SO Lets reflect…

The biggest thing I feel we need to do is to reflect on the projects we’ve done so far, to not just blindly charge ahead with a third short because we “need to do so”. We have some money tucked away for this one; however we know that will go quick.

When it comes to logistics - I really don’t have many worries, one way or another we know that we can assemble a crew; there are enough people in the grander industry who will either enjoy working with us, want to work with us or would be happy to take a few days to help us get something over the line. My main concern is actors; where we are in our short career we have to push to get an established name or two on-board for this one. It’s paramount. However, it all comes back to story and script. We have to make the script absolutely dynamite to attract actors on-board.

My main things that I want to reflect on are the pros and cons of Better Before, John Doyle and Gabriel’s Trumpet.

Better Before - pros/cons

• Pros - Good visuals - very happy with what Ali/Theo brought to this project, they’ve an amazing look. Great edit - Will did an amazing job and was very easy to work with. Good art dept - well dressed. Lovely score - very happy with what Sam brought there.

• Cons - It lacks - it’s got no scope; it was a trial run, it went nowhere, no success in festivals, it was for all intensive purposes a flop. The script had no depth, my direction wasn’t all there, it wasn’t unique, it wasn’t subtle. It would also be the second short I’ve done set entirely in a bar; this feels a little lacking in scope and originality!

John Doyle - pros/cons.

• Pros - Fantastic casting - I feel we really nailed it with all the cast; especially Richard. Great edit - snappy, doesn’t waste time but isn’t afraid to linger. The style and vibe are immaculate - it stood unique in the genre while not just falling into trope after trope, love this. Direction - there wasn’t grand swings needed in terms of direction but it stood well. The location of Archabbey - love it; feels so distinctly Irish.

• Cons - Expectations, we had no idea what we were doing when it came to the festival run, this has been remedied going forward. The edit, not specifically the edit itself but the process of working without an editor - for this one it’s less an issue but it’ll come up again for Gabriel’s. Lacked ‘scope’ and ‘mystery’ somewhat, I noticed at Q&As other filmmakers would always get one or two more than us - our narrative is pretty cut and dry however I feel this was improved for Gabriel’s.

Gabriel’s Trumpet - pros/cons.

• Pros - Brilliant vibe, it’s singular, nothing in the shorts circuit is like it, it confidently stands as a true ‘one-of-a-kind’ piece, floating between artists film, narrative drama and experimental piece. Cast/Crew - I’m very proud of the team we put together for both the main and second units, however there will be a * to this later. Scope/scale - I felt we truly showed a unique side to Belfast. Vision - it feels like an artists vision was behind it. Ambition - shooting in the public brings a depth to the storytelling I greatly enjoy. Otherworldly religion - it continues themes that we introduced in John Doyle; religious fears, otherworldly powers at work.

• Cons - *The team - now I don’t mean this in terms of who was on it but more in terms of who wasn’t! We did so much work just off our own backs when we could’ve just asked for help, we had great expectations and pulled through but I will not do another project without a full unit. The edit - again, the edit was a smooth process but I would not be keen to edit this piece just us again, being in the room is one thing, being the one cutting it together is another. It’s a LOT - this reaction is still very much TBD until we get actual audiances to watch it but there’s so much going on; it’s beefy - 20 minutes will be difficult to programme we’ve been warned of this.