Dave's Progress. Chapter 40: Hollywood Here I Come (Again).

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So, we at the Pathways Group (a local support group for those affected by long-term mental ill health) have decided once again to pool our creative resources and make another film. The last short film we made, which was a sometimes harrowing but ultimately hopeful depiction of long term mental ill health, was such a great experience for us all that we have decided once again to have a brief foray into the movie-making business. For those of you who would like to read about the making and eventual screening of our first film, "The Search", please go to my blogs, entitled "Hollywood Here I Come", Parts I,II and III, respectively.
So, at the moment we are in the very early, embryonic stages of going about making our new film, our efforts at the moment concentrating on securing some funding so that we can actually get it made. As we are relatively new to this process (the last film was funded by the council as part of the "Ward Stories" project) we have enlisted the help of MAGMH (The Media Action Group for Mental Health) who can hopefully guide us through the process and help us with the economic side of things. At present we are applying to the local council for funding for our project, but if we are not successful there we may have to look elsewhere, like the lottery fund or perhaps even Comic Relief. However, we are quite hopeful at this stage that we can secure funding from the council, as our project would seem to fit all the criteria that they ask for.
Also, we have decided to create our own web site, which should be up and running within a few months, perhaps earlier.
Our last film seems also to have done quite well. After being shown at the Edinburgh film festival for mental health, it, I believe, is now going to be used as an educational tool in Scotland. Our dreaded rivals, The Pathways Group at the Greenfield Centre (another group for those recovering from mental ill health, this time depression) seem to have done even better, winning an award for their short-film, "Nimbus". Needless to say, those of us from the Pathways Group at the Bennett Centre felt somewhat bitter and twisted about this, as we felt our film was much better than that of our closest rivals. It's all cut and thrust competitiveness in such a creative, arty environment dear, don't you know.
So, wish us all luck as we plunge ourselves once again into movie land and your normal, average, paranoid and delusional man cries out, "Hollywood here I come- once again!"

Comments

klahanie said…
Dear David,
Another film. That is fantastic news and I'm sure it will be most empowering.
I glad to note that you folks at the Pathways Group (Bennett Centre) are going to be setting up a website. Busy times, indeed.
Now then, in so far as you guys and those folks at the Pathways Group(Greenfield Centre), I'm sure it's good natured rivalry. Oh, what the heck, 'bitter and twisted' rivalry seems okay to me:-)
Glad to see that you are working on your latest project in conjunction with MAGMH.
There's not stopping you. Lights, camera and....action!
All the very best, Gary.
7 October 2009 at 13:39
Dixie@dcrelief said…
Dear David,

I wonder what the other group's edginess was? I mean... what, about their film, brought the bigger recognition? Was it the script, the angle of shots, the setings?
For example: "Planet earth" with John Travola, appeared to be box-office 'trash'...yet today is seen as a cult classic. My mind was 'attracted' to the technology explored within it; a fascinating plot.
Yet the same ideas can be applied to any film. Know your subject so well that the writing seems 'child's play'.
Be careful what you dress your characters in; yellow repels 16% of the population. They simply get up and leave the room. Red draws the eye, blue repels. Small things, until you view two characters in a on-screen debate; which one will the audience pull for? And yes you can help them decide. :)
I do wish you great prosperty toward funding. I simply wish I could do more...but I am far away. Accept my cheering and think positive. That other group's title needs a rest, don't you think?
Most sincerely,
Dixie
7 October 2009 at 23:40
David said…
Dear Gary & dc,
Thankyou as ever for your kind, supportive comments.
Hopefully our next film will be bigger, better and bolder than the last. I think as the rivals' film at Greenfields was an animated short, and ours was live action, we tended to fall into two different categories. As there were less animated films in competition, they perhaps stood a better chance of winning than we did. Other than that, we at the Bennett Centre remain suitably bitter and twisted about it, and it has only spurned us on to make a better effort this time!
Thanks once again,
With Very Best Wishes,
David.
10 October 2009 at 03:24
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