I am sorry that it has taken me so long to write my next piece for this blog. Maybe it is a bit like that “difficult second album” which is a problem for many musicians, or maybe it was just that there has been so much going on, that I simply couldn’t get down to writing it.
I would like to think that it was the latter, and certainly the last 6 months have been a very busy period for Dene Films. At one point last year, I had been concerned that the company may have to face restructuring as a result of the downturn, but by simply focusing on our core strengths and abilities over the last 6 months, we have seen a remarkable turn around in our situation and the company continues to do well.
The most heartening thing is that despite everything, the team at Dene Films continue to deliver excellent work for our clients, which has been recognised in 6 awards and several commendations this year from the Royal Television Society and the IVCA (International Visual Communications Association). Not only that, we were delighted to find ourselves in the Top 50 corporate video producers in the country, compiled by Televisual in March 2010. I have to extend many congratulations to the whole team for these great achievements, which find them in the same list and being screened at the same events as Ridley Scott Associates – very esteemed company indeed!
First in the list of winners is Mark Lediard, who has established himself as our post-production genius and is also a very dab hand at directing. His viral for Durham County Cricket Club won the best promotion category at this year’s North East Royal Television Society annual Dinner for its outstanding creativity on a very small budget. The clip can be viewed at this page: http://www.vimeo.com/5504175 The picture shows proud producer, Nicky Scott, picking up the award.
Next in my list is the phenomenal success of Chris Chapman and Steven Boyle’s multi award winning children’s road safety film “Ghost Street”. This dramatic short film, with its shocking beginning, has captured the attention of young people and awards judges across the nation, collecting three awards and two commendations including two bronzes at IVCA for best educational film and best use of sound, (collected by our own dubbing mixer Peter Groom), as well as best drama at the RTS. A trailer can be viewed at http://www.vimeo.com/7289530 and the picture shows Chris and Steven collecting one of their gongs from Joe Godwin of BBC Children’s TV.
Chris and Steven were also recognised by the Royal Television Society for their professional excellence, Steven for his first class director’s portfolio, receiving his award from internationally renowned cameraman David Baillie…
and Chris for his abilities as a producer “a breathtaking array of skills” - won the Andrea Wonfor Trophy for best newcomer here being presented by TV Gladiator Diane Youdale.
An example of Chris’ work for ONE NorthEast can be viewed at http://www.vimeo.com/5504850
Every year I wonder whether we can improve on our previous performances, and every year we produce better and better work as a result of our desire to raise our own standards and offer our clients better results.
This very day, the modern technology of mobile internet is allowing me to write this blog from our production office on the set of our £300,000+ educational film for the Vindolanda Trust and it’s Roman Army Museum at Hadrian’s wall. The”Edge of Empire” film is designed to show the audience how the wall is now, how it would have looked in the second century AD and a slice of the life of a Roman Auxiliary soldier from the period.
It has been a pretty cold, cloudy couple of days, but the skies add to the look and with 32 Roman Legionaries on set from the magnificent Ermine Street Guard, supported by a top CGI team, who will be recreating the wall and Vindolanda in all its second century glory, then maybe this is the production, which once again, raises the bar higher for us this year. We shall see.
Expect more on the Edge of Empire soon.
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