Festivals

Videos

Characters/Cast

David Edward-RobertsonPierson

Greg KellyTom

Steve McTigueRaymond

Russell BarnettSniper

Synopsis

Ultra-competitive salesmen, Tom (GREG KELLY, Hollyoaks, Waterloo Road) and Raymond (STEVE MCTIGUE, Cold Feet, Doctors) are up for the same promotion. When ruthless contract killer, Pierson (DAVID ROBERTSON, Shameless, The Street), comes on the scene it looks like they unwittingly hired the same hitman to take each other out. But Pierson has a problem. If he kills them both, no one will be left to pay the rest of his fee.

As the clock ticks away on Tom and Raymond’s lives, they must use all their sales skills to convince the contract killer which of them it would be most profitable to let live.

ANTE is a stylish, suspenseful thriller that pays off in a life and death confrontation and an unexpected twist.

Directors Comments

Deep down, when I have to blame someone, it most often isn’t myself so on this particular occasion I’m going with Paul Thomas. If he hadn’t come to me with such a brilliant script he’d written, I’d be well-slept and doing something relaxing like trying to discover a new hobby. Seriously, if you’re one of the lucky few who have read the script, keep it to yourselves, because the rest of you will not guess what happens by the end of this bad boy. All I’m saying is that a candlestick may be involved, in the Library, and Professor Plum is not above suspicion.

Paul mentioned to me early on that this was an easy enough film to make as it’s all set in a single location. Personally that always sounds like a bit of a cop out to me, but you always deal with it and know deep down it’s all about the performances involved. After reading the script, I agreed that the story and drama were sufficient for a single location and decided to make the picture on the spot. So, as is my masochistic way, I set about planning hundreds of different ways to shoot one conversation in one room. I had read somewhere how hard Michael Mann planned that great cinematic moment in HEAT where two legends, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, meet face to face on screen for the first time. He shot it from above, close up, side on and even POV but in the end just used the over shoulder shot and side on shot. Well, I didn’t plan on just having three shots in my entire film…well, because he didn’t stick to just the three for his entire film, did he?

Of course, what he said makes sense to me now, just shoot the great acting and the rest will work…true enough, but I wanted to amplify their emotions and the tension of the situation and add a little of my own flair – check out the trailer for a small taste of how the film will work stylistically. I’m trying for a new approach, a sort of toned down Tony Scott. It makes me feel a little like a traitor since it has always been his brother, Ridley Scott, I’ve looked up to, but the camera techniques and editing styles that are Tony Scott’s signature were just so much more suitable for this particular film. Also, just as a little piece of trivia, the song in the teaser by Nine Inch Nails is called ‘The Mark Has Been Made’. Pretty appropriate, huh?

Website

AnteTheFilm.com
Ante on IMDB

Crew

Purchase…

Videos

Characters/Cast

Mark WillshireDarren

Charlotte BrooksEva

Adam DarnbroughVincent

Paul ThomasMarcus

Liam FrancisSergio

Ben NewsomeBlondie

James SavilleDom

Mike DixonFlirting Man

Phil MeachamWarren

Michael SmythAngry Customer

Synopsis

Darren Cope is your typical lonely cowboy strolling into town, not saying much and then leaving again. Except in this story the cowboy is no cowboy but a lazy mid 20’s guy who wears a crumpled suit and is sarcastic to the core. This man is clearly in search of something but we never really find out what it is but rumors begin to circulate after he starts making regular visits to Eva’s jazz bar the ‘Prairie Oyster’. Eva and her kid guitarist cousin Vincent share a deep fascination in this stranger and try unlock who he is. But Darren being the self-deprecating blasé type of guy always ends up leaving them empty handed.

Directors Comments

Dirge is a short film where a loner by the name of Darren Cope enters a secluded Jazz bar called the ‘Prairie Oyster’ gaining the attention of the owner and her guitar playing nephew. After a jealous gang leader by the name of Marcus has a little too much to drink the group decide to have a little fun.

After finishing ‘Last Days of Innocence’ I wanted to do something in the complete opposite direction, bar room conversation and back alley brawls seemed like a good place to start.

The shoot for Dirge took place over a week in February 2009. The locations we filmed at were an alleyway in Preston town centre (can you spot it in Stray Dog?) and a bar, which is really the 2nd floor to a nightclub called 53 Degrees. Fifthteen people at 3 o’clock in the morning filming a choreographed fight scene which was a fun filled adventure but I admit by the second night it grew difficult and as the days went on it took its toll on the cast and crew. But I think they all got a kick out filming under such unusual circumstances.

Ive Choreographed fight scenes before with Assistant director Kyle Brearey but this was something new for us trying to capture it on camera in such a poorly lit location.

This is probably my nod to the noir and western genres, which I have so much love and admiration for. A lot of the themes in Dirge will probably be carried through onto my future works and hopefully one day be perfected.

Crew

Directed By Chris Cronin

Assistant Director Kyle Brearey

Script Supervisors Michael J. Smyth
  Paul Thomas

Casting Chris Cronin
  Paul Thomas
  Eugene Magee

Cameraman Eugene Magee
Boom Operator Phil Meachem
Lighting Director James Rice
Runner Sam Cronin

Fight Co-oridinator Kyle Brearey

Edited by Chris Cronin

Music by Greg Willshire

Videos

Characters/Cast

Adam DarnbroughSam

Gina GledhillAmelia

Sofee DarnbroughLucy

Sam CroninFriend 1

Synopsis

Two young friends, Sam and Amelia have a strong connection starting from when they were very young to their current age of 15. But due to their parents work commitments they are forced apart and have to eventually move away from each other. Amelia keeps in contact through letters keeping Sam updated on her life and all the little things kids like to talk about like being paranoid about her haircut and school teachers. After a few months of moving on and attending a new school Sam finally deals with the fact he had always struggled to write back exactly how he feels and how he believed to have let her down in some way. Sam arranges to catch a train to meet her despite the distance between them knowing he must catch multiple trains to reach her town. He manages to pen the letter which explains everything including how he truly feels about her to which he takes along with him on his journey. But what he did not anticipate was a fierce blizzard to jeopardize his chances of meeting Amelia for probably the last time. With the delays from the blizzard becoming more frequent and increasing in length, Sam starts to become even more disheartened in knowing that hes already late in meeting Amelia.

