Monthly Mention #3 – May 2015
Posted by Rich - 11th May 2015
Monthly Mention is our monthly featurette where we give a shout out to a bunch of great stuff and projects in the world of indie films, fiction and comics. It might be new, it might have been around for a while, but it is all cool.
Here’s some stuff we’ve come across recently that we think you should check out:
The Hellequin Chronicles: Prison Of Hope
Steve McHugh is a British writer specialising in supernatural fantasy, and is creator of long-running series ‘The Hellequin Chronicles’.
The latest book in the series, Prison Of Hope, was released last month and is already getting rave reviews on Amazon.
Long ago, Olympian gods imprisoned the demon Pandora in a human – Hope – creating a creature whose only purpose was chaos and death. Remorseful, the gods locked Pandora away in Tartarus, ruled by Hades.
Now, centuries later, Pandora escapes. Nate Garrett, 1600-year-old sorcerer, is sent to recapture her and discovers her plan to disrupt the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, killing thousands in a misplaced quest for vengeance.
Fast forward to modern-day Berlin, where Nate has agreed to act as guardian on a school trip to Germany to visit Hades at the entrance to Tartarus. When Titan King Cronus becomes the second ever to escape Tartarus, Nate is forced to track him down and bring him back, to avert a civil war between those who would use his escape to gain power.
You can read the prologue and first chapter on Steve’s site, and purchase on Amazon now.
Buy from Amazon US
Buy from Amazon UK
The Fetishman Filthology
Dr Geof is a comic artist, genuine physicist, steampunk aficionado and regular on the comic convention circuit.
He is well-known for his posters extolling the virtues of careful airship piloting, sew-on patches depicting the wearer’s allegiances with the mad sciences, and trying to conscript many into the First Tea Company by way of his travelling museum.
However, his whole empire started off with a simple comic: a gimp suit-wearing hero named Fetishman, along with his sidekick Lactose-Intolerant Boy, attempt to thwart the evil forces of Baron von Wagner, deal with various neer-do-wells and receive copious amounts of ‘punishment’ from Mistress Domination.
It’s been 13 years since the first part of Fetishman was launched, and to celebrate Dr Geof is creating the ultimate compendium of his exploits named… The Fetishman Filthology, over 500 pages chronicling the early history of the latex-clad crusader.
Currently funding on Kickstarter, which finishes on the 31st of May!
Check out the Kickstarter now!
End Of Days
Susan Ee is a Young-Adult Fantasy author who, much like Steve, found fame through self-publishing and e-books.
Her first major series, Penryn and the End of Days, is coming to a conclusion this month with her book ‘End Of Days’.
After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.
You can read chapters and samples of the series on her website, SusanEe.com, and can pre-order the book on Amazon.
Buy now on Amazon US
Buy now on Amazon UK
Cirque Du Mort
Cirque Du Mort is a brand new gothic comic series created by Anastasia Catris, a freelance illustrator from Wales whose talents are constantly in demand. Her book ‘SuBo’s Cat’ – about the exploits of unlikely star Susan Boyle’s pampered pet – was a massive hit having been picked up by HarperCollins for publication. She has also produced illustration for some big names in comics such as DC Comics and IDW, and is a regular on the indie comic book circuit.
Her latest project, Cirque Du Mort, tells gruesome tales about the cast of a haunted circus – each story being told from the perspective of one of the cursed troupe who are treading the boards for one reason or another.
The book finally went to the printers this month, so check out Anastasia’s website and Facebook page to find out how you can secure your own copy!
Dawn After Dark: Kiss Me Deadly
Long-time site contributors Hellbound Media have re-released their Dawn Keenan ‘Kiss Me Deadly’ comics into a new trade paperback edition, released earlier this year.
Collecting the original issues, and featuring a wealth of bonus artwork, this trade paperback features the début storyline of “Dawn After Dark”, the continuing chronicles of Dawn Keenan, Dublin’s premier vampire hunter.
You can find out more about Dawn After Dark on Hellbound Media’s website, or check out the comic book preview right here on TGE.
