Concealer - the endgame

Hello everybody.  I know, I know, where the hell have you been?  What happened to the updates?

The truth is that I posted a blog post about a month after the last one, unfortunately there was some disagreement about what should and what should not be included so I took it down.  I believe that it is important to tell people who might be thinking of doing a similar task about possible pitfalls, I see that as something of a duty, whereas others say that we shouldn't tell of anything that implies a lack of professionalism on our part.

Until that issue is resolved one way or another then I'm afraid this blog will only exhude good news and all the bad stuff will be hidden - which kind of makes this like the Disney marketing department, doesn't it?

Kym Veldman as Daisy

So the good news is that the film is finished (it's title is now Concealer).  The better news is that I was able to screen it at the Chester Film Co-op and it seems to work, as in people seemed to enjoy watching it and complaints were very nitpicky.

At 21 minutes it is the longest film we've made yet, twice as many lamps were used to light it, more actors than we've used before, and the guy whose home we were filming in happened to be a retired engineer so was able to help us complete two shots that we otherwise would have had to composite.  It is certainly the most elaborate film Honacloi Films have ever made, and that is saying something when you look at a film like Troll2357.

A couple of people who've seen it have complimented the lighting, at least by comparison to the previous films, which stands to reason since we had not one but two recces of the filming location, with the lamps, just to be sure.  The lavalier microphone (Sennheiser EW100) didn't work when it came to filming so my idea to have a second, more specific, dialogue track was not to be.  I have since replaced the microphone for the EW100 and, wouldn't you know, the lav is now working fine.

Noel Ross as Inspector Wright

But if there's one quality that jumps off the screen it's the acting.  The performances are amazing.  I only wish I had more to do with them.  The commitment of the actors to their roles, and the amount of thought some of them applied to what is not even said about the characters in the script, boggles the mind.

I was criticised for recasting the same actors, people said I should broaden my perspective and work with different actors.  Nigel, Noel and Kym have been in all three of the films we've made so far and Kathryn has been in two.  Here's my argument:  When you find versatile talented actors (who are much rarer than most people think), if those actors are willing to participate in your next film, then why replace them?  To show you can work with a variety of different people?

I know how versatile my own personality is and I'm quite adept at varying my behaviour based upon the behaviour of others.  I find it unlikely that I would ever have a problem working with a variety of different people.  Every once in a while you're going to encounter an actor with an inflated sense of entitlement - a Christian Bale or Edward Norton - but they are quite rare, particularly among those who have yet to make a name for themselves.

Murphy Rhodes as Rawlings

One thing that is dying in Hollywood at the moment is the star system.  Films are no longer sold by who is in the film but rather by what they can get people talking about on social media (hence sequels, prequels, remakes... snore).  I personally think that is an error on Hollywood's part.  China weren't interested in The Last Jedi, the film bombed there.  One Chinese critic said that, if Will Smith were in the John Boyega role, they probably would have been interested.

For me the star system is important and always will be.  Feeling that, wherever and whatever happens in this screen adventure, that you're embarking on this adventure identifying with particular characters played by actors you know from other roles, is very important.  When I put a Gene Wilder film or a Harrison Ford film on, even if I haven't seen it, I know the actor's reputation.  Knowing their reputation makes me more likely to buy a ticket for a film I may know nothing else about, something no-one is talking about on social media.

Nigel Goodwin, Kym Veldman, Noel Ross, Kathryn Rigby even Murphy Rhodes (whom I've only worked with briefly compared to the others but was very impressed with his performance) could be stars some day.  In fact I hope that's what they become because I'm already a great admirer of thier work and I want to see them in more stuff.  So how does one become a star?  I would say what it requires, even before Twittering and Facebooking and whatever else you might do, is that those actors are in a number of well recieved films.

Kym Veldman as Daisy

Get that?  In a number of films, not just one.  I consider the actor/director relationship a symbiotic one.  I am committed to the idea of my actors becoming stars because that lifts my profile considerably if and when it happens.  That means that I'm committed to only asking the actors to take roles they're suited for in films that I am dead sure will be communicated effectively in the end product.  If there is ever a hair's breath of doubt I won't push the idea on them.

So, in answer the question of why I recast the same actors, that's why.  Because it serves me (as selfish as that may seem).

We will be having a screening of Concealer at the location we filmed it, a private affair for the people involved in the film.  A chance for everyone to pat everyone else on the back, which I guess is important for morale.  After that I will enter it for a few film festivals and allow it to ride the festival circuit for a few months.  I will also (sometime over the next couple of weeks) post the film to the Honacloi Films Facebook page for a single day so anyone can see it.

Kym Veldman as Daisy (foreground), Noel Ross as Inspector Wright (background)

What's next for Honacloi Films then?  Honestly I'm considering making the next film feature-length, as suicidal as that may seem.  I don't like throwing money into films then paying other people so they watch them and decide, from amidst a plethora of other films, whether they want to screen it at their festival.  The only way out of the festival circuit is to make a film you can sell, which means making it feature-length.

There are six basic things that are required to make a feature film (film stock is no longer one of them, thank God): a competent screenplay (covered), a camera (yup), a sound recording kit (got it), a lighting kit (here), locations to film in and, last but certainly not least, talented actors.  So really when I'm thinking about making a film only two of those items I will have to apply any thought to - the locations and the actors.

I have a great idea for a screenplay which has been gestating in my head for the past couple of months.  In truth though, to make that film how I imagine, I'll need the added talents of miniature artists.  Already I'm talking with this guy from Manchester who is really good at what he does, we're picking through the logistics of what it would take to achieve what I have in mind.

So keep an eye on the Honacloi Films Facebook page for Concealer, blink and you'll miss it.