Waiting...

It's nearly August.  Nearly time for the Encounters Festival to announce their selections.  Over 1600 films were submitted - around 200 will be selected.  I find it difficult to imagine that Suicide Bridge will be one of the chosen few.  So what do I do with the film after that?

Waiting

I'm still waiting to see if the film has been officially 'received' by Encounters...meanwhile, I've had a hectic few days, and now things should(!) get a little quieter so I can spend some more time on writing these posts.

Getting ready to send off...

Well, I've burned the disc, so now I'm checking the Encounters website to make sure the film is sent off correctly.  I'm feeling tired tonight after a busy few days, and still have to do the staff timetable for this week.

I'm also hoping to read some more of 'Hush' by Nicole Braddock Bromley, a book about 'moving from silence to healing after childhood sexual abuse'.  After the first few chapters, Nicole starts to take a directly spiritual/biblical approach, and I'm about to read her chapter on forgiveness.  For me, on that issue, the jury is still out.

Back on track

It's been some time since I focused my mind on Suicide Bridge.  Tonight, I burned a copy of the film to send to Encounters, the Bristol short film festival.  Over the weekend, I'll be designing a sleeve for the dvd case, with the plan to send the film on Monday.
Watching the film again tonight, I'm struck by its brevity, which I think is a strength and a weakness.  I am still pleased with the end result.  I hope the film gets accepted by the festival - it will be a big motivation to start working on the 'sequel'.
It's late, now, and it's been a busy week - time for bed (if I'm sensible...)

Second stage of the story

Having found the title, the next stage began with the germ of a story. At the time, I was watching a lot of Asian ghost films, like 'Ring' and 'Pulse'. It was a natural progression that the first character I conceived was a teenage schoolgirl with long dark hair. This girl would be the first drawing I ever did for the film.

Originally, the story was more about the bridge than about the reason people were drawn to it. It was in the next part of the process, when considering what that reason might be, that I realised the greatest horror would be found in reality, not in fantasy.

Final Version!

Watched the final version today! Charlotte had ironed out the tweaks, and I can't envisage any more changes to the film. It was a great feeling, watching an idea I've had for so long finally appearing on screen. All the feedback so far has been good, although it's all from friends or family, so I need to get someone to watch it who really doesn't like me ...

I'm aware of how many people helped to make this film, all of them offering their services voluntarily, and I am so grateful. I also find myself thinking of those who motivated me to write the story - people I know, and those I read about in books or newspapers. I hope this film in some way makes a positive difference.

Influences

I showed the film to several of my colleagues today, using a projector and with surround sound. Thankfully, the reaction was positive.

I've been thinking about what influenced the visuals in the film. The thought was sparked while I was reading PulpHope, a book all about Paul Pope, a comic artist and writer. The images he draws - in particular, a teenage girl called HR in his series Thb - certainly influenced the initial character concepts for Suicide Bridge. Other obvious influences are Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets) and Charles Burns (Black Hole).