So Casimir Effect wrapped last weekend! We got all the scenes filmed and managed to just about stay on schedule! It was hectic, crazy, tiring but altogether fabulous! The cast and crew were all amazing and we could never thank them enough for all their incredible hard work.
We seemed to have somehow picked two of the coldest locations to film in, our main location the Coal Exchange was spectacular and perfect for Casimir Effect as mainly derelict. We took over a whole corridor and set of rooms, half of it painted up as sets, the rest taken over by Art, Costume and Make-up, Lighting, Camera and Grip equipment, as well as a Green room.
Each day up to 40 people came on location to work for us, the days were long, but the footage made it all worth it. Film making can be a very slow process but due to budget and time constraints we had to keep the whole show moving forward at breakneck speed, at times this was impossible but in the end it all got done.
Once again I would like to thank everyone who worked on Casimir Effect and all those who supported us during fundraising, we really wouldn’t have anything without you!
We have uploaded a handful more stills from the film, to keep you all interested, also we have started to auction of a few items of set dressing and Props, each of which comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. We will start putting more items and costume on the site in the next few days.
We are starting the long road of post-production, the editing, special effects and colour grading. So far we are only 4 days into rendering offline versions of the footage the massive (2TB) files down to an editable size! The deadline to get everything done by is December, so we can submit to Cannes.
As the title states we started Monday morning with nothing booked in this week which means we haven’t stopped since then. First order of the week was get our First Assistant Director sorted, then locations, then insurance. Things mostly went to plan.
Firstly
Monday marks three weeks to go before filming and it’s all systems go. I’ll be getting the last bits of everything sorted this week. However each week we will add a new desktop wallpaper, and we will try to offer something special each week to, if we can think of something. Read on for next weeks offerings.
The First AD
Well we contacted a few people over the last few months, and most of them had other things they were doing, it’s a shame as they were all good people who would have been perfect for the role. Then we remembered Lucy a recent producing graduate who is a good people person on set and she gets the job done, which is the most important thing for a First AD. Anyway she is going to run through the schedule and double check everything we have sorted, it looks good so far so the changes won’t be big. So I’ll be sending out mails to all the Set Visit winners confirming their days and times, so expect something soon.
Locations
We have running negotiations with most of our locations now, our main one is confident they will be able to come in under our location budget giving us something to play with for the other locations were still locking down. The guy we spoke to at the Coal Exchange is an ex-actor and worked in the creative industry struggling to get things going so he knows exactly where we are coming from and is confident everything will be good.
The Senedd is also fairly sure what we want to do will be possible. This is good news we should have this sorted out by the end of next week. The people we spoke to cannot foresee a problem in final approval but still need a few fingers crossed.
Insurance
Spoke to several insurance companies now waiting for them to get quotes back to me. This should be reasonable as were a low budget production we estimated about £1,000 for insurance, and it looks like it will be just over half that. So the remaining money will be shunted to art, food for the cast & crew and the wrap party.
Lighting / Gaffer
The chap we were in negotiations with dropped a bombshell on us this week and he wanted far more than we could afford. If we had the cash that wouldn’t be a problem, but as it stands we don’t. So were looking at another chap tomorrow, well not looking at him, meeting with him and sharing our interest in good ale. So now were going Guerrilla on the lighting using practical’s and what lights we can buy, borrow and hire.
Art Department
They’re coming along nicely; we are going around the prop houses in the coming week and making bookings for what we need. The other good news is the Art Department is coming together with enough assistants and people onboard now. The props maker is happy to cannibalise his workshop and most of the building if he can get away with it, he says we will only have to buy the paint. BARGAIN!
Costume
We have most of the mock-ups now, and things are looking good. We had a fitting for Cromwell Jackson suit and it looks fantastic. I might be able to get a sneak peak at a part of it, I don’t want to give it all away, we had a bonus here as Neil has a nice pair of Italian handmade shoes that work so well with the suit. Also when the film is out there look at the shoes and watches, Zoe spent a lot of time on those.
Music
Well I have the final version of the theme song, and have spent most of the time I can listening to it. It’s good, catchy and has a timeless quality to it. I’ll spend a few more days listening to it, so far it hasn’t annoyed me even though I have had it on repeat, this is a good thing. A good rule of thumb for key themes, is they have to be catchy, timeless and not annoying. This hits all of those perfectly, so thanks to Nina Barnfather and S. J. Tucker for their hard work if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t have such a fantastic song. If by Monday were still humming it and loving it we will get it on the store.
Festivals and Conventions
We’re planning a lot of them, and will get details up and ways people can help out, from flyering, crash space and helping out at the festivals. Berlin film festival is happening at the moment and if everything goes to plan, as most of it has done we will be in Berlin 2 years from now as the last Festival on our circuit. We’re aiming for this year to do Wales Comic-Con, Fed Con and will have a presence at Supernova, so keep your eyes peeled.
