Introducing Nikko Turner

Finding her place in the world of media, Nikko Turner is a fresh face in the industry and already making waves with her collaborations. Here we talk about finding her feet and entering the industry as and assistant director and her future plans.

Can you give us some background on yourself and your career to date?

Personally, I am only just starting out in the industry - I’m currently studying film at university, but I’m aware there’s only so much I can learn through my course so I’m trying to get as much hands-on experience as I can. That’s how I met Wolf and Alex, working on a student-led film before we reached out to professionals in the industry which led to us meeting Tequila.

Indie film commonly requires that crew multi-task, have you found yourself working more than one role on a project and what do you feel you have learned from that?  

The roles I typically have on a film are producer and AD, but I have recently directed a 5-minute film and I’m working towards trying out other aspects of filmmaking too. Despite my typical roles the duties I take on often expand through a few departments - on our first film ‘Ellipis’ for example, I was also involved in set design, props, and costume. Doing this is allowing me to gain a lot of knowledge across varying elements of film production and it has given me a better understanding of how each of these pieces fit together to create the final outcome.

You are part of a newly formed film production team, what is your role and what is the plan for the company?  

What we’re trying to do is create a dependable means of filmmaking, through building up connections, improving our skills, and evolving as filmmakers. We’ve found that we work really well together which is why we’ve formed this company, to grow together and learn from each other. It gives us an opportunity to try new things, whether that be roles we’re unfamiliar with or new styles and approaches to filmmaking. The ultimate plan is that we will be able to create bigger films; we aspire to be able to have the skills and resources to work on projects and ideas that are currently unfeasible.

What advice would you offer to people looking to enter the arena of film and TV in the digital market?  

“I’ve found that building connections and expanding your network is one of the most important aspects of filmmaking.”

Making use of social media has been an effective way of connecting with people, finding cast and crew to work with on projects, and getting these projects seen - the digital age has really increased accessibility into the film industry, and I would recommend making good use of online platforms to reach likeminded people.

To learn more about Nikko or the Dead Origami Films team see:

Dead Origami Films Twitter.

Dead Origami Films Facebook.

Dead Origami Films Instagram.

Dead Origami Films Youtube.

*Images from the 48-hour film challenge project “Hear My Voice.”

Introducing Dead Origami Films

We are really pleased to be able to introduce the team behind the up-and-coming Dead Origami Films who have been making waves in the circuit. With a new project on the cards, it seemed to be the perfect time to talk about filmmaking and their collaboration with vshowcards.

You have been working on some smaller projects as a starting point for your new production company Dead Origami Films, can you tell us more about how you came to do this and your background as a team?

I had written the script for our first short film 'Ellipsis' and I was trying to find a crew to make it with through my university but I really wasn't getting anywhere until I met fellow students, Alex Chalatsis and Nikko Turner (who had the same roles). We found that we not only worked exceptionally well together but that it was a team dynamic and with a group of skills that stood out on set as well, to very positive notes from others. We'd already begun talking about doing other films together by that point, but after we finished shooting Ellipsis we set about bringing that dream to life through the foundation of our production house, with Tequila Carter who was a producer and SFX makeup artist from Ellipsis, who we found to be incredibly resourceful and passionate.

Whilst Alex and I have known each other for about a year now, it's amusing to think that Nikko only joined us six months ago and Tequila a month after that, when I feel like I've known and worked with them all for much, much longer - we've got an unusual kind of symmetry that makes working together fun and effective. We all have weaknesses and strengths that complement each other and more than that we're incredibly passionate about what we're trying to build as a team.

You are working on a new short film at the moment, what can you tell us about the project and your plans for this film?

Absolutely, it's called 'Brutus' and it is a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (Act 1, Scene 2) which we're shooting in Southend-On-Sea in late September. It portrays the titular Brutus and his fellow senators as a group of gangsters plotting to kill their boss in a pub. Narratively, the film follows Brutus' journey through a single night as he wrestles with the decision to murder his close friend for the sake of his people and the consequences of that emotional turmoil on his marriage.
I'd tentatively call it a proof-of-concept piece as I do have interest in the possibility of adapting the entire play into a feature eventually, but by the same token, I'm adamant in my desire to make this film feel capable of standing on its own two feet as well.

One thing that has been noted is that you're working alongside vshowcards: what was the motivation behind this and how has it affected the dynamic of your projects?

