Project Planning With Nepal Productions

We really do owe a debt of gratitude to our team in Nepal especially Digbijaya Bharati from the Nepal Film Production team, who has been patient during the lockdown and happy to continue working via Whatsapp so we can as a team which gets our work moving forward, not just with media but other elements and promotional avenues we are exploring. As our regular readers will be aware our plans are geared toward Intenet TV, in particular, the horror and Thriller genres with a sideline in the editorial market to boost marketing via social accounts and strategic placement of ads.

For us, it has become planning and strategy that allows us to focus our energies in new areas of business and develop further as a business although at heart we still love makeup work and our creative director JamesC is part and parcel of the ongoing plans, we are all on board with changes being made to the business and have some smaller elements such as the facecharts being brought back in (the JamesC facechart will be available again via his site soon).

We already have several scripts in play for development in the realm of TV and will be working on a range of new images and behind the scenes work while the weather is good and allows us flexibility, the new guidelines for production work will be a big part of how we move forward ensuring everyone involved is safe and the work is handled carefully.

As our previous blog has stated we are going to also look at skills development for our in-house team to allow us to multitask and keep the crew requirements to a minimum and safe.

*Change in how the media and fashion industry will be massive and we are doing all we can to ensure that our staff is safe, the team (both the UK and South Asian) are up to date on the latest changes.

Starting The Ball rolling

The last few months have been a creative dead end for many in the arts and now we are starting to see a relaxing of the rules and feel that we can open up a little more our core UK team has begun putting together small shoots and will continue building up a whole new portfolio including videos for an upcoming new site and as a part of the current slate of Lost Media work, all headed up by creative director JamesC. At the moment we do have a small amount of work that is being edited (inhouse) being prepped for submission to a very specific selection of magazines and we are looking closely at the options for creating our own logo and branding around the Lost Concept that will expand our reach further into the future.

Naturally, we are still working with our South Asian contacts especially Nepal Film Production who has been instrumental in the most recent changes to what we are doing and helping us with details like our web presence which we are extremely grateful for.

Keeping the flow of work going has been difficult but thanks to a combination of social media like Instagram, Facebook messenger and of course Whatsapp, we have been able to continue working and the Lost Project, in particular, has been really gathering attention and support thanks to our resources and contacts in New York at the Sarah Gargano Agency, who are a fantastically professional team to work with.

Overall, the ideas that we had to set up our own small studio and continue have been shelved instead we are going to focus our energies on a more mobile version of this with our main work being done on the computer anyway from the running of the various sites and social accounts we have to the editing work for our shoots it has become more about practicality as we think of ways to minimize our footprint and give us the freedom to travel, move quickly and of course provide a service.

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.

Keeping The Creative Flow Going

While many are rethinking their place in the industry and how to progress, ranging from selfies to blogs, we at The Lost Creatives are working hard behind the scenes and taking time to reevaluate (as you will guess by our previous blog). A complete overhaul is underway and along with our partners in Nepal, this is pushing us to think about how we want to be seen in the market.

As you can imagine, social media plays a heavy part in this and it is really exciting to see Nepal film Productions opening a new account with Instagram which is a step forward as we see the restrictions being lifted and people slowly returning to normal and business becoming a part of their thinking again.

We are also putting the social media plan into action and will be reviewing our work and creative plans, led by our creative director JamesC, with a view to pushing forward which as we have previously stated means we will be looking at investment into editorial marketing with tears and covers which we are excited about and have to admit the design process alone is worth it to help clear our collective headspace.

Our film and TV plans are on standby and we are extremely grateful that we have HOD TV on our side with their platform for horror and thriller distribution. Which we fully intend to make use of and recommend those who have projects they want to sell check the link here for submissions.

As time moves forward we are going to push to show more of a commercial stance and stay away from more theatrical styles as we just feel it doesn’t suit the working look we want to create. From the portfolio plans to the film and TV projects we have in mind our goals are strong and we are pushing forward progressively and with mutual support from our remote partners.

