Paul Cryer – Director, D.O.P, Camera, Editor, Producer …@PaulieSc – http://www.freezeframeproductions.co.uk
I’ve been interested in movies for a long time, but until I moved up to Manchester I didn’t really frequent the cinema, so relied upon the odd Xmas TV based movie, which seemed to mainly comprise Star Wars in the 1980s (a film I love!). One of my first cinema memories is seeing a copy of Empire Strikes Back at a local library when I used to live down south, I’d seen Star Wars countless times, but ITV (I think) didn’t seem to have the rights to show the other films, so this was my first viewing of the 2nd part of the trilogy. As a kid I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as Star Wars, it is darker after all, but I now rate it as the strongest of all the SW films. TV wise I got into Doctor Who from an early age thanks to a Doctor Who mad Uncle and used to get another family member who had the luxury of Sky TV to video me episodes off UK Gold!
My main hobbies and time consuming things now a days consist of my blogging, reading, cinema going and film/tv watching. Though I’m looking to get back into doing some freelance photography & videography as a sideline some time. I’m also working heavily on Moving Echo as well plus fit in my full time IT job and a side line I want to take off doing freelance media production and production of showreels for actors! It really is quite hectic.
From a film making point of view, I’ve always been very interested in the technical aspect of how the story is comprised and told on the screen. I’ve always had an eye for a good photo and shot angles and always look for something a bit out of the ordinary or different aspects than the ‘norm’, so hopefully our films should look good though they may not always follow the standard shooting techniques as I look for different angles and more interesting ways to frame shots. I believe sound plays a massive part in the visual storytelling medium as well and I love a good score to a film to TV show, it can add so much to the experience.
Robin Oliver – Writer, Producer
@robinolly – http://www.robinollysays.blogspot.com
Like Paul I grew up in the 80’s with a film industry that was booming, so I was surrounded by great films. Probably the very first thing that made me passionate about short films was ‘The Twilight Zone’ short story episodes of the late 1980’s. Particularly the “Button, Button” episode based on the Richard Matheson story. I remember watching that and then consequently renting every episode in sequence until I’d seen them all. Just that short glimpse, that open to suggestion with its moral message always kept me intrigued and wanting more. I think that’s pretty much my passion for doing film, now in a world where the film industry is on its head, with people who would rather churn out three hours worth of action about the end of the world or something blowing up, to do something in a more thought provoking and intelligent way in ten minutes worth of film is a goal I would love to one day achieve.
I’ve also been as passionate about film as I have been about literature and have largely took my writing influences from Flann O’Brien, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, J D Salinger, Cormac McCarthy, Chuck Palahniuk and Alan Moore. I love to write short stories, this is something I have a huge passion for and I always like to keep a little Moleskine notepad on me, that way whenever I come up with an idea I can quickly jot it down and make sense of it later. Luckily now I have teamed up with excellent people who are as passionate as I am about making films and whom I’m able to collaborate with and share ideas. I’m very excited about soon seeing those ideas translated to the screen.
Andy Lau – Graphics, Editor, Producer
@therealandylau
What kid doesn’t like stories? Whether it’s books, TV or movies, good storytelling has always captured the imagination of children round the world and I was no different.
As an adult, I now enjoy storytelling for various reasons, escapism, relaxation, knowledge and expression of creativity. The earliest memory I have of going the cinema was when my mum took me to see Ghostbusters. It was winter and had been snowing, so there was snow and ice on the ground. Needless to say, I was misbehaving in the queue and subsequently fell over resulting in screaming, and crying and a wet backside. This however, didn’t ruin the movie going experience for me. I loved Ghostbusters and actually stayed behind for a second viewing (you cant do that these days anymore without paying) and I still hold the film in high regard.
Film has always been a passion and interest of mine and as I got older, I looked beyond the storytelling aspect of movies and more into the technical side. Being a designer, naturally my interest was focused on production design and about creating the look and feel of a film through design. Editing is also a part of the film making process that I enjoy a lot. This is the part where you piece the moving images together. Its also the part where you can gain a different perspective to scenes or narratives as the way something reads on paper in a screenplay can sometimes translate a little differently to moving images. Finding a way to make something work and ‘feel’ right in the editing suite can be an art form in itself.
Although still keen on the technical side of things, meeting Paul and Robin has meant that I’ve rediscovered what it was that attracted me to movies in the first place…the stories. I believe our little venture here can tell stories that will capture the imagination of people young and old.
Stay tuned!