November, 2007

Kamikaze PR strategy

Location Dilapidated grandeur of Grosvenor Hotel in Sheffield | Mood Sick with nerves | Date 11 November 2007
We've brought Crude to the Sheffield Documentary Festival for a "work-in-progress" screening. Seemed like a good idea six weeks ago: thinking we'd kickstart the Crude hype machine as well as getting feedback from other filmmakers. But lots of people who know about such things are saying we're mad to show such an unfinished film in such a dragon's den.

May as well scream

Location At a Cabon Detox Show in a church in Oxford | Mood Inspired | Date 24 October 2007
Franny's old pal George Marshall has been investigating the psychology of climate change denial for a few years, so we came to Oxford to pick his brains on the character of our old man in the future. We've been thinking perhaps he should be a do-gooder now: someone who recycles fastidiously but then flies five times a year on holiday.  

Most powerful people ever?

Location Train home from George's place in Wales | Mood Inspired | Date 16 October 2007
George Monbiot came up with our new favourite thought on climate change today, during the many-times-postponed interview for the film. To paraphrase: you think you're powerless and anything you do is irrelevant? The opposite is true - we are the generation who will decide the future of our species. Every single thing each one of us does or doesn't do is crucial to whether we survive or not. Making us the most powerful individuals ever. He was also absolutely crystal clear on the Love Miles flying question:

Any animators out there?

Location Soho Cafe | Mood Enthusiastic | Date 21 September 2007
My current role in life is meeting animators and attempting to persuade them to work on our film. There's plenty of them and they all love the sound of the project, think it's very worthwhile, would love to get their work onto the big screen and creatively it's very exciting but then as soon as I mention our meager survival wages, they start mumbling about how they're booked on a slimfast / catfood / plastic crap commercial and will have to get back to me.  

A new (old) character emerges

Location Franny's house | Mood Tired but hopeful | Date 14 September 2007
After a day to recover from the Curzon screening we re-grouped and looked through the feedback forms. One clear problem was the tone of the drama scenes with the kids in the future. Even though what the kids were saying and feeling - hatred and anger at our generation - was entirely understandable, it didn't a great movie make.