Talking Youtube and Politics With That Preston Journalist

As a social and political commentator, That Preston Journalist Channel has become a go-to for a grassroots style of social and political commentary, as the journey continues we wanted to talk to founder Ashley Karmanski about his motivations, plans, and the future of the channel. 

Your Youtube channel is growing in numbers thanks to your quick news bite style of work and narrative approach to the work. Can you tell us more about what motivated you to start this channel? 

I have been in politics and political campaigns for many years now, but I myself have become disillusioned with the way British politics is conducted, the tribal nature of it today seeks to prevent any meaningful debate or sensible discussion. I believe people can, and should be able to disagree with each other without resorting to personal insults.

I wanted to create a channel that provides common sense, from the mouth of a working person in the UK. Too much of the media, especially the mainstream media, comes from the rose-tinted spectacles of the London metropolitan bubble, but the views held by people in wealthy areas are rarely those held by the wider public. 

I try to say things as I see them. Members of the public have bigger things to worry about than what the latest political correctness crusade is, I believe they want the truth with no hidden agenda behind it, I believe they want to be aware of how government policy will impact them without being talked down to by the BBC, Sky or ITV news. Most of the mainstream media are privately educated and do not know the daily struggles or concerns of working people in this country, but I do, that is my world as well, I want to be, and am slowly becoming the go-to place for unedited news, and the truth about how our lives are being impacted by the politicians in the UK.

I do not do this for profit, I work full time as well as running my channel, it may sound cheesy, but I really do it to bring simple, to the point, effective news to all the millions who no longer trust the mainstream media anymore. When I first started the channel, I had three or four subscribers, and to see it reach over two thousand in just a couple of months, is hugely rewarding and I enjoy every minute of it.    

Watching your videos, you have a very grassroots style of working with a simple, clean background, talking about political scandals in a fact-based manner adding your own thoughts to the piece, are you planning to stand for election or will you continue to focus your energy on the channel?  

I have no plans to stand for any elections, but as for campaigning, I am very open to getting on board, and try to campaign in the hope that common sense will once again prevail in this great country of ours. 

I keep the videos and backgrounds simple because that’s how I want the channel to be. A trustworthy source of news, I do receive negative feedback for my background to the videos, for my northern working-class accent, but that only strengthens my resolve and keeps me going. In fact, it proves to me that what I believe to be true, that working-class people are looked down on by the metropolitan elites, is the case in the UK today. Free speech has been on the decline for some time, people are no longer allowed opinions that don’t go along with the “be kind” brigade, who, by the way, is the first to call somebody a “racist”, or a “fascist” for not having the same opinions as them, and that is completely wrong, and that isn’t democracy. 

There isn’t a political party out there at the moment that really represents working people, there aren’t many media organizations that do either, so it is up to people who still hold common sense and traditional values to bring that news into the public domain. I believe it is the overwhelming consensus within the UK, but the elitist minority pressure groups get all the air time, telling people what to think, rather than actually providing news and letting people make their own minds up. We see it time and time again, every time there is a vote, be it a referendum, or a general election, the media get it wrong every time, and that proves how out of touch they are with the common man and woman today.

I do try and keep my personal opinions out of my videos where I can, but I am only human. I am unapologetically passionate about the UK and my belief that we are all better together as one country. On the other hand, many people on my videos ask about my political allegiances or asking how I vote. This tells me that I am doing a good job of being reasonably impartial on most issues. 

I do not, and will not ever tell people how to think, I simply wish to present the news in a simple, easy-to-understand format, and people can make their own minds up about what is best for them, and their lives. Politicians and the media seem to have forgotten that people have their own brains, and their own common sense, they know what is best for them. This means people disagree and agree with me at times, and that is healthy for any democracy to function.   

In creating That Preston Journalist you have tapped into what could be called “the working class” experience and focus on the dangers of political blindness to the people outside of those enclaves.  Do you think that Youtube has allowed you a greater platform to air your views and what challenges have you faced with tackling the subjects you do? 

As I’ve said before, I am a working-class person, which qualifies me to talk to a working-class audience, unlike many in the public eye who don’t talk to their audiences, but down to their audiences. YouTube has been an excellent outlet for me, if anything I did or said was discriminatory YouTube would shut me down, but it isn’t, and although I do tackle tough subjects, I do it in a way that I believe brings balance and common sense to the table.

