My Blog

Random thoughts towards the end of winter.

johnrackham — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 11:24:19 GMT

Apparently, I've now finished my work on Ten Dead Men. Months after thinking that I'd finished I was told that the sound in all my scenes had been badly recorded and I went up for an ADR session in London rerecording it all, followed by another short session when it was realised tthat in the rush we'd left out three lines of my end of a phone conversation. The premiere is in Brighton on April 19th, followed by another screening at SENI, a big London martial arts show. The publicity machine is in full swing. Unfortunately, as I'm not well-known and not in any of the big action scenes it doesn't make sense for the publicity machine to mention me. I've also moved from equal top billing on the poster to the small print. The job is for a low deferred daily rate plus 1%. If the film goes into profit everything will be hunky dory. If it doesn't the only reason to have done it will have been the publicity. Despite being a leading character in the story, I think I've been mentioned once in all the articles and tv coverage. I have to make the premiere count even if I have to drop my trousers in front of the cinema to do it. I've been told my performance will speak for itself - I hope so - the weather's a bit chilly for trouser-dropping. I'm still missing California - every day. Now that we seem to be subject in the UK to hurricanes, floods and earthquakes at least one of the reasons for staying here has disappeared. I know I could get more acting work out there. Most of my best friends are there. I'd still like to get out there on my own merits, by being known enough in film here to be able to make the transition, but it's a long haul, particularly when I can get publicity from the work that I do. I'm tired of the winter. I want the spring to come soon.

Ten Dead Men etc.

johnrackham — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:01:18 GMT

I've finally finished working on Ten Dead Men, six months after my first day's shooting and one year after the start of production. On Saturday night I worked on the scene where my character Axel betrays the film's hero Ryan, leading to the death of Ryan's girlfriend. It was a good scene to do, especially as I got to work opposite my friend Keith Eyles, who plays the coldly evil Project Manager. The Ten Dead Men preview screening, which was scheduled for November, has now been postponed, as the producer didn't bother to ask the director when the cut would be ready before setting up the screening. I'm taking teaching work to make some cash, and in between I'm working on my screenplays for Blood for the Hunter and Mystery, Arizona. A friend of mine has a lead on a small scale production fund in Essex, and when I can get a version of Blood for the Hunter that I'm happy with I have a good chance of getting funding together. I should be able to get funding for Mystery too, but finishing that screenplay is a little further off. Working as a substitute teacher is not what I'd choose to be doing, but it is a lot easier to stay positive when I'm earning money instead of watching my debts grow.

Struggling to stay positive

johnrackham — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:24:05 GMT

Bloodmyth didn't get into Screamfest LA, so it's very unlikely that I'll be in California for another year. Three features that I've acted in have industry screenings coming up this Autumn, which is good, and I still have screenplays in development. It would be nice to get paid for doing what I do at some stage. In fact, it's close to becoming essential.

Still missing California!

johnrackham — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:41:45 GMT

Well, it's almost a year now and I'm still missing California. In the next month I should find out if my feature Bloodmyth has made it into Screamfest LA. If it does, I'll be coming over. I'm becoming increasingly sure, though, that I want to be out there permanently. I'm getting work in independent films here, but nobody invests money in them, so I'm not getting paid. Doing fringe theatre in London is a guaranteed way of losing money, and the Edinburgh Fringe is basically a ripoff. I've been taking a break from writing and, as you can tell from this blog, from making myself think positively. It can't last though. By next week I'll be back to working on my screenplay projects and back to being positive about working in the UK. I have a major role in an independent action movie called Ten Dead Men. In theory I have one more day of shooting on it and I think the sales agent will be marketing it at the AFM this year and Cannes next year. Apparently, Ken Colley (Admiral Piett in The Empire Strikes Back) is using his short film Alligator as a showreel. As I have the other major part in it, I'm hoping that it will bring in some acting work. I have some great actors interested in my next project as producer/writer/director. I'm still developing the script and looking for finance. It's an action horror, based on ancient myths, called Blood for the Hunter. If I can put them together as a package I'll use some of the same actors for another project, Mystery Arizona, and shoot both films next summer. In the meantime, I'll be writing and working as a substitute teacher. And doing the occasional acting job.

Back from California blues

johnrackham — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:34:46 GMT

I've been back in England for a few weeks now and, as usual, I'm missing California and all my friends there. I had a terrific time at the San Francisco Fringe Theatre Festival, went on to visit Dan and Chia in LA and then hiked out to Sykes hot springs before going back to stay in SF for one last great weekend. I've been delaying starting work as a substitute teacher, because I hate it, but I need to earn money to complete post on my feature film 'Bloodmyth' and to take it to festivals. I do have a couple of indie film roles coming up though. One is as a chop shop owner in Ross Boyasks upcoming feature 'Ten Dead Men' and the other is as a financial adviser who has swindled a gangster in Ken Colley's (Admiral Piett, Jesus in 'The Life of Brian') second short 'Alligator'.