Bugger

yes. Bugger. I’ve just found out, ‘Studio 7′ was the working title for Studio 60 on the sunset strip. I’m hping this won’t be a problem. It’s not copywright I’m bothered about, far as I’m concerned, they didn’t use the title so it’s up for grabs, I just don’t want people to think I nicked it. I always thought thier working title was Studio 50? Studio 7 (MY one) used to be Studio 8, until I found out there’s a film company down south with that name. Didn’t want the confusion. Plus, Studio 7 sounds better. Let’s hope no one cares.

So! The scripts are in the process of being written, casting has begun (no, really, it has! We have one confirmed cast member already!) (Oh! And he’s a bloody good one. You’ll have to take my word for it, because I’m not going to announce who it is yet. So there. Nah Nah.) But yes, it’s all coming along. And I like it! I do! I still worry that the script soiunds forced in some places, but that can be evened out before we film. And I’ve just added a scene to episode two set in an attic. I’ve always wanted to set a scene in an attic. DOn’t know why, just have!

Currently, we’re planning for a short run of Studio 7. About 6 episodes. 5 or 6, depends if I can write six scripts or not before Xmas. But yeah. That will be viewable online. A new episode each week, and It’ll stay online for three weeks each episode, so no excuses not to watch. Just put it on in the background. While you do the ironing. Then if it’s popular, hey, maybe we can do more!

In other news, Hamster Cam – Special Report!

Ood escaped the other night. Well, I say escaped, I forgot to close her cage right up. So the following morning, we had the floorboards up. Ever had to rip up floorboards to find a hamster? It’s akward. And going straight into a script somewhere. If it take 20 years I’ll get it in a script. Still we found her. She’d burrowed her way through little holes and fallen through the kitchen ceiling, scurrying under the TV. She’s ok now, bless her.

I’ll remember to shut the cage better from now on…

Will

Top to Toe, with a hint of Snow…

Do you know how long it took me to come up with a tagline as tacky as that? Do you? It was longer than you think! So, there’s been a veritible storm of cold, white weather this last few days, which is pretty, and gives me time to curl oup on my new bubble sofa with a cup of hot chocolate and script. Studio 7 is coming along, oh yes it is! I’ll stary posting extracts soon, just you watch me!

Anyway, Francesco Da Motso, presenter of BBC series ‘ITALY: Top to Toe’ and ‘Venice’ popped into the shop today, just a fleeting visit to sign a few bits and bobs for us. He seemed a lovely man, and I’m told that, to women of a cirtain age, he’s ‘irrisistable’! Still, it was nice to meet him, and I wish him luck with his next series!

Pre Production Rolls on…

I’ve fianlly completed the script for the studio 7 pilot episode. Looking at its length, I may need to do some serious trimming down when we reach the editing stage, but I’d rather have too much and have to trim down or extend the running time than to have too little and to pad it with un-neccasary stuff.

I think that, in places, it may sound a bit forced, but I’ll have a read through of it and I’ll see what I can do. I think (i hope?) It introduces all the characters that need introducing at this point, and sets up the running theme for the first few episodes.

Thing is; it’s depressing, script-writing. Because I’ve spent a week trying to write it, and a few weeks before that planning and making notes, but then you click the tab to start episode two and you’re right back down to a blank page again. It scares me, that blank page. Scares me big time.

Still, at least the writing process is going along, and things are making it onto paper which is a start, I guess. Now I just have to worry about making it better.

In other news, we’ve decided to cancel the gallery showing of our uni films for next weekend – I think it was a bit too much to organize, but they should be done in January, so for now my cinema film may remain un-seen. I’m going to spend most of tomorrow in the studios, I want to have it finished, hopefully with some sound, by the end of the day.

That’s all for now, just a quick update. Now I return to the world of the script and continue with episode two.

Will

Tales from the third Dimension…

We had a group crit yesterday. In case you’ve never been to art school and don’t know what that is, let me explain. In a crit, the whole group sits round. You display the work you’ve done so far that term and discuss your plans. The rest of the group gives thier thoughts on your work, and offers advice. It’s bloody terrifying !

So with the first – silent – image of my film being shown to a room of 20 people, I could see just how bad the model shot looked. Once your film is projected a few feet high, all the claring problems stand out at you. So following a tea break, I excused myself and scurried away to work on a better version of the model, this time avoiding foam board and spray paint, and entering the realms of the matrix as I created a cinema in my PC.

It looks now a bit more cartoon-like than I’d first hoped, but I guess I can explain that away as being a part of the look of the film. I’m still going to display it as thoguh it were comissioned by a cinema about to re-open to show the journey that cinema has taken over the years.

Hopefully it’ll all come together somehow. Meanwhile, today, I’ll be collecting sounds to be used in the film, clips from old movies and the like, whilst also writing away on Studio 7. I aim to finish the pilot today so I can finally get round to casting. Watch this space…

Will

I gotta update more often!

Jesus! I havn’t updated for almost a month! My standards are slipping! But I haven’t been Idle this last 30 days, oh no. Here’s a countdown…

Britain, Britain, Britain!

Tom Baker returned to Norwich! He did. He came back to celebrate our shop’s one year birthday! He seemed to be in good spirits for the day, which was nice, and we had a lovely little chat about Blue Peter while he looked at me in a very confused manner…

South Street Cinema is open! Then closed… then open again… then closed…

I’ve been working away on my film for this unit of my degree course. Currently untitled, it shows the life and death of a small cinema, from it’s grand opening in the 1920s, through to two decades of nothing in the 80s/90s. It’s going to be showing in a selection of our film and video work down at the Epic Studios at the end of the month, more details as I have them. For now, here’s some production shots of the model being filmed;

1920s Set in Construction

1920s Set being Filmed

1950s

1970s

Studio 7 is back on track!

Yeah yeah, I know. You’ll all be thinking this is a ‘Nerd is back!’ thing, but this time it’s really happening! Honestly! Probably! Planning and scripting has begun to properly start work on Studio 7.

Studio 7 was created last year by myself, and followed two young guys tring to create thier own TV show in a small rented studio. Some filming was undertaken but we never got the chance to finish. Well, with the focus of the show slightly shifted from comedy to drama, the show is currently being worked upon, and is expected to be filmed for a five-week period from Mid January! Expect casting calls to go out on Facebook in December! If anyone reading this in the Norwich area can act and is interested in a small part – let me know, I need extras!

That’s all for now – bookmark the blog, I’ll start to update more again, I promise!

Will