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Hello world.

Because Blogger is rubbish when it comes to showcasing video, our online 'Portfolio' can be found over on Tumblr.

Cheers!

Peter

What is 'Soap'?

Date: 25/01/12
Author: Peter

Well, things HAVE been busy!

I realise I never properly clarified what ‘Soap’ is for the three people who read this blog (and probably know anyway, because they’re my mum, Alex Boundy, and that weird fangirl (stalker) I met in Edinburgh....)

About a year and a half ago, Adam Hicks, a 29 year old electrician, who’d come to Bournemouth to retrain in Forensic Science, sent me the manuscript of an unfinished novel he was working on. It didn’t have a name, and was a rough early draft, but it was clear that this particular story was funny, sad, honest, and deeply personal. A year later I adapted what he’d done into a screenplay, and from there the two of us met up regularly to discuss and re-write.

The story follows John, a man living off the state, who has reached his late twenties and done next to nothing with his life. Dependent on cannabis, he more or less uses the addiction as an excuse not to sort himself out, until one day it all sort of hits him. He wants a girlfriend, a job, friends, a life. And he’s running out of time, after wasting his youth in a haze of smoke and pot noodles. The film follows John as he attempts to better himself, with mixed results....

The film is certainly semi-autobiographical for both of us. Obviously, as a writer, you discuss what you know within your work, and often the situations a character finds themselves in are similar to those you yourself have encountered. The context changes, and it’s safe to say that I’ve never been a drug addict, but a lot of the themes, characters and emotion behind the film come from reality. And it was obvious from the start that Adam was the only person who could play John.

In late September, we brought a group of people together who I’d worked with previously, and wanted to have involved with the project. Everyone seemed excited about it from the start, and before I knew it we were into production in late October/early November.

Since then, we’ve filmed over about 7 weekends, the last being this one coming. Then we’ll leave the project until May, where we’ll kick off with the last 50 minutes of the film.

So yeah, that’s it, in about 400 words. I’ll try and keep this more up to date, but the majority of photos and updates can be found on the facebook page.

Here’s a short funding trailer to give you an idea of the ‘flavour’ of the film.

If you want to get involved or help us with funding, please do get in touch.

Cheers!

Oh hello again!

Date: 01/04/12
Author: Peter

Well.
It's been a while. 4 Months and 7 days, to be precise. My last entry was candid and odd; an obvious signature of Edinburgh's build up of negative mental effects and extreme-emotional highs and lows. It felt like a smiley face painted onto a corpse.
Don't worry; this entry won't randomly turn into an overly-sentimental look at the ins and outs of a 15 year friendship (with absolutely nothing to do with 'Mechanical Tiger'!), or self indulgently over-analyse a fictional character.

I should probably fill you in on what's gone on since the 26th of August, 2011, then....

It's probably not my place to fill in the others' lives for them, but I'll give a quick (and mostly fictional) breakdown;
Chris Cosentino's comedy career has blossomed, and he's through to the next round of this year's Laughing Horse New Act competition. He's also currently designing MT's Chelsea Flower Show entry for 2012.
Tom Harrison has become a popular R&B singer/songwriter, tossing the writing of various shorts and a feature film to the back-burner. Here's a short video of Tom in action- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shltkq0cBVI
Sam Hutchinson recently invested a small fortune of $68 into a series of erotic-dancing videos and now plies his trade on the streets of Plymouth. He also shot his new web series in late November, which will be online sometime soon!
Matt Lavender disappeared in October following an odd spate of LOL-cat videos (bordering on animal cruelty), appearing on his youtube account. It's rumoured he's living in downtown LA and working on his latest feature script, under the pen name 'BigBoi'.
After furthering his stage-lighting and script-writing careers (respectively), Lloyd Morgan finally succumbed to his secret desire to become a character in an American Civil War/Star Wars mash-up manga novel. His weekly adventures can be read up on here(?)
Sophie Petzal has gone from strength to strength, and is now the world's second strongest woman (after Jodie Marsh). Nah, she's working for the Beeb now, and practising her bicep curls in time for the Olympics.
For legal reasons, I can't divulge any information on writer-director Josh Vince. His name, details, and past, will soon be wiped from existence (as demonstrated in this handy 'how to' video)
And as for me?
I was recognized as the next face of Vogue, and my latest photo-shoot can be seen here....