I became aware of vshowcards at the Southend Film Festival, where I'd just watched the feature 'Fixed', which had cast Darren Tassell, one of their founders. I'd already been thinking about doing some modern adaptations of Shakespeare for a long time, but it wasn't something I took seriously until I met Darren and thought to myself, "That's my Brutus!". From there things snowballed, and it became Dead Origami Film's next project.

I had a meeting with Darren shortly after the festival and he told me more about vshowcards and what they were trying to do with it and I decided to try casting the film through their network, which I found to be a brilliant asset. It was more the case that I just found the people I felt were perfect for the roles there, rather than the idea that I set my sights on casting through vshowcards exclusively, a fact evidenced by my casting Kim Gjersøe who I'd worked with on Ellipsis. But how vshowcards is set up, just lent itself naturally to helping me make clear-cut casting choices.

With Dead Origami Films now moving forward, what is the goal of the company in film terms? Do you have a genre or particular theme you want to continue with?

Well, we've got four more short films slated for production after the Brutus. Next, we'll be doing 'Garmr', which is going to be the surrealistic exploration of a deranged WWII sniper. After which we'll be doing two more modern adaptations of Shakespeare (Macbeth + Romeo & Juliet), which brings us to 'Iscariot: House of the Red Door', which I'm extremely excited about in terms of our set design and visual effects.

Through 2023/2024 we've been talking about doing our first feature film, which will be named after and inspired by Victor Hugo's 1829 seminal novella “The Last Day of a Condemned Man”, which will philosophically and morally explore the mindset of a prisoner sentenced to death.

Nikko and I are blessed in that we have incredibly specifically similar tastes in film, heavily leaning towards the surreal and dark themes in general which pairs well with Tequila's love of horror films. Alex loves anything starring Tommy Wiseau, but we forgive him for his sins. I think those themes ring true in a lot of what we're planning on doing over the next few years, but on a personal level I wouldn't want to see us pigeonholed into doing just one genre of filmmaking, I've certainly got aspirations towards making other kinds of films.

What advice would you offer to people looking to enter the film/TV industry based on your own experiences?

That's a challenging question to answer as I imagine most people's situations would be quite different from my own. I'm lucky in that I found a group of people who believe in me and in each other and want to see where we can go with that belief. For us, that extends into developing a youtube and Patreon community with a large amount of content we'll be developing from next month - this allows us the opportunity to not only get in practice as filmmakers between short films but also ultimately, develop a financial stream that will allow us to function self-sustainably in the future if need be.

“I think I only have one piece of advice worth sharing that is as true to life as it is to filmmaking. Find yourself good people to enjoy life and create art with, people who will embrace you for who you are and you them. It might take a lifetime to find them, but they are out there.”

To learn more about Dead Oragami Films or their project work see:

Dead Origami Films Twitter.

Dead Origami Films Facebook.

Dead Origami Films Instagram.

Dead Origami Films Youtube.

Talking Acting, Filmmaking, and Storytelling with Kate Perry

Having caught Kate Perry’s fantastic character-based showreel on her Twitter account, we couldn’t resist reaching out to talk and getting a little more insight into the woman behind the video and talking about acting, filmmaking, and storytelling with such a talented performer.

Could you introduce yourself to our audience and give us a little background on your work? 

Hello, I’m Kate Perry from Derry, an actor/writer/sketch comedian from Northern Ireland. My passion for storytelling began at ten years old, watching Westerns in a town called Dungannon. I’m from a family of twelve children so my elder brothers would take the younger ones to ‘the pictures’ on Saturday mornings to give my mother and the neighbors a break. That’s where I fell in love with storytelling, westerns, and cinema. I loved the genre for blending the comical and serious, farcical and cerebral, highbrow and lowbrow. I believe these elements have influenced my style of writing ever since. 

I have written one-woman shows, sketches, radio plays, and short films. I live in London now but prior to that, I spent time in South Africa, the US, and Ireland. 

You have been sharing your showreel via Twitter, which includes a series of comedic characters, can you tell us more about this and if there is a plan to expand on the concept? 

