WorkshopCraig

Workshop QOTD: Death, death, death...

2012-02-02T13:46:00.000Z

I've just been writing the ADR script for a rather gruesome death scene in Nightvision. To me the art of a great death scene is to leave the real horror to the imagination of the audience. It's a fine line between being terrifying, horrific and just gratuitous.

Now don't get me wrong I love a bit of splatter and gore but I tend to laugh in a little terrified way in much the same way I do when I'm at the top of the roller coaster, you know that fraction of a pause just before it sends you hurtling headlong into the bowls of hell.

That stuff is great but it doesn't disturb me in the same way that The Ring or The Shining or The Haunting (original not that crappy re-make, Jan deBont you should be ashamed for littering Wise's masterpiece with all that CGI crap) does.

So I'd love to know what is your fave death scene from a film and why? What made it affect you so much? Did it horrify you? Or did it move you? For me I'd have to say The Elephant Man still floors every time.

Next time.

Craig

Workshop QOTD: To remake or not to remake?

2012-01-20T15:19:00.001Z

I'm finally going to get to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo tonight. Now I love Fincher, always have since 7. Even when he misses it is still with so much style and verve that it's really captivating (yes The Game I'm talking about you). He really is one of the most interesting directors around. Generally I hate Hollywood remakes so it is with some trepidation that I am going but if any one can pull it off the Fincher can. I'll let you know tomorrow if I think he does.

The problem with Hollywood remakes is that they're taking something alien and trying to turn them into something palatable for American audiences. To me this means that they don't trust the audience to have a little intelligence, a little taste and so they always dumb things down. In doing so they always feel like something is lost in translation. Of course I am generalising here but you get the point (Wickerman anyone?)

A good example of this is Verbinski's take on The Ring. Now for a Hollywood film it's a really good film in it's own right but even so it can help falling for the old Hollywood tricks and as such it loses all sense of dread and terror that makes the original so scary. That sense of normality that made it get in your head and twist around your brain and squeeze the life out of you.

Also foreign films have their own unique tone and pacing depending on where they come from, some fast, some slow but all different. I love that sense of experiencing the world through a different set of eyes. I just think it would be very dull if all films were tonally the same as the boardroom suits would like. Mind you even films within Hollywood vary massively and long may that last.

My biggest bug-bear though is that they have to re-make them in English because they believe the audience won't go to see the original 'cos they gotta read, as if the audience are either too stupid or too lazy to read. Personally I like having to read subtitles it makes me feel like I'm experiencing a new world, a different culture something that is new to me or not quite understood by me and I have to keep up but maybe most people don't.

So what's your fave Hollywood remake? Why does it work? Does it maintain any sense of the original? Is it better?

Thank God they've decided to shelve the US remake of Akira is all I can say.

Bye-Bye for now
Craig

Workshop QOTD: Rock 'n' Role

2012-01-19T17:23:00.001Z

Been having a Back to the Future trilogy session over the last few nights. One a night. Its been great to see how the story ties into everything that came before it in the previous films and then pays off at the end.

What is really interesting is the role reversal of Marty and Doc in the 3rd film. In the first film Marty doesn't really pay any attention to the whole space/time continuum while Doc is constantly telling him he mustn't do anything that could alter the future but after the events of the 2nd film Marty learns his lesson and spends much of the 3rd film telling Doc he mustn't do things that will change the future. And of course like Marty in the first film he doesn't listen and falls in love with the always brilliant Mary Steenbergen. It works brilliantly and something I missed when I first saw the film as a teenager.

What is you fave film about role reversal and why? Is it Hanks in Big? Is it Indy and his son in Crystal Skull as a flip on Indy and his dad in Last Crusade? Is it Hoffman in Tootsie?

I really wish I had a hover-board...oh and a time travelling DeLorean.

Now why don't you make like a tree...

Craig

Workshop QOTD: The horror, the horror...

2012-01-18T12:12:00.000Z

My great friend Kev Moss and I have been working on the script for the end of Nightvision making it much more scary and terrifying. I love writing end scenes the most as this is the scene in which everything comes together, reaches a point and BANG explodes leaving the characters reeling.

