I, Cowbirdy

I’ve been using the website Cowbird for just over a month now. Developed by artist Jonathan Harris as a new type of platform to share stories of our life experiences with each other, the site offers space to create something that is more meditative than the fast moving, frequently updated, timelines we currently use to connect on the Internet. Cowbird then enables those stories to be seen in the wider context of shared human story. And while the content of the site may hold more weight than other mediums, the functionality remains as light, contemporary and organic to use as any you’ll find on the web. These qualities of chewing the cud (Cow) while remaining swift and breezy (bird) are what make Cowbird what it is. And what makes it's users, Cowbirdy.

Each story created inhabits it’s own page on the Cowbird website where it can be seen as a lone entry, a single picture with accompanying text and/or audio. User added metadata includes information such as dates, locations with maps and character profiles for people appearing in the stories, or to whom a story can be dedicated. The metadata, as well as giving background texture to individual stories, allows them to be grouped into mosaic story pages searchable by tags and themes uniting story collections grouped say by, ‘Family’ or ‘Coffee’ or that feature a specific person or city. The more metadata added, the more collections a story shows up in. Stories can be as short and sweet or as in depth as you want to make them. Both sorts equally meaningful.

The storyteller community adds other levels of focus to how stories are collated, as people ‘love’ stories on the site helping those most widely appreciated entries to be found easily. Storytellers can also join the audience of other users to follow their particular additions on the site. And for social creatures like myself who love free flowing streams, Cowbird has an easy share tool for many social networks.

The site has another function, that of documenting the widespread human events of our time as they happen, the first of which is the Occupy movement. The mosaic pages compiling story, whether individually journalistic documentation, poetic creations or a mixture of both, collectively create a saga of human story that is both anthropological and bardic in nature, and offers a collective and unique view into the ways that events are experienced by people and time. Quite a work of art, and it’s alive and growing.

Still in it’s early infancy, Cowbird has already adapted to become even more fluid to use and I’ve found that because of the way it’s designed, I have been able to write on Cowbird about things that are hard express directly into the maelstrom of facebook or twitter, and that felt too personal to dump on a blog where they wouldn’t make sense or would disappear, pushed down a tunnel of chronological posts and forgotten.

Cowbird has so far proved a fantastic heart home to house my own story collection and to be reinfoced by the expression of others (as I had encountered with Jonathan’s own stories, created during his time building Cowbird) and as stories on the site retain a lively immediacy, sharing them in a place where they will last and remain vibrant, feels very spiritually enriching. As virtual spaces go, it’s a really nice place to reside.

Cowbird is looking for photographers, writers, filmmakers, journalists, etc. and if you want to join the storytelling community, you can request an invitation.

Deader than Elvis #SOPA #ACTA #filmmaking

As someone who makes films, I'm supposed to be very concerned about copyright and piracy. I was once, but now I'm not. I have come to understand that IP is deader than Elvis and ultimately, while conglomerates and politicians seek lockdown over the internet and copyright enforcement, the reality of how media will move away from that notion and into a more access based system founded on usage, will be tested and implemented, not only by web techs and innovators but by people like me in the indie film world. We are the ones at the bottom of the food chain who will really evaluate and trial the new platforms that are sculpted for us and sort the wheat from the chaff as to what will make the new distribution mainstream as the shift to a new paradigm happens. In fact, we've already begun.

It's been interesting today to spend time on the internet to see people's absorption with how this could become much harder for us with the issue of the bills like SOPA, PIPA and in Europe, ACTA and whether people are disinterested, confused or outraged by the proposals, or have blacked out their websites for the day or not, seems irrelevant to me. These bills if not passed in to law in their current forms I think will return in another form, because conglomerates, afraid to let go of the system they make their money from without a proven alternative will carry on pushing to protect their interests. Nobody stops dialysis with just the hope of a new kidney.

