Payne & Redemption – An Independent Film Inspired By The Works Of Sam Lake

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… Just not in the way you may be expecting.

Alright, here’s the deal:

I plan to use the footage we shot for Payne & Redemption in 2006 and turn it into a narrative music video, intercut with band footage shot either by myself, or another DP, in keeping with the film’s theme. My reason? It’ll be the cheapest, easiest, and quickest way to release the project in a completed state, as it’ll bypass the need for most of the expenses required to finish the production as a narrative movie.

What’s a “narrative music video”?

Basically just as it says. A narrative music video is a music video that follows a story, with the odd snippet of live-action dialogue here and there. The only dialogue I will be using in the music video is a line or two from Nigel’s voice-over, which I will be re-recording for the purpose of the music video, and a few lines from John’s on-set dialogue. In terms of the length of this narrative music video, I will be aiming for a runtime of 10+ minutes. Opening and rear title crawl credits will remain, so everyone who has donated and continues to donate to the production will still have their name included, as promised, in the credits.

So why this decision?

Back in 2006, on the advice and recommendation of various professionals, we allotted four nights in which to shoot the entire short. In retrospect, this was an extremely bad decision, as it gave us little time to think, let alone actually film anything. But back then, we were young, inexperienced, and extremely ignorant, so we listened and learned the hard way. To cut down the already-limited-time even more, there were various technical problems, such as the camera not working for a good part of the first night, which ate up around three-to-five hours of very precious could-be filming time. And if that wasn’t enough, the genny ran out of fuel mid-shoot, as the amount of fuel needed for the four nights had been underestimated. Without a generator, we had no power for the lighting, and without any lighting, we couldn’t film a damn thing. Because extra fuel hadn’t been budgeted for, the money for the additional fuel had to be pulled out of thin air at a moment’s notice. This not only cost even more time, but a shed load of cash that no one had to spare. To top that off, at some point during the shoot, the audio failed to record for a good thirty minutes or more. Unfortunately, this was only discovered during post-production, as we didn’t have enough time to view the rushes at the end of each day. These factors meant that in order for the film to be an acceptable standard of quality for release, certain parts of it would need to be re-filmed, have pick-ups shot, and large amounts of dialogue dubbed, but it wasn’t going to be that easy.

The location we used was a derelict warehouse, in the middle of nowhere, which, due to its rather large size and the fact that we were shooting in the dead of the night, needed a ridiculous amount of lighting. Unfortunately, after going WAY over budget and running out of cash, I had to face the very real possibility that it was going to be highly unlikely for us to go back to the original location, re-light it, and rent the original camera, for what would have been a large portion of the additional work that needed to be done to complete the film. Because of this, I had to come up with a contingency plan, but a PRACTICAL contingency plan that could utilize what we already had, without adding much else and making a rod for my own back.

Now, although we started a donations programme, and are extremely grateful for the love and support you guys have shown us, we’re not going to reach that target any time soon. Let’s face it, Payne & Redemption isn’t the hugely popular project it once was, with its eighty-four-plus-million audience! Some people think it’s dead, or not going anywhere, and then you’ve got that other group of people whose enthusiasm for a similar main character died after watching a film that was supposedly based on a really AWESOME character written by Sam Lake. So this is why it’s important for us to do what we can do, with the money we have and continue to be donated, and deliver a production-piece worthy of everything that will have lead up to its release.

And that, my friends, is why I want to take the footage we already have and turn it into a narrative music video. The only question now is, what artist(s) do I choose, and how do I get them on board? I know who I WANT, but whether or not I’m going to be able to GET them, is another thing entirely.

So what’s happening with the actual film?

I’m going to start from a clean slate with Payne & Redemption. That means starting with a new script, and working my way up from there. I’ve no idea when this will be done, as I’ve only just begun writing the treatment, but I can tell you that this time, I will be working within the confines of my abilities, not relying on anyone else but myself, and taking full advantage of what I already have available to me. The production will be a next-to-no-budget, but professionally made short film, incorporating many of the aspects that everyone loves about Film Noir, as well as tributes and nods to films, characters and video-games that have influenced and inspired me over the years. I have also decided upon the lead character’s name, but I’m not dropping the ball on that just yet. Cast & crew will be confirmed at a MUCH later date.

In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for more info on the narrative music video.

Stay frosty,

Fergle “Larry David” Gibson,
Writer, Director & Executive Producer.

Ben Dean, from visualfizzle.com, and I, recently tested out a new piece of equipment, called the Kessler Crane Pocket Jib, for, amongst other projects, the up and coming P&R photoshoot. Why did we test out a piece of equipment that would normally be used in motion picuture projects for the P&R photoshoot, I hear you ask? Well, maybe we’re not just shooting stills! Ever think about that? Oooh…

Anyway, we brought in the legendary Antonio Geezahrelli (who had previously worked behind the scenes on P&R back in ’06), and got him to wear Nigel Billing’s wardrobe, despite complaints of the shoes being too small. You can read my review on the Pocket Jib here. And for all you camera geeks out there, this clip, that you’re about to see, was shot on the Canon 5D Mark II, using a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens, on a Kessler Crane Pocket Jib.

Oh, and the idiot you hear laughing in the background of the video is Ben. He has problems controlling himself, but we usually keep him locked away.

Enjoy!

Fergle “Larry David” Gibson,
Writer, Director & Executive Producer.

So, it’s 2010, and within the turmoil that is “life”, I am slowly, but surely, getting everything organized for the new photoshoot, which I *hope* will take place some time before May.

Amongst the usual organizational factors, I’m currently waiting on the arrival of some photographic equipment that I’m hoping to use on the ‘shoot, should it get to me in time. I’ll also be reviewing this equipment on visualfizzle.com as soon as I have a moment.

While we anxiously chew off our fingernails in anticipation for the various pieces of the puzzle to slot into place, I thought this would be a good opportunity to let YOU guys, our fans, interact with the production, and tell me what photos YOU want to see…

In the comments section below, pick a character or characters from the cast list, choose the setting, then tell me the situation… You may very well see your idea in the upcoming media release!

So, gets ta thinkin’, and let’s hear ‘em!

Fergle “Larry David” Gibson,
Writer, Director & Executive Producer.

Good evening, good morning, wherever you may be.

I just wanted to write a quick post as the rest of the world moves onward into Christmas day, to wish everyone a fantastic holiday, whatever you’re doing and whoever you’re with. I hope you’re all enjoying yourselves and sharing in the Christmas spirit!

As for me, I will be spending my time amusing my now 16 month old daughter by dancing with her to A Tribe Called Quest, and pretending I like Luke Morgan-Rowe’s cooking, as he has insisted, despite our many attempts to dissuade him, on doing the Christmas dinner this year.

Oh, and here’s a little something to welcome in the festive season…

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight.

Fergle “Larry David” Gibson,
Writer, Director & Executive Producer.

‘Sup, mah peoples.

Just wanted to publicly thank the administrator of the Poets of the Fall forum, “POFT_Admin”, who has very kindly made our donations post a sticky on their forums. Guys, if there’s anything we can do in return, just let us know!

I am very much looking forward to the Poets’ fourth album, but must shamefully confess that I only own “Signs of Life” and “Carnival of Rust” at this present time. That WILL change soon, though!

Who else is really stoked to hear about the involvement of Poets of the Fall with Remedy’s new videogame Alan Wake? I see a slight trend developing here! You know what would also be *extremely* cool? If the Poets were somehow involved with P&R, too… Hrm…

Hasta luego,

Fergle “Larry David” Gibson,
Writer, Director & Executive Producer.