Updates.............

HARD SHOULDER - the pre-final mix teaser has been viewed and we should go live on Friday............it sounds awesome and looks beautiful....hope it will be enough to tempt you all to go see it at the cinema. We are now also about 2 weeks from locking picture on the film...and gearing up for extensive sound, score, and vfx treament ahead of a special screening on July 4th.

HOTEL CALEDONIA - more on cast developments.....Honor Blackman has had to bow out of the running on this one for personal reasons.....a real shame as I was looking forward to working with her. Script is out through agents interested on behalf of their clients to everyone on the castlist (as per IMDB) and we already have interest back from Jaime Pressly, Gordon Ramsay, Lance Henriksen, and one Brit A-lister we aren't allowed to mention (yet). Leslie Philips has joined the cast as we have now agreed terms with his agent. Very hopeful that Danny Dyer and Gillian Anderson will also join the cast though as yet no word back from either (has only been a week). Now thinking about a replacement for Honor......some fun names dropping in there (Jo Lumley, Dawn French, Julie Walters, Pauline Collins).

INFECTED - we have heard that Andrew Tiernan is still very interested to join the Infected cast alongside Sean Pertwee, Alex Reid, MyAnna Buring, and Cecile Cassel (all but the latter attached - we are in final negotiations with Cecile). Still waiting to hear back from Matt Smith (he's been a tad busy) and about to go out to Richard Brake with a cameo role.

UNDERNEATH THE MISTLETOE - progressing well, and though we are not in a position to go out to cast as of yet, we are continuing to compile our cast approaches in preparation. Budget looks set to max out at £1m with finance plans under way to raise that sum from private equity sources and hopefully some central money from UKFC off the back of "Hard Shoulder".

An as yet "Untitled War Film" (for legal reasons) - early development in preparation of a busy summer punching out a £25m contemporary war film set in Vietnam and featuring Australian national servicemen, for a first look by Ridley Scott. News (good I hope) to follow.

And, as if that isnt enough for one man, I have a graphic novel, two short films, and a couple of commercial campaigns pitched for the summer of 2010. Think its gonna be one hell of a year's end for me.

Thanks for stopping by,

Nick

Cast news.............

HOTEL CALEDONIA - Leslie Phillips and Honor Blackman interested and now in negotiations to attach. Danny Dyer, Gordon Ramsay, Jaime Pressly, Gillian Anderson, and Lance Henriksen now approached and in talks.

INFECTED - Andrew Tiernan interested and now in talks to attach. Matt Smith in talks. Approach made to Cecile Cassel.

UNDERNEATH THE MISTLETOE - cast list being assembled with approaches being scheduled for end of March to Pete Postlethwaite, Thora Birch, Catherine McCormack, Leo Gregory, and Jack O'Connell.

Things are moving very well............

Nick

Lost at sea........

It seems a while since I updated anything on this site but I've finally managed to get back here after what is nearly 3/4 of a year........blimey! In that time I have managed to shoot and assemble a psych thriller horror feature called HARD SHOULDER, a fantastic little picture details of which are elsewhere amongst my blogs. It was a trip into the land of the sublime - full size Panavision cameras and lenses, top level 35mm stock from Kodak, assistance from technicians at Technicolour, Double Negative, and Reel Sound, and the most amazing assembly of creatives I could possibly have met at such an early stage in my career. It's been a trip for sure!

On top of that there have been major developments and movements on a number of other projects including a Vietnam war epic, a new psych thriller/horror (into production end of 2010 I hope), a horror/sci-fi, and a brand new sub-genre that I am keen to push 'Eco-Horror'! All in all I have my work cut out. Added to that interest from commercials companies to get into their creative departments - seems like a busy year or two to come.

Let's hop it isn't another year before I get back here.......eh?

Cheers,

Nick

Been away a while.................

But now I'm back............................and boy, have I got news for you. Where do I start? At the beginning probably...........so here goes:

1) TRANSPARENCY - manga horror currently being assessed by Screen Yorkshire for a £16,000 short film budget as part of their 2009 initiatives. Planned shoot in Spring 2010 in London & Paris.

2) NO MORE ENCORES - adult animation slant on the "Jack the Ripper" story now being pre-produced together with Blue Locust in Exeter. 3 day shoot & lo-level budget being compiled.