I began my writing and performing character comedy while living in San Francisco doing spots in the evening at a club called The Marsh. I had a full-time job at the time as an events manager so never thought of making the commitment of moving into the arts full-time. However, due to the encouragement of friends and co-workers, I developed the characters which eventually turned the 10 mins spots into a one-hour one-woman show. I toured the show in Ireland to critical acclaim, came back to the US, quit my job, and returned to Ireland to live in Dublin. I continued acting and writing and wrote a sketch show called Do Not Adjust Yourself for the Dublin Fringe Festival which led to writing opportunities at BBC NI, which led to commissions for BBC Radio 4 and RTE Radio 1. I also went to college for the first time in my 40s and did an MPhil in creative writing at Trinity College and then a master’s degree in screenwriting at the Institute of Arts Design and Technology in Dun Laoghaire. I moved to London in 2011, kept performing, and eventually took The Very Perry show to the Edinburgh Fringe. On the back of that, I was invited to the San Francisco Theatre Festival and The United Theatre Solo Festival in New York, where The Very Perry Show won the best comedy award. I have been working on other projects ever since but now I'm back writing new material and developing other comedy characters.

You have a short film currently doing the festival circuit and winning awards, what can you tell us about the project and how it came about? 

I was originally commissioned by BBC Radio 4 to write a fictional short story for a series called Under My Bed with the remit of exploring memories and stories of what characters might have found stashed away in the dark. I called it Ruthless. 

I came up with the idea of a ten-year-old boy who finds a prosthetic leg under the bed and how he uses it as currency to get something he desperately wants, which is the latest T. Rex album, Electric Warrior. He has also recently lost his mother, his father has shut down emotionally and they are stuck in a mire of grief. The problem is that PJ is skint and his Da is on the dole so PJ comes up with a cunning plan to get the dough, involving a pawnbroker, a sock, and a prosthetic leg.

I wanted to explore that sense of loss lifted with moments of comedy and lightness using the backdrop of the troubles and the glam rock movement happening in Northern Ireland. In Belfast, in the early 70s something was in the air and it wasn’t a bomb, it was a revolution. Glam Rock was drowning out the noise of armored cars and as British soldiers patrolled the streets, kids were glued to Top Of The Pops, entranced by Marc Bolan, the androgynous, satin-clad, glitter-god. 

In a nutshell, the prosthetic leg and a T. Rex album become the conduit for overcoming grief. After I wrote the radio play I knew it would make a good film so I adapted the story to a screenplay and applied for funding through Northern Ireland Screen. Luckily they liked the script, I found a producer and we shot the film in Belfast in 2019. Ruthless is currently on the film festival circuit and has won 5 awards so far and been nominated for six so I’m over the moon for team Ruthless. 

Is there a particular role or project that you are working on at the moment you can tell us about and is there a particular role you would love to be cast in?  

I am currently writing a children’s book called Saucepan Eddie. Hard to talk about as it’s in the early developmental stage so not sure where it is going….but it’s going somewhere. 

As for a role I’d like to be in, I was cast as one of the Yoga Mums in season two of Ted Lasso and would happily jump into that lycra again!

To learn more about Kate Perry and her work see:

Kate Perry Twitter

Kate Perry Youtube.

Kate Perry Website.

Travel and Meeting Contacts Featuring vShowcards

We are really pleased when people reach out, especially when our contacts who have taken time off, come to us to talk about working on something fresh which has been happening a lot recently especially with photographers and a few actors who feel that the time is right to start working on smaller projects to stretch their muscles a little after the uncertainty of the last two years.

Naturally, this has given us the impetus to think a little more deeply about concepts and start stockpiling items that may seem strange but will in the long term be of advantage to us, such as the mix of ready-made prosthetics, butterflies, and other items that would on the surface seem strange.

In addition to this, we are planning a trip to London, part buyers trip and part meet up with friends, although the timing for this has been a little tricky due to family commitments, there are advantages to this that aside from being able to shop, we can discuss plans with the team at vShowcards gaining further insight their upcoming changes (which look to be amazing), our creative director JamesC is already a member which is another reason we want to sit with them and work out some details and add to his profile with strategic work.

What we are planning for is trips to the major makeup retailers, meeting with clients/friends, then returning to Scotland to work on additions to the sites across the board. There is something to be said for this plan that goes beyond the obvious networking, it really is about finding new sources of inspiration on route.

The scope and potential of this trip should be interesting and be a welcome break from the background work we have been doing.

To learn more about JamesC or the vShowcards site see:

JamesC vShowcards.

vShwocards official site.

Project Development With The Team Behind The Memento Mori Portrait film

With an important and historical message, the short Memento Mori Portrait film is tackling a heartbreaking moment in Western history and bringing it to a wider audience.  

