As I’ve mentioned on my other social sites, I’ve directed 3 short films this year. By the end of 2018 all of the releases will be completed, and they will be taking different paths out into the world. Misery has been already released online via The Amity Affliction as a hybrid short film project, while the other 2 films will be entered into different film festivals. 

One of the films in particular has a dark gothic horror vibe (codenamed project 18), and before directing this I set out on a mission to seek out the vibes surrounding one of the main characters. This was done through intense study of particular types of trees and plant life. This study has now grown to encompass part of the feature film I am currently developing alongside some other people. 

Tideline, is a prelude to my short gothic horror film, and in many ways is also a modern day sequel to the story. It features no actors but is shot through the eyes of one of the main characters of project 18. The footage was collected as part of a location recce which happened last year where I was shooting on a boat that was travelling up river creeks on the Carrick Roads in Cornwall. 

Further information on Project 18 is very near at hand. I’m looking forward to lifting the lid on something that has been a year long endeavour. 

MISERY: All Three Parts

Earlier this year I directed a short film for The Amity Affliction. The film was released in three parts online as part of the campaign for their new album Misery. Check out the parts above which together make up MISERY the film. 

taylorswift:

I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now.  I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.

I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love.  Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives.  Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.

So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting! 🗳😃🌈

I just got a hell of a crush on Taylor Swift…. 

Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed
The hunt for Carol Reed….
I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I...
ZoomInfo
Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed
The hunt for Carol Reed….
I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I...
ZoomInfo
Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed
The hunt for Carol Reed….
I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I...
ZoomInfo
Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed
The hunt for Carol Reed….
I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I...
ZoomInfo
Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed
The hunt for Carol Reed….
I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I...
ZoomInfo
Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed
The hunt for Carol Reed….
I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I...
ZoomInfo
Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed
The hunt for Carol Reed….
I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I...
ZoomInfo
Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed
The hunt for Carol Reed….
I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I...
ZoomInfo
Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed
The hunt for Carol Reed….
I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I...
ZoomInfo
Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed
The hunt for Carol Reed….
I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I...
ZoomInfo

Odd Man Out (1947) - Dir: Carol Reed

The hunt for Carol Reed….

I’m on a bit of a black and white trip at the moment. I’ve spent some time in the evenings this week just looking up new black and white films I’ve not had the chance to discover. I started off this mission by looking further into Ealing films, however the number of ‘darker’ Ealing films isn’t as large as I’d like. By tradition I am drawn to the darker black and white films out there; it’s mostly because I feel like they hold a vibe that is so often lost in modern day films. There are of course instances… Girl With A Dragon Tattoo (the Fincher one) perfectly emulates the modern day noir to me. Part of the reason that film speaks so loudly to me is that Europe has a magic about it when it comes to noirs; it captivates me, so naturally Sweden is a perfect backdrop for that particular story. I guess you could say I’ve got a penchant for Euro-noir. This is something I felt when I got to know Berlin a bit better through friends who knew the city well, and it’s something that still draws me to the city now. I think about those dark corners of European cities which hold hidden gems that are so often under-appreciated. Filming a story in Berlin is something on my bucket list.

Although it may seem like I’m digressing here, I’m actually stitching a point towards why I’ve watched ‘Odd Man Out’ 4 times in the last 2 days (yes that’s a bit obsessive). After my ‘Ealing hunt’ proved to be not as fruitful as I’d liked I decided to look towards other areas of my existing black and white favourite’s list to see what variables might point me in the right direction. Naturally the greatest Euro-noir in my collection is The Third Man, so I decided to look further into Carol Reed’s films and thus this bore me a lead to ‘Odd Man Out’. I’d also found a page that contained a list of noir films on a film site called Mubi, which was something I’d never heard of before. Mubi is said to offer ‘30 hand-picked films, a new one everyday. Available to watch on demand, offline, and across devices’ which is interesting. It’s got my interest and I’ll be looking to try it out and report back at a later date; but on that list I’d found on the site, via a google search, was ‘Odd Man Out’ (view the list here: https://mubi.com/lists/british-noir-classics). This was now a double nod to the release so I decided to check the film out. Naturally it did not disappoint, and I think it’s now overtaken The Third Man in my book of inspirational classic noir films. 

