Hello there! My name is Adam T Cottle, and welcome to the very first issue of the Volplex Journal - a new monthly filmmaking blog where I (and my collaborators!) discuss what’s going on behind the scenes here at Volplex Pictures as we begin production on our upcoming projects.
The fact that it’s already October 2018 just blows my mind! That’s ten months since CCE Entertainment was relaunched as Volplex Pictures, and what a hectic year it’s been. I’ve had the pleasure of working on some fantastic projects (some of which are still only in their infancy), and I’ve met and worked alongside some incredibly talented people both in front of and behind the camera. Take for example the crew behind our fantastic Door conceptual short, pictured above: from left, Anna Randall (make-up), Sian Gentle-Green (actress extraordinaire), Jordan Cottle (on-set sound recordist & composer), Rosa Fay (cinematographer), and myself. To these guys and many others we worked with along the way, I want to send my utmost thanks for making these last ten months so extraordinary.
Now then, to business; and first up, I wanted to give you guys a quick status update on Door, the film project we tried to Kickstart earlier this year.
For those of you who may not be aware, Door was intended to be our first official short film as a company. The project is a trippy sci-fi thriller exploring the aftermath of an isolated teenage girl discovering the power to travel across reality in an instant. I wrote the script during the tail end of 2017, and it’s one of the most interesting stories I’ve ever had the pleasure of developing.
Back in June, we launched a Kickstarter campaign for the project which was ultimately unsuccessful. As a result, we were unable to put the film into production over summer as we had initially hoped, and the project has since stalled while we seek out the necessary funding. Door is still a story I am incredibly passionate about, and getting that script up on the screen remains a high priority for me. Unfortunately, due to the complex nature and large scope of the production, we desperately need a sizeable budget in order to pull it off.
That being said, there is a silver lining on the horizon! Though I can’t go into any details yet (wouldn’t want to jinx anything!) there is still hope for Door to receive the funding it needs in the immediate future. We have parties who may be potentially interested in producing this short, and I will do my best to keep you all updated as this progresses. In the meantime, though, you can check out the conceptual short film for the campaign over on our Vimeo channel. And, while we’re on the subject of Vimeo…
Some of you who’ve been with us for the long hall may recall a little short film we released way back in 2014 titled Writers. That short was my first independently-produced short film, and eventually spawned a spin-off sequel web series that ran until 2017.
Back in April, I revealed that I was intending to re-release the original short film, starring David Scott-Thompson and Leah Paige, on the then-to-launch Volplex Vimeo channel. Since then, this project has sort of slipped under the radar... but don't worry! I haven't forgotten about it; it’s just that other projects have since taken up my time, making it difficult to allocate time to finishing it.
Basically, the upcoming re-release is a fully remastered Director’s Cut. This cut has minor alterations to improve the flow of the editing, including previously unused footage from the original shoot, and is complete with digitally-restored picture and remixed sound.
Writers was the first short film I ever worked on and so holds a very special place in my heart as the beginning of my filmmaking journey. Writers: The Director's Cut is the short the way the film was always intended to be seen, and it’s release will feel like the perfect way to come full circle before diving into some of the more complex projects I have lined up. I’m hoping to have it released by the end of the year. Keep your eyes peeled for it over on the Volplex Pictures’ Vimeo channel, where you can expect all of our short projects to debut.
And finally, the project everything’s been leading to. The reason Volplex Pictures was founded in the first place. Electric Silence, our first feature-length film project, is currently in active development with the goal of hitting the film festival circuit within the next two years.
While I'm keeping the exact nature of this project pretty close to the chest for the time being, I can confirm that we have officially begun casting for the film - I’m hoping to begin casting announcements in the New Year! - and have even set a shoot date for principal photography.
I honestly can’t wait to dive into this film - the script is incredibly personal to me, and it’s going to be a pleasure developing it for the big screen; and, though I can't name any names yet, we have some amazing talent behind the scenes working hard on bringing this story to life. Watch this space...
I hope you've all enjoyed this (rather light) debut edition of the Volplex Journal. Return again on November 1st for our second edition, Inside the Door Concept Trailer, where we'll be taking an in-depth look at the making of our conceptual short for our Door Kickstarter campaign.
Until next time!
Adam T Cottle