The boring truth?
Well, I came away from Scotland on the 29th of August with moobs, a genuine career worry, and an alcohol problem. A few weeks later I was somehow lucky enough to begin temping at a well known production company in Soho. After going back to Bournemouth to complete my third year of University, I was very kindly offered a role in a professional production of A Streetcar Named Desire, and was then given representation by Poole based agents, Dramatic Productions. Meanwhile, I tried to get a feature script off the ground with a group of pals on TV Production, and we began shooting what became Soap. Which is what I'll be writing about on here from now on. I was also offered a nice little job with online company streamuniverse.tv, and spent December battling exhaustion and a few other personal demons left behind by the Edinburgh experience.

Now, in 2012, I'm fatter, happier, and sober (for now).

So, Soap....

Agh, I'm all written out. You can read up on 'Soap' on the facebook, or wait 'til next time.

Happy 2012!

It's Coming To An End

Date: 26/08/11
Author: Peter

As De La Soul sang, (often as entrance music to accompany unwitting audience members who happened to stumble across Maggie’s Chamber at 4pm anytime during the last month), ‘Three Is The Magic Number’. And today’s performance marked the third last time we’ll ever have to perform this play.

I imagine the penultimate rendition tomorrow will be one of the best we do, hopefully to a response of laughter, awe, and applause, followed by the final on Sunday, where, lets face it, half the cast will be drunk, and I might play ‘Stevie’ Northern Irish (usually the character’s accent is London based, with a few other regional hints thrown in; he’s been around the country in and out of care, up North and in the West Country). Ah pointless back-story; Making actors everywhere believe their performance is worth something.

Two more shows; it’s a very strange thought. This play has marked the year 2010-2011 for me. It’s probably been the biggest piece of work I’ve ever helped create, and one of the biggest commitments I’ve ever thrown myself into. And I don’t regret it at all. The play didn’t turn out to be the festival stormer we all secretly hoped it might be, but over 500 people have seen the thing live, and hopefully been entertained. I mean, at the end of the day (as Jezza Kyle participants constantly remind us) that is the whole point isn’t it?

Obviously I’m looking forward to the comforts of home, but I’ll definitely miss Edinburgh, with its amazing architecture, rich history, and horrible weather. It’s been incredibly fun to spend so much time with the Mechanical Tiger lot, as well as my old school friends Ben, Jake and Alex, and others such as Ben’s housemates Kenny and Huw. Huw and I were best friends between about 1995-1998, before both moving school, losing touch, living in different continents, going to Uni, chatting a bit on facebook, and then ending up staying in the very same flat this month. It’s bizarre how similar we’ve turned out; there’s every reason we shouldn’t get along so well, I mean the last time we properly saw one another was when we were about 8! But I’m very glad to have had the opportunity to top up an old friendship, especially with someone who I completely ‘get’, and completely gets me, and seems to mirror my life in a weird alternate dimension way which cannot be explained by science as we know it.

I look worse physically than I have done for about a year; my eyes are deep set behind heavy bags, I haven’t jogged or been near a gym for too long and I’ve put on considerable weight. I now know how Robbie Williams feels after every tour.

My return home will mark a bit of a detox (more exercise, less booze etc) in a vain attempt to look presentable by the time Uni starts.

Apologies for this rambley and sentimental blog; I should be making the most of my time here, rather than mourning it before it ends. Right then, pub.

Look what Edinburgh has done to me(!)

Date: 23/08/11
Author: Peter

I look like a drug addled maniac thanks to this place.
Nah, it's not really because of this city, I just haven't bothered shaving for an unhealthy amount of time. The bags under my eyes are due to lack of sleep, not heroin gauntness. The shows have actually been going pretty well, and we've just completed our third 'run' of five (all of which had a great audience response).  Had another rubbish review, but I'm just glad I can now refer to myself as 'misogynist' 'psychotic chav' Peter Fellows. That's something for the CV. See, there's always a plus side.

I've finally managed to walk to the peak of Arthur's seat (and do a stupid pose)-

As well as looking like an idiot on Castle Rock (which sounds like a place name from 'The Flintstones')-

Who know's what delights tomorrow will hold....

More stuff that has happened

Date: Author: Matt

I was going to do a follow up to my last blog post 2 weeks later but I'll be on a train then so make do with this premature list of musings.

Most importantly, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is better than it had any right to be.

Turns out I didn't climb Arthur's Seat but "Pussy Mound" as Chris put is, so I'm fucked off about that. Not really, got a good view of Edinburgh and nearly conquered my fear of heights by standing right close to the edge. No, the rest of U2 weren't there, they were probably saving Africa with Bob Geldof am I right? (Hahaha the most hack joke I've ever made, let me write for every panel show on the BBC).  

I've finished Alan Moore's lot of Swamp Thing comics and I suggest you do the same heathen.