This is the place where you really get to mess with your characters the most. This is the point where the worst that can happen does and they are left with the consequences for the rest of their lives (no matter how short).

This is where you feel like Laurence Oliver in Clash of the Titans (the original, not the crappy re-make) as he moves the little clay figures across his board...or like that kid rushing his Star Wars miniture people at each other for that last big face off with a firework taped to one of the Stormtroopers (or was that just me?).

The good thing about a horror script is that you can really put your characters through the mill at this point and that is lots of fun. The nastier the better. So with this horrid little thought in your heads....

What's the scariest ending to a film you've seen? What about it gave you the cold sweats or sent a shiver down your spine or left you unable to sleep for days? Answer on a postcard to....

Toodle-Pip

Craig

Workshop QOTD: Starting over

2012-01-17T12:29:00.000Z

So my monster movie script Evolution Cell is done and dusted and in the hands of the producer to work his magic...now what? Best get on with the next script. Back to my road movie The Long Road. Although I've already shot about 1/4 of it it's never too late to change it, refine it, throw it all out and start again.

With that in mind what is your fave film about starting over, learning your lessons and moving on? You could argue that all films are about that really. If your character doesn't learn anything then what is the change? No change, no story, no film. If a character ends in the same place he began then whats the point of what you're telling? So every story has to have some kind of lesson learnt and change as a result.

So what is your fave starting over film?

Bye for now
Craig

Workshop QOTD: The Transformed Man

2012-01-16T18:35:00.001Z

Spent the day formatting my new script called Evolution Cell (working title, likely to change). This is always the most satisfying part of writing a script as this is when it feels like it's real and not just a collection of ideas thrown together in some random order. This is the part where you get to turn it into a PDF with a title page and page numbers and the right font and copyright logo at the bottom. This is the part where it feels proper - like a real script. This is the part where you have a warm glow inside about what you have achieved.

That is until you send it out and people start reading it and having differing opinions about what works and what doesn't, the part where all that sense of self-satisfaction comes tumbling down around your ears and actually this next part is the bit I like best, strangely. I love it. Because out of all that chaos and despair that you've written a steaming pile of shit you can start to rebuild and make the script stronger, better. From the rubble you can see its faults more clearly than you have in months. The script transforms into something new and hopefully something beautiful because of this process.

So what has any of this got to do with the Question of the Day you may ask? Well the Question of the Day is a great research tool for me to see what people like and what they feel works and I bring that knowledge into my next re-write. It enlightens and informs. It educates. It transforms. So today's QOTD is what's your fave character transformation? It can be physical, emotional, spiritual as long as the character changes into something new.

Adios Amigos

Workshop QOTD: Let's rock.

2012-01-13T17:21:00.000Z

Had a telephone production meeting with Will from Scant Regard about making a short film/video promo for a song off his latest album. I've never really been into music videos where the band just swan about trying to look good. I much prefer something a bit more abstract and artistic. For me the video should be something equal and entwined with the music not just a collection of eye candy while the music plays. I think it should enhance the music and vice versa. Something a bit more challenging. Probably why I don't get many music promos.

So today I'd like to know what is your fave music related film? Is it watching The Band doing their last waltz or the neon drenched sweaty clubs of Purple Rain? For me I'd have to say The Wall by Pink Floyd as it really hit that early 80's punk/noir vibe I loved so much about Bladerunner. Ah the glory days.

Lets rock.

Workshop QOTD: They be bad boys.

2012-01-12T20:46:00.004Z

Today I have been painting the fire surround ready for a log burner to go in next week. I know the warmest winter on record and we're getting a fire put in. Where were you last year when it was snowing...oh yeah didn't have the money then.

As I was painting I was mulling over the creation of a villain/monster for one of my scripts called Evolution Cell. It used to be a vampire but hey look what happened there (yes I'm looking at you Twilight, vampires that glow in the sun...WTF????) Now it's not as easy as you might at first think to come up with a really scary monster that is believable and terrifying. I think I cracked it and it involves Tendrils (I love that word).

