Real light leak wipes to download - 4K

Here is my latest 4K light leak. It features real natural light, no plug ins, no CGI.

As with all my leaks, it is available for free via Creative Commons, details below.

I collect all my light leaks on a special page where there are MORE FREE DOWNLOADS, so bookmark it. So far my light leaks have been downloaded well over 700,000 times! And used in TV shows on NatGeo, Discovery and BBC1. As well as games, apps, movie trailers and indie films.







THERE ARE SIX CLIPS IN THIS ONE DOWNLOAD, so that adds a lot of variety. And, in your edit package, you can alter the speed of the clips (or reverse it) then you can create even more different looks. As they get very bright for a few frames, you can composite them over cuts (maybe use 'screen' mode) to create more interesting transitions. It is a large MP4 file, I tried to compress it as little as possible to retain the quality

Download here (150MB) - http://www.mediafire.com/file/aljnlslxaksftlk/4K-Light_Streak_Wipe_Natural.mp4

If you are using these clips for a commercial project with a budget then get in touch. I make the leaks free for non-commercial use (short films etc). Creative Commons details on the main page.

If HD leaks are of interest to you (under the same conditions) then I have loads here.

If you want to do me a favour because of all this cool stuff - that would be great too. Cheers. A few suggestions...

• Like my facebook page for my feature film
• Follow on twitter
• Check out the ads on the blog. Or next time you want something on Amazon - buy it via this link.

If you are super kind and get something out of using these then please donate a small amount via the button below...

Live Podcast Time!

We did it last year - and we are back, doing it again!

LIVE PODCAST INFO:

Date - Monday 21st August
Time - 7:30PM (UK time / GMT - see below for international times*)

Watch and join in via Periscope - we will put the link up on our twitter when its live.
And also on Facebook Live - on our page - https://www.facebook.com/ukscriptwriterspodcast/

Who are we? Between us we have a BAFTA nomination, a few awards and had lots of of stuff on the tele and we made a feature film between us which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival. We've also written a book on how to earn a living as a working writer.

And the topic we will be focusing on with the live podcast is about - what have we learned, as working writers, since we wrote that book and made our movie.

You can ask questions and join our debate via either of those, or tweet us at @ukscriptwriters. See you there!

About our podcast in general...

As you probably know, I co-host the UK Scriptwriters Podcast alongside Danny Stack. And have done so for over five years and for over 60 episodes. We talk about all things scriptwriting, but mainly focus on the working and business side, more so than go over script tips or structure, which is already catered for elsewhere. AKA, we talk about how to get paid!

Something we started to do a couple of years ago was to interview writers and other people from the media world - whether they be new or super experienced. How did they start? What's their advice? What's the future hold for them? My personal top five favourites are...

• Tony Jordan on Dickensian and being a TV writer / producer
• James Cary on writing sitcoms
• James Moran on starting out in TV and Film
• Tim John on moving to Hollywood
• Chris Chibnall on Broadchurch and Torchwood

But of course you may get more out of one of the many others. Here's the podcast homepage. 

*International times...

• 7:30PM UK Time
• 2:30PM Eastern USA
• 1:30PM Central USA
• 12:30PM Mountain Time USA
• 11:30 AM Pacific Time USA
• 7:30AM - New Zealand
• Way too early you POMs, I'll catch it via a podcast download later - Australia

Free to download video file - ghostly light leak

Here is my latest HD light leak. This one has a ghostly, spooky,  misty kind of look. In fact it is different light streaming through ice! Makes a good backdrop or use it in compositing.

As ever, available for free via Creative Commons, details below.

I collect all my light leaks on a special page where there are MORE FREE DOWNLOADS, so bookmark it. So far my light leaks have been downloaded well over 700,000 times! And used in TV shows on NatGeo, Discovery and BBC1. As well as games, apps, movie trailers and indie films.







If, in your edit package, you can alter the speed of this clip (or reverse it) then you can create even more different looks. Its a MOV in high bit rate h264 format, to preserve the quality as best I can - and in 1920x1080 size, 25fps.

Download here (188MB) - http://www.mediafire.com/file/j6tnqnh73cqjka1/Ice_3.mov

If you are using these clips for a commercial project with a budget then get in touch. I make the leaks free for non-commercial use (short films etc). Creative Commons details on the main page.

If 4K / UHD leaks are of interest to you (under the same conditions) then I have loads here.

If you want to do me a favour because of all this cool stuff - that would be great too. Cheers. A few suggestions...

• Like my facebook page for my feature film
• Follow on twitter
• Check out the ads on the blog. Or next time you want something on Amazon - buy it via this link.

If you are super kind and get something out of using these then please donate a small amount via the button below...

Podcast Episode 63: Justin Trefgarne

This podcast episode is great! That's because I get to sit back and listen to it as a normal punter myself.

Danny went rogue and did it solo. He talked over Skype to writer / director Justin Trefgarne who gives the most amazingly candid and detailed story behind the making of his debut feature - Narcopolis.

Justine talks about how it almost never happened after not getting through the iFeatures scheme, but how the movie was saved by a chance meeting. How it ran out of money. How his lead actor had to leave town due to having a baby - so they swapped location with only 4 days to go. And many many more close shaves.

If you are thinking of writing, directing and producing your first feature then this is a MUST listen for sure. I was totally hooked by the story.

A quick word about the podcast - myself and Danny had a chat about its future. We have decided to keep it going and keep it free. But that may mean some of the older episodes will get deleted from the server to make room. That seems better than charging in our opinion. But please continue to support us by buying the book, if you have one, buy another one for a writer friend!

