The Independent Critic reviews 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

Richard Propes of The Independent Critic has published a review of 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts' - and you can check it out HERE.

Directed by Barnes from a script by Nick Thomson, Ms. Green is a deliciously dark delight, a dramatic short with a comedic gleam in its eye and a film that carries with it the spirit of a gothic poet's heart. Koster's Green is an unusual sort, though I'm hesitant to ruin any of it for those may eventually see the entertaining short. Koster makes us rather love Ms. Green, though perhaps from a distance. She's seductively psychotic, a wee bit fractured and yet possesses a sweetness that makes her endearing. Koster makes all of this believable and rather fun to watch.

Lensing by Will Middleton and Aaron Whitehead is effective throughout, and Veronika Koubova deserves immense credit for editing that makes Ms. Green work despite its slight 15-minute running time and an undeniable desire to spend more time with these characters. 

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook, visit the Oakhill Productions website, and visit the film's IMDb page.

'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts' on Ridge Radio...

This Sunday (June 14th, 6pm to 8pm GMT), there will be something of a 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts' reunion on the award winning Ridge Radio, as Mark Pendry - who played Ed Gein in the short film - hosts his radio show with guests Ali Causon (Producer) and actors Lauren Koster (Elnora) and Rohan Singh (Parker).

 

They'll be talking about the making of the film amidst a selection of music relating to some of the aspects of the film.

 

You can tune in to Ridge Radio via this LINK. 

Indie Shorts Mag review of 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

Another great review of our short film Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts, this time from Indie Shorts Mag. Check out their full review HERE.

"Green is the undeniable backbone of the whole affair (puppet Dziga may be the femora). She makes Elnora a particularly enjoyable heroine. Elnora is sweet-spoken and snarky, earnest and sarcastic. Patient. Secretly furious. And borderline psychopathic. The insanity is painted delicious, a tongue-in-cheek approach that transfers to other comedic moments, like a swish pan back and forth between Elnora and Dziga. For Elnora and Parker, the tone is softer than fluffy clouds, even as they share in the task of skinning a dead animal."

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Trailer #2 for 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

Check out the new trailer for our short film "Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts" below...

This trailer takes on a more quirky, romantic vibe, angling towards some of the other shades to the complex protagonist Elnora Green, played by Lauren Koster.

You can follow the film's progress on Facebook and visit the Oakhill Productions website.

Storyboards vs Finished Product: 'Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts'...

The storyboards for Ms Green & Other Lovely Beasts were made by Mike Cosford (visit his website HERE), with whom we had worked with before on For Want Of A Nail. Fun fact: on FWOAN, some of the storyboards depicting the protagonists had a striking resemblance to the actors that played the parts - before they had even been cast! However, this time around we already had our cast in-place, so there was no magical precognition (as far as we know, anyway!)

Here are a few comparisons between Mike's storyboards and snapshots of the finished film.

The main opening of the film takes place inside a fantasy world in Elnora's mind, brought to life as if a scene from a Universal Monster Movie from the 1930s and 40s. Tilting down from the naked branches of December trees and tracking forward, we come to find Elnora isolated and (seemingly) talking to herself ... but she's not really alone. The bottom of the garden at producer Ali's mother's house was transformed into the outskirts of a rural cemetery for this scene...

Click "READ MORE" below to continue...

FWOAN - an official update...

I've mentioned bits here and there about working on the FWOAN project, but now's time for an official update...

After its successful festival run, our short film, ‘For Want Of A Nail’ was released in February 2020. Behind the scenes, Director Lucy Barnes, Writer Nick Thomson and Producer Ali Causon, were already developing the idea of progressing the film to a series and started pitching the idea… Then the pandemic hit.

 

Like many, it was a massive setback for us. With the world in chaos and no one really knowing how or when to move forward… we kept our creative minds busy. The 3 of us continued working on the series.... Almost a year and a half later, we are in a strong position to move to the next stage of production and get the green light.

 

Now feels like the right time to tell you a bit more about the proposed series, to raise awareness for the subject matter. To give the OCD community a voice and a more honest representation of a misunderstood mental health condition.

Thanks for your support. - Ali Causon [Producer Oakhill Productions]

Continues after the jump...