What is your fave movie monster and what makes it work so great? Is it the charm of Hannibal or the sexual allure of Alien? Let me know.

Cheers

Workshop QOTD: #soundtrack vibes man.

2012-01-11T19:39:00.002Z

Ok so this thing is changing into it's own thing so who am I to stop it (theme of a script I'm writing called Evolution Cell, more to follow on that one), it's now becoming the Workshop Question Of The Day or Workshop QOTD: as it's shorter title will be. Here's today's.

Listening to Movie Soundtracks as I set up a new edit desk for my wife. What's your fave movie soundtrack and what's so great about it? Is it that you'll believe a man can fly or does it chill you to the bone wearing a rubber Shatner mask?

Cheerio.

Workshop Film Quiz: All the red tape

2012-01-06T13:23:00.001Z

Today I am doing battle with the dreaded 3 headed monster called the Tax Return. Armed with my trusty white laptop, a calculator, a pen and paper (old skool) and a fuzzy rusty man-flu addled brain I'm doing my best to fell this filthy beast but feel like I'm bashing my head against an impenetrable grey fortress of paperwork.

So to celebrate the good fight I'd like to know what is your fave film dealing with bureaucracy and the dystopian future promised in Gilliam's Brazil. Let me know.
Cheers
Craig

Workshop Film Quiz: Told you I was ill.

2012-01-05T10:48:00.000Z

I'm suffering from Man-Flu today but will heroically force my self to get some re-writing done. So with this in mind (and it's the theme of my Road Movie) what is your fave film about dying young and beautiful? What is it about this film that touches you so much? What does it teach us? And will I ever be right again?

Workshop Film Quiz

2012-01-04T15:05:00.000Z

Just flew back to London from Belfast. The flight was a little bumpy because of the winds but not as bad as the flight over. So today I'd like to know what is your fave flying film and why? For me it might have to be Airplane 2 just cos of Shatner. Top Dog, número UNO, A numer 1.
Happy flying.

Workshop Film Quiz

2012-01-03T14:26:00.002Z

The UK is being battered by gale force winds so today I want to know what your fave wind related scene is. Is it the flying cows in Twister or Dorathy's house splattering the witch or is it the camp fire/baked beans from Blazing Saddles? I'd love to know?

Thought the winds were going to rip the trees up at 3am last night. Kept me awake so re-wrote some of the Road Movie.

Workshop Film Quiz

2012-01-02T13:54:00.003Z

As I am working on a re-write of my Road Movie script I'd like to know what's your fave Road Movie and why?
Let me know.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - Free screenings on FlickLaunch

2011-10-03T19:28:00.000+01:00

Hi Workshoppers

To mark the launch of my first horror feature 'THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS' on FlickLaunch the first 100 screenings are free. Just head over to the following and click 'LIKE' and join the horror.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=278365705520849#!/event.php?eid=278365705520849

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: Screening on Facebook's FlickLaunch

2011-09-20T20:46:00.000+01:00

My award winning first feature has launch on Facebook's FlickLaunch and is screening now. To watch the film just follow the link below.

The film is a psychological horror set in a big old spooky house in the country. The house we used for our location is Compton House in Sherbourne, Dorset. It is over a thousand years old and is even mentioned in the Doomsday book. It has the most amazing history and is quite an eerie place to say the least. As we were to find out later on the House has quite a reputation locally for being an actual haunted house. I'm not entirely sure we would've filmed there if I'd know any of this before hand.

As soon as you walk into the house you can feel the weight of that thousand year history and as our lead actor noted "A thousand year old house is bound to collect a few ghosts" and true to the stories strange unexplained things would go bump in the night with a regularity that I still can't explain many years later. Within a few days of entering the House all of us to a man were spooked senseless by the long dark corridors, the windows rattling in the night, the chilling atmosphere and the relentless noises echoing around.

We lived in the house for 40 days and nights and I can honestly say I've never experienced anything quite like it. Everywhere you go in the house you feel that you are being watched. In fact it got so oppressive during the shoot that we took to traveling through the house in pairs as it was just too damn scary to be on your own, especially up in the attics where most of the filming took place. It's quite a sight to see a crew made up of big burly cynical film making types from London who didn't believe in that sort of stuff escorting each other to the toilet because they're too scared to be alone.