Buy Dawn After Dark on Hellbound Media’s site
Banjo
We can’t have a Monthly Mention post without mentioning that we’re all excited that Banjo, a film we helped out on and starring several TGE cohorts and friends, is on its way to the Cannes Film Market next week!
Banjo follows the story of Peltzer Arbuckle, a bullied office worker humiliated daily by his fellow colleagues and cheating spouse.
When news about an embarrassing bedroom accident makes it’s way around the workplace, Peltzer decides to put up with his torment no longer, and conjures up his childhood imaginary friend “Ronnie” through the use of a Ouija board.
Peltzer’s world is soon turned upside down, as Ronnie attempts to manipulate him, to exact revenge on his tormenting co-workers in the most gruesome fashion.
As Ronnie starts wreaking havoc and ruining Peltzer’s life and relationships, Peltzer soon finds that the genie is out of the bottle, and no longer able to control his imaginary friend in this twisted tale of romance and revenge.
Liam Regan, it’s dedicated and amazing director, is Troma Entertainment alumni – and the film itself is a love-letter to the fun, gruesome and stylish genre that put that company on the map. In fact, it’s no surprise to see some familiar Troma and indie horror names on the bill.
You can catch market screenings for Banjo on Thursday the 14th of May at 4pm, and Saturday the 16th of May at 8pm at the prestigious Hotel Gray d’Albion in Cannes.
Massive, massive congratulations to Liam Regan and the Cincest Films team for getting Banjo to Cannes. We can’t wait to see it!
More information on the Banjo website
That’s all for this month’s mentions, but check out Coming Up In May 2015 to find out what’s going on for the rest of this month on TGE!
Follow Friday – Ravensbourne College
Posted by Chrissey Harrison - 8th May 2015
Ravensbourne College is an innovative, industry-focused university sector college located in the heart of London. Their focus is creativity and collaboration, with a dedicated to giving learners the specialist skills and opportunities they need for outstanding careers in digital media and design.
The college will play host to this year’s BECTU freelancers’ Fair on the 29th May.
They offer short courses as well as full academic courses in digital media and design. Recently they have posted some classes on YouTube and we definitely think these are worth checking out:
You can follow Ravensbourne College on Twitter (@RavensbourneUK) and Facebook (/RavensbourneUK).
Coming up in May 2015
Posted by Chrissey Harrison - 4th May 2015
Coming up this May on The Great Escape:
6th May – Camp GenX: Part 4 – We return to the post-apocalyptic summer camp for a new instalment. Two young members of the camp find some mushrooms.
13th May – Checking In video special – Find out more about the critically acclaimed British film. TGE’s Mark Adams, one of the directors of Checking In, joins cast, crew and fans for their April cinema screening.
20th May – TGE Convention Appearances – Check out our blog for details of the Comic Conventions we’ll be attending during 2015.
27th May – Faith Healers: The Flesh Angel – a new instalment in our continuing tale of the nephilim nurses’ investigation of the mysterious flesh crafter. Read the story from the beginning.
Catch new instalments of our new web comic, Business Bear, from comic creator Kristian Griffiths, on Thursday 7th and 21st May.
Friday Follows – every Friday we’ll be featuring a site, service or person we think is worth following. Check out our past suggestions here.
Monday is News day – Every Monday our blog will feature news and updates from the worlds of indie films, fiction and comics.
Follow Friday – Open Books
Posted by Chrissey Harrison - 1st May 2015
Openbooks.com is an eBook distribution platform with a new approach; a pay-what-you-want transaction model. In other words, readers can download and read great fiction for free, and while authors and publishers can set a guide price, it is just that. Readers who choose to pay can adjust the price up or down.
Ebooks downloaded through Open Books include an end user licence agreement and links back to the site where the user can choose to pay. Because this information is embedded within the book itself, it travels wherever the book does. Readers are actively encouraged to copy, share and distribute the books they download.
