Postnatal Production... Harbour Lights, done!

The Southampton Harbour Lights Cinema. Four years ago, I remember looking ahead to this time starry eyed wondering what film it was that I would produce and screen in my third year vowing that I would strive to work to the best of my ability and hope to inject a minute or two of enjoyment, and with a bit of luck, laughter into an unsuspecting audience member's day.

Well, with the rapid flow of time, I'm now looking back on the event beaming as through some sort of freak miscalculation of the powers that be and audience (!), Natal Attraction takes home its first two awards - Best Film 2009 and Audience Choice 2009.

"What the hell is wrong with you people!?" I said.

Apparently, an abundance of sexual innuendo, genitalia, blood and cumshots sit well with a British audience, much to my immense surprise. I suppose one of the things I've learnt from today is that taking a risk with a wild and raunchy script isn't an inherently bad thing.

Further to this, and something I've been saying all along - the production of a film, nay, art in general, is that in order to achieve success, having the support and passionate input of your peers [friends, family, tutors, etc] pays huge dividends in your ability to be creative and desire to do the very best you can. I would find it hard to understand how one could produce to the best of their ability within a purely internalised production process.

In a nutshell, what I am trying to say is that every artist who contributed their talents, every person who took a figment of interest in this film was invaluable to me. Natal Attraction would simply not exist in its current form without all these folk and, chances are if you are reading this, you are one of them too - so thank you!

I've loved every minute of it.

Postnatal Production... Development Retrospective

As a means to scratch beneath the surface a little prior to Wednesday's screening, I thought I'd display some of the forms Natal Attraction has taken since its conception [pun unintended, maybe?] last November, for those few with much curiosity behind them. I'll be using a shot that has remained very much a constant throughout the development and therefore works well as an example demonstrate the sorts of changes that have occurred during production and why.


First off, the ol' storyboard image which technically came first in the development cycle, intended as the final shot where the full scale [and error] of Nancy's surgery is made apparent to the couple and poor Mrs. Wright gets it full on in the face.


Following on from this is the aesthetic mock-up which was finalised in January for the animatic hand-in. Things are a little more vague this time in terms of exactly what is happening/what is going to happen. It was at this point I began to re-consider the final shot, especially as the professional voice-work and score began to roll in and put a slightly different spin on the narrative.

In the final version, I had firmly decided to use this shot as a means to build tension and place more focus afterwards on the horror of the situation - firstly, on the act committed on Dr. Wright's manhood, and then on both his and Mrs. Wright's face after the squirting has taken place.

Another day, another few nuggets of info for the eager. The first bit of 'merchandise' [in the form of a theatrical poster for Southampton Harbour Lights] was sent off to the printers today and I will reveal the artwork on this space soon after Wednesday.

Postnatal Production... Afterbirth

Although this whole blog dealie was always intended as a way for the powers that be to assess our progress, I have nonetheless become attached to the whole project and feel that it serves a secondary purpose of being a time capsule for one of the busiest periods of my life and one that I will reminisce upon fondly - it's a great joy to work towards your career doing something you truly enjoy.

As a partial way to mark the occasion for handing in the film, the blog header has now been switched to the official logo for the film and thus, the old one is relegated to the dumping ground.


There are more things I plan to do in relation to the film and I will continue to use the blog to keep those that care up to date with its goings on, including posting the Southampton Harbour Lights edit after its... um, well debut I guess - though that word sounds incredibly grandiose for what the product actually is. Very much looking forward to a screening of what has been a passionate year of film-making from everyone.