The good news is this resistance to change happens every time there is an adjustment in the way media is distributed. With radio, the music industry was horrified at people listening to music for free but it turned out to be the best thing ever causing a boom in music revenues! Video repeat fees were only given at a far lower rate than television broadcast because studios had no initial idea whether this new innovation would be profitable or not. Again when internet streaming, webisodes and download sales began residuals took a hit as the fear kicked in that the medium wouldn't work. We all hope a way forward will be found so that crazy laws don't damage our wonderful system of global connectivity, and I'm glad that today awareness was raised so that people can think about the web and what they want it to be because I believe censorship is a far more dangerous thing to content creators than piracy is. Also, as protests go it wasn't the most effective way of making a point but at least it's hard to club websites with batons or tear gas them so it got people talking while being trauma free.

I think the web can be a much better place for us than it currently is and I do believe there is room for everyone's interests on it to be served. I'm hoping to be a tiny part of the shift towards making that happen and that's what I want to be focused on, not worrying about the problem of what might become of the web because of legislation, but doing the small bit that I can do to help the transition to a system that makes that legislation irrelevant and implements something that serves everyone, as any society should serve all it's participants, even the ones who don't understand it very well.

Documenting Christmas

I've been trying to get projects and loose ends tied up, get my Christmas shopping done and wrapped and posted and just sit down with a mince pie or two to enjoy some Christmas movies, but there's always that one person, isn't there that you don't know what to buy for because they've already got everything or they don't want anything or because they're just generally difficult. And it occurred to me recently while watching a friend's documentary that they make really good Christmas presents for those awkward people, especially the lesser known ones with their specific focus which can be so right for those not obvious presents you love to surprise people with.

So here I thought I'd make some recommends that you may not have come across or even if you have, may not have considered their Christmassy potential for main gifts, stocking stuffers or a treat for yourself there's plenty to choose from to break up the monotony of the Christmas TV specials with!

My top 3 picks for 2011 are:

THE SILVER FOOTPRINT

A fantastic documentary DVD set about the art of Robin Bell, master printer. Robin's photographic prints are highly sought after by the worlds top photographers and he is one of the few who still specialise in hand processing black and white prints to exceptional standards. Even if you don't know their names the work of Don McCullin, Ken Griffiths, Bill Brandt, Ernst Haas, Martyn Colbeck, Ida Kar and Norman Parkinson, amongst others including director Richard Dunkley's own stunning images are iconic recognisable works of art.

The documentary's delve into the work of this master printer, with insights into his processes and interviews with him and the photographers he prints for covers a half century of incredible photographic work, and with a 40 minutes 'extras' package where Robin shows advanced printing and darkroom techniques it's a great gift for any photographer friends or indeed anyone who just loves image and photographic art.

You can order it on the website at www.thesilverfootprint.com

BEYOND BIBA

Barbara Hulanicki changed the face of British fashion in the 60's with her fashion line BIBA and created the off the shelf high street fashion shop model that is still familiar to the way we dress today. Beyond Biba is therefore a fantastic gift for all the fashionistas you may know, but not know what to buy for. But beyond that the film goes on to tell how Barbara's career developed and she found herself a key ingredient in the regeneration of Miami in the late 80's and 90's and where she still works as one of the most respected interior designers in the world.

The film is not all about fashion and design though, it takes us through Barbara's personal history and her incredible life and background, her relationships and personal spirit and how she refuses to be coloured by the shadows of her past. Anyone who loves a bit of gumption will appreciate this.

You can purchase Beyond Biba on Amazon or watch it yourself on demand.

SWEETGRASS

A charming documentary about the modern-day American 'cowboys' (should this not be shepherds?) who lead their flocks of sheep up the Absaroka-Beartooth Montana mountains of Montana to summer pasture. The almost medatitive pace and lush panorama coupled with the gritty herders and their horses dogs and working class grit is epic in it's observational splendour. It's experiential, funny, charming and a little bit different to anything you've seen before. Give it to your quirky friends or those who just need to relax and kick back a while because it's definitely one to relax with.

Sweetgrass is avilable to buy from Dogwoof on Amazon.

And remember folks. Documentaries are for life, not just for Christmas! Happy Chrimble everyone!