Many independent and self published authors feel pressured to give their books away for free to build a readership. Open Books offers an attractive alternative to simply listing the book free on Kindle Direct, Kobo Writing Life or other services. Launched last week to coincide with The London Book Fair, Open Books have already accumulated a substantial and growing list of titles and authors.
Will an eBook site supported by the good will of readers work in the long term? Only time will tell. You can follow Open Books on Twitter (@openbookscom) and Facebook (/openbooks).
The Star Coin Prophecy by Chrissey Harrison is now available to download from Open Books and you’ll see more Great Escape fiction publications appearing there in the future.
Follow Friday is our weekly featurette where we highlight people and sites we think are worth following. Take a look at our past suggestions here.
Events News – May 2015
Posted by Rich - 27th April 2015
May is a busy month in the world of films, fiction and comics. Here’s a selection of the best events (in our opinion, of course) that you should check out across the UK!
Comic Conventions
MCM London Comic Con – ExCel London – 22nd-24th May
http://www.mcmcomiccon.com/london/
One of the biggest comic events in the UK returns this May at the ExCel Centre in London. Set over 3 days, it features a big mix of big guests, small press, plus videogames, movies and pop culture!
Wonderlands – University of Sunderland – Saturday 30th May
http://www.wonderlands.org.uk/
Unlike a lot of conventions that focus not only on comic books, but also everything surrounding it, Wonderlands is the first to be dedicated to the graphic novel.
Manchester Film and Comic Con – Event City, Manchester – 30th-31st May
http://www.filmandcomicconmanchester.com/
Run by Showmasters, one of the biggest names in film and comic conventions, this is the first comic convention of it’s kind in the area, and hopes to cater to everyone’s tastes!
Also, don’t forget that Saturday the 2nd of May is Free Comic Book Day, where names both big and small in comics get in on giving away free content! Visit your nearest comic shop for more details, or check out http://www.freecomicbookday.com
Film Festivals
Plymouth Film Festival – Sat 16th May – Sun 17th May
http://www.plymouthfilmfestival.co.uk/
Run by the Plymouth Arts Centre and started just 2 years ago, the Plymouth Film Festival has rapidly grown into one of the bigger events on the South West film calendar. Featuring a mix of indie feature and short films along with awards and workshops, this is one to go to if you’re in the area!
Sci-Fi-London Film Festival 28th May – 7th June
http://sci-fi-london.com/
We’ve mentioned the associated 48 hour film challenge on previous occasions, but the last week of May is home to the annual London Sci-Fi Film Festival where many of the new and up-and-coming filmmakers mingle with premieres of some of the biggest films of the year.
Also, don’t forget that for a chance to be in the Raindance Film and Web Festival, the deadline for standard submissions is the 18th of May. Check here for more details: http://raindancefestival.org/submissions-2015/
Fiction Events
Twitter Fiction Festival: 11-15 May
http://twitterfictionfestival.com/
The Twitter Fiction Festival is a 5-day event run by Penguin Random House, where authors create original fiction through the medium of Twitter. Anyone can take part, and people have the chance to be part of the author showcase beside big names in the industry.
Hay Festival, Hay-On-Wye: 21–31 May 2015
http://www.hayfestival.com/wales/
The Hay Festival has come a long way since it’s humble beginnings as a small literature festival in a small Welsh town, with events happening all year across the globe. However, the original Hay-On-Wye festival returns this month with hundreds of events happening over the 10 days.
Brighton Festival – 2nd-24th May
http://brightonfestival.org/
Happening all month and covering many different art disciplines along with literature, the Brighton Festival hopes to be one of the biggest events in the South of England, and well worth checking out.
Local Spotlight
Spike Island is a creative arts centre based in Bristol, named after the island it sits on (which is also home to the SS Great Britain).
They are a crucible of new talent in art and design, running art exhibitions, shows, events, and more, as well as having rentable workshops, co-working and office space for people working in the arts.
This month, Spike Island has it’s annual Spike Island Open studios event between the 1st and the 4th of May, where the artists of the centre open their doors for the public to see what they do. You can find out more about the event on Spike Island’s site.
