8 December 2014

SUPERSONIC - SUPERHERO DRAMA


This year I was lucky enough to edit a short film called Supersonic, directed by Samuel Dore, produced by Neath Films and funded by BSLBT. The story is centred around a teenager's discovery that the superhero stories his father told him as a child might have been more than just stories.


The BSLBT "commissions television programmes made in British Sign Language by Deaf people for Deaf people." Consequently the film had a predominantly deaf and hard of hearing cast and the majority of dialogue in the film is sign language. This was really interesting from an editing point of view. As I'm a hearing person I had to really rely on the script to guide me, I also had an interpreter called Beverley Wilson who was a huge help when I got stuck. When editing a hearing film you can cut back and forth between people talking, showing one person's reaction when the other is talking off-screen, etc, but you can't do this for a deaf film. When someone is signing you have to stay on them until they've finished as their dialogue is 100% visual. This makes editing interesting and in some ways quite easy and simplistic, if someone is talking then you show them. I found myself utilising wide master shots more than I normally would as you can see the person signing and the other person's reaction simultaneously. I'd love to edit more signing and have the freedom to try different styles to portray the dialogue, such as split screens or picture-in-picture like 24. It's always good to expand your skills and I look forward to editing more deaf films.

Check out the trailer below and watch the full film on the BSL Zone website.

2 December 2014

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT - SHORT DRAMA

Last year I edited a short drama for Flix Films called I Didn't Know That. The film, funded by Dying Matters, aims to "improve understanding about Muslim traditions related to dying and death among doctors, nurses and other health and care professionals."

I learnt a lot working on this project and think it's always a good thing to brighten your horizons about different cultures. You can watch the full film below.

 

1 December 2014

SUGAR & VICE - ABSTRACT PROMO

Here's a promo I made for the latest jewellery collection from Sugar & Vice. It's a bit different to the others I've made as it mainly consists of layered still images. I hope you enjoy it.

There's much more jewellery in the collection than I could fit into the promo so check it all out right here: www.sugarandvicedesigns.com/collections/the-abstract-collection

24 November 2014

THE MAKING OF IT HELPS TO TALK

Over the last few months I've been working with Flix Films to create a drama called It Helps to Talk. The film is part of a training package launched by Skills for Care, aimed at improving communication between health and social services delivering end of life care in the UK.

I was asked to write a script that would not only be a compelling story but also serve as a training film for anyone involved in health and social care, especially at end of life. The script is based on real stories and experiences gathered from people who attended numerous workshops held by Flix. I also edited the final film and made a 'making-of' about the whole process, which you can watch below.

It was really great to be involved in such a worthwhile project. I hope you enjoy the making-of.

26 October 2014

TERRY AND BRENDA REVIEWS

A few different websites/blogs have been kind enough to review Terry and Brenda, so I thought I'd collect them all in one place. If you want to review it tweet me at @JamHoopFilm.

"Takes delight in exposing the dark underbelly of suburbia. A confident and delightful film, with superb central performances."
Read more.

"Manages to spank the sweet spot between character development, comedy and horror. A confident and charming film about the more humdrum side of macabre debauchery." Read more.

"What writer and director Jamie Hooper has managed to produce in fifteen minutes is astonishing. An unnerving, uncomfortable and yet superb film." Read more.

"It balances the humanistic comedy with the skeletons in the closet of England’s street. There's a sense that this couple will stick around in my mind for a long time."
Read more.


"Fun and alarmingly believable. Manages to completely subvert expectations a number of times."
Read more.

"Hooper's style is adept at framing glacially-paced normality and delivering tightly-edited, invigorating subversion."
Read more.


"Offers a darkly comic view on middle-age partnership, as well as an exploration of the things some people will do to keep whatever shades of love there is left alive."
Read more.


"Definitely not your usual horror film. Brilliant in its own right, leaving you wanting more.
This is an intriguing, dark and original horror that's worth checking out."
Read more.

"Impressive style and quality. It does a great job of building tension and unease throughout."
Read more

 
"Realistically scary and the performances are delightful."
Read more. Plus an interview.


"Hooper gets everything spot on in this tasty short. Terry and Brenda will keep you hooked until the end." Read more.


"Will have you both laughing and cringing at the same time."
Read more.

19 September 2014

SUGAR & VICE - WITCHING HOUR

Here's the latest promo I made for Sugar & Vice, a great company who specialise in acrylic jewellery. Inspiration was taken from the intros of TV shows such as AHS: Coven and True Blood. I'm pretty happy with it, especially as I finally managed to find a use for footage of my axolotls. I hope you enjoy it.