To say we slummed it would be an understatement. We filmed in the middle of winter and the House had no heating or running water, the rooms were cold and damp and the air was musty. We slept on camp beds in a large hall like room that we dubbed The Shining Room because it felt like it was right out of the Overlook Hotel. As you can imagine this lead to an interesting shooting environment.

As the shoot wore on the House became more and more oppressive and the crew became more agitated with some even leaving before the end and refusing to step foot into the House ever again. I truly believe by the end we were all relieved to just get out of there alive.

Hope it scares you as much as it did us making it.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Through-The-Looking-Glass/193530697384276?sk=app_182968595075010

NIGHTVISION: reaches its crowdfunding target.

2011-09-17T00:07:00.000+01:00

16/09/2011

Hi Workshoppers

If I'm honest it's been bloody hard work crowdfunding. I stupidly thought it'd be a case of putting the project out there and that this new fangled Internet-thingy would do the rest. Boy was I wrong. If everyone involved in Nightvision put as much time into real jobs as we did this then we'd probably all be rich by now and not having to do this anyway. I'm surprised that Twitter and FB haven't banned me yet for spamming.

Still for all that the last 24 hours have been exhilarating and nail biting. It came down to the last hour and I felt a little like one of those bomb disposal types frantically trying to work out whether to cut the blue wire or the red wire. Thankfully I cut the Blue (thank you Mr. Ricketts).

If you had asked me 2 days ago if we'd make the target I'd have laughed in your face with the dry throaty cackle of a man who already knew that the sun was up and that the 500 mile trek across the parched desert was just to go through the motions of pretending to survive. But now that cackle has turned into the smooth purr of a man who knows different.

Personally there were two turning points for me. The first was when Director Kevin Smith re-tweeted about our project, finally it felt like we were getting through and secondly when I saw a gang of friends posting about the project on Facebook. This is when I knew things were swinging our way.

The last 5 hours were incredible as everyone rallied around and with the best Dunkirk spirit got the job done. I really am amazed how my friends (and a little Hollywood star power) have pulled out all the stops and pushed the project harder than they really had any reason to. For this I will always be immensely grateful to them (besides the fact that they're a bloody good lot).

So the moral of the story is, if you're going to crowdfund a project make sure you have good friends who are willing to go that extra mile when it counts.

Nightvision is on it's way...soon.

Keith Allen Joins NIGHTVISION

2011-09-13T22:40:00.000+01:00

The great Keith Allen of Comic Strip fame joins the cast of horror NIGHTVISION. I am extremely excited to welcome Keith onboard. I can't go into the details of how he's involved just yet but sure enough it will be very cool and unlike anything he has ever done before.

For more info and to get one of the last few tickets to this ground breaking project visit:
http://invested.in/Pages/Projects/ShowProjectDetails.aspx?pid=1384

This project is really shaping up to be something very unique indeed.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS - Official FaceBook page

2011-09-12T11:33:00.001+01:00

Award winning horror Through The Looking Glass official FaceBook page launches. Please head over and 'Like'. Find out all the latest news and info and 'watch the film' coming soon.

The more people at the party the more terrifying.

Here are a few things reviews have said about Through the Looking Glass

“A terrifying horror, an atmospheric shocker” – Festival Director SBFF 2007, winner of Best Horror.

“Griffith is a hell of a director. Eerie and unpredictable, very atmospheric and creepy.” - The Horror Zine

“ A solid 5” - Horrorphilia.com

www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Through-The-Looking-Glass/193530697384276?sk=wall

Ray Quinn joins cast of Nightvision

2011-09-11T16:35:00.001+01:00

X-Factor star Ray Quinn is to play PHD genius Warren in Nightvision. I glad to welcome Ray onboard and can't wait to get running around the dark and spooky tunnels.

Here's the press release:

Press Release: Ray Quinn announced as lead character for new Facebook drama NightVision

Ray Quinn, star of Xfactor and Dancing on Ice has signed up to play the lead in Night Vision – an original interactive horror produced exclusively for Facebook.