The OCD Chronicles Podcast

I was recently interviewed for The OCD Chronicles Podcast by journalist James McMahon and you can listen to the episode by following this LINK. We talk about For Want of a Nail and experiences with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

TV and films ongoing struggle to depict and represent OCD authentically is a subject that matters to me greatly. I've written about it extensively in the past, most recently for The Guardian. It's a subject I'm sure The OCD Chronicles will return to down the line.

But I'm always keen to get creative voices from The OCD Chronicles on this podcast. If we can see ourselves authentically in the media we consume, then we're one step closer to OCD not being so misunderstood. Filmmaker and sufferer Nick Thomson is the latest creative to attempt to capture the condition - his short film For Want of a Nail is available to watch now. We have an enjoyable conversation on this episode.

You can find more of James McMahon's interviews with creative people who have OCD here and find out more about him here.

The OCD & Anxiety Podcast - FWOAN Interview...

I was recently interviewed for The OCD & Anxiety Podcast, covering the topics of the short film For Want Of A Nail (which I wrote the screenplay for) as well as my own experiences with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

You can listen or download the podcast HERE, or via the embed below:

Watch FWOAN now!

You can now view the short film "For Want Of A Nail" - for free - online via the OCD Action website: go HERE to view it now.

OCD Action were a great support when we were making the film, having officially endorsed us, and we are very pleased to have continued working with them, so it means a lot that we have been included as a part of the OCD Week of Action (#OCDwoa).

You can also watch it on Vimeo.

For Want Of A Nail from Oakhill Productions on Vimeo.

A little while ago, we spoke to writer Nick about what inspired him to write the film; here's what he said:

"The simple answer is my own experiences with OCD, but it was because I recognised that my various compulsions and routines were affecting me more and more – becoming more elaborate, requiring more attempts to get them ‘perfect’, and generally causing me more and more frustration. I’d been aware of my OCD for several years but, probably like most people do when they suspect something is ‘wrong’ with them, I dodged the issue for a long time. People with OCD tend to be quite embarrassed by the condition, especially as so much of it is internal – rolling around inside your head – so I kept it to myself and, naturally, it began to spiral. So, for me, writing “For Want Of A Nail” was a cathartic experience.

It was partly an expression of my own OCD and partly a warning to myself. around about the same time, I had seen a few of these ‘quizzes’ on social media – ‘How OCD Are You?’ type junk (oftentimes just pictures of messy rooms with a ‘how uncomfortable does this make you feel?’ one-to-ten scale underneath). I saw that not only were the quizzes themselves drowning in utter ignorance of what OCD is, but I saw that people taking the quizzes were either coming away with the completely wrong idea about the condition, or were actually convinced they had it – some going as far as boasting about it like it was something ‘cool’ to differentiate themselves on Facebook or Twitter. Trust me, an idiotic social media quiz won’t tell you that you’ve got OCD, having OCD will tell you that you’ve got OCD – and everyone who has OCD wishes they didn’t have it."

There were two core intensions for me when writing this film: 1) for the audience to come away with a better understanding of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and 2) for the audience to have also enjoyed the story, the characters, and the style of the film - to have been informed and entertained at the same time.

We are also in the process of pitching a 10-part television series adaptation of #FWOAN right now, so if you want to keep up-to-date with all things For Want Of A Nail by following us on Facebook.

The Indie Hour - FWOAN Review...

The Indie Hour has given For Want Of A Nail a glowing review.

One of the first things I liked when watching this film was that the filmmakers have not romanticised OCD or mental illness in anyway. Instead the team deliver a quirky and relatable character and plot line that highlight the realities of living with OCD. Clark Alexander’s performance as Marty was both believable and engaging. Alexander’s performance is complimented by co-stars Lisa Opara and Thomasin Lockwood who inject a very human element to the story. Their performances definitely heightened the emotional tension of the film in a way that made me as a viewer feel much more connected to the overall story.

Check out the full review HERE.

LIMPA Selects FWOAN...

"For Want Of A Nail" has been officially selected by the London International Motion Picture Awards 2019. UPDATE: We have now progressed to 'Semi-Finalist'!

London International Motion Pictures Awards ( L I M P A) is an annual event held in London, United kingdom. It aims to disseminate film culture and the progress achieved in various branches of film art and to strength the relations among filmmakers throughout the world in general.

Find out more by visiting LIMPA's website HERE, and keep up to date with all things FWOAN by following us on social media such as our Facebook page HERE.

