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Tag: film

Heart of a Murderer

Neville Heath was an ex-RAF pilot who murdered a part-time actress in a London hotel room then went on the run, sparking the biggest manhunt in British history. A charming and extremely plausible psychopath who talked his way into all levels of British society, Heath left an indelible impression on the public psyche. After booking in to the Tollard Royal Hotel…

The killer is me

I’ve often wondered where my fascination with the darker side of life comes from. My writing tends to reflect this taste and leads me into areas other writers might choose to leave alone. Although I’ve drawn on autobiographical material in the past, the old advice to write about what you know has never really appealed to me. As a writer,…

Raindance – In at the deep end!

For the shy and retiring among us the thought of pitching a screenplay to a panel of movie experts and a live audience would be horrifying. But that’s exactly what this humble narrator did in London recently, and this is a brief account of what happened …. Armed with my carefully constructed wording, I made my way to the The…

Joining the dots

Starting a new screenplay can be a daunting prospect. You’ve had the idea in your head long enough, now’s the time to transfer it to paper. But what about the groundwork – the fleshing out of the bare bones before you begin? I used to think that writing an outline was a waste of energy. Why sit and write a…

From novelist to screenwriter: Take 4

Making a movie is easy. You just get a bunch of actors, point the camera, and it’s done. Actually, there’s a bit more to it than that. You may also need the following: Script Location Director Editor Bags of cash With these things in place there’s a chance you’ll make good progress. But when the shoot is finished, how do…

Villain of the Piece

What qualities do you look for in a fictional character? Someone who helps old ladies across the road? Someone who puts all their spare time and effort into furthering the interests of mankind? I very much doubt it. And yet when it comes to the bad guy there’s an almost universal desire to see him (or her) suffer. Ever since David slew…

A Night at the Oscars

Every successful business venture starts with an idea. That idea then grows into a vision – a projected forecast of how the future will look when success is realised. That’s the blueprint. That’s what all the top business leaders and entrepreneurs do before they get out of the armchair they’ve been dreaming in. Success depends upon two things: the drive to make…

Ballrooms and Blighty

Things can move pretty quickly when you’re setting up a film company. Especially when you’re looking to secure investment before the end of the tax year in April! That gives me about two weeks to get the paperwork in for the company to be formed in time. Simple, really. Getting a film made is no mean trick. There are thousands…

A Night at the Oscars

In honour of my mis-spent youth in darkened cinemas, below are my Top Ten favourite movies. 1. Goodfellas  (1990) Scorcese’s masterpiece never fails to entertain. The tension. The drama. Tommy’s volcanic rage at the world. If you had shoes like Henry’s, wouldn’t you want to be a gangster!                                                                                                           Director: Martin Scorsese 2. Withnail and I  (1987) More Shakespeare than the Bard…