First Frame @GBEditors – A Brand Design
Hackney’s Film Emporium – Keeping it Reel!
Ümit Mesut outside his shop. Photograph: Richard Morrison #seenlondon
A happy surprise in our digital world was coming across Mr. Ümit Mesut, standing proudly outside his Hackney Film Emporium. The main window display is packed with old archive film and ephemera, but as you well see from my other photograph of the inside it is indeed a treasure trove of analogue filmic delights.
Inside the walls are stacked high with Super 8 and Super 16 reels, a mix of old, classic, cult and blockbuster films. It is a space also crammed full of VideoDiscs and VHS, posters hanging from the ceiling and a tempting range of sweets.
This Hackney native’s shop at 35 Lower Clapton Road (E5) takes you back in time to understand what cinematography was once about. Ümit knows everything about cinema and projectors and owns one of Europe’s largest collections of Super 8, and is on a quest to preserve 16 and 35 mm projectors and technicians who can actually operate them. His pride and joy is a Super 8 copy of Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” – one of only twenty in the world.
“I am still discovering a lot of things, I am constantly learning. I have been trying to save the art of cinema for twenty five years.”
Inside Ümit & Son. Photograph: Richard Morrison #seenlondon
Ciné-Real – cine-real.com
Ciné-Real began in 2011, after Liam Saint-Pierre found an old super 8 projector lying in a bin. The projector looked in good condition, but Liam couldn’t get it to work. He remembered there was a shop in Hackney called Ümit & Son that specialised in super 8 and 16mm film projection. As Ümit worked on the projector they talked about the beauty of celluloid and bemoaned the lack of places to watch film as film. Inspired Liam decided to set up Ciné-Real, a non-for-profit film club with the aim of bringing filmmakers and cineastes together, to enjoy a classic celluloid experience, along with promoting collaboration and discussion.
Liam Saint-Pierre. Photograph: Chris Tang
Ümit was asked to be the projectionist, but, unsure of the commitment, declined the offer. Undeterred Liam bought a 16mm projector and managed to get hold of a 16mm print of “Jaws”. The first screening in a small gallery attended by friends did not go to plan. Liam had problems changing the reels, dealing with jumping splices and warbling sound, and though the audience were accommodating, it was not a great success. The next day he returned to the shop and after a bit of persuading Ümit agreed to come to the next screening as a kind of projectionist’s mentor. Despite his initial resistance, Ümit loved the night. It still gave him a buzz to lace up the old projector and watch the warm glow of celluloid fill the big screen. He was excited by how many people were still interested in film and shared his passion. Since then Ümit has been the regular projectionist at Ciné-Real where Liam and Ümit have shown a 16mm film once a month for the past two years.
Ümit mentioned that he was very happy to see any body that wanted to pop-by.
Our latest highlights – COMING SOON!
Indielab – Our latest branding project
Indielab is a new growth accelerator programme for TV companies in London backed by the Mayor of London, The London Enterprise Panel and Creative Skillset.
Founder Victoria Powell, a consultant to the TV industry, experienced TV producer and co-founder of V Good Films – asked us to come on-brand and design their brand identity to give them a fresh presence in this new market.
Our focus for designing the brand was based around some key words… it needed to be: Human, Personable and Approachable, Rounded, Modern, Youthful, Friendly and Fun – with a sense of coming together and looking forward.
This is a very exciting project for is to be involved with, as Indielab helps ambitious start up and small indies build knowledge, skills, contacts and investment they need to scale their business and succeed.
Their new website which we have developed the look of, has now gone live – www.weareindielab.co.uk … and is now taking registration interests for applications which will open in December.
New RONALDO Releases 9th November
Excited at the studio to see our titles we designed for Anthony Wonke’s new film RONALDO – out on worldwide release 9th November 2015.