Well it’s been another hectic week in the Casimir Effect production hole, and this week is shaping up to be nonstop. I have insurance to get sorted, eBay auctions and locations and crew to start finalising.
Cromwell Jackson suit has arrived, the much awaited Valentino Milan suit, all I can say it it’s very nice all of the costume department were there to open it and see. It was like a birthday. All I can say is Cromwell Jackson will look damn good, and hopefully in the next week or so we will have some pictures of Neil in costume.
The meeting with the Cinematographer went well we got through most of the script and rough out some shots and scenes. Visited some of the locations again and got some more shots of Mir Steel and the Coal Exchange.
It’s all coming together now, we have our schedule it’s still a work in progress but we have a week to get everything firmed up more before I let it loose for the crew to tear to bits. Most of it is location dependant, followed by makeup needs. Because we don’t have a massive budget we need to priorities the schedule to low cost and minimise lighting setups, so we may have to suffer some grumpy crew one day to shave an hour off filming, I’m sure they won’t mind as they can get to bed earlier (I’ll provide good ketchup for them).
The Senedd in Cardiff might be Cromwell Jackson office, if we can arrange it for the day we need. However as it is a public place we will need to ensure people are safe and we don’t cause a hindrance.
The Save Ianto Jones community has raised £435 in the Valentines campaign, we would like to thank them for their help and anyone who has donated. This money will help greatly in reaching our goals. It looking like we will hit our budget, however it would be fantastic if we went over it as this would make our lives a bit easier during filming.
Interviews
We have two interviews we are working on at the moment, these should be out soon and I will let everyone know which magazines and journals we are in. It’s good to see that there is some international and industry based interest in what we are doing and as We always say were open for any interviews or questions.
After Filming
It’s been pretty much decided we have 2 months post filming to sell off all the props, costumes and set dressing we can, these will come with a certificate of authenticity. This should cover expenses and any outstanding invoices, and start out marketing and festivals fund. So get ready for April and pick up a costume, prop or set piece.
Any wish list items bought for the film will be posted back to the buyer with a certificate of authenticity, unless the buyer wants us to auction off the items for the festivals fund. So if there is anything on the wishlist you want and don’t mind us using it a great chance to support the film.
Our Amazon Wishlist, for anyone who wants to get us some props or other things. However it seems to not work for market place items, so if there is something and it won’t ship to Casimir Productions. Feel free to paypal us the money with instruction of what you want to buy for Casimir Effect.
Using a unique funding model Casimir Productions is on schedule to reach their budget.
Casimir Effect is a lo-to-no budget film originally developed as a student film; it rapidly developed into something larger and more ambitious. Now Casimir Effect is being developed as a short feature for festival consideration. The aim of the producer and director is to develop high quality science fiction with minimal budget.
Casimir Productions had reached their first funding goal on schedule and they are set to hit their final target ahead of time. This is the first milestone in the development of Casimir Effect, and from here development will go ahead according to plan. With a planned budget of £10,000 GBP the producer is looking at potential investors to push the budget higher to give each department more flexibility and freedom to experiment and produce something stunning.
Instead of using a limited number of high profile investors Casimir Productions are using a model that relies on donations, eBay auctions and special events for supporters. Using unique ideas and the support of Gareth David-Lloyd’s and Neil Rayment’s fan base; Casimir Effect has established a core following of loyal supporters who are helping market and spread the word about the film and everyone involved.
Redeveloping this model during post-production Casimir Productions aims to get sponsorship through their planned festival circuit. With each festival being coordinated and supported by their developing community. Casimir Productions will have a number of promoters ready and eager to give Casimir Effect a strong presence wherever they go.
At this point Casimir Productions would like to thank all those who have helped out fund-raising and promoting the film. Though it’s impossible to list everyone and their individual contributions, they know who they are and should give themselves a pat on the back. With the New Year we will dig in and reach a larger audience and drive forward to our final funding goal.
Casimir Effect: Is a high concept and ambitions film developed as an independent low-to-no budget production. A story of unrequited love set on the backdrop of a temporal paradox. The film will be developed with the assistance of Skillset Screen Academy Wales.
Added: 02/01/2010 Downloads: 114
CASIMIR EFFECT REACHES THEIR FIRST BUDGET GOAL: Using a unique funding model Casimir Productions is on schedule to reach their budget.
Now everything seems to be picking up in pace we need to generate more awareness for Casimir Effect which is where you come in. With our limited budget we cannot afford massive advertising expenditure so we do as much as we can with what we have and hope that you can help.
Talk to People
This is by far the easiest and cheapest form of promotion; I do it a lot, sometimes I feel as though I have not more to say about my life other than Casimir Effect. You don’t need to go Verbal Diarrhoea lengths to help, but if you have any friends who like sci-fi or like a romance with a twist then let them know and send them a link. This is great for forums, Twitter, Facebook and any other place where you talk to people with similar interests. Also as we have Gareth and Neil if you know any Gareth fans or Matrix fans that’s another angle you can use on the people you know.
