'OMG' - Production Update

The edit has been finalised and the cut locked.

Shots have been farmed out for VFX, and the film for sound enhancement. Siddhartha Barnhoorn has agreed to score the short.

Post FX work is a lot more subtle than my usual films. I do seem to find myself with a rather large ratio to film length, OMG is a 3 minute short yet it has 14 of those shots that need enhancement .

Effects include a complete replacement of the mobile phone screen and a glow added when our actor interacts with it. A mobile phone mast will also be recreated for the exterior scene. Most of these enhancements will go unnoticed, as they should.

I am in the process of looking at the grade, experimenting, it's unclear to me at this stage if I'll do the grade myself or put an ad out and apply for a colour timer. It all depends on time and if schedule's are clear.

We are expecting to run through to the end of November with a release early December.

'Poppies' on BBC Devon

Poppies has picked up some interest from the BBC. Laura Joint wrote an article which can be viewed here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2008/10/27/
poppies_film_feature.shtml

A Hard Day's Knight ICFF

The international Comedy Film Festival saw our short film, 'A Hard Day's Knight' make it through into the final. Although only a runner up, we are very proud of the short and pleased with the feedback from the audience. Next month will see the short being screened at the, Cornwall Film Festival.

Fingers Crossed!

This weekend we successfully wrapped on our short film, 'OMG', moving us swiftly into post production.

The shoot itself was very smooth and on schedule. We are hoping to have the film ready for viewing within the next eight weeks. We will be releasing another update as the film progresses.

All the Best
Ash

'OMG' Short goes ahead.

Title: OMG
Format: DVCPRO HD
Genre: Comedy
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Running Time: 3 min approx
Release Date: December 2008


Synopsis:

When Malcolm sends a desperate text message, asking for forgiveness, he prays for a speedy response. When the response doesn’t come he suspects the reason might be poor reception, and embarks on a frantic pilgrimage in pursuit of a better signal.

Full cast and crew for 'OMG':

CREW
Director: Clayton Fussell & Ashley Wing
Producer: Clayton Fussell & Ashley Wing
Writer: Clayton Fussell
Director of Photography: Chris Jones
Camera Assistant: Richard Turner
Boom Op & Sound Mix: Simon Greenwood
Editor: Ashley Wing
Original Score: Siddhartha Barnhoorn


CAST
Malcolm: Joseph Whitehouse

Website: www.omgthemovie.co.uk

Fall of Man - Feature

Christopher Williams has signed on to help co-write and help with the development of my feature script, Fall of Man. This is a story I have had since completing my first short film, Between the Lines. We've been working really hard on the characters and structure, trying to bring something new to the post apocalyptic genre.

I'd really like to take this to a studio and get the funds to tell the story in the best way possible. While working on various micro budgets has taught me to be very careful with our resources, I really think a cash injection would do the story justice on screen. Not only that but it's a story that would appeal to the market.

We are on target to get this completed before Christmas.

KNIGHT GOES FORTH!

The 27th of September sees the arrival of Torbay's first film festival, a comedy one at that. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to submit my short, A Hard Day's Knight. Well news arrived on Friday that it was one of the twenty short films to be selected and screened at the event.

A Hard Day's Knight is showing onthe 27th in the Groovy Movie Cinema on Paignton green at 2pm and 4pm.

More details about the festival can be seen here: http://www.icff.co.uk/

FESTIVAL NEWS

A Hard Day's Knight has been accepted into Cornwall's film festival 2008 and will be screening at the 'Delabole Slate Audience Award'.

Poppies was also entered alongside under 'ANOTHER COUNTRY International Short Film Award'. Still awaiting news if it made it through. It doesn't stop there. Poppies is due to screen at Exeter's Two Short Nights film festival which will be taking place on the 28th and 29th of November. The event is held at the Phoenix Media Centre.

Fingers Crossed!

D+C Film Interview.

A few weeks ago Lee Morgan from D+C Film caught up with me for an interview on Poppies and my other projects.

You can listen to the interview here: http://www.devon-cornwall-film.co.uk/2008/08/07/ashley-wing-in-conversation/

Sci-Fi Project: Terminal. Post Production UPDATE

We have our locked edit and are now working through some 47 VFX shots. It's quite a task with such a small team but I have no doubt that they'll do a great job. I have been discussing the sound design with Bennet Maples. He will be doing our final mix in 5.1. I'm quite excited about this as it will be the first time in one of the films I've been involved with that will be encoded with surround sound.

Finally, me and Siddhartha Barnhoorn have been working on ideas for the score. We'll finalise these once everything else is in place.

