Survivors The Movie - Interview with Adam Spinks & competition to win the DVD

For the lucky competition winner.....minus one card, that one's for me!

Adam J Spinks has featured in a number of previous articles here on 5D, first coming to my attention with his first film, the rather good The Expedition which featured all sorts of funky Dinosaur stuff. You can see the review type musings from yours truly about that particular film RIGHT HERE. If that wasn't enough, Adam has also had the great fortune, some may say distinct mis-fortune, to take part on one of 5D's legendary piercing and incisive interviews that make Frost/Nixon look like a nice little chat over croissants during breakfast. If you want to see how Adam buckled under the pressure of my skillful interrogation back in 2014 then check out the blog article RIGHT HERE. 

A little while ago I was given the chance to get a sneak preview of his latest venture, Survivors The Movie. Survivors is a very good character-driven horror movie set in amongst the unfolding and aftermath of a deadly contagion that turns the infected population into the living dead. The film contains more than its fair share of tense and chilling moments while still managing to treat the audience as having more than a modicum of intelligence with some strong emotional characterisation. It is well acted throughout with Joanne Gale as Kate frequently stealing the show with a confident emotional range throughout the film.

There may be some of a particular persuasion that lament the low levels of gore or a zombie film in Survivors, and I could understand that to a degree. However that would do this fine low-budget production a distinct disservice which nevertheless still manages to provide an immensely powerful chilling punch. If you like your British independent films with a skillfully written slice of horror, conspiracy theory and confident story telling then this is the film for you. If you wish to read my article about Survivors, then you can access it via the link HERE.

It seems that it's not only me that appears to like the film because by all accounts the sales of Survivors seems to be doing rather well thank you very much. As a result it was decided that I could plug myself and my website once again interview Adam - and not only that, offer you good people a little bit of a competition bonus........ a brand new DVD copy of your very own. I know, I'm too good to you!

So what follows is a very recent chat that I had with the director of Survivors, with the final part containing a competition question picked by Adam himself. You can visit the Survivors website at http://www.survivorsmovie.com

5D BLOG INTERVIEW & COMPETITION

Q) For those who haven't read any previous 5D articles about Survivors (damn them) please explain the  film's plot.

Survivors is a horror/drama is about three people fighting to stay alive as a deadly virus sweeps the country and at different levels, how they all discover just how far they’d be prepared to go to stay alive. As you can imagine, everyone has a different breaking point.......

Q) The film contains a nice variation of filming style, alternating between POV & traditional format. What were you hoping to achieve by this?

The found-footage element came from wanting the film to have an immediacy and a reality to the storytelling. The thing is, if something awful happened, people would film it- be that on their phones or other devices, but there would be a record of it happening from the first person so for me, it was important to reflect that kind of relationship we have with video now. 

And then for the cinematic portions, I wanted to create a more traditional distance from the characters, raising the questions of how we came to feel so distant given what else we’re seeing. The two stories reflect different feelings around the disaster on the part of the characters. 

Q) I've already talked to you about the pre-production process for Survivors. So what about the post-production, was it enjoyable or a laborious process?

Post-production on this was long, much longer than we’d intended but ultimately, it was for the best. We didn’t want to rush the film out and have elements we weren’t happy with in the finished film, so we really took our time with it to make it just right. Unlike a lot of films, this cut is really the ‘Directors Cut’ with everything I wanted to include! 

Q) Did the final version of the film match the original concept?

Because we took our time and really laboured over attention to the finest details, I feel that the film is exactly the film we all agreed to make a few years ago. Of course things change in the shooting and you’re always discovering new, maybe cooler ways of shooting something or trying something new but in general, yeah this is pretty much exactly how I wanted! 

Q) Is there anything at all that you would change?

Every production is a learning curve and sure, in hindsight it would have been great to have had a slightly bigger budget to work from but, compared to my other films, there’s very little I’d change about the finished film. I got hands on with every element, along with my producers, who really got behind the vision for the film. When you have people like that working towards a shared goal, the result is always stronger. 

