Web Series Incoming!!!

Remember that documentary I was talking about with the strange things in Scotland? Well me and mike were chatting over some Costa-bloody fortune hot chocolates and realised it would work really well as a web series. So that's what we're doing. Same plan as before though; can't film until March.

First post of 2012! Huzzah!

Cool, so we are in 2012 which, of course means that we only have roughly 11 more months to get our names out there and become famous film makers before the world ends. Great!

We've actually been pretty busy throughout the latter part of last year and the freezing start to this one. We made a fancy advert in a church for Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Cornflakes. However, we had to remove it from the Internet in order to continue living our lives without the Cardinal of Scotland on our back.

The shooting of the advert went very well though. Instead of hiring loads of extras to pose as the church's congregation we just asked everyone who had been at the church to stay behind to help us. As expected not too many stuck around but we definitely had enough. They were even kind enough to sing us a hymn whilst we set all the equipment up. A major problem which we still haven't solved is how to use the damn camera. We decided to use the large shoulder cam which we had been shown to use at college but it was so damn complicated we pretty forgot how to do anything with it. Lighting seemed to be a pretty big issue as well with large windows in the back of the room making most of the shots look a bit over exposed. However, with a bit of editing on the mac we got it looking superb.

We used Ross Donnachie, a student actor who is studying at Telford College, to be our protagonist in the advert. Ross has a very elastic face which means that his expressions were pretty much over the top and exaggerated. However, this worked well for a comical advert about holy cornflakes. Whilst we probably wouldn't use Ross for a serious drama, we would love to work with him again for another advert or a comedy.

After filming at the church we moved to Mike's house which was the setting for the teenagers bedroom. The room got pretty crowded after all three us were standing in it and then set up the camera (this time using my DSLR, which is better anyway) and the lighting kit. The idea is that we were filming Ross waking up in the morning and quickly getting dressed in order to run to church. So naturally we managed to film this at night and used the lighting kit to make it look like morning. What we should have done is put a light outside and shine it in the window but, I think it was raining therefore health and safety screamed, "no!" at us. Apart from this slight hiccup nearly everything else went smoothly. We got the shots we wanted: trousers up, t shirt on, jacket on, zip up. And they edited together beautifully.

And that's it I think for the Crunchy Nut ad. The advert was 30 seconds long and was missing a bit of text at the end during the product shot but apart from that I really enjoyed making it.

Time for a new project or three!!!

Two of the projects are documentaries and the other is a short drama.

I'll begin with the latter - The drama. It's about a wee conflict that me and mike had on a bus with some neds/delinquents. The basic premise of the story is that we got on a late night bus around about the time these neds roam free and they started throwing newspapers at us. Yep typical behavior from these unevolved creatures. And then as the newspaper throwing continues Mike's character refrains from brutally destroying their bodies and deleting them from the history books. It's a simple tale and perhaps Mike can explain it better than me considering he is writing it. Although I can tell you the tension that was in the air that night will most definitely be incorporated into the film. We are going to be doing something that we haven't ever done before and that's hold auditions for the actors. We need six actors all together (the 3 of us and the 3 neds). I think the biggest problem we face is getting a bus to use. We are only in the early stages of planning so haven't contacted any bus companies however, I think we will find a way around it.

I can only explain one of the documentaries that we are going to make. Mainly because I can't remember what the other is about (plants and music I think). The one I can tell you about though is something very strange for multiple reasons. One because it's about strange things in Scotland and secondly because it's being written and directed by me. As I said in that last sentence it is about strange things in Scotland. Three oddities to be exact. The Electric Brae in Ayrshire which is an optical illusion. The Secret Bunker near St Andrews which was kept secret for over 40 years. And finally the Egyptian style lighthouse that is well known in both poetic and novel forms for the disappearance of it's three lighthouse keepers. It's going to be shot around about March/April/May because we are extremely busy with other projects. Also access to the bunker isn't currently available until March. Hopefully I will be able to interview experts in the various locations so as to provide a bit more information on the history of each of these extraordinary places.

I think the last bit of news is that I've managed to get a copy of my old documentary about the Sherlock Holmes statue and put it on the Internet. It's called 'The Hunt For Holmes' and you can click it's name to be taken directly to YouTube to watch it.

Alas, that's another post finished. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed typing it out (which is very much so). Follow the link to watch the film. Whilst there check out our other classics such as Heraclitus, Castelletti and Flashmob. Keep checking back for more information about the documentaries and drama!!!

Here's our big idea!

Hey!

So it's been two months since the last post, and not a lot has actually happened. Well I say nothing but actually we've finished one film and finished the shooting of another.

The first film is a nice and short documentary about the ancient greek philosopher Heraclitus who is famously known (kind of) for his doctrine of flux. Basically that's the idea that nothing in the world ever stays the same, which is true!

The film was written, directed and edited by Mr Michael Dodds (likes to do as much as he can, clearly). It was filmed by me: Oliver Watson. And I believe we both dabbled with the sound equipment which went great!