The vast majority of the wider public in the UK do not subscribe to the views held by the mainstream media, if you ever wanted to see evidence of this, you only have to look at their audience viewing figures, and their short, sharp decline. 

Personally, I haven’t found any major challenges as of yet, sometimes you get negative feedback from people, but that’s part of the course, if you are going to read positive comments about your work, you have to accept the opinions of people who disagree, that is why I don’t delete negative comments from my videos unless they are personal attacks upon me. Personal attacks are what I am trying to stop, and open up sensible debate, so I can’t allow it on my channel as it defeats the overall message I am trying to get across. The message is that we all have opinions, and we all have the right to disagree in an assertive, yet polite manner. Politics does not have to be the toxic cesspit it is at the moment.  

 If you could offer advice to someone starting out as a political or social commentator what would it be and why? 

The most productive piece of advice I could give is to keep it simple and stick to your principles. With today’s world being what it is, you will come up against trolls who wish to close you down, you will receive abuse, but you must not let that stop you. 

Nothing in life worth doing is easy, and getting involved in politics, or political commentary certainly isn’t. But if you truly believe in what you are doing, you will succeed. 

Patience is also very important. Don’t expect job offers or subscribers to start appearing immediately. Share your content to as many different social media sites as you can, post the link to your website/YouTube channel, etc… everywhere you can. 

Once you start getting more and more followers, your content will grow much more organically, but the initial hard work is all down to you, and it can be a hard slog. 

To learn more about That Preston Journalist or to subscribe to the channel see:

That Preston Journalist Youtube.

That Preston Journalist Twitter.

Lost Beauty in Derelict Spaces

As summer is in full bloom, The Lost Team is restocking, rethinking, and getting our camera gear prepped to shoot specifically for ourselves over the next two weeks. Our goal will be to create content for the various existing lost sites and the upcoming photography site, showcasing Lost Beauty in Derelict Spaces.

With an aesthetic goal in mind that will fit with future TV project plans, we are looking at simple clean beauty for our Lost Girls and Lost Boys. Thankfully we have the Sons of Adonis brush (and soon concealer) to help with this and with our pro accounts all up to date, we can create something fresh and test run products before we go for the really big projects that will focus on darker elements and more chills than beauty.

Our plan is to bring some new talent into the mix and open the door to creative opportunities as we progress lead by our creative director JamesC, we are going to be announcing further collaborations and partnerships officially as we finetune the scripts and ideas fully.

Stay tuned for more news and updates.

Updates From The Creative Sphere

Over at the Lost Creatives home office, we have been plugging away at our work and will have some project announcements and cast/crew requirements going live very soon. While this is being worked out, we have some announcements that as a team we are really excited about and wanted to share.

As creative director and head of makeup, JamesC, has been instrumental in the development of his new site and working on a consultation basis, for Sons of Adonis makeup (it will be added to his working kit), as part o this a limited edition brush was created featuring his logo and the brand: available from the Sons of Adonis site.

In terms of production and editorial, we have decided to add to our site holdings and will be launching a separate photography site that will feature the work of JamesC both his commercial work and the behind-the-scenes stills on film and TV shoots. The reasoning for this is to allow an expanded sense of his creative work and offer a different perspective on the work of a makeup artist.

Lost Agency is being formed and set around the needs of the main business and will handle the overall marketing, banking, and other elements of our work as an umbrella creating an in-house and full-spectrum setup that is own, controlled, and managed for the needs of the Lost team.

Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing additional details on what is happening and casting/crew opportunities for smaller festival entry projects.

Talking Acting and Directing With Paul Andrew Goldsmith

We wanted to take a look at the life of a full-time actor and creator, asking questions about the journey and upcoming projects with the help of Paul Andrew Goldsmith we were able to gain a little more insight into the world of an actor/director as he prepares for his new work.

Can you tell us a little about yourself, your career, and your own projects and plans? 

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

I’m Paul Andrew Goldsmith, a professional creative based in little old Norfolk. I’ve had a very varied career including theatre, film, and TV work, and particularly proud to have been able to make my full-time living from the industry. It’s nowadays so hard to actually describe your profession, I act, I direct, I write and I teach. I literally do as much of anything I can in order to earn a living. I consider myself really lucky to be able to do so. Though let’s be honest we can all forget about 2020. 

