SEQUEL

It seems like I have been working on the six films for the young students of the academy where I teach film, forever. But the end is in sight at last.

At first glance it would seem that they have taken 6 months to shoot the films, however, when you break it down, that is not so. The first couple of months, for under an hour per week, so a total of just eight hours, they came up with an idea, wrote a script, cast it and planned a shoot.

The first stage, or act, over, they began filming at the start of November, took a break from it all in December, then resumed in January, wrapping mid March. In terms of time for this act it adds up to just 11 hours. Some were shooting a three page script, which I would expect to film in a 10 hour day, but others were working on a seven page script, which under normal circumstances would take well into three, ten-hour days.

But they did it in just 11 hours.

I'm pretty proud of them I must say.

The third act is of course the editing, which has been ongoing, and that has come down to just me, most days, of every week, so far amounting to 138 hours! But using the same formula, that is just two days per film. So far.

I'm almost there though. Three films are finished, apart from some small tweaks. The entry date for the film festival is close, but all should be well.

Like all successful film projects, there is a sequel.

Over the past two weeks I have been offered two new projects. One is creating workshops for the Edinburgh Festival Theatre Trust, which I am very excited about. The other is running courses for school teachers, in how to bring film further into the classroom. Quite different, and again, I'm very excited about that too.

Ten years ago I sold up my deli and coffee shop to chase a new career in film making. Back then I could never have known what it would lead to, that one day I would be making films. not for broadcast, but helping young minds learn the expertise of how to bring their stories to life on the big screen.

It's been a lot of fun so far, and hugely rewarding, and I'm looking forward to the sequel opening weekend.