Some new videos coming soon...

I got my editing rig back from the menders a few days ago, so I can finally catch up with a few videos I've been meaning to cut together since I got back from Edinburgh. The first one (which I completed yesterday) is a compilation of footage from the Bewdley performance of Sabrina and the Engineer (see more about it here). It was split into two performances, this one in Bewdley, and another a week later in Bridgnorth - but I don't have the tapes for the latter yet (but when I do I'll cut together a video from that one too).

I'll also be cutting together a couple of musical montages (like the aforementioned video) for some footage I got using my Kodak Zi8 when I was on holiday in Scotland (kind of like my Snow 2010 video currently on my YouTube channel). There'll be one video for the seaside town of North Berwick, and one for the city of Edinburgh.

It feels good to be doing some editing again. I think I'd fallen into a bit of a creative rut, so hopefully cutting these videos together will give me a boost in that department and then I can get back into Allen Bridge.

In the mean time, I should be uploading the Sabrina and the Engineer video soon - and I'll post about it here.

Black Falcon Video Productions (2006)...

The Murder of the Reverend Pralph (2006):

Filmed with members of the Sealed Knot, this short (which I acted as cameraman on) was shown on BBC Local TV and the Community Channel. It was a re-enactment of a local historical event when a group of soldiers murdered a preacher when the two parties met and got into a disagreement.


The Blast (2006):

This was a promotional video that I helped to shoot for a local rock band at one of their gigs (in a local pub in a cramped stage area being buffeted by hyper teenagers). It was a lot of fun to shoot, and the final product was pretty good too.


Kathy North (2006):

I helped to shoot this promotional video (I was operating two of the three cameras) for a local cabaret singer, at one of her performances at a local hotel.

North By Northwest...

Back on my degree, we covered Hitchcock fairly often - indeed, one of my prof's was an epic Alfred-fan. So, again, this was a case of 'record it as we might use it on the course, but then leave it in a box of videotapes for years' ... quite.

Now, being a fan of Captain Scarlett when I was younger, I think I'm right in saying, that North By Northwest is my first proper exposure to Cary Grant (upon whom Scarlett was based closely).

Yes, it's a spiffing film, and Grant rocks, and it's one of Hitch's best. Nevermind the obvious, what NBN did was take me right back to my days at university. Watching those cinematic classics in the campus' theatre on restored prints (something I think I'd appreciate even more now, than back then). I dug the old school colour palette, the rear projection, the epic matte paintings, the innuendo of trains going into tunnels, the rough hidden edits (when panning in and out of the train, which in turn took me right back to Hitch's excellent Rope).

So, whilst it was actually my first viewing of Northwest, it managed to feel familiar, to take me on a trip down memory lane thanks to its romantic vision of the time in which it was shot.

I guess you and I could say, with multiple meanings, those indeed were the days.

Action in the North Atlantic...

The Bogart obsession continues, this time with one of his World War II ship-based actioners (I'll be pimping my thoughts on The Caine Mutiny in due course, which I recorded off Channel 5 back in 2002 - at the same time as ...North Atlantic).

It's more like 'Action in the first and third acts of the North Atlantic, with characterisation shoved into act two' ... but that's not a catchy title in the slightest, but quite true of the film's structure. It does feel a bit pieced together, a bit ... average perhaps - at times anyway.

The first act is nothing short of thrilling, the action really does kick off with a sizeable bang. It's all rather fast paced and in your face, with some great stunt work and special effects. Then once that's done with, it's time for second act character building, which is where Bogart (mostly) goes on vacation from the set leaving you wondering if pimping the movie on his name alone is all that suitable.

Regardless, it's still an interesting watch - and yep, once again (as I've previously talked about), marriage is dealt with astonishingly flippantly ... in that "might as well get married, what the hell" sort of way. But no sooner is Bogie hitched, than he's off on another venture into the North Atlantic with a fleet of other ships taking supplies to the men on the ground.

But disaster lurks below, those pesky Germans from the first act are back and are intent on sinking our ships! Indeed, it's all rather good VS evil and quite propagandistic ... but who cares really, even Casablanca was used as propaganda to an extent (it only got the green light after Pearl Harbour happened, and indeed the script was read the day after the event).

Back to Action in the North Atlantic - basically, a bit hit & miss, but when it hits it really goes for the KO.