Second episode of "Vince & Percy" web series...

"For Want of a Nail" actor Clark Alexander (along with Nick Oliver) is the co-creator and co-star of satirical comedy web series "Vince & Percy #YODO" and the second episode has just gone live - check it out.

FWOAN 2019...

As we head into 2019, and what will hopefully be another successful year on the festival circuit, Oakhill Productions are taking another look at the process of making "For Want Of A Nail" while also looking ahead to our aspirations for FWOAN and the future.

It's really been a great few months since finishing 'For Want Of A Nail' back in March last year. The film is into a second year of it's festival run and has received such positive feedback from a wide variety of viewers.

        As we push forward with another year of festivals and screenings around the world, Writer Nick, who was naturally our script supervisor on set, reflects on his experience in making FWOAN, his best bits and his thoughts on the TV series development.

Read the full article at the Oakhill Productions website HERE and don't forget to follow FWOAN on Facebook.

Indie Shorts Mag FWOAN Review...

Indie Shorts Mag have reviewed "For Want Of A Nail".

The paradoxes of thinking you rule the world when every little slip makes you swirl out of control is captured beautifully by Clark Alexander in his performance. Director Lucy Joan Barnes juxtaposes Marty’s past and present in smooth transitional shots. The screenplay (Nick Thomson) littered with voice-overs, makes it easy even for a layman to understand the complexities of an OCD inflicted individual’s world. As the title of the film aptly suggests; sometimes even seemingly unimportant acts or omissions can have grave consequences, especially for someone suffering from OCD.

You can check out the full review HERE - and don't forget to follow FWOAN on Facebook HERE.

FWOAN Wins at Mindfield...

Some more great news from the festival circuit - For Want Of A Nail has received a Platinum Award for Best Short Film at the Mindfield Film Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

There are five categories of award for Best Short - Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Find the full list of winners HERE.

FWOAN at RedWood Film Festival...

More good festival news for "For Want Of A Nail": we've been officially selected by the RedWood Film Festival.

Check out their Facebook page HERE.

FWOAN at Feel The Reel IFF...

"For Want Of A Nail" has been officially selected by the Feel The Reel International Film Festival.

Feel The Reel is a monthly international film festival founded in Glasgow, United Kingdom. FTR is not only an online film festival, but also a festival with live screenings, our friends from Bucharest ShortCut Cinefest making this possible. Therefore, screenings will take place once a month and our winner will have the chance to be screened in the very heart of the dynamic and ever growing Bucharest, in Romania.

We are in the fiction category - and you can vote for us - just go to the website HERE and scroll down to the Audience Award / "Vote Fiction" section. Voting ends October 23rd.

UPDATE - we won the Best Editing award - congratulations to our editor Ryan Tian! See the full list of results HERE.

FWOAN Wins at Changing Face IFF...

More decidedly groovy film fest news just in from Sydney, Austrailia - "For Want Of A Nail" has won Best Short Drama at the Changing Face International Film Festival in the monthly competition for September 2018!

Check out the full list of Changing Face winners for September 2018 at the fest's website HERE.

FWOAN at Berlin Flash FF...

So not one, but two festival announcements today! "For Want Of A Nail" has been selected to appear at the October 2018 monthly screenings for the Berlin Flash Film Festival!

Berlin Flash Film Festival's monthly screenings are held at the Apollo Theater in the SI Centrum.  On the last day of each month, a select group of guest judges and industry professionals gather for a late night screening to view our monthly category winners. Each monthly category winner is judged based on several factors spanning from story to sound. Surrounded with endless amounts of flavored popcorn, beanbags, blankets, chairs, pillows, score cards, and miniature pencils, our monthly screenings create three elements: a welcoming environment, a sense of community, and a cheeky indie flavor. These three elements best reflect our mission and annual festival.  Our monthly screening events mark an important step for our winners to progress as semi-finalists to our annual festival, Berlin Flash Film Festival.

Check out the website HERE.

FWOAN Selected for Lift-Off...

"For Want Of A Nail" has been officially selected for the Lift-Off Sessions October 2018.

The Lift-Off Sessions is a monthly online showcase, dedicated to screening the best and latest indie shorts to as wide an audience as possible. Lift-Off Global Network are committed to introducing new audiences to the indie film market.

Their official website is HERE.