Alongside my current project, my first feature film, I’m excited to get back to directing the  Warner Bros show, ‘The Polar Express’ this year and taking our street theatre show, ‘Ulysses’ out in the summer. 

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

When I first started out full time as an actor I set various goals to achieve, 1st theatre tour, 1st film role, getting on spotlight, 1st agent, and so on. I think it’s always wise to have a stream of achievable targets that can adapt as you go but you must start out small so you don’t feel like a failure early on. It’s also worth keeping that list to always look back on to remind yourself exactly what you have achieved and how far you’ve gone. I think this is very true for the past year of lockdown when many of us have felt it’s not happening. 

As for milestones that make me particularly proud, I think it’s probably two. The first time I got paid for my work and secondly the first time I was able to pay others as a result of my work. It’s an incredibly empowering feeling to be able to bring employment to other creatives through things you’ve created. Again, especially after the past year. ‘NOTE I promise that’s the last time I’ll refer to the unwelcome visitor of 2020. 

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced so far as either an actor or as a director? 

Self-doubt and imposter syndrome for both. It never truly goes away however many years you’ve been active and how much work you’ve done. However, you can dampen it again by reminding yourself of the things you have achieved. 

You have a new project that you are crowdfunding. Can you tell us a little more about it and what was your motivation for creating it?  

When I was first starting out as an actor, I wanted a job to help earn yet be flexible enough to enable me to book acting work. I became a support worker for adults with learning disabilities. I found that I was a natural with the work and soon became a home manager before eventually opening my own day service. During my time working in the industry, I was alarmed at some of the treatment that goes on, intentionally and unintentionally with lifestyle choices being decided by care plans and risk assessments. I felt true freedom of expression and choice was regularly blocked and very often just to suit a particular organization rather than the person paying for those services. At the time I realized there were stories to be told, particularly a situation I observed with two service users who were clearly in love, yet kept apart. I began noting things I noticed that I felt could become part of a theatre show or film and now, some years later, I’m ready to bring it all together in a film. 

SAGACITY –

When a support worker realizes two men with learning disabilities have fallen in love at a daycare center, he fights for their rights to form a full relationship but is thwarted constantly by governance, staff members, and the care home management. 

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

I’m currently sourcing funding for the film in a variety of different ways as it is essential for me to be able to pay all those involved. Sadly 2020, Damnit I mentioned it again, wiped a huge amount of my savings out so I’m starting again from scratch. 

We’re all in the same boat so I’m asking people to just ‘Buy me a coffee’ from as little as £2 or to follow/share media as much as possible to raise awareness. 

Is there any advice you would offer someone entering into the creative arts and media? 

Believe in yourself. Be open to every opportunity, often the small things become lifelines and away into something far more. Get to know others, but always work based on what’s best for you and what works for you. Whilst many will claim there is, there truly aren’t any rules to what the industry is for you. It’s the arts, after all, it’s supposed to be for everyone. 

To learn more about Andrew Paul Goldsmith or his current projects see:

Paul Andrew Goldsmith Vshowcards.

Paul Andrew Goldsmith Twitter.

Sagacity Campaign.

Sagacity Twitter.

Sagacity Facebook.

Talking Film With Louis Findlay

As the indie film scene takes more of a center stage to the world of filmmaking, we talk to Louis Findlay about his project Roadkill and the journey it has been getting there as both a creator and a performer.

Can you tell us a little about yourself, your career?

 I’m 30 years old, my wife and I have just had a baby - our first, and I now have a dad bod!  

I’ve always been excited by cameras, I was always looking in the Argos catalog as a kid and being excited by all the new cameras. I used to love going in Jessops and seeing them on the shelf and always dreamed of having one. 

I got my first camera when I was 14 and used to make all of our Parkour videos which I did till I was 22 working as a professional soon also forerunner. 

When I started acting I had no idea how to get into it and no one would give me a chance, so I started writing and filming my own scenes which soon turned into shorts and then features. 

My first short film called Days To Come was loosely based on my own struggles with anxiety and depression, it won 4 awards in Europe and I won the best actor at the Los Angeles Actor Awards in 2017. 

Since then, I’ve not looked back and continue to make my own work, I love it.

 You have a new project that you are crowdfunding. Can you tell us a little more about it?