There’s a certain magic to the story that’s presented, and it’s a commentary on how a working class community operates in the face of moral dilemma. I’ve always felt interested in Northern Ireland/Ireland and a pull to visit the country more (my great granddad was from Belfast originally on my mothers side, so perhaps that Irish blood is causing it). What’s interesting about the story for me is it’s lack of ‘do the right thing’ preachiness. Sometimes in older films you can sense this underlying message about ‘always respecting the law’ but I’ve never felt that to be a true reflection of humanity. I think this is especially true in war time propaganda films made in the 40s that seek to urge citizens to stick to the straight and narrow during turbulent times. Who can blame them really; but this for me means that I can only watch so many of these films within a certain period. There was an amazing charm to Odd Man Out that kept dragging me back in. At one point the hardworking ‘all weather’ cab driver says to Johnny “I’m not against ya, but I’m not for ya” and this seems to be the message from many characters who Johnny meets in the film as he tries to evade the law and get to a place of safety. There’s a respect amongst all the characters for him and his organisation, but not one of loyalty. The same could be said for the police too, and the armed forces which play a small part (helping Johnny into a cab at one point). Many times we hear “don’t get involved” and I feel like this represents a sort of well oiled harmony within the community showcased. Everyone works in the machine even if they don’t really get what the other parts maybe up to. A common respect flows and there’s a charm to this dark waterside city.

Beyond the story are some incredible visuals that make its cinematography a further point of inspiration. Camera movements positioned perfectly to accent lines or movements of characters. A sharpness of the composition is present that makes the film all the more striking. There’s also visual commentary on the community at points with documentary style shots of people retreating back behind closed doors, or closely watching a moments of action unfold. Directors who seek to add in such moments instantly get my admiration as they give further backstory and a sense of ‘sonder’ to each character or corner of a world. Naturally you can’t discuss cinematography without the art direction and in this case the sets are more complex upon closer inspection, with fake trams, trains and boats moving in the background. The greatest moment for me in terms of this is when a group of soldiers spot their tram at the end of a long street. The tram pulls into shot (clearly a cut out on a track system) and they run down the street after it. Details like this are so often lost these days with VFX and I feel you can never get the same element of 3D no matter how close they might feel. I found myself wanting to walk around this dark city at points and this was down to how real it felt on the screen.

I’ve grabbed a few moments from the film above, but it really doesn’t do it justice. I recommend all serious noir fans get a copy of this film asap and dive right in, you won’t be disappointed. Would be directors; it’s a must for your list of films to see.

Find out more about the release over on the Criterion Collection’s website by clicking here.

Rx

MISERY - PART 2

Check out the latest part to the short film I’ve directed for The Amity Affliction ‘Misery’. 

The soundtrack ‘Feels like I’m dying’ is available everywhere now! A third and final part will be released after this!

Poster 1 for MISERY. 

The first ‘fictional short film’ release poster I’ve ever had with my name on it. Naturally I’m pretty stoked on this. You can pre-order one yourself, right now, over at 24Hundred

Thanks for supporting this project! Part 2 isn’t far off…

Proud to announce the next ambitious project I’ve directed with The Amity Affliction. Enjoy the trailer and wait patiently… all the answers will be revealed.

Hello Philly. I’m here. Things are happening…
ZoomInfo
Camera

Canon EOS 6D

ISO

200

Aperture

f/4

Exposure

1/200th

Focal Length

29mm

Hello Philly. I’m here. Things are happening… 

Melbourne - May 2018 - Photos by Jay Wennington
I’ve been in Melbourne for about 2 and a half weeks, and tomorrow I head back to the UK (after an easy 26 hour trip). What have I been up to? You’ll see soon enough. Here are a few photos of my final...
ZoomInfo
Melbourne - May 2018 - Photos by Jay Wennington
I’ve been in Melbourne for about 2 and a half weeks, and tomorrow I head back to the UK (after an easy 26 hour trip). What have I been up to? You’ll see soon enough. Here are a few photos of my final...
ZoomInfo
Melbourne - May 2018 - Photos by Jay Wennington
I’ve been in Melbourne for about 2 and a half weeks, and tomorrow I head back to the UK (after an easy 26 hour trip). What have I been up to? You’ll see soon enough. Here are a few photos of my final...
ZoomInfo

Melbourne - May 2018 - Photos by Jay Wennington

I’ve been in Melbourne for about 2 and a half weeks, and tomorrow I head back to the UK (after an easy 26 hour trip). What have I been up to? You’ll see soon enough. Here are a few photos of my final day in the city by my good friend Jay Wennington (a big thank you to him and his girlfriend Jess for not only putting me up at their apartment, but just being incredible friends). 

I’m home for 2 weeks before I fly to the USA for a little time with some old friends…