The Big Pitch :: The Big Pitch is a dynamic competition where the UKs most talented, up and coming filmmakers pitch their film ideas to win the largest feature film production prize in the UK. Who wins - You decide.

More Fantastic Casting News!

I am very excited to announce that the brilliant Jessica Hynes has agreed to play the female lead (Detective Inspector Kate Hext) in our dark gritty thriller Blackout. As both an incredibly talented writer and performer, Jessica Hynes has worked prolifically in television, film and theatre.

After the instant success of 'Spaced' that she co-wrote and starred in with Simon Pegg, Jessica moved on to work in films, winning two British Comedy Awards. She was then nominated for an Olivier Award for her work in the play The Night Heron in 2001 and was also nominated for a Best Actress BAFTA Award for the film Tomorrow La Scala.

In 2008 she brilliantly portrayed a heavily religious mother in the coming of age British comedy drama Son Of Rambow and recently appeared in London's Old Vic production of Alan Ayckbourn's comic trilogy, The Norman Conquests, that will play Broadway in the fall.

You lost today kid, but it doesn't mean you have to like it!

Just wanted to say a big thank you to all those fantastic people who believed in and supported Blackout over the last nine months of this amazing competition. Despite coming an extremely close second, we had a really positive response from the industry and are both really proud of what we have achieved. It is by no means the end, in fact it is actually just the beginning, so thank you again for all the votes and generous support. We promise to continue our efforts in 2009 to make Blackout a reality!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the Moxie Maker team for creating this brilliant scheme. I know they have all worked their cute arses off all year and so really appreciate the 24 hour advise, support and mentoring that has made Blackout such an attractive and achievable project.

Thank you all!

Derek Boyes & Bex Hopkins

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Fantastic Casting News!

I am very proud and excited to announce that the incredibly talented Martin Compston is attached to play the lead role in our dark gritty thriller Blackout. Martin said about the script:

"I read Blackout last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was refreshing to read a dark indie that was exciting and clever"

He first appeared on our cinema screens in 2002 as Liam, the lead in Ken Loach's award winning film Sweet Sixteen, having been discovered at a school audition (see trailer below).

His subsequent film career was comparatively low key as he wanted to "serve his apprenticeship" with a regular role in the BBC drama serial Monarch of the Glen. His hard work has paid off with impressive performances in Red Road (2007), A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints (2006) and the soon to released Ipso Facto film Souled Out (2009).

Watch the new BLACKOUT trailer and vote with confidence!

On behalf of Bex Hopkins (producer), Tarn Willers (sound recordist), Richard Chester (composer) and the rest of the cast and crew who helped us, I am very proud to present this promotional teaser trailer for Blackout. I hope this will give you a thrilling taster of what's to come and also give you the confidence to vote for Blackout.

This was a no-budget production shot on a very cold wet and windy Sunday in November, using mostly local volunteers with no filmmaking experience, so I'd like to express my gratitude to everyone who helped out and supported us.

In order to give you the most pleasurable experience I have uploaded the trailer in two different high quality sizes (you tube version looks awful). Please crank up your speakers, click your desired viewing size, sit back and enjoy! 

SMALL VERSION (average broadband speed)

LARGE VERSION (fast broadband speed)

PLEASE NOTE YOU WILL NEED THE LATEST QUICKTIME INSTALLED TO VIEW TRAILER!

If you don't have it click here or watch the MySpace version below these pictures.

Writer and director - Derek Boyes
Producer - Bex Hopkins
Camera - Anka Bogacz
Sound - Tarn Willers
Make-up - Rebecca Kempton
Sound Design - Dave Hunt
Music - Richard Chester
Picture Grade - Doug Shannon
Production Assistants - Hannah Kay and Lucinda Sen
Land Rover Driver - James Kay

CAST
Gary - Elliot Henderson-Boyle
Dead Girl - Charlie Farge
Policemen - Darren Reeves and Ollie Ward
Farmer - Alan McEntee

Nearly There Now, Radio Ga Ga!

Well no doubt this time next week, there'll be a warm smelly lump in the back of my pants. Yes we are just seven days away from The Big Pitch and yet still there is so much to do. However, I can finally announce that at last the teaser promo trailer for Blackout is finished! Hurrah! All I need to do now is to learn my pitch off by heart and convince you all out there to vote - Look into my blog, into my blog, not around my blog but into my blog ...and you're under. Vote for Blackout, vote for Blackout, vote for blackout! ...you're back in the room!

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you the final dregs of behind-the-scenes footage of the trailer, including an attractive morning intro from me, followed by some radio gibberish and more windy, rainy antics. The Big Pitch - Bring it on!

Have you heard of The National Film & Television School?

I was just browsing the NFTS website for their postal address and came across this little promotional video which pretty much sums up what it means to graduate from the NFTS. I graduated in 2004 along with Tarn Willers (sound recordist) and Richard Chester (composer) who will both be joining the team of Blackout in 2009. Our producer Bex Hopkins currently works their in the producing department  ...as a runner I think? ...only joking, she's a cleaner ....joking again, she's a dinner lady ....okay I'll shut up now!

THX like you've never seen it before!

Well it's the weekend and a time of rest for most. I'm busy putting the final touches to our thrilling little promo trailer before I send it off to the composer, sound designer and grader. In the meantime I thought you'd like something to keep you amused. It certainly amused me anyway! Here it is, a Lemur reacting to Lucasfilm's THX sound system!

Meet the sound recordist Tarn Willers

Tarn Willers is a fantastic sound recordist that I worked with on a short film I made called In-between at The National Film and Television School. I have always enjoyed his soft northern voice and queer sense of humour so am delighted that he has come on board the crew for Blackout. Not only do I have to thank him for standing in the rain all day shooting our trailer on his day off, but he was also the one to recommend Bex Hopkins as a producer for this project. Well enough of my sentimental nonsense, here is Tarn being forced to promote Blackout before he was allowed to go home on Sunday.

 

Guerrilla filmmaking at its best!

Delboy here, just thought I'd tell you about our jam packed weekend of wind, rain and broken camcorders! Yes we braved the weather this weekend to shoot a small teaser trailer for The Big Pitch final. Over the next few days we'll be uploading two or three little 'behind the scenes' sneak previews of our trailer with and even balance of useless and insightful information.

It turned out to be quite an expensive weekend having to cough up nearly £200 for police uniforms and then deciding to blow up my small loyal and trusted little DV camcorder in order to see what a shotgun firing into camera would look like! Anyway, here's what happened. Note how casual I am about the whole thing (I was acting very well!)

 

Meet the producer Bex Hopkins

Bex is the producer of Blackout and... (bex, maybe you'd like to fill this bit in tonight!)

Hi Derek here! I thought you also might like to see some photoshop graded images of the Isle of Sheppey. This is kind of how we envisage the tone of the film, cold, bleak, grainy and  desaturated.

• More Fantastic Casting News!
• You lost today kid, but it doesn't mean you have to like it!
• Fantastic Casting News!
• Watch the new BLACKOUT trailer and vote with confidence!
• Nearly There Now, Radio Ga Ga!
• Have you heard of The National Film & Television School?
• THX like you've never seen it before!
• Meet the sound recordist Tarn Willers
• Guerrilla filmmaking at its best!
• Meet the producer Bex Hopkins