Having already won 7 awards for the script, the film itself is a love story with a twist, looking at the voices of those left behind and mixing in science fiction, imagination, and memory to create a beautifully sculpted narrative that takes the Holocaust and gives voice to the people who were lost with, the pink triangle badge, being the symbol of their shame and degradation.

An excellent team of filmmakers are already behind the project with accolades across genres and a collective CV of note, this film is a project designed to showcase their work, the story being part of a larger tapestry, it is a moment in time that is important to highlight and a story that deserves to be heard. 

The importance of the message this film creates is part of the reason it is being made and shows that there is still a long way to go with certain rights in the global narrative.  

To learn more about the project or to offer support see: 

Memento Mori Portrait Fundraiser.

Memento Mori Portrait Facebook.

Lumino Films.

Creating a Story and Building the Brand

When Lost Creatives was first started it was about a journey and finding a path, in that time we have covered a wide range of people’s stories and given a voice to some amazing filmmakers who have helped bring our creative narrative as well as their own, to the public domain.

Over the next few months we plan to add to the stories in a more visual sense, with so much of our work having to be held due to publication terms, it will be fun to finally be able to showcase the work that has been done in the background by our creative director and head of makeup JamesC. Some new portfolio pieces are being finalized with the JamesC portfolio site (frustratingly) taken longer than planned we will be reverting back and reworking the current site with the new content and bringing in a much more cohesive workflow across the sites we already have with the additions of showcasing his work as a photographer into the bargain.

When it comes to production, there is some light at the end of a long tunnel, we have chosen two TV shows to produce along with two short films that we will use as entry back into the market, and with our work with some Amazingly talented filmmakers when it comes to cost, we have been able to work the angles and find additional avenues of marketing, sales, and of course open up our team to different potential projects outside of horror and thriller.

Naturally, we will be working with vshowcards who have been fantastic and are rapidly gaining ground in the production realm and have even got Bollywood on their side which is an amazing coup for the team.

In the next few weeks, we will be making a return to social media with the Lost Creatives and Lost Agency Instagram being updated with new work and some experimental shots we have been playing around with as part of a planned concept.

More news and updates on The Lost coming soon.

Talking Film, Scripts, and Starting a Business With The Champ Films.

We have been watching the indie scene for a long time and a name that pops up frequently when talking about scripts is Tom Reynolds (AKA The Champ Films) who has become a go-to for monologues, film scripts, and with plans now in motion to produce we wanted to talk to Tom about his background and motivations.

Can you tell us more about yourself and your background? 

Born and raised in Reading, Berkshire, I grew up obsessed with films & sport. I studied English Literature for 4 years and enjoyed writing my own stories & plays which were always great fun to perform. When the lockdowns started, I decided I would get back into writing and when I started, I couldn't stop. 

As someone who writes scripts of varying lengths and styles, what is your favorite genre in terms of creative potential? 

At this moment, it is definitely horror scripts. horror allows you to tell a story without necessarily being limited by facts or reality. if you can imagine it, you can write it in a horror film. having said that, where I am right now in terms of available budgets for films etc, I am limited to what I can actually write in order to keep the script realistic for Production. 

What is the plan for your business as you go forward: TV? Film? Commercial? Documentary work?

The plan is to focus entirely on Films right now. As of today, I have 10 feature film scripts completed and the goal is to produce projects one after the other in a conveyor belt style system. Each script is more ambitious than the last and the whole business plan is geared towards progression.

As we move further into 2021 what is your strategy and goal set for the coming months? 

The goal right now is to find other like-minded filmmakers to join the team in order to move into Production. Specifically, I'm on the lookout for an ambitious Producer to join the team. The industry has been hit hard over the last 18 months or so and I want to do whatever I can to help bring it back stronger than ever. By bringing in the right people to join the team, I'm hoping we can all work together to create good quality films with the sole goal of providing entertainment and a bit of escapism for the viewer. In addition, I am looking to gain investment and have launched an early crowdfund for my 1st feature film in order to build a pot as big as possible to cover all film-making costs including wages for all those involved.

What has been your biggest challenge to date as you build your business? 

So far, the biggest challenge has definitely been finding other like-minded people to join us.  This is completely understandable as obviously, I am new to the industry, and thanks to covid canceling all in-person festivals, I've not been able to meet like-minded people in person. Not knowing anyone in the industry or having any good contacts has also been a real challenge but hopefully, this will all change in time, particularly if I'm able to move my 1st script into Production. People will then realize this is a genuine venture and will hopefully want to be a part of what I am hoping to achieve.