3) MISSION XMASABLE - children's Christmas animation seeking development and production funding in collaboration with Blue Locust in Exeter - at £10k

4) CLARA & THE MANATEE - children's short animation film / feature teaser in continuing talks with named Hollywood A-lister to narrate and Exec Produce.

5) INFECTED - now with official interest/intent from both Alex Reid (The Descent) and Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers) to star. Budget estimated at £1.5m.

6) SECOND SKIN - now in script development

7) G.E.C.O - submitted by request to two Malaysian businessmen looking for £2m investment opportunity with Malaysia/Central America based script.

8) THE RASBENEK CHRONICLES - graphic novel picking up pace ahead of intended release on G1 and IPhone as first distribution outlets.

So there you have it.....what I've been up to. Dang! I've been busy but it'll be worth it in the end cos one of these bay's has got to break for me sometime. Let's just hope that Hard Shoulder does the job, eh?

See you later.

Nick

Seeing through TRANSPARENCY....

Things are moving nicely along with this short film, with the help of first-time producer Deborah Rees who is putting the project together in anticipation of principal photography later in the year.

With the concept firmly planted in a London shoot there are many things to organise, but logistics are confused somewhat by the need to journey to Paris to shoot additional footage. I'm hoping that the smooth transition from one country to the next with be aided by the need for only a limited crew - namely myself, Deborah, and our DoP, who, as luck might have it, has not been approached at this stage of development.

With the intention of shooting on RED ONE or possibly the Pansonic HVX200 this project is and needs to be very portable.

We already have some collaborators involved with us, supplying various equipment and facilities, so progress is good to date.

We'll keep you up to speed as things develop further.

Nick

Ghost in the Machine.............

The cogs have been turning again this week - well actually this day. Cranked out another great little short script yesterday, about 18 pages worth, on a story I prepped the day before. Came to me in a flash (as do most things) as a supernatural, hyper-real ghost story about a man haunted by a presence he can't get rid of. Blah, blah, blah I hear you say.........but you have to read this baby to believe it. It really will take you for a ride and leave you reflecting on the imagery you've just had floating about in your head. That wasn't what I thought it was, was it?

Keep an eye out on the short film circuit in 2009/10 for this one - TRANSPARENCY.


Nick

And The Road Leads..............To Somewhere?

OMG what's going on? This last week has been a major "in the zone" week for writing and I've rattled off 95 pages of a new script in just over two weeks. That would ordinarily be brilliant but for two things:

1) I'm only just half way through the story!
2) I can't complete a 180 page script and hope to cut it down to 90 pages. That's impossible!

I know, I know, I can hear you all moaning..."But it can't be very good if you've done it in two weeks, can it?" The simple answer is "Possibly not....as it sits at the moment". The fact remains that at potentially 180 pages it's waaaaaaaay too long for a single feature despite the fact that the premise is very exciting, and I've just let the story flow out of my head onto the paper as it needs to.

I have been very conscious of brevity as I've been writing so it is a fast read for sure. However it is most certainly more suited, at its current length and that which I assume it will complete at, as a two part TV drama. The only problem with that is the story is very heavy - emotionally - and deals with issues that, without putting too fine a point on it, signal the end of mankind. And all in a way that is very real, and worringly, very possible.

There is so much to this story, and so much more I have had to leave untouched, that I am tempted to reconfigure the story to be a three or four part narrative, which then becomes much more suitable for serialisation. The hero is someone very identifiable, in an all action way, but clearly flawed by personality and experience. Supporting characters could be further fleshed out to provide alternative insight to the backstory surrounding the main premise.

It's a fascinating opportunity to really go beyond what I would normally do in a feature script, simply because it carries with it elements of political conspiracy and the hot topic of the Middle East, subjects that are constantly changing, and being debated the world over. I'm not quite sure how to pitch it, or if to pitch it to executives looking for the next serialised drama. I'd love to finish it first but that might mean 5 or 6 '60 minute' odd scripts for producers to wade through.

Perhaps I should do a good 'Part One', and then plan out the rest of the story in smaller treatments. In that way it could be seen as the realists 'Cloverfield' were it to be interpreted in a 'handy-cam' sort of way. That in itself is very exciting for sure.

Anyway watch this space. When I've made a decision you'll be the first to know. Nick