Pre-Production 'The Acqitted'

I'm in Pre-Production on my next project. This idea was originally conceived November 2007. After a few more developments it's now at the stage where it's ready to move forward. Looking to obtain funding within the next 4-8 weeks and aiming for shooting November time. Details are still sketchy but stay tuned for more info as it happens.


Title: The Acquitted
Genre: Drama
Format: tbc
Aspect Ratio: tbc
Running Time: 10 min approx
Release Date: tbc

Synopsis:
JOHN TAYLOR works as a medical doctor at an unnamed prison. His job is to weed down the prison population by administering a lethal injection to selected inmates: only the prisoners don’t know – in fact, on the contrary, they think they are being released. When prisoner STEPHEN PRITCHARD comes in for an examination a sequence of past events are triggered. It soon transpires that John Taylor is more than just an average prison Doctor.

THEMES
- GOVERMENTAL / CORPORATE CONTROL
- RISING CRIME
- EUTHANASIA
- UTILITARIANISM


Full cast and crew for 'The Acquitted':

CREW
Writer: Ashley Wing & Jason Gaskell
Director: Ashley Wing
Producer: tbc
Assistant Director: tbc
Director of Photography: tbc
1st CA: tbc
2nd CA: tbc
Editor: tbc
Sound Recordist: tbc
Original Score: tbc

Associate Producer: tbc
Audio Mix and FX: tbc
Stills Photographer: tbc

CAST
John Taylor: tbc
Stephen Pritchard: tbc

Sci-Fi Project: Terminal. Post Production

We are in deep in post on the Sci-Fi short, Terminal. VFX supervisor Matthew Plummer is finalising applicant's suitible to take on the heavy duty effects work. The shoot was smooth and I had a great time on the set.

I'm travelling to Newquay tomorrow to vist Justin Heasman at SketchWork Productions to lock the edit.

I'm pasting some of my diary scribblings below.


Landed back in the shire (Devon) safe and sound yesterday morning. It's now time for me to start pulling up all my notes for the edit and effects work that needs to be done. We also need to fill the position on VFX supervisor. I have someone in mind for this role and it just needs to be confirmed. There's a lot of work to be done and this is where everyone gets a piece of the action.

Looking through the rushes I'm pleased. The cinematography is fairly strong here and the lighting worked very well. One of the best reasons to shoot on sets is the control over such things. I'm still cautious as we have to get it in the edit first and I don't want to jump the gun.

My on set experience was a good one. I felt in control and I hope the cast and crew felt at ease. I always like to try and bring everyone together so they feel like a small family. Everyone seemed to click so the team spirit was high. It's this that is key. A good crew is a happy crew, or so they say. I was actually quite comfortable and ended up in a constant state of being hyperactive, which only made me feel completely exhausted and sick when I got back to the accommodation. Well, some people would say hyperactive but I like to think passionate is a better description. Even when shooting finished I couldn't sleep or stop thinking about everything but I cant do anything to change that, I'm just built that way.

Even now I can't stop, I'm trying to take a break but am finding it increasingly impossible, every second not spent improving something on the film is a failing in myself as the director. Maybe it's selfish or harsh but I can not and will not allow any chance of project to fail, I wont fail the people that supported me through the production.

One thing that did keep me going was the copious amounts of green tea I ended up drinking. Couldn't help but think this was noticed as one of the cast kindly bought me a box of green tea as a thank you at the wrap party.

I'll admit I was sad at the party, very odd experience that. Surely you should be happy that the film is moving forward into post, no? I guess it's the people your with that makes the experience what it is, this makes the movie more than just a short film or a project. It's a personal film because you just don't see cool sets and action. You see the blood, sweat and tears that went into it. You see the love, care and attention that went into every single aspect of bringing this together. I can not fathom what emotions and feelings must of gone through the cast and crew of the much bigger films like lord of the rings or star wars. These films were running for over 10 years with the pre production.

Maybe that is why I can't allow spare time to be wasted. After all there is only so much time and as the great Paul Daniels once said, every second counts.

Poppies Release

The first public screening of our short film Poppies is due. It is to be included as one of the short film showing alongside a selection of features at the Animal Big Screen.

The first public screening of our short film Poppies is due. It is to be included as one of the short films showing alongside a selection of features running daily at the Animal Big Screen event.

Details below.

Animal Big Screen in the Park

Sit back and savour the unique experience of films al fresco on our big 10m screen, with the twinkling skyline of the city as a backdrop. We'll also be screening some of the best short films that have been commissioned by Phoenix Media in 2007.

Price: £1

Date: Wednesday 13 - Saturday 16 August

Time: 9pm

Venue: Northernhay Gardens

Wednesday 13 - RAISING ARIZONA (15) 94min.