Q) Any prospect of Survivors II ?

Well actually… maybe. For ages I said that I felt this story was complete and that there wasn’t anywhere else for it to really go (no spoilers!) but I saw a wonderful short film recently that really opened my eyes to something I hadn’t thought of before and also I haven’t seen this kind of thing really done in a zombie movie before so… watch this space. 

Q) What has been the reaction to Survivors?

Critics have overall loved it (awesome) and the feedback from people who’ve watched it has been wonderful! It’s been nice to be on the more positive side of things for a change! I’m pleased audiences are responding to this kind of film making and storytelling. 

Adam's hero pose.

Q) What extras are available on the DVD?

As well as the Directors cut of the film, we also included a cool Featurette which explains a bit more about how we managed to make the film for what we did, as well as about 4 minutes of deleted scenes and a blooper reel. We’ve also subtitled the main feature too. 

Q) In broader terms, what is the state from a filmmakers point of view of the current indie film scene?

Independent film is at an interesting place but I think it’s still difficult to make inroads for new filmmakers. Crowdfunding helped us to launch Survivors which was great, I doubt we would have gotten the backing without the belief of our supporters. 

Distributors and investors aren’t in the business of taking risks on new filmmakers, they want tried and tested routes to success but I think as distribution changes further, more opportunities may open up. It’s about whether you’ve got a good story with a commercial element to it. Do an audience want to see it? And is it any good? Those are the big questions all filmmakers need to be honest with themselves about. 

The new bargain-basement flight to Tenerife gets ready for take-off....

Q) So, plans for the future?

I’ve actually only shot one short film this year so it’s been a quiet production period for me but I’ve been writing a lot with various people and it looks as though we’ll be announcing a very exciting and ambitious project in the very near future called ‘Into The Grey’. It’s best described as ‘The Descent meets A Lonely Place To Die’ 

Watch this space.

Q) So Adam, what is the competition question for one lucky person to win a brand spanking new DVD of Survivors?

Which of these was NOT one of the working titles for SURVIVORS?

A) Dark Days

B) Sunset 9:04

C) Tomorrow

In order to enter the competition, simply visit the 5D website at www.5d-blog.com and click on the competition page. Good Luck!!

Planet Jimbot: Good Cop Bad Cop #3 PLUS a competition to win signed issues of Wolf Country

PART ONE - GOOD COP BAD COP

A couple of days ago I was contacted by an old friend of 5D (though he would probably deny even knowing me), comics writer, Jim Alexander who wanted to know if I would like a peek at his latest release, GoodCopBadCop. 

For those of you in the know, you will be fully aware of my past ravings about the work of Jim and his press label, Planet Jimbot. However, if you are completely oblivious to my words of wisdom on many things Jimbot, well you can find a couple of prime examples of my scribbling attempts HERE & also HERE.

In a nutshell, Jim has written "Judge Dredd", "Calhab Justice", "O'Rork" and "Pandora" for the Judge Dredd Megazine and "The Grid" for 2000 AD in the early-mid 1990s. Since then he was worked for Marvel, DC, Tokyopop and Metal Hurlant. 

In 2012 he set up a small-press label called Planet Jimbot. Its publications include Amongst the Stars (drawn by Mike Perkins), Wolf Country (drawn by Luke Cooper), the anthology Amazing & Fantastic Tales and Savant (drawn by Will Pickering and Fin Cramb; originally conceived for Strip Magazine). GoodCopBadCop and Gabriel have also been rebranded as Planet Jimbot comics Click Here for more info.

