What Happening...

It's spring so everything stops for Filmonik's Kabaret 10 days of hardcore short filmaking in Manchester.

We have a script lined up for a short film called 'Dental Plan' which we hope to shoot during the week and screen towards the end. Details will be posted on our Facebook page.

We've also invested in some new equipment and gone all High Definition and will reshoot 'Old Guard' soon followed by parts 2 and 3 soon after. It's been difficult to get everyone back together since the new year as one way or another we've been plagued by injury. Hopefully we'll be over it soon.

We really should introduce Richard at some point...

Hello folks,
Well it looks like Operating Theatre is getting a good grip on things at the moment. We're on a bit of a high in terms of prep for the next 3 films we've got on the go. I guess Fraser and I hadn't really worked as close as this before from the ground up, so it's good to see we can have a greatly productive creative partnership.I'm really grateful that Fraser has asked me to join him in developing a film company (a dream being fulfilled) and that he respects my work enough to see me as a partner.

Enough back patting, though. I'd like to cite Thin Man films' policy of film making as one that is greatly similar to ours. Or vice versa. That is, for the time being we will only make films based on the scripts that we write or have had a heavy hand in writing (unless its Kino Kabaret time - We will probably get involved in separate projects for those events).

Mission Statement? Can't say right now, but it seems that we always have some fella losing it on screen. We like that. Anger is fascinating, done in the right way. Perhaps you could say that we like the theme of foolish pride and how it propels our characters toward their resulting situations. As they say "There is nothing new under the sun", but even if the results are the same, the journey taken can be entirely individual...

Right, thats my lot for now. At least til we've got pictures, news and product to stick on here. Keep checking in folks, it'll be intriguing, I tell thee.

Filming of 'The Old Guard'

Last night was the filming of 'The Old Guard' (part 1) and it's the first time we've been able to get cast and crew together since November. We originally planned to film in December a ndjust when we thought we were ready the pub put up there Christmas decorations. The delay wasn't so much of a problem and even gave us a bit more time to refine the storyline but then snow struck over new year and everything ground to a holt.

It's now in the editing phase, rushes will be passed around and it'll be completed and ready to show at The Deaf Institute on Oxford Road, Manchester on February 14th 7.30pm. Until then here's a few production photos and there are more on our flickr page... follow the link below.

First Things First

Okay, so I guess every blog has to start with the 1st post so I might as well start by telling you what we’ve done, doing and going to do.

Firstly my name is Fraser Fortune, I’m 36 father of 4 year old twin boys and a short film director. I’ve been working in sound since leaving college with only a break to work as a Croupier which was an experience. I got in to film by recording theatrical shows and more recently writing and directing short films. While working on my first film I met actor Richard Hollingworth and we started knocking around some ideas and writing a few things one of which has come to fruition.

We took the approach of relying on the talents of professionals and letting them do what they do best. We gathered the cast together and let them adlib with limited guidance. The results were far better than scripting from scratch could produce and saved hours. It’s set in a pub and although we’ve located several and had permission to film, they all have their Christmas decorations up so we’re holding back on filming until the new year.

It’s the first part of a trilogy so watch this space to see the results and find out what happens with the other films. You can also click the links below to see what we’ve done it the past, see some photos and follow us on other sites.

Fraser