The evil version of Thom Yorke in the Participants Centre is starting to creep me out a bit but he seems like a nice guy. 

Saw a recording with a kick ass panel for David Mitchell's Radio 4 show. Henning Wehn is now my favourite German along with the members of Rammstein and Hitler. Hahaha good joke, Rammstein are rubbish. Rest of the panel were Phil Jupitus, Ed Byrne and Mark Watson. Tend not to give a shit about Byrne and Watson but they were awesome. Plus the woman who made notes during the show (I have no idea what her job title is) was hot so that was good.

Some twat of an insect bit my arm so I'm currently resisting the urge to cut off half of it to save from scratching it. 

Got the new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (the comic book starring Sean Connery although it doesn't now because it's like set in 1963 or something). Haven't read it but had a flick through, starts with a gay blow job and some mental hallucinations so that's something.

Saw a 3 act stand up show called the Age of Treason which was held in the smallest room in the Three Sisters. Pretty decent stuff, some very original material. One of the acts asked if there were any mothers in the room and my mum somewhat reluctantly answered with an almost pained expression so that was nice.

Good to see the family though. My Grandma went to see Dr Phil Hammond or sumfink. The following happened:
Me: What was that about Grandma?
Grandma: He's a TV doctor doing stand up about his patients.
Me: Oh yeah, like what?
Grandma: Well, stuff about small penises and stuff they have shoved up their bottoms.
Me: Oh.
I found her description funnier than the show probably is. Also, so much for doctor/patient confidentiality then Dr Hammond. Real professional.
Also, notice how I wrote that like a play. Thought I'd bring some class to this entry, like David Mamet or someone.

Neil Gaiman is stalking me as is Ed Byrne/ are possible Ed Byrne clones.

People who sing in public are all bellends unless I like them. 

Last 3 KBG shows have owned in various ways.  

Decided I want to be a horror author.

The midget show on channel 4 was everything I wanted it to be. A show about midgets.

The Mosque Kitchen is a great place to get curry. Quick and cheap (insert prostitute joke here).

Nic Cage pisses fire in the Ghost Rider 2 Trailer so that's going to be the best film of next year.

Still need to: Go on a ghost tour, see Peacock and Gamble, see Naz/Wittank, maybe see the Reservoir Dogs play although I've seen the film and how different can it be really?

That'll do because I'm getting hungry. Bye.

Matt.
 

Updates for fun and profit....

Date: 19/08/11
Author: Tom

Wow, I really can’t see a project through, can I? It’s been ages since my last post, simply because I find it difficult to continue to write things that I feel are interesting enough to expose people to, or even write about day to day experiences in a way that doesn’t just sound like the contents of a tea stained piece of paper found on a hanging, decomposing body in a rat infested bedsit. My, that quickly degenerated into nightmarish nonsense (hmm, maybe I should re-name my blog “Nightmarish Nonsense” and have the background a picture of me pulling a smug, quirky, gurning face, perhaps whilst wearing a bowler hat…)

Anyway, yeah, I can’t see a project through… Or can I? Probably not, but for the purposes of ever finishing this post let’s say there’s a chance. Example - I’m up in Edinburgh at the moment for the Fringe Festival performing a run of original play “Killing Bill Gates”. This is my first time at the fringe, and indeed my first time in Scotland. I’ve been here for about 2 weeks and I think I’ve finally settled into the routine of wake up, eat cheerios, watch daytime TV (whoever said the media is a holdout of slackers?), meet up with people, go flyering, attempt to give flyers to attractive women for no reason other than the fact that I am a lonely, deluded individual, change into costume, perform, eat/drink, go home, more TV, sleep…

It’s actually more interesting than it sounds, and whilst there have been some undeniable lows (mainly involving attractive women mistaking you for a mugger during flyering), there have also been some fantastic moments, and I’m glad I didn’t completely sell myself short and chicken out at the last minute, as is one of my usual qualities.

Unfortunately, due to a combination of post show tiredness and spending a worryingly large amount of my time at the fringe drinking, I’ve not managed to see many big-name, ticketed peformers, however, I have seen a few up and coming acts that are genuinely deserving of greatness. Of particular note are “Bad Bread”, “Oliver Meech” and a slam poet who’s name escapes me which is unfortunate as this was supposed to be a plug *sigh*.

Anyway, I should probably bring this entry to an end, so all that’s left is for me to thank the kind folk who put me up in Edinburgh (and don’t kick me out for my strange, troubled sleep talking): Ben, Huw, Kenny and Luke. Thanks guys!

- Tom