So, my impatient reader, yes I can hear you say, "You could actually tell us something about GoodCopBadCop, you know"

Well, the story returns for the all-new Casebook#3: ‘Only Pigs and Horses’ Part 1.  The book has reverted to publisher Planet Jimbot.  The first two volumes are still available from Rough Cut. If you haven't read the them, don't worry because volume 3 can easily be read as a stand-alone piece of work which will in turn lead very nicely into this new volume of stories. However I would heartily recommend that you find the earlier at your earliest convenience, they really shouldn't be missed in terms of pure experience. Essentially, the tale is a modern crime take on Jekyll and Hyde where the good cop and the bad cop are the same person.  This is not a story about a good man turned bad, or indeed a bad man turned good.  Both good and bad arrived at the very same time. Casebook#3 will be told over 3 issues which sees Detective Inspector Brian Fisher and his ‘bad cop’ alter-ego driven further down into the hell that is the Glasgow underworld.  Be warned me hearties, there is a distinct mature theme here, so those of a nervous disposition or the many in the world who seem to be daily waiting to be offended by just about anything and everything - well let's just say that GoodCopBadCop may not be for you. Bless your fragile hearts.

This is a deliciously twisted, gritty and violent story set in the equally twisted, gritty and violent underbelly of the Glasgow criminal world - not that I actually know much about Glasgow's underworld....... obviously. Yes, my dad was born and bred there, however his nefarious criminal activities amounted to nothing more than an unpaid overdue library book and some particularly unseemly business on the 18th hole of the local golf course after a drunken night with his friends. Apart from that he was as clean as a whistle.

Anyhow, back to the story. I must admit that I do like my characters to have certain shades of grey in their personality make-up. I simply cannot abide cardboard cut-out black and white figures.........boring!! I think it's safe to say that Detective Fisher has more than his fair share of grey texture as he battles with a sadistic figure from his own mysterious past, the wonderfully named 'Horse Peter' who seems keen to wreak his own particular brand of horror on the local police and populace.

GoodCopBadCop is a hugely enjoyable no-holds-barred romp of unhinged psychosis and violence (and I'm not just talking about the bad guy). The dialogue, curtesy of Mr Alexander is as crisp and dynamic as ever which provides a nicely authentic feel of that area of the world without ever falling into Rab.C. Nesbitt territory of pastiche. It also needs to be mentioned in dispatches that praise too should be heaped upon Aaron Murphy for his stunning artwork which at times is simply mesmerising.

As I've already mentioned, this is a violently harsh tale (though it must be said,not without its humour) that deals with subjects that some may find challenging in their grim depiction. I personally found the reading experience completely pleasurable and simply cannot wait for part two of this tale. Highly recommended. 

GoodCopBadCop is written by Jim Alexander (Batman 80-Page Giant, Marvel Milestones, Metal Hurlant) with stunning interior art by new kid on the block Aaron Murphy (The Yorkshire Cowboy). The stunning cover is by rising indie star Luke Cooper (Hollow Girl, Wolf Country). The Jimbot people be launching the book at the Geek-aboo comic mart (74 High Street, Glasgow) on Saturday 23rd of January between 11am-3pm.  In attendance will be writer Jim Alexander and Editor and Publisher Ed Murphy.  

Alternatively you can order the book online from the Planet Jimbot shop:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/261656580/goodcopbadcop301

PART TWO - COMPETITION TIME! 

5D works closely with a variety of people from organisations big and small. These people often send me presents to have a look at which allows me to offer my readers the opportunity to get their hands on some great swag. 

So, for the inaugural 5D competition on the still very new and updated 5D website Jim Alexander has very kindly donated the first four issues (signed by the man himself) of his excellent series, Wolf Country as a prize for the lucky winner. 

There are just a few days to go for the competition deadline - you can win by answering the question below and putting your answer into the box in the form on the competition page on the 5D website at www.5d-blog.com.

Please don't forget to include your contact email address or your submission won't be counted.

Question: What is the name of Judge Dredd's brother?

Prize: The first four comics in the Wolf Country series (all personally signed by Jim)

Good luck!!

