As Reign Of Fire begins shooting in Ardmore Studios, we steer clear of Hollywood this month and take a look at short film production.
Shimmy Marcus has finished shooting picture and is working on the soundtrack for Ivor The Insomniac. He is currently working with the composer Eoghan Horgan, in preparation for recording music for the 3-minute short. The film was shot on 35mm as part of the Short Short scheme funded by The Irish Film Board.
Niall Heery is in postproduction at the moment with his short, Edge Of Defeat. Written and directed by Niall, it was produced by Tristan Orpen Lynch and Jo Homewood for Subotica Entertainment. They hope to launch the 10-minute short, shot on Super 16mm onto the festival circuit later this year.
Grand Pictures’ two Short Cuts productions are completed and await a blow up to 35mm in preparation for screening. Day One was written by Margaret Moggon, directed by Lisa Mulcahy and produced by Susan Holmes. It finished shooting before Christmas and completed postproduction under Stephen Vickers at Windmill Lane. They also produced Fast Lane with Joan Conway, which was written and directed by Orla Walsh. Postproduction under Niamh Fagan included a stint at Ardmore Sound.
Paradise Pictures’ 2 minute short, You And Me Tide finished shooting on 35mm last November. Directed by Conor Morrissey, the production is a special effects extravaganza, and includes pyrotechnics by Team-FX. Brujeria, the South American death metal band has added the soundtrack to Niall Walsh’s central performance. Rumour has it that Niall’s role on the short landed him a part on Reign of Fire.
Edwina Forkin never seems to rest. The four shorts Zanzibar Productions wrapped by the end of last year represent a supreme effort by any stretch of the imagination. Gravity, a 3-minute digital film conceived and directed by Romek Delimatra features green screen and computer animation technology. Postproduction at The Yard lasted two months after which it had a successful run on the festival circuit both here, in the UK and US, reaching as far a field as Taiwan. It has just received money from The Irish Film Board for a film print and will be showing at the Orchard Gallery in Derry this spring as part of an art/video installation.
Inion an Fhiaclora, a 28-minute short also from Zanzibar, was written and directed by Jacqueline O’Neill. The film was commissioned as part of the Oscailt scheme administered by The Irish Film Board and TG4. This is the company’s second Oscailt: Deich gCoisceim was shot in 1999. Zanzibar’s Nead an Leabhar, Directed by Audrey O’Reilly and currently in pre-production, has also just been awarded an Oscailt, making it their third.
Another of Edwina’s productions, Odd Sock was written by Carmel Winters and directed by Colette Cullen. The 15-minute, 35mm drama premiered at the Cork film festival last year. Originally short-listed for a Short Cuts award, it missed out due to having started shooting. After seeing the final cut however, The Irish Film Board kindly came through with completion money. It is currently being Telecined in preparation for getting a VHS copy onto the festival circuit.
Zanzibar’s Paddy, a 10-minute animation comedy, was also screened at Cork and has been accepted into the New York Film Fleadh. It was produced with funding from The Irish Film Board, RTE and the Art Council’s Frameworks. Paddy was written by Cashel Horgan and Myles Horgan, directed by Cashel Horgan, and produced by John Waldron and Mark O’Toole, with Edwina Forkin as executive producer. The cast and crew party and premiere of the print will take place at the IFC later this month – no doubt they will be celebrating as it has already won the UIP Award for Best Animation and won Best Irish Animation at the Galway Film Fleadh. The film uses Claymation shot on digital video; blown up to 35 mm. Edwina Forkin has a slate of feature film projects in development. Currently she is in pre-production on Shimmy Marcus’ Miramax Award-winning script, Headrush.
In the last few days, Samson Films’ Beached wrapped shooting and has been sent for postproduction in the UK at Shepherton. The 15-minute film was produced by Martina Niland and written and directed by Carl Golden. Shot on Super 16mm in black and white for a 35mm blow-up, it was funded by Film Base and the Arts Council. They expect to have a finished product ready for the festival circuit by the end of March.
Anyone unsure of the artistic and possible commercial merits of short making, should take note of Ian Power’s experience. Currently working as commercials director for Halford and Hutchinson, his short, Buskers, which featured music from U2 and Ewan McColl, is being backed for Oscar Nomination by IFILM.com. Take his advice; keep them short and look to the Internet as a possible means of dissemination.
NW