And as a little gift from me here's a link to Documentary Heaven where you can watch some fantastic docs yourself for free. ;)

Sleeping Beauty

An aesthetically minimalist piece of work, Sleeping Beauty is to those who will ‘get’ it chilling in it’s quiet examination of soporific submission. Far removed from Disney dreams and fairy tales the film somehow resonated despite it’s rather thick plot of a young student with a troubled set of life circumstances who tries to improve her lot by taking a job as an erotic prop to fulfil wealthy wants.

Ultimately an experiential movie, where what seems to be shown is an overwhelming world where submission to ones own needs can be as disturbing as submission to someone else’s, wherever we look there are those seeking soporific escape from their own lives. It’s an experience not unlike a trip through a fairground hall of mirrors, where the twisted reflections are distracting but where nothing exists to really make you happy. This film won’t make you happy, and that’s its point. It’s about the use of sex, drugs and fantasy as a way of sleeping through life.

Beautifully restrained performance from Emily Browning is mirrored by a supporting cast led by Rachel Blake and sits within a cinematic tableau that is dreamlike and elegant in the world of our heroine's sexual employment and dingy in the mess of her real life outside of the fantasy world. Sound and score are tensely sparse. All is technically excellent and emotionally barren. When sleeping beauty is woken from almost death she can do nothing but scream at her situation. And anyone who’s stuck with the film that long will want to scream inside along with her. Whether that is from intense immersion in this highly artistic film or boredom at the lack of any such engagement I can hardly say. I can see the film having both effects. For me it was fortunately the former and I consider this film a truly impressive piece of arthouse cinema.

The Ides of March

Here in Europe we generally take our contemporary politics less seriously than our US cousins (I guess the edge wore off when the political beheadings ended) however in these dystopian times I found myself weirdly sympathetic to this tale that predictably spins a bright, brilliant press secretary into the murk we know to be the political campaign system with it’s dirty tricks and dirtier secrets, and jades even his smartarse, smirking little heart forever. Storywise there are few revelations here. We know what’s coming, we see it coming, and when it finally comes we drink the bitter juice. What’s different this time is that while we’ve seen this grime before in political drama, we perhaps have never seen the disappointment of political wrangling have such a visible impact on our own lives as we do now in this post Obama sobering up era where the fallout from the murk of political wrangling on our world is clearer to us than we ever wanted to know about, and we look at our latest golden boy of politics, and begin to wonder where the dream went so very wrong this film holds a resonance beyond what it is in itself.

But it’s not just that this film puts us in the frame of mind to reflect on our own part in the political spin and spoils of our world, that helps me to like it, but that it’s beautifully made, with thoughtful, bubbling scenes that would be painfully drawn out were it not for the delicious tension of a wonderful score and moody icon filled cinematography. The acting is spot on for this film driven by compelling characters rather than plot and with an A list cast that I’d expect no less from.This film is serious and takes itself so. Sadly the script is a little pedestrian and lacks some of the brutal edge that most contemporary political drama has to offer. However overall there’s a lot of nice stuff here to reflect upon and at the end of the day, the real juice of it is that people should always matter more than politics and the horror that sends us reeling when our darkest fears that this is not the case, become confirmed.

See this film. I don’t think you’ll be sorry.

Death Wish

Death Wish was my first proper introduction to crowd funding via micro financing websites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter. It happened across my path at a fortuitous time and was such a cool project and a nice experience that it set me in the direction of backing many more projects since.

Nina Tryggvason, a fellow screenwriter from an online community I’m part of knew a film producer called Timo Puolitaipale and when he began a crowd funding campaign for a short film called Death Wish, she posted details for us to take a look at both the project, and the crowd funding site and how it worked to help people get their films made.

I’d had a great experience becoming an Associate Producer of Chris Jones’ short film ‘Gone Fishing’ and although we didn’t really call it crowd funding or do it via a special site, and we all had already known Chris and were part of his community, it had left a good impression on me about giving money to projects to help people out in the instances that I couldn't commit to help on films. I couldn’t work on films at that point in my life as I was caring for my terminally ill mother, while giving money to a total stranger on the internet seemed a bit odd to me even if they had come recommended, I was looking for some kind of continuity in a life that had litterally turned upsidedown for me at that point.

