VHS (2006) & VHS: Long Play (2008)...

VHS (2006):

My first narrative short since “Trapped” the previous year, this quirky horror story is about a guy who unceremoniously ditches VHS in favour of a rapidly expanding DVD collection. This film was inspired by my own disliking of how the industry so unceremoniously disregarded VHS as soon as DVD came along – dismissing it harshly and indeed unfairly (the industry insistence on making the vast majority of videotapes ‘pan & scan’ presentations was one of the main reasons the picture quality was comparatively poor).


In the film, the DVD fanatic ends up transported into a hellish limbo world by a rogue VHS tape, where he is bound to a chair (with videotape) amidst the broken shards of his DVD collection. He is taught a lesson or two by his captor and seemingly sent back to his own reality … or is he?


This short was shown at the Bristol Bloodbath Film Festival 2006, and the Borderlines Film Festival 2007.



VHS: Long Play (2008):

Spurred on by those who really enjoyed the original film, I was able to create this part-remake/part-sequel to 2006’s “VHS” in the summer of 2008. Having not made any of my own indie shorts since the second Zombie Man, it was great to get back into it.


I wanted to put together something simple, and something stylish, the plot this time centring around the first film’s protagonist trapped within this torturous limbo world of the rogue VHS tape that captured him in the first one. I was very pleased with the final product, and it was a simple, quick and easy short to make.


This film was shown at the 2008 Phantasmagoria Film Festival.


You can watch the original VHS here:



And you also watch the sequel here:

Phantasmagoria Film Festival...

Visit here for more info:
http://www.phantasma-goria.co.uk/

So aye, it was set up by the same bloke who did Bristol Bloodbath in 2006, and again he was asking for short films to show - so I was able to get VHS: Long Play in on the short film billing.

I was unable to attend the fest, but got word from him today that it got a decent score. Obviously some liked it, some didn't like it - and indeed it seems a number of people just didn't "get it", which in turn I don't quite "get", but I guess that's what happens when you come up with an odd little idea.

Apparently it looked really good on the big screen too, which would have been nice to see, but as I said I was unable to attend (swamped in editing at the moment, so I am).

VHS: Long Play...

It's done and dusted, my latest little DeadShed Productions short film is complete and now up on YouTube, and can be seen via the link here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQE7RlAmavA

It's five and a half minutes long, and is a fast & loose type of short. It's a bit oddball, a bit weird, but it was something I wanted to do and try a couple of things out on, so check it out.

Deadly anticipation...

*sigh* you'd have thought having GTA IV pre-ordered for over a year would have entitled me to have it arrive at least on launch day from the online retailer ... but no ... lame.

I could have gone to town this morning and gotten one at the local Woolies, but of course my money was already taken as it was posted yesterday morning ... so I continue to wait ... tomorrow (Wednesday) is possible, but who knows, a big dollop of lame could spoil my day and make me wait yet another 24 hours to gawp in utter awe at the gaming event of the year ... now yes, there are famines and all sorts of nasty things in the world that actually matter ... but I'm not talking about GTA IV in the global realm, but rather exclusively in the realms of entertainment ... this much anticipation is insane, and having to wait longer and longer is of course - annoying.

Still though, when it gets here ... awesomeness will be had.

...

Anyway, onto other things - speaking of anticipation, I'm proper looking forward to checking out Gary Ugarek's Deadlands 2: Trapped. He sent me a short zombie clip from it and bloody nora does it look awesome - for those not in the know, it was on the DVD of Deadlands #1 that I Am Zombie Man appeared, it even appeared (along with IAZM2) at the theatrical run at the Hagerstown 10 cinema (where DL2: Trapped was shot), so we tend to share clips of what we're up to back and forth, teasing each other with little snippets of entertainment anticipation.

Good stuff indeed.

...

Onto another thing, I was off out filming today for this not-for-profit campaign film that Joe Jenkins is doing. I'm shooting and editing it, and it'll end up being something like 10 minutes and will be shown in his local parish, or ward, or whatever you call your local area/village in rural communities. Not sure of a title yet, but that as well as other info regarding will be posted as-and-when-appropriate.

...

One more thing - VHS-2: Long Play is currently being edited, even though I've got a bit more filming to do for it ... I've done some rough editing (cutting down the footage basically for the more choice cuts), and next up I'll be doing the colouring via the superb Magic Bullet - after that the proper editing will be done, and of course, as soon as it's up on YouTube I'll pimp it about.

Oh yeah, on my YouTube page I recently posted a short, random 'behind the scenes' sort-of video for VHS-2, so check that out if you will ... it's rough-as-old-boots, just a bunch of clips really, but well it might be of interest to those wanting to check out the film itself as-and-when.

VHS-2: Long Play...

aka VHS-2, aka Long Play ... haven't decided which way I'll swing on it, but probably just stick with Long Play as the official title as this semi-sequel, semi-remake is supposed to be able to stand on its own.

So this afternoon I had Ben come over (who has also been in IAZM2, the original VHS - which was shown at the Bristol Bloodbath 2006 film festival, and the Borderlines Film Festival 2007 - as well as the likes of Smack Addict), and we got all the shots involving him, as well as his voice over.

This film - the first DeadShed short since IAZM2 over a year ago, come to think of it - is much looser in its making, I guess more along the 'production lines' of the original IAZM, but with better filming and editing. I aim to make it a lean 5-minutes-or-under, and generally it's fairly experimental in a way ... it's loose, it's experimental, it's oddball ... well the central theme is a guy who's been imprisoned in his own 'vertical helical hell' because he ditched VHS in favour of DVD so unceremoniously ... so odd indeed, quirky you might say.

I originally wrote the script a few months back, so I'm glad to have been able to get this one going, now it's all down to me to film the last little bits and pieces, then edit the whole thing...so that'll be something for the next wee while and of course I'll be pimping it out on YouTube when it's done ... might even send it to Total Film to see if they fancy pimping it for their "Your Shorts" side-column, it might very well be up their street, who knows.

So aye - that's what's going on right now, ta-da!