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In a week's time, I'll be preparing to welcome my first employees to the new offices of Red Wire to start working on the Ha Ha Hairies. Some of the facilities are in, hardware and software have been ordered and all the 52 first draft scripts have been delivered. Elsewhere, the sets are starting to be built and the costumes made. I've been involved in the project, in its various incarnations, for over three years and it's great to see it finally coming together. It's going to be a full time production until February next year, by which time I might have aged a few extra years.
I've also nearly finished my post production VFX work on Elfie Hopkins, delivering the final shots to The Mews via FTP for grading. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was shivering on a sub-zero March night in West Wales. From what I've seen, it's going to be a fantastic, individual film with a distinctive British flavour. I'm looking forward to the first crew screening where I see it together in all its glory. The production was a great experience for me, having never been on a feature film set before. Most of my work up to now has been on local TV productions so getting the chance to be on location for four weeks was something I couldn't pass up. I'm just glad it happened before Hairies started otherwise I would have had to stay away.
Actually, my next big production will be a short film for the It's My Shout scheme. My film is called King of the Castle and has been written by William Smith, also a Newport Uni graduate, albeit a decade later than me. It'll be filmed on location in Coity and The Coal Exchange for three days next month before being edited at BBC Wales in Llandaff. The premiere will be in November at the Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl. I'm rather glad I'm not organising everything on this film! I wouldn't have had the time anyway so I really appreciate the support the scheme gives me. I've pretty much finished casting and Huw Walters will be my DoP again. Actually, James Bolam will be in one of the other films on the scheme so I'm hoping to take a day to go to that set and say hello. I can't believe it's been a year since I was finishing Blank Canvas and The Cursed Mirror. I really need to make that feature film!
The comics section of this website now has loads more banners to look at. I need to take some time to fill in the descriptions for the sketches from the recent Bristol Convention. We recently had our first meeting for the second Cardiff International Comics and Animation Expo (yes, animation now as well) and there are some big plans for the event in February. We'll be in the Mercure Hotel again, but for two days, and I'll be hosting a number of the panels. There was so much support and good will for our first event that I know it'll be a huge success next year.
I'm on Twitter now (@jon_rennie) so I'm going to try and use that to post more immediate updates. Also, www.redwirevfx.com has been established. |