When I clicked through to take a look at the project I was hooked both on the project and the idea that I could help filmmakers afar as well as the ones I had known and helped in my own community. The indiegogo page video from director Chad Costen revealed him in a Christmas hat in front of a miniature set of snow topped lit up houses on a tabletop. I’d made my first film Death of the Dinosaurs on a tabletop and that was an amazing experience and I totally love Christmas and despite being penilless it wasn’t a huge donation to make in order to join in.. plus getting a ‘Special Thanks’ on IMDb for eleven dollars was kind of a no brainer, I am very fond of my IMDb page! And to be honest the idea (at what was a very draining time in my life) of being able to follow a really special project that I loved and had a tiny stake in but didn’t need to give any energy too was very appealing and felt hopeful for me.



So out of this series of events came a complete joy in and an attachment to the project, that for whatever reason it began, was perpetuated and rewarded by the quality of the film itself. I own it, I enjoy it, and it’s available on iTunes for a bargain amount if you would like to see it. It won awards, was made with love and care, and is just a rather special gem to have.

You may also wish to check out Chad Costen and Timo Puolitaipale’s new project Death vs. Robot which is currently gathering funds on Indiegogo. Needless to say after my previous good experience, that lead me to back many more rewarding projects, I am a happy backer of this most excellent filmmaking team again!

Conan the Barbarian

I’m a huge, huge fan of the previous Conan the Barbarian films and so despite having heard some very dubious feedback about it’s quality, I felt it was time for me to see this re-imagining of the Conan tale based (apparently) more closely on the original stories, partly because I just love Conan as a character and partly because I actually welcomed a more modern, adaptation.

Initially though the film seemed well designed and Ron Perlman sets it off well, I could tell it was going to be overly long winded as from the offset, it begins with a legend to set up the premise that occurs before even the birth of Conan. By the time we’ve been through said birth, the teen years and finally gotten to the adult Conan, there’s been a confused muddle of storyline followed by a huge gap that makes it hard to identify with our fully grown hero when he finally appears in the guise of a happy pirate. As the plot winds it’s laborious way forward even the very nice and smashingly gory action sequences begin to become meaningless as the screenwriters, without the relief of any charisma or relationship development whatsoever, attempt to stuff years of meandering adventure, relationships and meaningless side plot into a two hour film. And then the actors are weakly directed, making resulting film a dull, shallow borefest that other than the odd moment of brilliance glinting through the fuzz, I didn’t much care about it.

There was something a little off about the acting largely down to poor casting and direction, I felt. Jason Momoa, I have to say, is an awesome choice for Conan, he’s a charismatic, earthy actor with ability, charm, humour and incredible looks to take on the iconic role, but unfortunately weakly directed his performance lacks some of the bravado or levity that it deserved, it’s bubbling there in the actor but never seems to be allowed to the surface. Poor direction on the part of Marcus Nispel who’s weakness as a director does seem to be in his handling of actors and perhaps in attempting to remove any hit of the cheesy smell left from the earlier films, he’s actually crushed all charisma out of the performance altogether. A real shame as I’m a big fan of Jason Momoa and had he been allowed and encouraged to breathe and have fun with the role, he’d have been extremely compelling. As it is, he still makes a likeable Conan and fights his way expertly naturally through some pretty awesome action, but a lot of what would have made him more human is missed out on. Rachel Nichols is stunning but again, is left (by a quite terrible script choices for her character) without having the tools at her disposal to make the most of her role or acting ability, though what she does is done very nicely and with strength and again, she's adept during the fight scenes.



Other parts are, unfortunately, less well cast, Stephen Lang makes for an odd Khalar Zym and though around the same age as Perlman, actually comes across too elderly and weak to seem like a serious arch enemy, not aided by his witch daughter played by Rose McGowan who despite being a good actor in general, is badly miscast in this strong role and can’t even carry her revealing costume convincingly, never mind pose a threat to our hero and heroine. Nonso Anozie was underused (he’d have been a good choice for Conan himself as he can carry strong roles very well) as was Said Taghmaoui and the two characters made for disappointingly unconnected side kicks and stole whatever camaraderie might have bonded them to Conan in a believable way.

