Anyone remember the Scream Of The Shalka?
Wonder how many blogs have opened with that question. I don't ask it because its something that was so cultish that it should be forgotten and consigned away as a side step in the rebirth of Doctor Who from Geeky Anorak Fodder to mainstream Drama Juggernaught.
There are many people who have negative opinions about it, Richard E. Grant's take on The Doctor, being interesting, the twisty reveal of the Master companion being (*spoiler*). But it has a lot going for it if you like, urban darkness.
There's a line in a Big Country song that goes "Some people say you have to change to stay the same, I guess we tried so hard to stay the same we changed." I've never been one for change myself, I like settlement. In fact over the past two months I've probably felt worse than I have since the start of 2012. Having a regular pattern of 7 hours sleep when working nights was great, but then people left and the saviour was once again needed.
So in all this change what remains the same? 2nd year in a row Star Rabbit Tracks received a Parsec Award nomination... Basically what that means is that my second series DID NOT SUCK!! Jumping on board a series established by someone else and trying to stamp your own mark on it isn't easy, and I thank people who have enjoyed my eps, the recent few eps have been amazing to the point where even I was laughing at my own jokes.
And Of The Night returned from the dead (ironic with it being a Vampire Noir) episode 3 after a 2 year absence. And I still think its one of the finest things I've ever written. It holds a tender part in my heart and am very proud of the guys at Spiritblade for what they've done.
Did I also tell you that In The Line Of Duty: The Vanguard Archives is also a ratings success with regular downloads of over 100 a month from across the world? The series has grown through a lot of pitching and repitching with my collaborator Ben Reed. The formula is as follows. There are action sequences, but the characters are real with emotions and back story. Every little character has a tale and a connection. My favourite ep is the one where David Ault's Jack Anders carries the story on his own as the husband who has lost his wife, but (and this is a secret) Michael Hudson's performance as George Marcus a man who has lost his son was so good we decided to write him into the series full time.
My writing life will come full circle if Eric Busby releases the Byron specials I wrote for him. One of which was inspired by what someone described as a Twitercrush. she liked Mummies so Mummies appeared in the episode.
But all of this is old news revisited. This isn't the new news. I hear you cry, some of you say "Please stop blogging" some of you say "you ignorant arrogant pig" some of you even say "I don't get it" which I suppose is most of you. So for all those interested in what's happening I'll let you know...
The Soul Trilogy is a little set of short films linked by a narrow thread. I've been persuaded not to be such a protective, power hungry so and so and I've relinquished my arm to my London colleagues for their particular stories. casting, locations... Because I've been working on:
Manchester Nun With A Gun Productions...
TaDah! What do you think? I'm working on T-shirts as we speak. (No, I'm not kidding)
The first Manc Nun wit' Gun production is cast, semi located and I'm currently wooing a film crew and hiring an AD. I know that I'm not to everyone's taste, but hopefully I do things for what I consider the best intention. So on this occasion I will be stepping into the Ron Howard director's hat.
So, I work hard at the day job doing things I don't like, working long hours for extra money to finance the production that I do like, but that I'm doing a job I'm not sure about to get the vision I want...
Sometimes in order to get to where you want you have to take risks and do something you hate, to be hated and know that deep inside you're doing it for the greater good.
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