What has been the best part of the journey so far?

Without a doubt, the best thing has been all the amazing people I have met so far through Social Media. The response I have received from the various networking tweets I have sent out has been really incredible. The Twitter entertainment community has welcomed us with open arms and we have made some awesome new connections. We have made contacts with so many incredible Actors and Actresses and have worked directly with some of these people to develop characters that have found their way into scripts that I have written. Indeed, some of these performers have even performed monologues which I have written, and that has been fantastic. This has helped raise our profile and has enabled some people to see the sort of writing I am looking to do. The feedback, both positive and negative that I have received from the Twitter community has been invaluable.

If someone wishes to donate to your debut film crowdfund, where can they go to donate?

We currently have 2 crowdfunds collecting donations for our first film:

Gofundme The Champ Films Campaign or here on buymeacoffee,

Thank you in advance to anyone who decides to help us out!

If people wish to keep up to date with what you are doing, where can they follow you on Social Media? 

Here are all of our current links,

Twitter.

The Champ Films Twitter.

Thee Tom Reynolds Twitter.

Savage The Film Twitter.

Instagram.

The Champ Films Instagram.

Thee Tom Reynolds Instagram.

Fundraisers.

The Champ Films Set up Gofundme Campaign.

BuyMeACoffee Link

Strategically Lost

As we come closer to the final launch of our additional sites, Lost Agency, and Lost Stills, which will be used to manage and market the team with our commercial-based projects both stills and print, being organized around the Lost Concept.

Staying within the film and TV project base we will also be working on some more fashion-oriented images with possible fashion films into the bargain, *focusing on the behind-the-scenes elements of our creative shoots which in turn will give us some footage to be used as showreel material and marketing fodder.

We will also be continuing our Q and A blogs in support of the indie scene and looking at different elements of filmmaking and giving voice to campaigns, fundraisers, and individual talents.

Over the next few weeks, we will be finalizing and putting out the new work with a full and comprehensive business plan being polished to meet the new standards within the industry.

Stay tuned for more updates from the lost team.

Updates From The Creative Sphere

Over at the Lost Creatives home office, we have been plugging away at our work and will have some project announcements and cast/crew requirements going live very soon. While this is being worked out, we have some announcements that as a team we are really excited about and wanted to share.

As creative director and head of makeup, JamesC, has been instrumental in the development of his new site and working on a consultation basis, for Sons of Adonis makeup (it will be added to his working kit), as part o this a limited edition brush was created featuring his logo and the brand: available from the Sons of Adonis site.

In terms of production and editorial, we have decided to add to our site holdings and will be launching a separate photography site that will feature the work of JamesC both his commercial work and the behind-the-scenes stills on film and TV shoots. The reasoning for this is to allow an expanded sense of his creative work and offer a different perspective on the work of a makeup artist.

Lost Agency is being formed and set around the needs of the main business and will handle the overall marketing, banking, and other elements of our work as an umbrella creating an in-house and full-spectrum setup that is own, controlled, and managed for the needs of the Lost team.

Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing additional details on what is happening and casting/crew opportunities for smaller festival entry projects.

Short and Micro Films

We have been extremely lucky with our contacts across the board and privy to a variety of amazing short/microfilms that have been either experimental or designed to augment actors’ showreels. Each that we have seen (both the public and password protected) had a common thread: they make you think.

Taking this further we have been discussing with the very talented, Alistair Smith, his own scene work as potentially a festival project. *We were lucky to be given access through a password-protected link, but can honestly say that he has got us thinking about micro/short projects as a tool to promote.

We are supporters of using short and microfilms as promotional tools and understand that the concepts can vary from a 30-second commercial to a 20-minute film, the key to this for us, is the story must work and make the watcher think. You should want to see more or ask questions about the backstory, this for us is successful.

Someone else who appreciates this idea is the team behind Micromania Film Festival, focused specifically on films under 5 minutes, there is a real challenge to the process of filmmaking in general but the potential of a film of 5 minutes or less is to us, something we want to explore in more depth as a combination of marketing tool and experimental process with films that will challenge us a team.

We are going to be reviewing options and looking at scripts that will give us that room to experiment, showcase the talents of both those in front and behind the cameras with the added element of documentary footage, and potentially showreel material for certain members of the team.

Stay tuned for updates.