In addition, Spike Island run a monthly event in association with the Bristol Festival of Ideas, where they get a debut writer to come talk about their new novel in a ‘relaxed, informal setting’. May’s event is with Kirsty Logan writer of new novel The Gracekeepers, the ‘magical story of a floating circus and two young women in search of a home’.
The event is on the 21st of May, and tickets are available from the Bristol Festival of Ideas website.
That’s all the events news for now, check back 25th of May for a look at June 2015’s events!
Follow Friday – Pond5, Marketplace for Creativity
Posted by Chrissey Harrison - 24th April 2015
Pond5 
is one of several creative marketplaces out there where you can find stock footage, photos, video effects, audio clips, music and even 3D models.
What we found appealing about Pond5 was its great selection of public domain photos and videos, including some fascinating historical footage. If you’re working on a historical documentary, want some flashback footage for a short film or you just need a black and white picture of two cats in cannon barrel (right), this is a great place to look.
What’s more, because it’s a marketplace, creators of content can upload their material for sale to other creatives. Definitely worth checking out this Follow Friday.
Follow Friday is our weekly featurette where we highlight people and sites we think are worth following. Take a look at our past suggestions here.
An Interview with Kristian Griffiths, creator of Business Bear
Posted by Rich - 22nd April 2015
This week we welcome new comic series Business Bear to The Great Escape, the latest creation by artist, software developer and former actor Kristian Griffiths.
Long time fans of The Great Escape may recognise Kristian from such seminal works as ‘Terror of the Killer Carnivorous Coat‘.
Small-press people may recognise him from his work with Fallen Angel Media, which produced three comics.
We caught up with Kristian to chat about himself, Business Bear and several questions that may appear off-topic, but actually delve deep into the psyche of the man who likes drawing bears.
Rich Jeffery: Who are you, and what do you do?
Kristian Griffiths: My name’s Kristian Griffiths. By day I’m a software developer, but by night I’m still a software developer as it never leaves you. I do, however, draw comics in my spare time.
RJ: Who is Business Bear?
KG: Business Bear is an honest, hard-working bear just trying to get through all the corporate nonsense that comes with working for a large company. He doesn’t really have need of a first name, or a surname, as his name’s just Bear. Who’s going to argue with him, he’s a bear in a tie.
RJ: How did you come up with the idea for Business Bear?
KG: I’m not going to lie, I find it easy to draw bears. I was doodling a bear wearing a tie on one of my pads at work. I then started going into meetings with said pads and filling in speech bubbles with business-y things that I’ve heard throughout my career. From there I started drawing them more seriously.
RJ: How did you get into comic drawing?
KG: This is a long story and a complicated one. I picked up a pencil and started drawing. There was a bit more to it than that: I started my first serious series (Adventures with Kristian) as filler for an old friend’s web comic. From there I decided to draw Further Adventures with Kristian, and then Brown Bottle Bear. From there my comics took a hiatus as I moved half-way up the country.
RJ: How does Business Bear get away with the fact that he is just a bear in a seemingly high-pressure human world?
KG: The hibernation is tough on him, as you can’t just take a few months off for that. I think he gains acceptance by being a talking bear that, somehow, manages to put on a collar and tie every morning. Also when he applied for the job he brought with him his own collection of Corporate polo-shirts.
RJ: What are your favourite comic series / web comics?
KG: I hate every else’s work as it’s substandard. No, just kidding. I’m a big fan of Dilbert, surprisingly. Also I’m a big fan of Batman, and get most of the Bat titles. On the web my favourites are Penny Arcade and also a series called Atland (by Nate Piekos).
RJ: How does Kristian Griffiths like to relax?
KG: Spending time with my wife. Playing with my cats, snakes, lizards and (when she behaves) dog. Also I love to play pen and paper RPGs and point and click adventure games. I also have a small collection of Board Games.
RJ: What is your special skill?
