So, I'm here to talk a little about an exciting project I recently finished with long-time creative partner Jamie Morris and a bunch of other incredible friends and crew.
The Bells Of Newtown: A Film About L.A.R.P. (2014). is an independently produced non-profit documentary which follows the construction and execution of award winning Live Action Roleplaying event DARK TEMPUS.
(Production Still By Oliver Facey)
Following an exciting preface by chap-hop star Professor Elemental; the film, hosted by Jamie Morris, provides a unique, involving and respectful look at the hobby from the inside, challenging common perceptions as the crew move up the ranks from zeroes to (almost) heroes in the World of L.A.R.P. - Chatting to crew, writers and of course, the players themselves IC and OC.
During the production of the film Phil J. McBride, father to the DARK TEMPUS creators, sadly passed away. Throughout this difficult period, he recieved outstanding care from MacMillian.
Although this film will always be available in his memory, we kindly ask for those who enjoy the film to donate towards this excellent cause http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Donate/
Thank you for watching, reviewing, Reblogging and sharing.
Cheers
Joe C.
- Contact us on twitter @bellsofnewtown or mail at bellsofnewtowndoc@gmail.com - we would love to hear your thoughts on our film, especially any reviews.
It's been a whole year since I have maintained this blog, and a lot has happened inside that year (including a terrible defect to tumblr which I sincerely apologise for).
Let's start again and be friends.
I'm going to be updating this page soon with a wealth of new information about projects i've been working on now I'm a spiffy graduate, alongside other fun things I want to try like film reviews and discussion posts.
Until then, here is a picture from a project i'd love to write about in more detail.
It has come to my attention that I have a lot more work behind me now than I have ever actually mentioned. So I am going to use this post as a chance to share my list of credits before I cut my first showreel at the end of summer. So here is the list, and some embedded examples of pretty much everything I have been doing in the video world since I started university. Feel free to flick through, watch and enjoy. All comments would be greatly appreciated. Note: None of these works would have been possible without the help of all collaborators and creatives involved. Whilst I do not have room to credit everyone individually for every video, I urge you to check out the profiles of everyone involved in all projects.
University Projects (Various Roles):
Films created as part of my Film Studies course at LJMU.
Damp Patch. (Producer and Editor) - A short drama film set in the 1950's.
Adie. (Producer and Editor) - A short documentary featuring Adrian Botham, and the 'Pantonic All Stars' steel orchestra.
The Cartoonist. (Producer and Actor) - A simple but fun stop frame animation.
Content produced during my time at FACT as a production Intern.
The Spirit of '45 - Q & A with Ken Loach. (Camera Operator).
Hacky Birthday! Celebrating 10 years of FACT. (Editor).
Also Including: Terrence Fraser - Atlantic Star Interview. (Offline Editor) - http://vimeo.com/66227878 The Battle of the Atlantic Animations - Making of. (Camera Operator, Offline Editor) - http://vimeo.com/66230125 The Art of Pop - Curators Interview. (Day 2 Camera Operator) - http://vimeo.com/62334572
Liverpool Students Union (Various Roles):
Video content produced as part of my employment at the Liverpool Students Union.
Clubs and Societies. (Producer).
More content to follow with the new website launch September 2013.
EDGEclusive Entertainment (Editor):
Short-form videos I have edited as a freelancer for EDGEclusive entertainment.
No Retreat No Surrender - Press Conference with EDGEclusive. (Editor).
James Michael EDGEclusive Subway Session. (Editor).
Video Ink (Production Assistant):
Music videos created by Video Ink during my time as a production assistant there.
L & O - Now Everybody Stand In Line. (Production / Lighting Assistant).
Davoodi - Night Out. (Pre-Production Assistant).
Other Content (Various Roles):
Other video content I have made over the last few years for various clients and for myself.
Incindia - Take This Life Official Music Video. (Producer, Director, Camera Operator, Editor) - A music video I produced for uprising Manchester Metal band Incindia.
Filming Europe. (Camera Operator, Editor) - A montage of my travels around Europe.
Mothers Day. (Producer, Director, Actor, Editor) - A short film produced as a present for my Mum.
So there we go. Thank you so much for watching these things and for all of your support.