RoadKill is based on a short film me and some friends made in 2018. It centers around two brothers who are traveling across the country and during an argument, they crash the car and hit a girl walking along the side of a road and how they cope with doing the right thing.

The feature has come a long way since the short and very much centers around life at home between Ben and his mother Liz who’s alcohol addiction is not only affecting her life but Ben’s life too. He turns to selling drugs on the estate to pay the bills after losing his job and lands himself in a spot of bother. His older brother Josh returns from prison and is determined to turn his life around, connect with his ex and be the family man but he has no idea how hard life has been for Ben. Their mother is taken to hospital and doctors recommend she needs rehab to make a full recovery but they don’t have the money. They agree to do a job for Ben’s dodgy boss and if all goes well they’ll have enough money to cover the costs of treatment. This film focuses on broken Britain and the lengths people will go to in order to keep a roof over their heads and take care of the ones they love. 

 What is your goal as a filmmaker and what would be your dream project?  

 My goal as a filmmaker is just to continue telling stories and never stop. I don’t seek permission from anyone, if I have a story to tell then I’ll tell it. My goal is to focus on hard-hitting dramas and offer an insight into other people’s lives so that we can learn from others. 

I don’t know if I have a dream job, I’m just very happy doing what I’m currently doing. But I guess the dream is just working with like-minded people and having fun along the way. 

 Is there any advice you would offer someone entering into the creative arts and media?

 Do your research. Reach out to others for help start small. Work within your limits and make use of things you already have. 

Have a bit of money behind you, never crowdfund without putting your own money in first. I like to think of crowdfunding as just topping off the glass. I always put as much money as I can into my films because if crowdfunding is unsuccessful, you’re not relying entirely on others to help you tell your story. You’ll have some money in your pocket to make a start at least. 

“ If you have an idea, find a way to get it done no matter what, if someone tells you “no” but you're passionate about telling  it, then tell it!”

To learn more about the project or to support the film see:

Roadkill Movie Fundraiser.

Roadkill Movie Website.

Roadkill Movie Facebook.

Roadkill Movie Instagram.

Roadkill Movie Twitter.

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.

Tackling The JamesC Website

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

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

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

Showcasing Talent: Introducing vShowcards

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

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

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

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

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

To learn more about vShowcards or to join see:

vShowcards Website.

vShowcards Twitter.

vShowcards Facebook.

vShowcards Instagram.

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.

A New Year A New Plan

In many respects, 2020 has been a lost year for a lot of people with the world changing dramatically. For us, it has opened up doors to a whole host of new potential avenues and given us a chance to reevaluate what we have been doing and look at how we can fit ourselves into the market long-term. To do this we have broken our work into key areas that will be public and those which will be kept private to the inhouse team.

In the public sense, we have two key areas we will be focusing on in the first quarter of the year:

Editorial and print: we have been putting this on the backburner in some respect taking time to look at locations, edit work already shot, slowly build up a series of images and work that will be released over the early part of 2021 with additional planned small shoots that will be a combination of artistic and commercial. *This will include product placement in behind the scenes imaging and video with brands such as Lord and Berry, Mykitco, and Brushwork Cosmetics to start. We are open to new potential brand partners for projects contact the team to discuss.

Film and TV: something that we have been doing since the start of Lost Creatives is supporting a range of festivals including Micromania and The Nepal Cultural and Film Centers' own festival. We do have plans to partner with a European festival and will reveal details on that soon.

Our initial goal is to work on 3 projects that will be shorts, designed specifically to go to festivals and as an opening gambit for our planned digital TV shoots in the horror/thriller market (for Which we have already spoken to several distributors and have options in place including the HOD TV route which is our number 1 choice).

In the coming months, our projects will be smaller in nature to help push forward and test the waters of the market and expand out. Our ties to South Asia (Including Nepal Film Production and our key actor contacts in India), will play a heavy part in our work as we are questioning how we will be able to work in Scotland and the UK in general.

Each of the current websites: JamesC mua. Lost Project and of course Lost Creatives will be receiving overhauls and updated images across the galleries, and the welcome pages, additional sites are being planned for our film/TV work to keep the Creatives solely about marketing and the background elements we have built.

Further updates will be released over the course of the month. We are really excited about our plans for 2021 and look forward to pushing the boundaries of our work.