18 August 2014

CLOGAU HERITAGE - DOWNTON ABBEY

Earlier this year I spent a few days at Highclere Castle, better known as Downton Abbey, to shoot behind the scenes on Clogau's Heritage campaign. Check out the video below.


Most exciting for me was the fact Stanley Kubrick filmed some of the orgy scenes from Eyes Wide Shut there. It was amazing to stand in the exact places he stood and see that nothing had really changed.


23 July 2014

THE MAKING OF SOROR

Here's the making of film I made for Soror, Fingercuff's most recently finished short film. Hopefully it's an interesting watch for any filmmakers and film lovers.

3 July 2014

THE BEST CAMERA IS THE ONE WITH YOU

I recently got back from a much needed holiday in Nerja, Spain. I didn't take any camera kit with me so I utilised my iPhone to capture small moments here and there (whenever I remembered to film). I have the iPhone 5s, which is really a marvel of technology, especially the 120fps mode. The quality of the footage is pretty amazing considering it's from a phone that fits in a pocket.

"Anything without dialogue was considered for slow motion."

20 May 2014

TERRY AND BRENDA TEASER POSTER (ANOTHER ONE)

Had a spare couple of hours today so decided to make another teaser poster for Terry and Brenda. It was inspired by an 80s slasher film with a great poster. Can you guess which one?

15 April 2014

TERRY AND BRENDA - TEASER TRAILER

I'm pleased to announce the teaser trailer for Terry and Brenda is now online. We're halfway through production, with two more days of shooting to go. So far I'm beyond happy, the cast and crew have exceeded my expectations and everything is looking and sounding amazing.


For any technical people, I'm shooting this short film entirely on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, which I'm really impressed with so far. For a Super 16 sensor it's surprisingly good in low light.

I hope you enjoy the trailer.

9 April 2014

SUPER 8 PUTNEY

Last year I bought a Movexoom6 Super 8 camera off eBay. I've always wanted to shoot something on Super 8 film so I invested in a few rolls of Kodak Ektachrome 100D. I used two of the rolls on a paid job for a client, which will be viewable online in the near future. I used the spare roll whilst on a walk around my local area of Putney, in London.
 
It was so much fun shooting on Super 8, I especially love hearing the noise of the film rolling through the gate. With digital technology everything is so immediate, you can watch back what you've just recorded at the press of a button, so it was quite refreshing not knowing exactly what the footage will look like, and having to wait a couple of weeks for it to be processed and telecined. The video below is pretty much the roll of film as it was shot, minus a couple of edits here and there. I hope you enjoy.

14 February 2014

PLASTIC LOVE - NOW ONLINE

I'm really pleased to announce that Plastic Love is now online and free to watch. It was a real labour of love for me and it couldn't have been made without the amazing cast and crew.

"A superb film, which mixes comedy and pathos to stunning effect."
Zombiehamster.com

"A surprisingly tactful and poignant take on a range of very personal and taboo subjects." BRWC/battleroyalewithcheese

"It's a vicars-in-knickers, curtain-twitching kind of titillation, turned up to eleven with warmth still in tact."
Script and Things

"A deeply perverse yet quintessentially British comedy."
Musings of a Film Fanatic

"The combination of genuinely poignant moments juxtaposed against the black comedy really makes the film memorable." Strangers in a Cinema

More reviews/interviews
Facebook Page

The film is embedded below. For best viewing experience please watch in fullscreen HD with the volume cranked to 11. Please spread the word and share with everyone. I hope you enjoy it.

3 January 2014

WENDY FROM LEEDS


I've finally found some time to put this short film online. I shot it around eighteen months ago with my friend Leanne Davis, a talented writer/actor/comedian. We were originally going to make Wendy into a ten part web series but like many things, life and paid work got in the way. This short is the first three episodes cut together, filmed one afternoon in a dreary flat in Clapham Junction. I hope you enjoy it.

A bit more about Wendy in her own words:
Looking for love. Ideal man will have eyes and be able to breathe unaided but happy to negotiate for the right person, for anyone actually.
Wendy at home - Seagull Heights

Hair - Blonde (slightly greasy)

Eyes - Two (both working)

Height - 5ft 3" (5ft 6" in my slut heels)

Weight - Depends on when I last did a dump

Chest - That's for me to know and you to find out