Currently I am in London getting in some work experience at Envy Post Production, so I should be writing about that soon. If you are interested in contacting me to produce, shoot or Edit some content for you, email me at joecostin@icloud.com.
It's March, hooray.
I'm terrible at updating blogs, but it's because i've been really busy I promise!
Because I am far too busy to reflect, here is a list of my business:
1. Shot a new sketch for spacecatTV to be released soon.
2. Gave my first presentation at university on the subject of Neo-Noir Cinema.
3. Worked on several paid shoots for the students union including advice vlogs and timelapses.
4. Finished the edit and release of Incindia's debut music video.
5. Released the first video of my new project lifelens and continued filming for the second and third.
6. Attending various networking events and planning for my post university career.
7. Began working at FACT (Foundation for art and creative technology) as an intern, editing viral videos and interviewing Ken Loach.
8. Began working with EDGEclusive entertainment as an editor, working on the new documentary 'Fighting Demons'.
9. Working on a new trans-media project with Jamie.
10. Attempting to run a social life, work in retail, get in shape (lost half a stone in feb) and REVISION.
So there are 10 fun things i'm doing at the moment.
Also I got drunk in a onsie. Because I am the best at multitasking.
This month alongside these ongoing things I also have to do these things soon:
1. Photograph the SU awards night.
2. Film an interview with the chancellor of the university.
3. Shoot a short film with Harry, Jamie and Marc.
4. Apply for my summer placement in London.
5. Make sure I manage to locate and film the SU's flashmob.
6. Create an overhaul of the LJMU's get involved video content.
7. Actually get all of this down in a decent portfolio that doesn't consist of photos of me in an elephant onsie.
Right, Imma go sleep.
I will be back soon.
I hope.
Bye.
Joe C.
Edit 13/03/13: After sending my friends into a mental panic of meeting Brian May the chancellor of LJMU we realised the email said 'vice-chancellor'. We are all disappointed.
So 2013 is here. Hooray, woo etc.
I decided to test out my new microphone by recording a vlog which you can view below.
For 2013 I considered starting on a big project similar to Mark Nugent's Photograph a Day which he ran during 2012. However, I want 2013 to be a year in which I cover a broad range of film styles and techniques. I don't want to give myself strict rules as to the form and content I spend my time producing. So instead of one big project, I want to make 2013 the year of little projects.
Whilst I don't have a strict agenda, a few goals of mine include:
- To build an arsenal of post production and visual effects skills.
- To produce more vlogs and shorts for my portfolio outside of university.
- To revitalise the SpacecatTV sketch series with all our new gear and talent.
- To lay the foundations for a potential future as a freelancer.
- To produce at least one film capable of a local festival run.
2012 was a huge year for me in terms of understanding my own capabilities as a creative, I created a large number of short films with my internal groups and also helped generate content for outside groups such as Video Ink and Liverpool Students Union.
I'm incredibly proud of all my work in 2012 and I am looking forward to a creative 2013.
Due to my hiatus, this post is essentially the blogging equivalent of going on an incredible holiday...without telling your friends you left; or phoning them when you get there...or bringing them back any souvenirs...or even worse, bringing back shark tooth necklaces.
But fear not! I'm back now with plenty of news updates and general waffling to keep you entertained before desperate housewives is on.
For anyone who hasn't clocked on to the metaphor yet, my holiday was actually an intensive 2 months of balancing university, freelancing, students union work and a social life. People really weren't kidding when they said that second year wouldn't be the easiest, although it has definitely been the best in my filmmaking career.
First order of business is we finally completed the short film for our Drama Production module 'Damp Patch'. Which can be found here:
Overall, I am incredibly happy with how the project turned out. The level of intensity our team poured into pre production, the tightness of the shoot, brilliant performances and the way we pulled together in the manic post production phrase (the 3 days I had to learn an entire media composer and edit a short film would not have been possible without my friends keeping me sane) makes this my proudest achievement so far.
The Cast and Crew of 'Damp Patch'
My aim for the project was to set a new standard for myself in filmmaking when compared to previous work. This has been reflected in our feedback for the film which has been hugely positive, with the main praise being overall level of quality in the production. We have been awarded a First for our efforts, and hope that our next production fairs even better and continues to this new high standard we have set for ourselves.
Editface.