The Changing Face of Cinema and TV

In the coming months, there will be some major changes to how we view film and TV with a massive shift in the production side, in conjunction with our partners at Nepal Film Production, we have been looking at the different elements we see changing and how you can logically, make the most of your budget and maximize the scope of your work using lower-cost locations and setups.

Naturally, as our partner, we looked closely at Nepal as a potential avenue for us to shoot when we are able to travel again. *Even allowing for travel, accommodation, visa’s, etc it is still a much more cost-effective prospect for us to work abroad than in our home base of the UK as we will get tax breaks and with the Lost team being more thriller/horror based in our plans we can use HOD TV distribution (Nepal also has this option available), we can tackle smaller budget projects with an exotic edge that really does appeal to our team aesthetically.

Taking logical steps toward the future here are the base reasons we work with the team and will be shooting on location in Nepal:

• Beautiful locations.

• Lower overall costs.

• A 24-hour service.

• The team can arrange any permits required.

The potential of Nepal is astronomical and more details can be found via their own blog by clicking here.

Marketing and the Lost Concept

While we have been a little quiet over the last few days it has not stopped the work thanks in part to Facebook and Whatsapp we were able to continue meetings and even showcase some of our past work in line with our creative director and founder JamesC. The crux of much of this has been discussing marketing strategies. Many people are unaware of the pages and sites involved in our marketing just for the Lost Concept and our core team and we are now in a place where we feel that the sites and pages (in most cases) are sufficiently “liked” enough that we are collating all the backlog of work into a folio of work and with certain magazines offering open submissions of single images (we are going for exclusive but this is not a requirement for many digital magazines) and once the lockdowns are sufficiently lifted we do have plans to do a full marketing campaign with more work built around the Lost Boys and Lost Girls concept as outlined in the Lost Project blog.

Marketing is something we are really keen on and we do work with our partners in Nepal (the Nepal Film Production team), on campaigns and this will be revised again at the end of this month in line with changes to the market as it stands.

One of the main reasons we are looking at this now is we have time, the blogs are keeping us busy along with various other elements but like many in the creative fields, we really are keen to get back to our real work. The focus of our upcoming campaigns will start with the two lost sites and then the actual artists who are working on the creative side such as actor Raj Srivastava and of course JamesC.

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.

Digital Versus Print Editorials and Tears

As the economic and social climate changes the digital magazine market is going to be where we find our fix of fashion and beauty news for the ease and convenience of access through our mobiles and other devices which for makeup artists, photographers and creative staff (designers, stylists and so on) will change to some degree how we all work and require multi-tasking. For the lost team, that is not a big hassle as we already work small and aim high with the work we are doing, the goals in place and will be back to work as soon as possible tackling the list of magazines we have decided to shoot for.

Focusing your mind on goals is key to finding a path and putting your business into a new arena. With editorial for the lost team, it is a secondary consideration to our real goals of TV production but we do have a clear sense of the value of a tear sheet or cover with a good magazine that can be promoted which is why we focus on digital over print.

The big advantage of digital is overall social media reach, an image and a link to a website that can be shared and has more value (to us) because it becomes simpler to promote and has exponential reach with either paid postings on Facebook or Instagram or if you have a good audience and SEO through your website (ideally you have all three in place).

We have of course mapped out a plan of action and thankfully there are one-stop-shop sites that offer a creative outlet that is managed: you can find the submission terms, costs, and image requirements in one place with the option to handle multiple submissions. A major plus and reduces the amount of time you have to spend on research.

*See our previous blog on Luminar Photo Editing for a good option for editing images on a budget.

Our creative director JamesC makeup is itching to get started again and has a book full of concepts and ideas ready to roll and we are happy to see he is keeping busy not just with the blogs but also with his creative work.

A more focused plan and set of goals are being worked with our overseas contacts (primarily South Asia) for casting and of course production which we will talk about in another blog very soon.

The Changing Face of The Lost Business

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

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

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

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

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