From the makers of Senna and Amy, this 102 minute unprecedented access documentary gives an insight into the inner life story of one of the worlds greatest footballers. How he fought to get his son and his family out of poverty and to show the world he’s on this earth to be the best at football. Ronaldo takes the audiences on an intimate and revealing journey of what it’s like to live as an iconic athlete.
A huge delight for us to design all the main and end titles for the film, including all the captions and a great end roller. It was a real pleasure working with Anthony, producer Paul Martin and the films editor Stephen Ellis.
Check-out the official website for ticket sales and more information: http://www.ronaldothefilm.com/
Daisy – the latest from Nancy Paton
‘Daisy’, is the latest film from Nancy Paton, an Australian/Polish director, producer and award winning writer, and founder of Paton Productions.
Already in post, Dean and I are delighted to be involved and have recently designed their latest film poster, as seen here.
Next week, we see the first look screening at Warner Bros. De Lane Lea, and then we look forward to getting going on the titles.
Working again with our dear friend editor Emma Gaffney, is as always a huge pleasure – Having worked together previously on films such as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Vaccums and Enemy at the Gates.
Starring Hattie Gotobed (Snow White and the Huntsman), Max Brown (Turistas), and Lucy Russell (Batman Begins), Daisy’ depict the last days of a thirteen-year-old girl called Daisy, who suffers from sever RECESSIVE DYSTROPHIC EPIDERMOLYSIS BULLOSA (RDEB), and by chance meets Peter, an Iraq War veteran who suffers from drug addiction. Like Peter Pan, he is stuck in Neverland and Daisy, like Wendy, inspires him to change his ways. Daisy helps Peter learn to appreciate life, find home, but most importantly find love, something that she will never experience. As the credits run, we are left wondering what such a powerful little girl could have done with a lifetime of days.
Nancy wrote this award-winning screenplay as a way of raising awareness for a cause close to her heart. While the film has innocence in its tone, it is eager to depict the suffering from Dystrophic Epidermolysis accurately. Nancy worked with children at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and whilst there met an inspirational 9 year old girl called Maisy Keetch, who played Isabella in ‘Daisy’ and who suffers from EB in real life.
Alongside the filming of Daisy, a special documentary film is being made featuring children with EB, and their families, nurses and doctors who care for them. The idea is to encourage the film industry to offer more opportunities in the future for children and adults with disabilities and disease.
Nancy is also currently filming ‘Postpartum’ which she has written, a film charting the final days of a woman suffering with Postpartum depression. And is in pre-production on ‘Touched’, which intricately weaves together the lives of western scientists and local PNG tribes people, seen through the eyes of two woman each on their own path of discovery, who’s actions share a share destiny.
Luke Morrison – The Mill, Chicago
Andrea Michell chats with Luke Morrison over coffee in Chicago
Luke has been heading up the colour department at the fast expanding Mill operation in Chicago for the past 20 months. He’s thriving in the city, and talked about some of the differences in his work Stateside, compared to London.
He says in London it is more typical to work closely with the director and DOP (director of photography), and that the director will lead the project through to sign off.
In Chicago the director more typically hands over after the shoot, and with commercials the advertising agency takes the lead through post. What that means for Luke is that the ad agency places more faith in his skill and judgement to interpret the look, the image and their client’s needs.
Another big plus is the general working atmosphere. He says in Chicago it feels more of a family atmosphere and less dog eat dog. There’s a flavour of mid-Western hospitality and easy going-ness, driven by knowing underneath everyone will really pull out all the stops to deliver.
Being a colourist, he says, is about understanding the director or the creative’s intent for the piece, to create consistency and adding or reinforcing the message they are trying to get across to the viewer.
The exciting jobs are the ones where you can push the boundaries and discover something new. Most often the job is about keeping colour true to life but adding a more filmic quality. He says with colour it is subtle, it is objective. Colourists do have a bit of a language of their own, with talk of milky blacks, and peaky highs.
Rescuing a shoot in the colour suite happens more often than you think.