We used a friend of ours and coursemate Josh Gajree and another long time friend Connor Doherty for the dramatisations. Josh played Heraclitus whilst Connor played Plato, another ancient greek philosopher who disagreed with the doctrine.

We were pretty lucky being in Edinburgh for the shoot as we had access to some really spectacular locations. One of these locations was the peaceful River Almond in Cramond, where we found a good secluded spot to have Josh don a toga. Connor on the other hand didn't have the luxury of privacy. No, he had to change at one of Edinburgh's most famous monuments at the top of Calton Hill surrounded by Japanese tourists in the typical Scottish weather of rain and hail stones.

Getting to these locations would have been near impossible or at least extremely time consuming without the great help of our drivers. Eve Jarron and Connor.

I feel like its necessary to mention that we celebrated the completion of the shoot by having a lovely meal at Frankie & Benny's where we went in soaked through and made a rather large mess at our table.

Anyway that's enough for that project! You can check it out on our YouTube page! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFgNDa7cDWI

I'll write a new post concerning our latest quest! An advert for the ludicrously tasty Crunchy Nut Cornflakes!

Bub-bye!

Oliverus Watsonus (I'm Greek now!)

We're aiming bigger and better and even bigger and even better!

So after last year we managed to get extremely little done. We have one film that we are all very proud of 'Buskers' and that will be uploaded onto the youtube channel soon.

However, all the little films that we planned to make were left behind. They were mostly written and planned out but just sort of pushed to the side whilst there were better things to do. Now I'm not saying that we are going to make them, what I am saying is that we aren't going to announce stuff like that anymore and then never get round to making them.

I'm now going to announce our new 'business model'. Basically Michael and Myself both have jobs now apart from Group Six and are going to start creating budgets for our films. We have contacts that can lend us equipment so buying that isn't necessarily an issue, it's more for costumes and locations and things to make our films that little bit better and more real.

If your clever with money you can get things done for very little of it. The two short films based on the video game half life called 'Escape from City 17' show what can be done with little money. Sure the script and actors are pretty terrible but it looks amazing.

Anyway once we have some money and a plan of action for a new film I'll let you know!

Peace Out!

Olly Watson

Everything new!

Buskers is done. Mike posted it on his vimeo account the other day and you can watch it here: http://www.vimeo.com/24664781

It's about 18 minutes long so you better have some time put aside to watch it.

Next up on the news is that I've ditched 'Stolen By Curiosity' or whatever it was. It was becoming a hassle and was getting out of hand, for me anyway, so instead I wrote something completely different. It's a sci - fi kind of thing. It used to have lots of computer nerd dialogue in it but now in the version 2.0 of the script it features none of it and is just a pure and raw story of an amnesiac alien sent on a mission to destroy earth but with recurring visions of his mother saying goodbye forever. It will be 100% finished by 17th June or else.

Anyway back to work!

Olivero Watsono!

Hey! We made a new film!

So yeah, been a while. We've had Neil, a member of Group 6 since 'Castelletti' was made, leave us. So it's back to being just a two man team. Just the way me and mike like it I guess. You wouldn't believe how much easier making a film is with two people.

Anyway, for the past wee while we've been writing and writing and writing to come up with some films. We've got two for you. One of them is actually just getting finalised in the editing process and the other is being postponed whilst I waste time (I could spend writing it) here.

Honestly 'Buskers' by Michael Dodds, is looking to be an awesome film. We premiered a rough edit of the film today at our old high school to the media class and it got an awesome reception. Once it's finished we will post it on our youtube channel.

The other (with a working title of...) 'Stolen By Curiosity' is being penned by none other than Oliver Watson a.k.a Charles Noble a.k.a Moi. Sadly whilst I have the idea all formulated in my head I just can't seem to just get down and write it. It's annoying me and I'm sure it's annoying everyone else involved.

Still 'Buskers' will be 100% complete next week sooooo keep an eye out.

Peace out!

Oliver Watson!

New Projects

So here at Group 6 we've been busy. We have a total of about 8 films on the go just now so time is pretty much eaten up with work. Four of the films are on that interesting subject of statues, of which here in Edinburgh there are plenty of. Our subjects are Sherlock Holmes, World War Memorial and James Young Simpson. The films will be 3 minutes and 30 seconds long each according to our brief.

The statues we have chosen are pretty interesting. They each have a story and a reason for being there anyway. Take my statue for instance: Sherlock Holmes. Everyone knows him, the genius sleuth with something like 56 stories written about him and now with Steven Moffat's new modern day version it's brought the character back. Well anyway, my statue has mysteriously disappeared which makes it difficult to make a film about it. Or does it? What I decided to do instead was make it about me tracking down the statue. Which is so far going well. I know it's in storage anyway getting restored. I also know it's been moved forrrrr... you guessed it, the trams! So that's my statue.

Mike's is the war memorial and he is basically making his film about what it stands for. I'll let him fill this in about his statue later. Same goes for Neil who is making his about James Simpson the founder of using chloroform as a anesthetic.

The other films are two dramas and a documentary although they aren't nearly finalised so I can't really talk about them.

So that's a short update on what's happening at Group 6 for the time being!

ciao. Oliver Watson.