KG: You know, I don’t think I have one. Unless drinking cider and being able to stand up afterwards is a skill.
RJ: What advice can you offer to people starting out in drawing/writing comics?
KG: Do it! Put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard. I draw mine by hand (it shows). I’m not the best artist in the world but you don’t have to be. Mimic other people’s style and you’ll soon find you’ll
RJ: If you were stranded on a desert island, who would be your favourite Avenger?
KG: Batman. Yeah, he’s DC and not an Avenger, but I don’t have to play by your rules and I like Batman. At a push I’d probably say Iron Man. Thor’s an idiot with a hammer, the Incredible Hulk and I have issues after Marvel’s latest Hulk run, Captain America is a goody-two-shoes and Black Widow is awesome but not my favourite.
RJ: What’s your favourite thing on the internet RIGHT NOW?
KG: …*shamefully* the WWE Network…DON’T JUDGE ME!
RJ: If you could ask yourself one question, what would you ask? And what would you say in response to your question? Essentially, I’m just trying to make you do my job.
KG: Hmm…If you had £1,000,000 that you can spend on something non-essential, what would it be?
Well, Kristian, that’s a fine question and well thought out. I’d go to my local game shop and buy ALL THE BOARD GAMES.
Big thanks to Kristian for taking the time out to be interviewed, and welcome back to The Great Escape fold.
Business Bear can be found right here on The Great Escape ( http://thegreatesc.com/tag/business-bear ), as well as being found on the Business Bear Facebook page.
Fiction Industry News – 8 trends in publishing
Posted by Chrissey Harrison - 20th April 2015
Is a book an object or information? There was a time when it was inseparably both, but now, it doesn’t have to be. The digital revolution of the last two decades has shaken up the world of publishing in a way not seen since the invention of the printing press.
Last week at The London Book Fair, I got a first-hand look at some of the new trends and technologies and my general impression is that the publishing industry really hasn’t got a handle on digital yet. From working out how to get content to readers, to questioning what digital books should be, the industry is still finding its feet.
Here are my top trends in books and publishing for 2015:
1. Subscription services
People behave differently on the internet than they do in “real” life. For one, we seem to have a strange expectation that all content should be free. eBook subscription services such as Oyster, Scribd, Entitle and Amazon Kindle Unlimited attempt to do for eBooks what Netflix and Amazon do for video-on-demand. They tap into the free content mind-set by creating an illusion of free content. After-all, once you’ve paid your membership fee, the content is unlimited and therefore free, right?
Value for money in a subscription model depends solely on how much content you can cram into your day. With video, it’s possible to consume significantly more value than paid in subscription fees. But books cost less and take longer to consume than video. At an average subscription of $8-10 (£5-6) per month, I don’t think you’ll be able to consume enough books to really feel you’re getting value for money. You might as well buy the content and actually own it.
Subscription models might therefore turn out to be a short lived trend.
2. Pay what you want transaction models
But how else are content producers supposed to get around the issue of consumers baulking at any kind of price tag?
At the other end of the spectrum OpenBooks.com and NoiseTrade are trying something different; pay-what-you-want. In this model, eBooks are free to download and read and readers may pay if they want to. It’s not compulsory. It already seems to be working for book bundle sites like Humble Bundle and StoryBundle.
A lot of self-published authors feel pressured to give their work away for free in order to attract readers. Even a 99p price tag can act as a complete turn off. The pay-what-you-want model may offer an attractive half-way house in this regard.
Could a transaction model based on goodwill really work?
3. Hybrid Publishing and the Empowered Author
The brand new buzz word “hybrid-publishing” has been zipping around, to describe those authors who work the system to their own needs, self-publishing some books, while taking the traditional route for others. These days, one of the surest routes into a book deal is to self publish a successful book first.
“Don’t think of it as “self” publishing. You are CEO of your own Global Media Empire.”
C J Lyons, A pioneer of the author led publishing process.