Directors Comments

I personally love broody male anti heroes that are either cynical or existential in a world that’s bleak and gritty. For this film I wanted to try something different for myself in terms of the characters and story. The film ‘Last Days of Innocence’ made in the winter of 2008 is about two young children who share a very close friendship that in today’s world could only really exist in fiction which to me is already heart breaking. The heavy use of glows, colors and artificial snow show the film for what it is, fantasy, the journey itself shows someone trying to hold onto the fantasy and inevitably getting hurt in the process.

Last Days was shot in multiple stations in West Yorkshire such as Leeds, Huddersfield and Dewsbury. The interiors of the train were mostly shot on running trains in Southport when preparing to leave, giving us mere minutes before we had to jump off and head for the next train.

Inspired by ‘5 Centimetres Per Second by Mikoto Shinkai

Crew

Written and Directed By Chris Cronin

Second Unit Director Kyle Brearey

Casting Sam Cronin
Main Theme Joel Catchatoor

Videos

Characters/Cast

Kyle BrearyRyan

Joby HardwickAiden

Chris CroninMatthew

Darrin CooperJay

Fiona PetersonNatalie

Chris HodgsonAxeman

Tom MacintoshActor 1

Robin KnightActor 2

Andy DykesCharlie

Natalie SykesAssistant

Phil MeachamCrew Member 1

James RiceCrew Member 2

Gemma WoodrowRoped Girl

Chris CoopKiller Boyfriend

Synopsis

Whilst deep in the woods shooting the latest in a string of failed Horror B movies a team of three young film makers accidentally shoot something that just might make their film into a huge success. Chasing a genuine apparition into an old dilapidated house they stumble across a dangerous but perhaps profitable discovery.

They decide to cut the original movie and go about making a new one based heavily around the angry spirit. However the angry Spirit and recently fired cast and crew have other ideas.

Directors Comments

Working Title (Actual name) is the first joint production short film from KAB Media and Genesis Flux. This film was shot in the summer of 2008 straight after the completion of Stray Dog. We gathered a team of able contacts to form a crew from all over the country and built up a cast that took 3 cars to transport!

The shoot took almost two weeks to complete and was a heavy toll as there was many locations and a lot to film. We couldn’t find a suitable corridor for our most predominant scenes in the rope corridor so we had to eventually design and build one ourselves in Kyles garage.

The main house was a family friend of Kyles who was in the middle of redecoration (Score!) and was kind enough to let us shoot there for a week, with haze machine and ropes!

The film itself is a comedy and takes a lot of inspiration from some personal favorites such as Ghostbusters and other 80s buddy movies. There are also some J-Horror inspirations too especially in terms of how the ghost is visualized.

Working Title had a lot of setbacks, time and money became large issues and problems with equipment had set things behind schedule more and more and then a little more. So completing such a demon project really provided me with the skills to adapt and still maintain leadership on location, which I believe to be a large part of what Directing is!

Also Im one of the main characters of this one!

Website

www.3men1cameranoclue.com/

Crew

Directed By Chris Cronin
  Kyle Breary

Lighting Director James Rice

Lead Camera Man Phil Meachem

Assistant Cameraman Sam Cronin

Production Assistants Danielle Watson
  Chris Coop

Runner Natalie Sykes

Writers Chris Cronin
  Kyle Brearey

Videos

Characters/Cast

Charles JamesDriver

Andy DykesCalm Voice

Synopsis

A young loner by the name of Driver is suffering from most forms of anxiety but attempts to leave his house and confront his fears because of a voice inside his head that is suggesting its a good idea. He wouldn’t stand a chance if it wasn’t for the mysterious voice and together they catch a train for the local town. But eventually on their journey together, Driver starts to have thoughts of his own by gaining some confidence. Just when he thinks he’s finally grasping some reality, everyone around him disappears and leaves him all by himself once again. Just the way he likes it. Made with western/cowboy undertones set to modern day backdrop.

A newer version to this film will be released later in the year which includes a 16:9 ratio and Joel Catchatoor’s Ennio inspired soundtrack!

Directors Comments

This film was shot during the summer of 2008 and consisted of one actor (Charles James) and one planned location, the interior of a shop.
Charles James was great to work with on this film which was probably down to the fact he was the main actor for two previous shorts I did, so by this point we was completely on the same wavelength and now, looking back, I believe he was perfect for this role. With this particular story it was a very personal as some of its subject matter is based on some of my own experiences, exaggerated of course. But its great to see the lighter side to some of the fears people go through when suffering anxiety. The thing I like most about this film is how I actually managed to insert western techniques, music and pacing to the film which really has nothing to do with the wild west.

But what if Clint’s was really agoraphobic and that’s why he chose to stay wandering alone, avoiding towns?

Crew

Directed By Chris Cronin

Cinematography Chris Cronin

Assistant Camerman James Rice
  Kyle Brearey

Editor Chris Cronin