (Red Cape publishing submission page ). These are released every 8-10 weeks and see us through to early 2023! May 26th is our next release, and our fifth title from the talented Caroline Angel, Origin of Evil. In June we’ll be bringing out a new anthology (Castle Heights), a cosmic horror novella by Tim Mendees (Spiffing) and J is for Jack-O’-Lantern at the end of the month or the start of July. We have an art book with some flash fiction coming as a collaboration between myself and David Paul Harris (Demons Never Die), an epic dark fantasy from Antoinette Corvo (Appletown), and a trilogy of crime novels from David Owain Hughes. Not to mention my own half-finished books and the submissions we have for consideration. All in all, there is quite a lot on the way and it’s really exciting to be bringing it out. If anyone would like to look at our previous titles, there is a PDF catalog on the home page of our website and most titles are available on Audible as well. 

To learn more about Red Cape Publishing and its authors, or to support the business see:

Red Cape Publishing Website.

Red Cape Publishing Facebook.

Red Cape Publishing Twitter.

Red Cape Publishing Instagram.

Red Cape Publishing Patreon.

Red Cape Publishing Buy Me a Coffee.

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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.