We often get rushes where it is meant to be a shoot in bright hot sunshine, but it is rainy and overcast and you have to get that summer beach feeling. Generally, yes, we can do it.
Outside The Mill Luke is keen on travel as a way of changing perspective and expanding his outlook. He is doing a photography project that involves travelling to different locations and photographing what he finds there over the course of eight hours of a day.
His personal ethos is to respect the old ways, to do things himself, rather than conform to mass produced consumer society. A keen foodie, he makes his own biltong, the traditional smoked preserved meat from South Africa.
Luke’s creative heroes are Jean Michel Basquiat, filmmaker Wes Anderson. Currently he’s listening to the Budos Band, along with South Korea’s classic psychedelic rock star phenomenon Shin Joong Hyun.
The Ones Below title sequence
Having just completed David Farr’s latest film The Ones Below – a Cuba Pictures production, produced in association by Nikki Parrott of Tigerlily films. David kindly emailed us to say:
Working with Richard and his team was terrific. Great ideas to start with and then a really calm but relentless approach as we evolved them, changed our minds, and found what we wanted. The final sequence is wonderful.Thank you to The Morrison Studio.
Left: David Farr, Middle: On-set The Ones Below, Right: David Morrissey
The Ones Below, starring David Morrissey (The Walking Dead), Clémence Poséy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1), Stephen Campbell Moore (The Bank Job) and Laura Birn (A Walk Among the Tombstones), tells the story of a couple expecting their first child who discover an unnerving difference between themselves and the couple living in the flat below them who are also having a baby.
Dementamania Title Sequence
At long last, we have great pleasure in sharing our title sequence for Kit Ryan’s Dementamania.
Frustrated with the social injustice he faces everyday and the bureaucratic culture of the office where he works, Edward Arkham (Samuel Robertson) is at boiling point.
Although a successful analyst with a leading IT consultancy, years of routine have taken their toll, and the unbearable daily monotony fuels his frustration and bitterness.
When Edward is stung by a mysterious bug, it results in a painful and aggressive rash which unlocks the door to a secret world inside his head causing nightmarish fantasies to manifest themselves within vivid hallucinations. As the rash spreads and threatens to envelop his entire body, his visions become more terrifying and reality begins to drift further from his grasp.
Please enjoy:
Credits:
Ronin Pictures and Green Screen Productions in association with Gloucester Place Films and International Pictures Three in association with Premiere Picture and Opix Films. Stars Samuel Robertson, Vincent Regan, Geoff Bell and Kal Penn. Original Score by Guy Farley, Costume Designer Erika Okvist, Edited by Jeremy Gibbs, Production Designer Jon Bunker and Director of Photography Gerry Lively.
Executive Produced by Nigel Thomas, Charlotte Walls, David Rogers, Jason Garrett, Michael Cowan and Terrence Ryan. Co-Producers Alan Latham, Neil Tuohy. Produced by Anis Shlewet and James T. Ryan. Written by Anis Shlewet and Directed by Kit Ryan.
Paul Hyett’s new horror HOWL
Known for his SFX work on ‘The Woman in Black‘ and ‘The Descent‘, Paul’s directorial debut was with the fantastic British horror drama ‘The Seasoning House‘.
Now together with producers Martin Gentles (The Liability) and Ed King (Ali G Indahouse) of Starchild Pictures, starring Ed Speelers (Eragon) and Holly Weston (John Carter) leading the cast alongside Shauna Macdonald (Happy-Go-Lucky) and Elliot Cowan (The Descent). Paul’s new film ‘Howl‘ focuses on a group of passengers traveling on a midnight train who become the unsuspecting meal ticket for a gang of hungry werewolves, forcing a shy ticket inspector to unleash his inner beast to lead his passengers to safety and survive the night.
We look forward to sharing more with you soon. The film is due for release later in the year.
Richard Morrison with The Morrison Studio 