video

Rewards, Distribution and Scheduling

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Fresh from the duplicators
Fresh from the duplicators
Signing Video8
Signing Video8

You can say what you like about digital distribution, but nothing beats the feeling of opening a box of DVDs fresh from the duplicators, all packaged with lovely covers and on-disc artwork. The download generation will really miss out on an experience there.

Yes, today the DVD dupes of Video8 and The Dark Side of the Earth: Making the Pilot arrived, so I spent the morning signing them, parcelling them up along with thank you notes and posting them to the Stop/Eject sponsors. If you contributed £50 or more and you haven’t given Sophie your address yet, then please do so because you’re missing out on your well-earned rewards otherwise.

Soul Searcher, signed
Soul Searcher, signed

The other thing that happened today is that Soul Searcher‘s five year distribution deal expired. If you’re interested to know how that worked out for me financially, just click on the donate button to the right and you’ll get access to an in-depth video on the subject.

As for the film’s future, I can now reveal that Soul Searcher will be online to view in full for free from next Monday Februrary 6th. Watch this space for the link.

In the mean time, here’s another DVD extra that never made it to the disc…

Rewards, Distribution and Scheduling

Soul Searcher: The Return

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As previously mentioned, more money needs to be raised ahead of Stop/Eject‘s shoot – which we hope will be in April or May. I can now reveal one of the ways in which we plan to close this funding gap.

Ray Bullock Jnr. as Joe in Soul Searcher
Ray Bullock Jnr. as Joe in Soul Searcher

In 2005 I completed Soul Searcher, described by The Guardian as “a fantasy action movie in the grand style”. With six weeks of night shooting, martial arts fights, 280 FX shots and a climactic chase between a 1973 Ford Mustang and an express train to Hell, Soul Searcher was a tough project to say the least, and I learnt loads from it. It was also my first film to be properly distributed, getting an international DVD release.

So over the next couple of months I’ll be delivering an in-depth lecture about how I financed, shot, post-produced and sold Soul Searcher in various venues around England. There will be lots of clips and behind-the-scenes footage and a Q&A session at the end. These lectures will be FREE to attend, but we will encourage satisfied attendees to contribute a little cash to Stop/Eject at the end.

So far we have the following venues confirmed:

  • Hereford, February 21st, 7pm at The Rural Media Company, Sullivan House, 72-80 Widemarsh Street, HR4 9HG
  • Derby, March 27th, as part of the Five Lamps Film Night at The Quad – details TBC

Details of further venues to follow as they are arranged.

The other big news for Soul Searcher is that, since its distribution contract expires this week, I’ll soon be releasing the film on YouTube. That’s right – it will be FREE to view in full. And there is more news to come regarding the extensive behind-the-scenes material, but I’ll save that for another day.

I’ll leave you with something I came across yesterday while looking through my old hard drive in preparation for this online release: a cheesy music video that was intended to be a DVD extra, but which never made it onto the disc due to lack of space. Enjoy…

Soul Searcher: The Return

Last Chance to Get Your Rewards

neiloseman,

There are just two days now before the Stop/Eject campaign ends. In triumph or defeat? Well that’s up to you. The exclusive DVDs and signed memorabilia will not be available to anyone again after Wednesday, so if you want to get your hands on them you’d better make your contribution now.

Here’s a message from some of us in Stop/Eject land to those of you who haven’t got involved yet….

Last Chance to Get Your Rewards

Midlands Today Report

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The Midlands Today piece on Stop/Eject goes out tonight at 6:30pm on BBC 1 in the West Midlands, and on Sky Channel 979, but if you can’t wait that long you can see it here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150454093341266&set=vb.21263239760&type=2&theater

My first Midlands Today appearance in 2002
My first Midlands Today appearance in 2002

So how did I get my ugly mug on the custard and jelly? Well I’ve been on Midlands Today twice before – once with The Beacon in 2002 and then again with Soul Searcher in 2005. Both times I was interviewed by the same reporter, who gave me his number and said I should feel free to call him if I ever needed any other films promoting. So getting on this time was relatively easy. Even though that reporter no longer works full time at Midlands Today, he promptly forwarded the info I sent to the relevant person and the next day I had a phone call to arrange the shoot.

There’s a certain amount of luck involved as well. You have to catch them on a slow news day. And since your piece will not be news in the strictest sense, i.e. it won’t be tied particularly to that day, it will be the first piece to get bumped off the show and postponed to a later one if something more newsworthy comes up.

As to how I got on Midlands Today the first time, back in 2002, I’m afraid I simply can’t remember. I’m pretty sure I didn’t approach them, and there was some good coverage in the local papers at the time, so most probably a researcher saw that coverage and they contacted me.

I have to say that everyone I’ve met and dealt with at Midlands Today has been incredibly friendly and helpful and I’m very grateful to them for giving my little film project a bit of publicity.

Remember, there’s just one week left to make your contribution to Stop/Eject at http://tinyurl.com/stopeject

Midlands Today Report

Stop/Eject: Get Involved

neiloseman, ,

Our crowd-funding campaign has launched today. We need your help to bring Stop/Eject, a heartbreaking story of love and loss, to the screen. Donate as little or as much as you’re able, and don’t forget to tell all your friends to do the same. You can link to our Crowdfunder page or you can embed the widget (see sidebar on right) on your own site.

Although Light Films have kindly funded the development and initial pre-production, we still need money to buy more props, costumes and materials for the set, and to cover travel, catering and accommodation. For those of you who have been following my filmmaking exploits online for a while, this is your chance to get personally involved. Everyone who donates will get a thank you in the credits, plus there are various great rewards available if you donate over certain amounts, such as exclusive posters, signed artwork and DVDs of my films, some of which have never been available to own before.

Still not convinced? Check out my previous Stop/Eject blog posts to read about all the hard work that’s already gone into this project. I believe this film will be something really special, but I can’t make it without your help. Sponsor it here. Thanks everyone!

Stop/Eject: Get Involved

Open University

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Open University programming isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the men with tweed jackets and unfathomable beards who haunt your TV screen at 3am. In their place are men with no chins and terrible haircuts who loiter on YouTube 24/7.

This video is part of the OU’s Digital Film School course, which my good friend Rick Goldsmith co-wrote. You can find out more about him, his company and perhaps even his tweed jacket at www.catchermedia.co.uk

Open University