Battles without Honour and Humanity box set from Arrow Films

It seems that I am often my own worst enemy in making things far more harder for myself than they should actually be. However, in all honesty it would probably help just a little if I could resist temptation just once or twice in my life. Take the last week or so, as stressful times in my day job were leading me to look forward to the Christmas and new year break as an opportunity to chill out and catch up on some seriously neglected 'fun' reading. The blogging I thought would take a back seat for a start, I remember promising myself that at least....... well that promise to myself didn't last long at all.

Firstly, I was informed by my son that the fabulous new 5D website was going to be ready at last and in time for a Christmas release on an unsuspecting world. Notions of taking it easy soon departed as I looked  and played with the wonder that is my new website - mouth watering indeed. If you don't believe me then you can see for yourself at                     www.5d-blog.com

The second thing was receiving an email from the lovely people at Arrow Films who mentioned that they were thrilled to announce the release of a new limited edition box-set featuring Kinji Fukasaku’s iconic Yakuza film series Battles Without Honour and Humanity. THEY were thrilled???!!! - well that's nothing compared to how I felt when I read the information because I was positively catatonic with uncontrolled excitement. This feeling further increased another tenfold when I learnt that the whole five film series, shot within just two years, Battles Without Honour and Humanity, Hiroshima Death Match, Proxy War, Police Tactics and Final Episode, were all being included in one sublime package.

I first came into contact with Fukasaku's seminal work a few years ago when a friend and I were extolling together on the genius of a certain Quentin Tarantino who had recently released Kill Bill. Volume 1. My good friend advised me that if I love Tarantino (who incidentally, I do so as much as ever) then I would simply adore a director who, along with the likes of Sergio Leone and Akawa Kurosawa, were undeniably the three greatest influences on good old Quentin's work. Now, my friend was, and still is, the font of all great knowledge and so I took him at his word and immediately tried to get my hands on the works of Kinji Fukusaku, regarded by many in the know as Japan's answer to The Godfather. By god, when I found the films, I was hooked.

I'm not really really sure what effected me most the very first time I watched Battles Without Honour and Humanity - whether it was the sheer pulsating vigour and energy of the camerawork and direction, the adrenaline-fuelled plot line or the myriad of characters who were each as complex and textured as the other. 

There was no clean cut square jawed one dimensional hero who stood steadfast and true against the big bad nasty one dimensional villain. No sir, in this story the heroes have their dark side, with the villains equally textured and layered in terms of character and motivation. 

And boy was it violent - deliciously so in fact in terms of it's documentary style realism which serves makes it at times a sublimely shocking viewing experience. 

The five films (remember, all produced over a staggering two year period) are quite simply one masterpiece after the other and often regarded as a Japanese answer to The Godfather Trilogy - well I have news for you, the saga is far better. Fukusako may have been influenced by Coppola, but that Tarantino guy certainly knows how to choose his influences too.

The limited edition collection, with only 2,500 copies being made available, will also include The Complete Saga, an English-subtitled premiere of the 224 minute composite edit of the first four films, alongside various new documentaries, interviews, featurettes and a 152-page hardback book featuring writing on the history of the yakuza film genre, films and filmmakers. The set was to be released on Blu-ray and DVD on 7^th December 2015.

Special Features

·         Limited Edition Blu-ray Collection (2500 copies)

·         High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of all five original films

·         Original Mono audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-rays)

·         Optional English subtitles for all five films

·         Limited Edition packaging and reversible sleeves for all five films including original and newly commissioned artwork by Reinhard Kleist

BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY (DISCS 1 & 2)

·         Brand new audio commentary by critic and author Stuart Galbraith IV

·         Yakuza Graveyard – a new interview with Takashi Miike about Kinji Fukasaku and the yakuza film genre

·         Original trailers for all five films

HIROSHIMA DEATH MATCH (DISCS 3 & 4)

·         Man of Action – a new interview with series fight choreographer Ryuzo Ueno

·         Original Trailer

PROXY WAR (DISCS 5 & 6)

·         Secrets of the Piranha Army – a new documentary about the troupe of supporting actors who appeared throughout the series, featuring interviews with original Piranha members Masaru Shiga and Takashi Noguchi, plus second-generation Piranha, Takashi Nishina and Akira Murota