Some links
Justin's website - http://justintrefgarne.com/
His twitter - https://twitter.com/handheldcamera
Our book (buy it!) - http://amzn.to/2umyLGJ

Networking Tips - for writers

We did a recent podcast that covered some ideas around networking, you can listen here - https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/ukscriptwriters/episodes/2017-06-20T09_59_31-07_00

This blog post follows up on that - with some more top tips in an easy-to-share format.

Go to events 

Biggest part is turning up. Get there early though, before people get into their own little huddles and you can't break in. Try to introduce yourself to the main person, but be just as nice to (and interested in) everyone else.

Pitch yourself

People want to work with people that they like and know. They have to like you as well as your work. You’d be the same. You’d want to work with people you got on with, too. So pitch yourself, more than a single project - which may not be right for the other person.

Talk slower - to be clearer 

The things you’re talking about are well known to you, so you talk through them fast. This could be coupled with the desire to just get to the bar fast. This is akin to the man who decides to drive home at top speed because his brakes are broken. Slower means you look more confident and you are less likely to trip over your tongue and come across like a gabbling fool.

Get (and use) business cards

In the social media world, business cards can seem old fashioned. BUT, when you go to a networking event, its fun and exciting to meet all the new people. THEN, later, the "fog of networking" descends. Who was who? What did you talk about? You want to look someone up on LinkedIn – but how did they spell their name exactly? Hand out your cards – and use that as an invitation to collect other people’s.

Stay in touch

All of this networking activity counts for nothing unless you do something with the contacts you collect. Follow up.

Maybe you don’t need to meet new people at all

Sometimes you know enough people. They just don’t know enough about you. Approaching new people can be daunting. Talking to people you already know, less so. Use your existing contacts. Do they know fully about all your skills?

Use the phone

Damn emails. It is so easy for written words to be taken the wrong way. Takes ages to craft a good message. And then you have to wait for a reply. If only there was a way to speak to people right now. There is fools. Get on the phone! Not many people use it now, so people will probably take your call (if they have met you before and know you!)

Start your own event

What if there isn’t an event near you, or not quite the one you want? Then start one. Create something small and well targeted, and use helpful free online tools. The benefit of starting your own event is that it puts you at the heart of the networking opportunity. Guests come up to you rather than you having to approach them.

All this good stuff and more is available in our book, The UK Scriptwriter's Survival Handbook, which is available on Amazon as a book or on Kindle - and also on many different formats.

Podcast Episode 62: Networking and Business

In this episode we talk about some nuts and bolts issues. How to gain more work as a writer and how to get your finances in order, so you keep your working life on the straight and narrow.

NETWORKING: Some writers dread the idea of talking to new people. But of course; new people can mean new business. What tips are there to make networking less stressful and to ensure these kind of events work in your favour?

BUSINESS: What do you actually need to do when you start earning money from writing. Do you need to set up a company? How?

BONUS: We also give a shout out to a new festival near us - http://shortsounds.co.uk - a festival dedicated to the hidden art of sound in film.

INFO: This episode's photo is of a group of us from our own local networking event who met up in Cannes to celebrate the release of local short film Faithless -https://www.facebook.com/faithlessmovie/

LINKS:
Find us on iTunes - www.tinyurl.com/ukscriptpodcast 
And on twitter - https://twitter.com/UKscriptwriters
And on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ukscriptwriterspodcast/
Or get our book for more great advice - www.tinyurl.com/UKscripthandbook

Nelson Nutmeg DVD in ASDA - physically exciting - but what's the future for film?

So as you can, my debut feature film is now on the shelves of Asda. Exciting times. In the cheeky video I popped in with co-director and co-writer Danny Stack to bag us a copy.

This clip was filmed on the day of the DVD release. But by this point in time the movie had already been out on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and Sky Store for a couple of weeks. Here's some thoughts and conclusions from this experience.

One: People are excited about a DVD
People prefer a DVD probably because they can touch it and hold it. Certainly, as far as our experience is concerned, our fans (and cast and crew) were more thrilled about this release than the digital release. Perhaps because it also felt more 'real' and 'day to day'. The DVD is exclusive to Asda. Asda is somewhere they may go on a regular basis. So the film isn't something that is separate to their normal world, happening only in oddball film land. It's at their local store, next to 'proper' DVDs from Disney.

Two: As a film maker, you can build more marketing interest around a DVD.
The funky little video above gained a lot of views on Facebook. I was going to say more views than we got for the equivalent clips we did for the digital release. But actually - we didn't really have any of those. Why? Because there isn't something you can really film for a digital release. A DVD, by being tangible, can be used as a prop for all kinds of marketing effort.

Three: It can sell out
One of the downsides, compared to digital releases, is that a physical item needs shelf space and stock. So it can therefore, also sell out and be unavailable. As our movie has a lot of local support it sold out very quickly in our area and so there were empty shelves with some people not being able to buy it.

Four: The future
Any kind of physical release will become more and more uncommon in the future if trends continue as they are - and I see no reason why trends would change. For most people a DVD is a burden, not a treat. They need a DVD player for starters and to sit at home. With a digital release they can watch on their phone on the beach, at the park, in the car, on the train, in bed etc etc. And on many different devices. A challenge for film makers is therefore what physical items they can create to both sell and build content around. Special editions etc.

Business links
Distribution via Evolutionary Films
DVD via Gilt Edge Media