here is to more rainy weekends

One thing that can be said of the British weather is that it is somewhat consistent. Consistently raining. However, I used this to my advantage this weekend and decided to make a short film. Writers Block North East frequently set 90-second movie challenges and having entered the zombie genre, I decided to also enter the alien genre. I had an idea for a movie but decided that due to family commitments and rehearsal time that I would not make the deadline. That was until and rainy Sunday presented itself.

To keep my hand in writing I attempt to use any spare time to practice. I have been and continue to, collate ideas of any thing that presents itself. I make notes on anything to hand with the aim to write this up later. This means that I will never be out of ideas. In fact, I have more ideas than time to write them up! I therefore write up ideas I feel I can more easily develop. And so Closer Encounters was born.

Despite penning a script that required some outdoor shooting, I used the flexibility of the rewrite to set it in doors.

Now, the internet and cheaper technology mean that anyone with the most basic of hard and software can make movies. However, this does not always mean they will be good. The best way to find out if I can make movies or not is to make movies and put them out there for the world to see. So that is what I did.

I had to hand an old digital camera with a display that no longer displays, a copy of Windows Movie Maker and my imagination. Not forgetting the last minute assistance of my lovely wife.

The location, my kitchen, the actors, myself and one of my daughter’s teddy bears, all quiet on the set and action. I still find it embarrassing filming myself but this was something I soon over came. Approaching my wife with a teddy bear in one hand and a digital camera in the other did look strange but without doing so; this film would not have been made.

Overall a productive weekend. The film will be available for general viewing following the competition night so please do look out for it and comment where possible. And here is to more rainy weekends.