·         Tales of a Bit Player – a new interview with supporting actor and stuntman Seizo Fukumoto

·         Original Trailer

POLICE TACTICS (DISCS 7 & 8)

·         Remembering Kinji – a new featurette about director Kinji Fukasaku and his work, featuring interviews with Kenta Fukasaku and film critic and Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane

·         Fukasaku Family – a new interview with Proxy War and Police Tactics assistant director Toru Dobashi

·         Original Trailer

FINAL EPISODE (DISCS 9 & 10)

·         Last Days of the Boss – a new interview with Final Episode screenwriter Koji Takada

·         Original poster gallery for the series

·         Original Trailer

THE COMPLETE SAGA (DISCS 11, 12 & 13) [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]

·         English-subtitled premiere of the 224-minute compilation edition of the first four films, previously screened only as part of a limited Japanese theatrical release in 1980 and on the Toei cable channel

·         Introduction by Complete Saga editorial supervisor Toru Dobashi

THE YAKUZA PAPERS [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]

·         152-page hardback book featuring writing on the history of the yakuza film genre, including a newly-reprinted and fully annotated edition of Paul Schrader’s classic 1974 Film Comment essay Yakuza-Eiga: A Primer, a new, exclusive English translation of screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara’s 1974 Scenario magazine essay on his writing process for the first four films, as well as new essays and interviews from Chris D., Grady Hendrix, Patrick Macias, Tom Mes, Mark Schilling, and Jasper Sharp

Specs

Release Date	Monday 7th December 2015
Certificate	18
Running Time	93/100/102/101/98 mins
Language	Japanese
Region	B
Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
Audio	Mono
Colour	Colour
Blu-ray Cat Number	FCD1184

You find out more about this release and others from Arrow films from their Facebook page RIGHT HERE

They can also be found on Twitter via their handle @ArrowFilmsVideo

Safe Haven (2015)

In moments when my mind begins to wander away from whatever task I may be doing (washing the dishes, walking my dogs, driving my car......), I often ponder some of my many entertaining 'What would happen if............?' scenarios. One particular favourite of mine is the 'What would happen to us all if the world did actually succumb to hell and a hand-basket?' The optimist in me would like to think that society would still find a way, not only to survive (with me as its heroic leader), but also to keep hold of some element of decency and humanity. Who knows, in the process possibly even learning from its illogical past mistakes and evolving into a fresh utopia? However, the realist in me thinks otherwise. I don't think it will actually matter what the reason is for the world going to crap; religious fundamentalism, nuclear war, social revolution, disease or a full-blown Zombie apocalypse, the result will be the same - we'll last about 20 minutes (with me as the heroic leader) before we start eating each other...... and I don't mean in the good way.

It seams that I'm not the only one who wonders what the future holds for humanity, be it a free loving Utopia or a free eating dystopia. After all, this theme has been something of a common staple for much of science fiction and Horror lore probably since time began, as well as occupying much of the cultural zeitgeist. This theme has seemingly been on the minds of group of filmmakers just down the road from me in Scotland because earlier this week I received a request from filmmaker Stuart Gilmartin asking if I would like to watch his short film from TACHY studios that contains a distinctly dystopian feel - Safe Haven.

Well it was the week leading up to Christmas and as my loyal reader will know, I'm a goodwill to all women sort of guy - yes I know that's not how the saying goes but I damn well know what I mean.... though unfortunately, so does the local magistrate. So regardless, I put aside the annoying factor that Stuart Gilmartin isn't a girl and decided to watch said film, and then do that thing I do so well. Unfortunately due to certain restraining orders I couldn't do that, so I instead watched the film and the put some thoughts on it onto my blog.

So what is the story I hear you ask - well, its a........

........" dystopian story set in an unspecified time or place, that introduces the character of Jo, an inhabitant of one of many undisclosed bunkers that were built for children from privileged families after the world began to tear itself apart. 