The whole foundation of the thing is a complete muddle, and misdirected to boot, and that throws some very good potential under the bus and results in a movie that is too long with not enough happening and all the focus in the wrong areas. The fight scenes, though truly exceptional and with one especially beautiful Harryhausenesque VFX sequence, are so unending and out of context with the momentum of the film that they become tiresome and unrewarding. I'm reminded of something Shane Black said about action needing to really drive the plot and reveal the characters, not just sit aside from the two. Never a truer word spoken as far as I'm concerned and the meat of the problem in this movie adaptation.

Overall it’s a tragedy of ultimately rushed development, script doctored hastily during production and not quite reaching the dizzy heights it was aiming for with it's budget. I could have totally loved this film, I really could. I found a fair amount to like in it but I mostly wanted to take it straight back to an edit suite to see if it could at least be put together better than it has been, and really I just wanted to re-shoot it from scratch and fulfil all that unreached potential I saw in it.


All in all, while I’m glad I did see this film and that I found it just about well made and interesting enough to stick through to the end, I think I’ll be remaining loyal to the joyously cheesy Arnold Schwarzenegger version of the Conan tales from now on, which despite their camp humour and slightly rubbery snake scene, had believable plot that worked well and built momentum, had majesty and mythos to it, and on that strongly scripted foundation gave us true chemistry between likeable characters, and done simply, without fuss or deviation from the storytelling. And that’s why those films will last on and be loved long after this ‘re-imagining’ has been forgotten. I'm sad Jason Momoa won’t get the kind of springboard from this that Arnold got in his time.. I don't think he deserved a flop. Never mind Jason, you were great in Game of Thrones!

Me.. well, in the back of my head, Conan the Barbarian didn't utterly disappoint but didn't make the grade either and is on my list of things I’d like to re-make properly whenever someone would like to give me the job. :)

Q&A with Ben Williams ~ Producer's Assistant #LondonSWF

Ben Williams is Producer’s Assistant to a leading UK Producer as well as screenwriting and directing his own films, most recently a beautiful tale of fandom and friendship in his short film “The Fan”.

It struck me chatting to him over a cuppa at the London Screenwriters’ Festival, what an important link between Producers and screenwriters (not to mention everyone else on a film) that a Producer’s Assistant is, and yet how little we really pay attention to the people who do this work and what the job itself is. So I asked Ben to answer a few questions for us to tell us a little about his work and he was kind enough to share a few thoughts.



Can you tell us a little bit about your work as a Producer’s Assistant and the sort of things it entails on a day to day basis.

Day to day, my job entails a multitude of tasks, from the complicated to the basic. We're a small company, so I take on most things, from emptying the bins to preparing important legal documents. For the most part, it's all office-based, administrative tasks - hardly the glamorous things I think some friends imagine. Film companies spend 99% of their time trying to get projects off the ground, and I'm around to help with all the necessary steps that make that happen.



Does your work change drastically when you are in production?

Yes. It's sort of the difference between war and peacetime! The core roles as assistant remain the same, but the context changes, and you take on more tasks for other people. On our latest production we were based mostly on location, sometimes in very remote and difficult places. I kept on assistant-ing as normal, but I'd also be helping out elsewhere on the production. There's no set formula to it, but I found myself meeting actors at the airport, scouting locations for wrap parties, arranging translations of dialogue, keeping in touch with historical advisors, preparing casting materials for the director, keeping abreast of changes to the script and writing change logs for the crew - and lots of other things. Generally, someone was always looking for help, and I was able to offer myself on quite a few occasions. I do regret trying to run a mini-fireworks display on my own, however. And once asking whether any of the camera crew wanted a cup of tea. But you live and learn.



What’s the most fun thing about your job?

There are loads. I've worked away from home for four months, living in hotels and meeting the most amazing people. On other occasions, I've met Oscar winners and world famous actors in the flesh. On a completely different level, I've been made responsible for the running of an office, which I really enjoy. The constant, day-to-day nature of it is enjoyable, too. Some days not much goes on, and in a way I enjoy that too.