Another aspect of 'Damp Patch' I am proud of is the editing, which was one of my main roles in the production. I was originally going to use the familiar software 'Premier Pro' for the job, but due to an abundance of time constraints, technical errors and screens-falling-off-laptops-errors, I was tasked by my lecturer to learn new software. So I spent hours learning 'Avid 6' and completed the film with the software, subjecting myself to the banter of the technicians who have been dealing with my 'Avid Attitude' for over a year. However, the new version is actually, dare I say, quite good. I enjoyed learning the software and facing the challenge, which whilst frustrating has pushed me to become a more efficient editor.
Award, what award?
So, whilst the technicians have been hailing me as an 'Avid convert' I will simply say that it does its job, like any good tool should, and it does it very well. I just prefer using my new chainsaw: Final cut X.
(The change of heart was in no way influenced by the 'Most original short' Award they sponsored a while back, I promise...).
Money raised for Children In Need: Over £150, Steve's pain: Priceless.
Partying it up with Lauren Flynn for her debut music video.
The various dance societies at LJMU prepare for the Xmas showcase.
Alongside all of this I've been taking on various jobs as part of my new role as 'digital content producer' for the students union, so far consisting of dance photography, charity filming and promotional videos. I will be posting more in depth about this at a later date. I also worked as on a music video with Dean Cammack (Robbie from 'Damp Patch') and Joe Woolf which should hopefully surface soon. These outside opportunities have been great fun, practice and above all, a great way to meet great contacts and friends.
Christmas came early.
The final order of business in this lengthy catch up is the unveiling of my new 27' iMac and newly installed Final Cut X. This is by far the most powerful computer, best editing software and largest investment I have ever made, but I confident that with this new tool at my disposal my filmmaking especially post production work, will improve even more. I will be posting more of my thoughts on Final Cut X at a later date although the short time I have spent with it has been nothing but amazing. It's fast, easy to use and intuitive. Which is exactly what I have been looking for in an editing software. To test the software I created an edit of my trip around Europe which can be viewed below (no shark tooth necklaces unfortunately).
Thanks for reading this post, I'm going to try and keep on top of the blogging in the new year (one of the resolutions i'm more likely to keep, unlike 'look like Bane by August'). I have a few more projects in the to back catalogue to finish up before the next semester and I'm still waiting on feedback from a few essays, but its been a great year in all. I'm looking forward to a great year in 2013 with my friends, the crews I work with and my new drive for filmmaking.
From here on out, its: 'Make awesome things, and be awesome too'.
Thanks guys.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Last Saturday myself and my group of friends from Media professional studies decided to get our creative juices flowing by having an appropriately named 'Creative Day' at Becca's flat in the center of town.
The aim for the day was to create an open forum where ideas for our individual projects could be discussed with friends, and new ones can be born.
Pipes and bobble hats are of course a crucial part of the creative process.
We began the day by taking a part in an excersie that involved us listing as many scenarios as we could think of one by one as fast as we could such as:
- A man walking a dog finds a treasure box.
- A woman falls into a painting.
- A detective discovers he can only concentrate around pies.
- An artist robs a bank.
We then decided to develop some of these scenarios in a story formatting exercise. In particular the girl falling into the painting, which became a complete narrative by the end of the day and may even be shot in the future, perfectly illustrating how ideas were born.
Mark Nugent on the prowl for his 'Photo of the Day'.
After this warm up, people who wanted to could present their ideas for projects and have the rest of the group challenge, develop and give feedback on the ideas. For example we helped James Dunn work on his new stand up routine and helped Mark Nugent in deciding how the final battle between two characters in his upcoming project should be conducted. I also presented small idea I've had for the 'Guardian Shorts' competition involving paper and creativity.
After the feedback circle, the rest of the day was used by everyone involved in different ways, some built a fort to test for an upcoming short, others filmed a new short sketch and some of us continued to develop the story of the painting girl. All of this was concluded with takeaway, banter and of course, the x-factor (sigh).
All in all, I think the first creative day was a huge success, it's exciting to think of the possibility's of future days, and also what we can achieve as a group when we sit down to dedicate our time to our ideas.
The guest appearance of Slenderman was also surprising, although if anyone has seen James Dunn though contact me because he is still missing.
Hopefully as more of these days happen, even more ideas will develop and grow in this space.
Thank you to everyone involved, and to you for reading this post!