The first production of it’s kind; Night Vision is a terrifying drama, which plays out through one of the key character’s Facebook profile page. Viewers, invited as ‘friends’, watch as a living nightmare unfolds.

The action takes place in the murky tunnels under Imperial College where a group of students find themselves alone, with no clue what’s happening to them and only night vision cameras to find their way out of the pitch black. They quickly realise that they are not alone and survival becomes their only aim.

“Night Vision is a completely unique project that will thrill and scare viewers in equal measure. Ray is perfect to play our lead character and make Night Vision a horror to remember”

Kevin Moss, producer of Night Vision

“I’m thrilled to be part of Night Vision - a new entertainment format that will excite Facebook users and Horror fans alike. Get ready to be SCARED”.

Ray Quinn

Night Vision will premier on Facebook towards the end of 2011.

The production budget has been raised through crowd funding efforts. To find out more about the project and lend your support

http://invested.in/Pages/Projects/ShowProjectDetails.aspx?pid=1384

About NightVision

NightVision is made by an experienced team of digital experts, with an online history spanning 17yrs. They have won digital arts awards at the Media Festival, shortlisted at MIPTV, Cannes and Power to the Pixel in London. Kevin Moss is the producer and Craig Griffith the Director of NightVision.

Further Information

Please contact Kevin Moss at Kev@playthisnext.com

How to make friends in Nightvision.

2011-09-05T17:53:00.000+01:00

Hi Workshoppers

So its been a day slaving away over a hot computer linking up all the little social networking threads and trying to tie them together. Boy my brain is about to pop but at least everything is updated (I think?). Wouldn't it be nice if I could work out what I need to link everything together so I could just type it all into one box and send. That would be lovely. I'm sure there are apps out there that do it but being I'm a computer Luddite I'd be buggered if I know what they are.

Also been negociating the tricky world of Actor agents in an attempt to get the most for the little budget we have on Nightvision but we're getting there and things are starting to look good cast wise (if all goes to plan).

Also been organising another shoot day for this Wednesday on the Roadmovie The Long Road. So as a little treat here's a photo of our reluctant journeyman.

Cheers

WorkshopCraig: Hi Workshoppers My first feature Through the Looki...

2011-09-05T14:51:00.000+01:00

WorkshopCraig: Hi Workshoppers
My first feature Through the Looki...: Hi Workshoppers My first feature Through the Looking Glass will soon be available to watch here: http://www.flicklaunch.com/ Very exciti...

2011-09-05T14:50:00.000+01:00

Hi Workshoppers
My first feature Through the Looking Glass will soon be available to watch here:
http://www.flicklaunch.com/
Very exciting.
Craig

NIGHTVISION

2011-08-07T20:50:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone

I am working on a on-line horror project called Nightvision that I will be directing the live action parts for. Working with my friend Kev at PlayThisNext we're aiming to produce a thrilling new way of telling stories in a way that's never been done before using social networks and videos but we need your help. We have put the project on a crowd-funder website to raise the money that we need to make the first story in a slate of several stories we're planning on telling in this new way. If you can invest not matter how much it would be a massive help to us and will make a huge difference to this project moving forward. The way it works is the more investors we have the more the project will get noticed and therefore attract further investors.

The project is attracting all sorts of interest and we are talking to some very cool actors to be in it. If its a success Nightvision will be a very cool cutting edge thing to be a part of and could possibly become a very big thing. In return for your investment you get an exclusive 'investors gift' and a ticket to the event and the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped make the project a success. Details can be found at this link:

http://invested.in/P1384/nightvision-an-interactive-experience

Now I know it's a lot to ask at this time of financial woes so don't worry if you can't help but if you can then that would be brilliant and there'll be a beer in it for you at the first night after show party/red carpet thingy. Just come and ask me.

Also for those of you on Facebook and Twitter we have a FB page here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/nightvisionHQ

Finally anything that you can do to spread the word we be greatly appreciated. The more who come to the party the scarier it gets.

Big Love
Craig