Filmmaker Q&A: May Miles Thomas on the making of Voyageuse
May Miles Thomas's Voyageuse premiered last month at the Glasgow Film Festival, tracing the life of Miles Thomas's mother-in-law, Erica, from her origins in Hungary, from where she fled with her family to England in 1938, through education at Cambridge and Oxford, her struggles in a career as a scientist, to marriage, children and her relationship with her own mother. Without funding and in the absence of a crew, Miles Thomas skillfully pieces together Erica's life through a
Democratising The Filmmaking Process Volume 2: DIY PR – How To Get Your Film Reviewed and Written Ab
DIY PR – How To Get Your Film Reviewed and Written About. Democratising The Filmmaking Process Volume 2. Making a film is but merely one of the many battles involved in the great movie-making wars. If you have already reached this stage you are likely acutely aware that not everyone is currently sharing your unbridled enthusiasm for your efforts. You (and we) know you've created a work of genius but sadly the rest of the world has not been given the opportunity to offer their
Empire of the Sensless: Funding, Promoting and Nurturing Emerging Talent pt1
Yesterday, I identified three problems I see currently facing Scotland's film industry. Today, I want to focus on the first of those problems - funding for emerging talent, and the promotion and nurturing of that talent. RIP IT UP AND START AGAIN My personal belief is that for the film industry to flourish it has to become more accessible – to everyone. Barriers between the Existing Industry and everyone else must be broken. We live in a society where filmmaking is no longer
'Even the Silent are Guilty in the Empire of the Senseless: The Creative Problems of the Indigen
The last decade has brought with it what I refer to as a Year Zero moment in filmmaking. Every aspect of filmmaking has changed beyond all recognition from when I first started my career in the early 2000's. I think mostly for the better. Cultural movements of the 20th century which have also been referred to as Year Zero moments have mostly followed the same path of change, with those who adapt with the times moving forward, and those who don't stagnating. Times and circum
Tartan 14- Far From the Apple Tree - DigitalFilmmaker Magazine Spread
The full transcript can be read below: Far From the Apple Tree Why will this project be of interest to readers of Digital FilmMaker? I think our team have managed to pull together a unique project. A drama feature that’s been partly shot on 35mm, for £15K, everyone was paid a little and we did it all in 9 days. What had you done project wise in the lead up to this? For 18 years I’d worked as a 2ndAC on film and latterly as a DIT, mostly on features. I’ve been lucky and have w
Five Years – And the changes seen in the Scottish Indie Film Community.
Five Years – And the changes seen in the Scottish Indie Film Community. Today is the Fifth anniversary of Tartan Features. Coincidentally, David Bowie sang a song called 5 years. Unfortunately that’s as far as any links to us go. If he’d been singing about dogs and micro-budget feature films then it would have been uncannily apt. Year Zero: Tartan Features Fifth Annual Semi-Report In the five years of Tartan Features we’ve observed – and learned a lot about the Scottish Film
Attitude and Ideas: Year Zero Tartan Features 2017 Review
Attitude and Ideas: Year Zero Tartan Features 2017 Review “Great art always comes from attitude and ideas” so said the Gang of Four. This is also true of film but with the important addition of tenacity. The Cambridge dictionary defines tenacity as ”the determination to continue what you are doing” Ideas alone are just not enough when making, promoting and distributing independent films on your own – something we learned when we started in 2013. Attitude is great if you have
