Survival - outtakes!

In ongoing promotion efforts, I'm working on expanding the amount of material that's available on the film - starting today with a selection of outtakes!

Obviously this is just a small sample (there are 11 takes of Eric's fall!), but I think it gets across some of the fun we had over the three days shooting Survival in Hartshill Hayes and Nuneaton.

Survival vs Charles

In only week and five days after it went live, Survival has now surpassed our first release, Charles the Grammar Dog, in the number of views on YouTube!  The stats now stand at 217 views for Survival to Charles' 205 - so not a big lead, but I'm really impressed at the attention we've got.

Please, keep sharing Survival as much as you can, and let everyone you talk to know where to download Thomas' awesome soundtrack.

Preproduction work is continuing on the next film, and hopefully we'll have some more news to share soon!

Survival OST!

Survival's been out for a couple of days now, and we've had some great feedback.  I hope everyone who's watched it is as impressed with Thomas' music as I am - and for those of you who want to hear it a little clearer, you can download the soundtrack for free right now!

Survival OST (11.2 MB, MP3)

Work starts properly on the next project now - more updates on that soon!

Survival: Final Update - Here It Is.

After what seems like a long time, everything's finally come together - Survival is finished.

This is a strange moment; it feels like this has taken up almost every waking moment since we started on preproduction back in June; getting everything organised has been a huge effort by everyone involved, and I can't thank those who helped us enough.  Special mention, of course, to the cast, Amy, David, and Katie, for being willing to spend a couple of days in the forest in muddy clothes, to Thomas for the awesome score (which will be available for download soon!), to my wife Sarah for all the support and suggestions, and to both our parents - Niall and Frances, Neil and Denise - who put up with all the random requests and requirements, and looked after the props and gear as it was being delivered before the shoot.

The final running time is 12' 49", according to YouTube, so if you've got 13 minutes to spare, get over there, and then share it with everyone you meet!

I hope you enjoy it!

Survival: Update #9 - Scoring

Everything's been very quiet on the site for a while; you have my apologies for that, but work is continuing! I've started on some preproduction for the next project (more on that at a later date), but the scoring process for Survival is also well under way.

As mentioned in previous posts, the music is being written and performed by Thomas Cosgrove, my brother.  He's come up with a lot of great stuff, and iterates on any feedback extremely quickly - most of the score is done now, and once we're happy that the mood is set, it should just be a matter of mixing it in around the dialogue, and then release should follow shortly.

Stay tuned!

Survival: Update #8 - Mixing it Up

Onwards and upwards, as they say.  Progress at this point is steady, but I'd forgive anyone watching for thinking it's slow; sound mixing is something I'm even newer to than editing video, so it's a learning process as much as it's a creative one.

The main thing I've learned is that I should avoid extremes when mixing stereo channels (I don't know if my software is able to do a 5.1 mix, but I have a feeling that even if it could, it'd just drive me mad).  Even stuff like fading ambient sound between shots to remove or reduce sudden changes isn't something I'd considered before I got to this stage.

Short version: I have even greater respect for audio engineers from this point.

Survival: Update #7 - Roughing It

Not many of these left to go, I imagine - because... [drumroll] the first rough cut is done! It's been rendered out to a single file, and watched while sitting on a sofa in front of a TV, instead of an office chair in front of a PC.

There's still some work to do - a couple of frames to shave here and there, some sound effects to add, and a fair bit of work on the mix - but overall, I'm so far extremely happy with how well it's looking.

Can't wait to share it with everyone!

Survival: Update #6 - coming soon

Editing is ongoing, but I've decided to put out a little teaser for the project.  Hope it whets your appetites, and keep an eye out for the finished product Soon™!

Special mention goes to the music, which is by my hugely talented brother Thomas - he totally nailed the atmosphere with pretty much zero direction.

Survival: Update #5 - Editing, day 1

Technically day 2, I suppose, but I spent all yesterday organising the video and audio files into some kind of meaningful order so I could make a proper start today.

I got more progress made today than I thought I would - six scenes (about three and a half minutes) down, so only about 12 or so to go - but the big dialogue scenes are next; I'm expecting those to take a while.

One of the things I'm enjoying about editing is actually seeing things come together that I'd only imagined up until now, even despite seeing bits of it while we were shooting.  

It's almost enough to make me feel like I know what I'm doing.

Survival: Update #4 - In the Can

It's been a bit quiet on this front recently, but we wrapped photography on the 23rd, and got back to Northern Ireland on Saturday night.  The video files are currently importing to start editing this thing together.

Once we've got a cut together, it'll be sent off to the Maestro to get a soundtrack, and then it's a short hop to actually letting you guys see it.

I'm not nervous as long as I don't think about it...

Survival: Update #3 - On the Road

Today, we fly over to England to start shooting Survival. It's been an interesting road so far, but we've still got a ways to go. Fingers crossed for smooth flying from here on out!
There will be more updates through the week, both here and on Twitter (@Ninchilla).

Survival: Update #2 - Bumps in the Road

Things continue, but if they're according to plan, it's not my plan.  Perhaps I should have expected things to go less-than-perfectly, but I suppose last-minute rewrites around sudden and unexpected absences of key props are something we have to learn to do eventually.

The good news is that filming is still on, and we still have my cast and crew; I swear by the old gods and the new, this thing will get finished, and I'm sure it'll still be great.

If not, maybe I can Lucas it in a few years.

Survival

Work continues on the next project - and this one is a definite change of pace from Charles.

Survival follows a couple of days in the life of Jane, a only a few months after civilization has crumbled, just as she thinks she's getting used to living alone in the wilderness.  Needless to say, there's a bit more to it than that, but I don't want to spoil the surprise.  This one is a much more serious, and much more complicated, beast than 5 minutes with a puppet, but we've got some new equipment, lots of help, and I'm feeling pretty good about it!

More information as it comes, and possibly even some updates from the set!