What is the least fun?

Petty cash receipts.







How do you deal with contact from those attempting to make unsolicited contact or pitch ideas?

It's unfortunate, but we really can't read unsolicited ideas - most film companies can't. From the outside looking in, this might seem a bit harsh, but it's for good reason. If someone submits an idea to us that's similar to one that we've been working on, and we read it, we leave ourselves open to lawsuits if that film goes on to be a success. Traditionally we would return paper scripts unread, but in the world of email that's harder to do - especially as some people presumptuously attach the script anyway! - but the same rule applies. In all communications, though, we are always polite and considerate, and I hope helpful.



You also write and direct in your spare time, is there one thing you’ve learned from working with your boss that you will always take into your own work?

Definitely an eye for detail. Interrogating the minutiae of every part of your project might be tiring, and often rubs some people up the wrong way, but it always pays off. Questioning one arrangement may lead you to discover an even deeper misunderstanding, for example, that could go on to harm your project and cost you money. As long as you stress that you're not out to get or undermine someone, it's a very useful habit to get into.



What do you think are the most important things to nail when writing a screenplay?

I'm hardly an authority! Generally, it's pleasing yourself. I have a minuscule attention span, so if I can read and re-read the same thing a hundred times and still find it entertaining, there's a very good chance that others will too.

The best scripts I've ever read end up being sort of invisible. It's weird, but in these cases the subject matter is so strong that your imagination gets fired up and you lose yourself. It's like being trapped in an exciting fog.



If there is one piece of advice you could give screenwriters about working with producers, what would it be?

Let them in, and listen to them. At the point of delivery, you might baulk at their advice, or it might sound ridiculous or totally misguided. But if you take it onboard, and perhaps even draw out the meaning (because, let's face it, no one really nails what they mean in the first sentence), you'll find the process incredibly rewarding and your script will so much stronger as a result. Remember: good producers are always on your side. Feedback can feel combative, especially if done verbally, but that's just how it is. Bad writers will raise their defences and ignore everything. The good ones listen, and take note. This takes guts, and thick skin, but there will always be something useful for you at the end of it.

Cheers Ben, for taking time out to speak to us. Ben's latest short film "The Fan" can be viewed online.

Festival Faces.. #LondonSWF

A few of the faces I met at the festival today...



Daniel Martin Eckhart, Crime Screenwriter working for some of Germany's best TV networks, and producers. One of the speakers at this year's festival.


Elena Dapelo, Writer and Actor with some production experience.


Richard Messenger, Screenwriter, Producer and Filmmaker.


Judy Kerlander, writer and artist.


Michelle Good, Screenwriter and Script Reader.


And finally, our festival founder, and Creative Director, Chris Jones. Thank you Chris for another great year of the London Screenwriters Festival! I hope you enjoyed it every bit as much as we did!

Written from the London Screenwriters Festival 2011

It's a Wrap! London Screenwriters Festival 2011 #LondonSWF

And so, the hundreds of delegates who attended the festival gathered one last time in the main hall to hear Chris Jones wrap up the 2011 London Screenwriters Festival. In it's second year the festival has been more focussed and built on the feedback from last year to give a very full and varied experience to everyone attending.

It's clear that there's a real need for this festival to happen so that screenwriters can have this forum for meeting, discussion and sharing within the industry and a place to make opportunities happen for oneself. Chris Jones assures us that the festival will be back in 2012 so if you didn't make it this year, then make your plans now to attend next time and put them into place, and maybe bring a friend too. The festival happens because of the people who attend and the people who give their time to making it happen. Everything everyone gets out of the festival is down to those others in the room with us, and on that note it was time to give a roaring applause and standing ovation to the most excellent festival staff and volunteers who gave us so much care and consideration all weekend. Each and every person has worked very hard so that the delegates could get the best out of their time here and always with a friendly smile and a willingness to assist. A big thanks to all of them and to the festival organisers.



Written from the London Screenwriters Festival 2011