4. Shared Publishing
Publishing houses used to have the final say on what got read, but now the direct connection between readers and authors is bypassing that editorial gateway. The publishing industry isn’t used to taking risks, but authors are more than willing to do so themselves, sometimes with amazing results.
The reactionary trend is a boom in shared publishing deals, where the publishing house asks the author to stump up cash for the initial publication and bear the financial risk the publishing house isn’t prepared to take.
I don’t think this will last, because…NEW
5. Freelancers, Collaborations and Partnerships
Anyone who has self-published a book will know that creating the book is only half the job. You then need to get it out to the readers somehow. As indie authors become wiser to the ways of marketing and distribution, freelance editors, publicists and distributors are starting to capitalise on the self-publishing market.
In a world where the author can contract out parts of the publishing process, a shared publishing deal soon won’t seem any more attractive than self-publishing. Indeed, some publishers, such as Troubador Publishing Ltd are starting to offer marketing and distribution packages to self-published authors.
6. Freestyle Formats
Perhaps more interesting than all the shifts in digital distribution and the relationship between author, publisher and reader, is the shift in attitude towards what is publishable.
For a long time there have been many formats in between short story and novel which were simply considered unusable; worthless.
Now, indie authors are leading the way in publishing content of any length. The standard format is no more; welcome to the age of the novella, the novelette and the stand alone short story. Publishers are slowly starting to follow this trend.
7. Interactive elements
The questions about what digital book should be goes further than length, however. Many are now questioning whether eBooks should contain interactive elements, and there are new companies springing up to offer tablet targeted content which explores the potential of eBooks to be more than simple digital copies of printed books.
The world of digital publishing is one of great change and a few years down the line the landscape may look very different.
Chrissey Harrison is TGE’s fiction editor and co-founder of the site. She’s an aspiring novelist and publisher with a possibly unhealthy fixation on typography.
Are you a reader, writer or publisher? How have changes in the way books are published and distributed affected you? Leave a comment to tell us about your experiences and observations, or ask us a question.
Follow Friday – Writer’s Digest
Posted by Chrissey Harrison - 17th April 2015
The US magazine Writer’s Digest is the seminal publication for all things writing and publishing. For more than 90 years, they have been publishing books, magazines, competitions, conferences and education materials for writers who want to polish their skills and hone their craft.
They have an active web presence with a vast array of resources, articles and competitions on their website, plus more shared through social media channels. Even if you don’t go for a subscription, it’s really worth following for their daily tweets and posts. There’s some fun writing exercises to try including prompts and #storyfriday, a collaborative writing game held on Twitter.
You can follow Writer’s Digest on Twitter (@WritersDigest) or like them on Facebook (facebook.com/writersdigest)
Follow Friday is our weekly featurette where we highlight people and sites we think are worth following. Take a look at our past suggestions here.
An Interview With Matt Warner, creator of Dorian and Drama
Posted by Rich - 15th April 2015
Hellbound Media is a name you may have seen pop up on the site quite frequently throughout TGE’s life, and that’s not surprising. Not only did they provide several early comic submissions to the site (‘The Monster Under The Bed‘ and the ‘Kiss Me Deadly’ taster), but they are the creators behind our current web-comic ‘Faith Healers: The Flesh Angel‘ which returned to the site last month.
Hellbound Media is well known for its illustrated horror comics, but now they are venturing out into the realm of the photo-novella with new comic series Dorian and Drama.
Dorian and Drama are played by horror actor Nathan Head and make up artist and model Victoria Mua. They were joined by glamour model Donna Rhian, beauty queen Hannah Hunter, actors Phil Chadwick and Rebecca Rosenberg, tattoo model Sian Davies and newcomer Iwan Berry.
Their first outing, Reflections of the Damned, is the story of magician Dorian D’Arcane’s big comeback show after his much-publicised fall from grace and how it goes horribly wrong. It takes place at Plas Blodwyn, a former asylum where the evil doctor tortured the inmates. There images are captured in an antique camera but, thanks to Dorian, they don’t stay captured for long.