Wanting to encapsulate the hope for the future survival of mankind within these children, the government envisioned that one day these children would rebuild the world around them, saving mankind from the ultimate extinction. 

Having been sheltered from the outside world for the greatest part of her life however, when Jo is released from the bunker, she quickly discovers that the role she has been preparing for, is very much irrelevant in this new world."

At around 25 minutes running time, Safe Haven is a hugely enjoyable slice of dystopian Scottish film making, nicely walking the line between some interesting philosophical considerations and some very good action set pieces. This episode is the first part of a larger story and thus serves as the introduction of both character and narrative - the second of those being something I found particularly interesting. Here webare introduced to a society where the world that we once knew is gone, seemingly forever. The reason for this dystopic occurrence is never fully explained, but merely hinted at, which in truth is always something I especially enjoy. A little mystery never hurt anyone, no matter what the 'The story needs a clear narrative and resolution' brigade would have you believe.

Safe Haven clearly wears its heart and influences on its sleeve with the odd nod and a wink to a number of origins whilst still remaining distinctly original in it's own thematic approach. Yes there some clear philosophical elements about both the individual and the role of elements of society, but don't worry those of you who like your dystopian narrative not to be overly preachy or ambitious because there are a number of genuinely atmospheric and exciting set pieces - for example, the scene where the two girls first encounter the marauding tribe is especially tense and exciting.

In truth, there is very very little to dislike about this film and a whole lot to like - it looks great and makes full convincing use of Fife's wonderful landscape. It is also genuinely atmospheric at certain points and the action scenes are suitably tense and violent - and a good dose of violence never hurt anyone.......right?

The two leads are very good, with Clare Ross excellent as Jo, effectively conveying her journey from initial optimism after being introduced to this brave new world, only to slowly realise the pain and horror that  in fact awaits. Chris Capaldi is good too as the enigmatic stranger who enters Jo's life - however, he is far too good looking for his own good and I'm pretty sure that i feel more than a little threatened by him.

I would recommend that if you get the chance to watch Safe Haven, then do so as soon as you can. I'm looking forward to seeing what Stuart and TACHY studios do with the rest of the story, whether it continues as a feature length film or a further series of shorts. In fact I enjoyed the film so much I decided to see if the man himself would be yet another in the long production line of individuals who have buckled under the pressure of a 5D interview. He foolishly agreed.

Another of the Interview bits........

Q) Before I ask you about Safe Haven, tell me about what set you on the road to film direction?

Hmmm, I'm not sure what exactly set me on the path, I always had an interest in stories more so than other things. As a kid I was always reading or listening to audio tapes or watching films. when I finally got my hands on a video camera I knew film making was what I wanted to do. Admittedly I tend to lean more to the Camera side of production than directing, although I have had my fair share of directing. As I often work with a small group of the same people it becomes easier as we all have particular skills that we can trust in and everyone pulls their weight. It's a great bunch.

Q) What inspired the story of Safe Haven?

I never actually came up with the story, that was Craig Wallace, we both met on the set of another production and hit it off and quickly started working together, when he showed me the concept stuff I really like it, for me it didn't feel like it was a story that too far apart from a plausible future and it stemmed from a younger generations frustrations at the mess that was being made by those in power and feeling generally quite hopeless. To really answer the question though I've asked Craig to step in.

(Craig Wallace) - What Stuart has said pretty much says it, for me it was frustration seeing how bad the world was getting, politics, environment, religion, false ideals just being surrounded by so much crap that only seemed to get worse. safe haven was a glimpse of how I saw the world eventually going if we continue on the path we are on. In a way it was my way of venting these frustrations by writing a story set in the world I had seen. The character of Jo is almost a more naive version of myself, coming into a world she hasn't experienced much of, being made promises of security by people who quickly turn there backs on her when she no longer served a purpose. She is very much a pawn in someone else's game. I feel that's reflected in the story where everyone is out to get you, everyone has a secret and what passed as some level of society, is all built on lies and deceit.