Thursday 14 - SURF'S UP (PG) 85min.

Friday 15 - THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (12A) 115min.

Saturday 16 - 300 (15) 116min.

Sponsored by

Sci-Fi Project in the works

Just as one project finishes another one begins, well not quite. I have been involved on the Sci-Fi drama from Decemeber last year. The short film is produced by the Fxhome studio in Norwich. We are deep in pre-production and shooting takes place end of June. This is going to be on par with my first production, Between the Lines, although there is a much tighter production team here than anything I have worked on before. It's also my first time working with sets and a hefty budget. I'll filter updates as and when I can.

POPPIES rolls out of post production.

The film is finally on it's way out of the post booth and ready to be bathed in the light of the public. A very nervous time for any film maker. The first few copies will go directly to the actors while others will be submitted to various film festivals.

I'm very happy with this one and feel the progression made in my approach and techniques to the project are tightening up. The emotion I was trying to reflect from the poem translated well. Although looking back I would have changed a few bits here and there. But isn't that always the case with any project?

I will keep you all up to date on where and when it will be available for public viewing via the internet.

POPPIES rolls into pre-production.

Thursday, 10 January 2008

POPPIES rolls into pre-production.

My next short film is rolling into pre-production and due to be shot at the begining of March. It's the first project of mine which is going through the correct channels so to speak. The short film is based around a poem my Father in law wrote about three years ago. I'll release stills and details as this one develops. Expect it shortly.

Title: Poppies
Genre: Poetry Drama
Format: DVCPRO HD
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Running Time: 4 min approx
Release Date: May

Synopsis:
It is November 11th. Bill is one man of many volunteers to help raise money in donations from his poppy display. But underneath his proud silent stance is a broken man of times past. A traumatic history locked deep inside, a memory dormant. The consequence and emotional effect left in the wake of war. The few are burdened with the scars so that the many may live their lives in normality. And those who bare those scars could be stood on a street corner on the 11th of November selling poppies.


Director's Statement:
Every Sunday, my wife and I travel to her Father's for Sunday roast, a ritual event. And it's here, once a month he will read his latest poem. Looking through his past collection I stumbled upon one that caught my attention called, Poppies. As I read through I was moved and captivated. The words provoked real emotion. It was then I began to wonder how it would be to produce this as a visual piece, if it would work. It would certainly be a challenge and quite something to duplicate the poem up to it's current standard. I then worked on the poem's translation to script and alterations were made to accommodate this. Poppies is a poem of exploration and asks, can humanity ever learn from its history? The focus of any war can be about past battles fought, when and where they took place. But isn't it really about the consequences and emotional effects left in the wake of humanities actions? The few are burdened with scars so that the many may live their life in normality. And those who bare those scars could be stood on a street corner on the 11th of November selling poppies.

Ashley Wing
Devon, December 2007.

Full cast and crew for 'Poppies':

CREW
Writer and Director: Ashley Wing
Producer: Rebecca Ramsden & Ashley Wing
Director of Photography: Adrian Pinsent
Assistant Director: Daniel Cox
Clapper Loader: Amelia Saberwal
Production Assitant: William Huntley
Editor: Joshua Gaunt
Sound Recordist: Cliff Eastabrook
Original Score:



Online Editor: Joshua Gaunt
Stills Photographer: David James

CAST
Bill: Bill Stuart
Julie: Jo Coffey
Young Bill: Daniel Nuttall

Wednesday, 19 December 2007

2007 in a nutshell

05.03.07 Between the Lines premiered at Brixham theatre over the weekend With over 400 attending. Early feedback is positive.

30.03.07 Trip to Switzerland to support fellow film making friend Marco Von Moos and his debut feature film Nightcast. Nighcast received its world premiere at the prestigious Pathé Dietlikon cinema in Zurich.

30.05.07 Ashley has just finished directing 'A Hard Days Knight', a short Co-Written with Between The Lines actor Clayton Fussell. They are currently in the process of entering it into the prestigious Raindance Film Festival. Check back for more news.

03.06.07 Work has continued on the script 'Fall of Man' still a working title. Character and environmental development's hit the next stage and more ideas are brought forward. The project will be looking for investment and funding in the near future.

07.06.07 Ashley has started to rally support from film communities, magazines and companies around the globe to start an international film festival event in the Torbay area. He is to give a presentation on his ideas at the end of June.

07.12.07 'A Hard Day's Knight' screened at the Exeter Phoenix, two short nights film festival.

19.12.07 3 short film scripts have been completed and due for production next year. Full details to be released early January.