Recently, we had the pleasure of interviewing creator Matt Warner to talk about the series, as well as getting a sneak peek video from behind the scenes with Donna Lloyd:
Chrissey Harrison: So Matt, Dorian and Drama is a photo-comic, tell us a bit more about where the idea came from to use photography in a comic? Who was your photographer/how did you meet?
Matt Warner: The idea first came about at a shoot for a possible photocover for the Hellbound Media comic Dawn After Dark: Kiss Me Deadly. While the shoot was taking place I got chatting with Victoria Mua who was doing the make up on the day. She loved the comic and showed me some of the horror special effects she had done, which were brilliant. It became clear that it was an opportunity to do something special.
It took about a year for the other pieces to fall into place. I met photographer Craig Colville through my work as a regional newspaper editor. He was keen to do something different and after a few brainstorming sessions we had a clearer idea of what we wanted to do.
CH: You found some amazing locations to shoot in, what was that like?
MW: It took us quite a while to track down the right location. From the beginning we wanted to shoot in North Wales but after scouting locations like Ruthin Gaol and some private schools it became clear that wouldn’t be practical for us.
In the end, we were tipped off about Antwerp Mansion in Manchester. The building has been many things in its life but now is a nightclub where a lot of artistic projects take place. Kris Extance at the Mansion was very enthusiastic about our project from day one and it turned out to be the perfect backdrop for our story. Graffiti artists were working on the walls throughout are shoot, totally changing their appearance, meaning we could use the same space for different locations.
Due to the nature of the mansion it meant that we sometimes had to be creative when working around band practices and gigs.
CH: Who worked on the special effects in your shoot?
MW: The make up effects were all done by Victoria Mua, who also plays Drama McKenzie. Most of the effects were planned in advance, like the torn off arms and the head in the fridge. But Victoria is also great at doing things on the fly. The scene where we gouge out the eyes of a chracter played by Hannah Hunter, a beauty queen and model who had just won the title of Face of the World, Victoria managed to create the effect in very little time. It ended up becoming one of the most striking sequences in the comic.
Victoria was assisted by Sarah Yorke, who also did the hair for the shoots. She added a whole extra dimension of glamour, particularly in the scenes with the D’Arcane Dolls.
All of the light effects in the comic’s finale were done in camera using shutter drag and long exposures. There are a few behind the scenes pictures on our blog where you can see people moving lights. We even had frisbees decorated with fairy lights which produced some interesting images.
CH: What was your favourite part of the shoot? Do you have a favourite image?
MW: My favourite shoot was the scenes with Mummy’s Girl. Victoria had made herself up to look like the character on the morning of the shoot, and the end result was horrific. We got quite a lot of double takes on the drive from Liverpool to Manchester.
My favourite image in the comic is the one where Dorian opens his box of supposed magical items. It was always scripted that Dorian would be illuminated from a light within the box. When it came to shooting the image it took a lot of trial and error to make it work. A piece of card eventually saved the day.
CH: Was there a lot of material you didn’t use? Do you have any plans for deleted scenes?
MW: There was one scene that just didn’t fit in the comic, it stopped the story from getting going. It was a shame as it featured one of the most elaborate make up effects. We are now planning to use these images to make an exclusive Dorian and Drama webcomic.
CH: What’s next for Dorian D’Aarcane and Drama McKenzie?
MW: We are starting shooting Dorian and Drama 2 this month in Chester. The title is still under wraps but it won’t be Curse of the Nymphophibian which is tasted at the end of Reflections of the Damned.
We do hope bring the Nymphophibian to life in the future either as a comic or a short film.
Thanks to Matt Warner for the interview. Dorian and Drama: Reflections of the Damned can be purchased from the Hellbound Media website hellboundmedia.co.uk or via Comicsy.
They can also be found on the Hellbound Media table at various comic conventions up and down the country. Check facebook.com/hellboundmedia and facebook.com/doriananddramaproject for more details.
Books | Submissions | Hall Of Awesome | Mailing List | About us | Cookies Policy | Contact us | RSS (Atom) |