Banner and Website Promotions
We have provided a selection of icons and banners for you to use, these can be found on the Viral Marketing section. Please feel free to use them on your websites blog and whatever you can squeeze them on to. Like taking to people this is a cheap way to help out and get the word spread.
Social Networks
Many people use Facebook, Myspace, twitter and countless other way to connect with the rest of the world. We try to keep our main site as up-to-date as possible, and keep Myspace and Facebook topped up when we can. However if you see something of interests on one of Casimir Effects site pages, tweet it blog it or do whatever you can to get it out there. Re-Tweeting our Twitter posts is a fantastic way to expand our network of friends.
Tombstones
At the top of each blog update there are a number of popup tombstones each for a different way to spread the word about an update. There is everything from Facebook status updates, through Twitter updates and Diggs. If you can click on one or two of these which suite your style then it will help us spread the word
Internet Campaigns
We have already started a Twibbon campaign for any twitter user out there. This puts a little icon on your Twitter avatar to show your support for Casimir Effect. This is a good way to gauge how far our influence has spread through Twitter. I think the same Twibbon can be used on Facebook and Myspace. It could also be used as a conversation starter. We are also looking at other forms on internet campaigns if you have any ideas or can set one up let us know.
Flyers
This is one of the elements of promotion that will cost something but can bring a whole new audience to Casimir Effect. In our Viral Marketing section we have flyers to download. These as simple flyers can be cheaply copied please don’t spend massive amounts of your own money printing stunning colour versions, just a print and cheap B&W photocopy is all it needs. Then cut them up and spread them around at gigs, college, university, work, conventions, events, festivals, well anywhere you think you can get away with dropping some flyers. If you work in a shop you could pop them in people’s bags when packing them or in packages if you sell stuff online.
Fan Fiction
It’s probably too early for people to look at writing fan-fic, but to let you know we love the stuff. The only thing we ask is that if you do write some you put that it is Copyright Casimir Productions as it is our world and characters. Hey we may even put some of the best stories up on the site, we will try to link to them if we can. We aren’t opposed to NC-17 slash-fiction, at the end of the day it’s a bit of adult fun; however we cannot link to NC-17 Slash-Fiction is as Casimir Effect is aimed at a general audience where such stories may be considered inappropriate.
Funding Update
We are 40% of the way to our first Funding goal, thank you to everyone who has helped. Our first midpoint is coming up we might be £150 sort of this if everything keep going as it is. It just means that little bit extra needs to be found over Christmas. Other than that it’s fantastic that so many of you want to help.
So Casimir Effect wrapped last weekend! We got all the scenes filmed and managed to just about stay on schedule! It was hectic, crazy, tiring but altogether fabulous! The cast and crew were all amazing and we could never thank them enough for all their incredible hard work. We seemed to have somehow picked two of the coldest locations to film in, our main location the Coal Exchange was spectacular and perfect for Casimir Effect as mainly derelict. We took over a whole corridor and set of rooms, half of it painted up as sets, the rest taken over by…
As the title states we started Monday morning with nothing booked in this week which means we haven’t stopped since then. First order of the week was get our First Assistant Director sorted, then locations, then insurance. Things mostly went to plan. Firstly Monday marks three weeks to go before filming and it’s all systems go. I’ll be getting the last bits of everything sorted this week. However each week we will add a new desktop wallpaper, and we will try to offer something special each week to, if we can think of something. Read on for next weeks offerings….
Well it’s been another hectic week in the Casimir Effect production hole, and this week is shaping up to be nonstop. I have insurance to get sorted, eBay auctions and locations and crew to start finalising. Cromwell Jackson suit has arrived, the much awaited Valentino Milan suit, all I can say it it’s very nice all of the costume department were there to open it and see. It was like a birthday. All I can say is Cromwell Jackson will look damn good, and hopefully in the next week or so we will have some pictures of Neil in costume….
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CASIMIR EFFECT REACHES THEIR FIRST BUDGET GOAL Using a unique funding model Casimir Productions is on schedule to reach their budget. Casimir Effect is a lo-to-no budget film originally developed as a student film; it rapidly developed into something larger and more ambitious. Now Casimir Effect is being developed as a short feature for festival consideration. The aim of the producer and director is to develop high quality science fiction with minimal budget. Casimir Productions had reached their first funding goal on schedule and they are set to hit their final target ahead of time. This is…
Now everything seems to be picking up in pace we need to generate more awareness for Casimir Effect which is where you come in. With our limited budget we cannot afford massive advertising expenditure so we do as much as we can with what we have and hope that you can help. Talk to People This is by far the easiest and cheapest form of promotion; I do it a lot, sometimes I feel as though I have not more to say about my life other than Casimir Effect. You don’t need to go Verbal Diarrhoea lengths to help, but…