Q) How much did the film cost to make & how was the money raised?

The film was made on about £500 and a lot of goodwill, the money was raised by the main crew, Myself, Craig Wallace, Allan Price and Simon Forrester all chipping in a bit of our own money. Most of the cash went on food for the week long shoot, as well as petrol for cast and crew, stuff for make up, it didn't go far. The pre production really made such a small budget plausible as we had scouted all the locations in advance, we had been and almost blocked things out before even turning up with actors. We spent months talking and story-boarding, doing the odd test shoot, rewriting and a lot more talking. We were lucky in that we managed to pull together all the kit we needed from stuff we already had so there were no hire costs to worry about.

Q) Some of the film locations are stunning? Where was it filmed?

I've got to say, we were really lucky with the weather, it was sunny almost all of the time, except when we came to shoot the stuff with the Tribe's camp. We shot the whole film in Scotland, mostly all in Fife, we shot at the Wemyss Caves, that supplied us the location that Dan and Jo take shelter in, as this is also right right beside the River Forth we were able get some nice locations there as well. The river was handy as we passed off as the sea. We also shot on an old abandoned railway line and Alva Glen in Alloa, the derelict buildings are a place that I've wanted to film in for a while so I'm glad to have ticket that off my list and we also set up camp in Townhill Woods for some of the stuff at night as well as the final setting for the films ending.

Q) What specific challenges & problems did you face while filming?

We had many, the film was originally meant to be a web series, and we actually began filming in November 2013 only for the whole thing to be scrapped when we lost our lead actor. So we ended up going back to the drawing board, rewriting and then re planning for a feature film, but we simply couldn't raise any funds, so finally settled on shooting the first 20 or so minutes in a hope we could get enough interest from the opening of the film to get people to invest in the project. Other issues, like other filmmakers trying to sabotage the production, that's a bit of a long story but a week before the shoot we almost had to pull the plug on it.

The toughest parts were shooting everything on location in environments that were over grown with no access to power or completely run down buildings that were falling to pieces. Scenes at night with very minimal equipment. But I think these are issues most filmmakers experience, the pre production was meticulous so we knew exactly what we were after and were able to flow quite well when the cameras began to roll. Sound was a massive issue as it was summer, a lot of our locations were in the countryside and it was right in the middle of harvest time, so we had loud beeping farm vehicles all day long, noisy planes over head, cars, etc. The entire film had to have ADR done on it.

Q) Hopefully it's not giving too much away when I say that the ending is somewhat open-ended. Is this the first of a series?

I touched on it briefly, but yes, this is essentially the first 20 odd minutes of what we had hoped to be a feature film, or three twenty five minute episodes. This part is very much an introduction to a lot of the characters and themes of the story and we hope it leaves people asking a lot of questions and wanting to see more. If it does well and gathers some momentum and a fan base, we'd like to think off the back of that we could find enough support to raise enough funding to go ahead and shoot the remaining parts of the story.

Q) What are your plans for the future?

Right now we have a feature film being developed along with one short film called “Smile” in post production, that should be out by the end of January. We also have another short film about to start pre production. We are hoping 2016 will be a busy year for us as we look to complete several of our own projects and hopefully work with other filmmakers around the country on their films as well. It's going to be an exciting year. 

I would like to thank Stuart Gilmartin for giving me some of his valuable time.

So, I hear you asking once again, just who are these TACHY studio people that you mentioned? Well I thought it best to let them answer for themselves.....

"TACHY Studios is a film & media company based in Scotland. To create, and collaborate on new and interesting projects and help to raise the bar of Scottish film. We are proud Scots, and we know that Scotland is filled with insanely talented people. We want people around the globe to realise this too, and if we believe that someone has an interesting story that deserves to be told, we want to be part of bringing those stories to fruition. :)"

So there you go.

You can find TACHY Studios on Facebook RIGHT HERE

The Facebook page for the film itself can be found RIGHT HERE