Tag Archives: Steve McAleavy

Actresses Deserve Much More Than Being ‘The Girl’ And a Naked One At That

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film characters - anna paquinIn my other life as an actress I have noticed a worrying trend. Well, I say ‘trend’ but actually it has been going on for years: female parts in films were the character has no name and is called ‘The girl’. The girl is usually the only female part in the film and will also have at least one nude scene. Just because it is not humiliating enough to be offered a script where all of the men have names and you don’t, you also have to get your tits out. Nameless and objectified: actresses deserve better than this. WOMEN KIND deserves better than this.

It is hard to describe just how depressing it is to work in an industry where women are reduced constantly to the sum of their parts and not even named. the worrying thing is that this is a common practice. Upon complaining about this on my Facebook, prominent film maker and casting director Rory O’Donnell said: “This is incredibly common. I made fun of it when I wrote The Landlady and gave all the female characters first, last and nicknames and called the only male character ‘The Boyfriend’….but he did get a name during shooting.” If only there were more people like Rory. 

But what is to be done? Well we need more female filmmakers for a start. Here are some highlights from an amazing survey done by Stephen Follows on his must-read blog.

 

  • Between 2009-13, women made up 26.2% of crew members on British films.
  • This compares favourably with top US films over the same period (22.2%)
  • Of all the departments, the Transportation department is the most male, with only 7.7% women.
  • The only departments to have a majority of women are Make-up, Casting, Costume and Production.
  • Visual Effects is the largest department on most major movies and yet only has 16.5% women.
  • 6.4% of composers on UK films were women.
  • 14% of UK films had a female director, compared with 3% of top US films.
  • The percentage of women on British films has barely changed in the past five years.

 

Read more about his survey here. It was in all of the papers so Stephen is truly doing his part for equality.  I often get asked why I don’t leave the industry. The truth is I did take a little break. Of course if my agent had called during that period I would have not said no, but it was a quiet period and I took the moment to reflect on my chosen path. One of them anyway. I often think that if I did not have this magazine and did not make my own projects I might go slightly mad. Luckily I do and I can fight instead. I made Prose & Cons which had a strong female cast and I am making more films with my filmmaking partner Steve McAleavy. The way forward is not to quit the industry, not to let these men give our breasts the starring role while our actual talent is just a nameless supporting character: the key is to raise awareness and FIGHT. Get men to join the battle and equal the playing field. Women deserve more and we won’t stop until we get it. The fightback starts here.

 

Catherine Balavage is a writer, film director, actress and the owner and editor of this magazine. She is also a published author and wrote the book How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur which has received rave reviews and is a must for actors everywhere.

 

 

Frost’s Editor Catherine Balavage Writes How To Be A Successful Actor Book

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Frost’s Editor, Catherine Balavage, has written a book on How To Be A Successful Actor. It is called How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur. It has gotten as high as number 5 on the Kindle charts under Stage & Theatre. It will also be released on paperback and Smashwords soon. Handpicked Future did a great piece on it and Catherine was on the front page of the Entertainment section in The Huffington Post with her Actors Who Make Their Own Work article. You can also read an article by Catherine written on her own blog.

howtobeasuccessful_actor_book_cover The book is available here for UK readers and here for US readers. It is also available worldwide.

Cover art by Steve McAleavy

 

 

Innovative Films Raising Funds: Alpha

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A_poster_ENFrost Magazine is doing a long-running series on innovative movies which are raising funds or about to be released. We love film at Frost Magazine. In fact quite a few of us work in the film industry as actors, producers and writers. (Myself included. I have been an actor for years, and have also written scripts and started a film production company with Steve McAleavy. Our first full-length film, Prose & Cons is currently being edited) We want to support other filmmakers out there. Making films is hard and getting them seen is just as hard. We hope you like some of the films we showcase enough to invest in them and/or watch them. Thank you.

Alpha

A is much more than a feature film, it is inspired by the ancient myth of Antigone and has a totally different approach to filmmaking as a whole.

SYNOPSIS

A woman -Alpha- is forced to sit and watch her hanged brother rot in the middle of a burned forest, until the authorities decide that she has been punished enough. She will find the strength not only to rebel against this unjust order but also to confront her brother when they meet in the afterlife.

Alpha is a movie inspired by the ancient myth of Antigone and talks about what we are all witnessing and experiencing as consequences of the so-called “crisis”.

We are using an old story, not to reiterate the past, but to explain the present and take a glimpse of the future.

With this film, we want to make our voice heard not only as artists but as active citizens, and share how we are experiencing the “crisis”.

And not only do we want to, but we have to, because this is our duty as active participants in the society we are leaving in.

HOW WE FUND THIS MOVIE

The way we cover our budget (196,000€) is as follows:

The main artistic team (Screenwriter, Director, Photographer, Production Designer, Composer, Actors) and the communication team, capitalise our work.

Our co-producers, Imagina Pictures, provide all the necessary editing and post-production equipment and facilities, for both image and sound.

Imagina Pictures also provides the camera and related shooting equipment.

All of the above constitute 40% of the budget (69,000€). To help fund Alpha go here.

What is left for us to cover :

The crew fees

The catering

Special equipment (steadicam, crane, hexacopter)

3D animation & visual effects

The above constitute another 40% of the budget (70,000€).

We cover this part with private sponsorships.

The remaining 20% (57,000€) is the Production Design cost.

This is an essential part of the movie because the aesthetics of the image need to be treated with great care.

This is the part we want to cover with crowd-funding.

This is the part in which you are actually contributing to the final look of the picture.

This is the part in which we are asking for your help.

We hope you will become our fellow traveler during this difficult but exciting journey.

WHAT IS THE MYTH ABOUT?

Antigone is the daughter of King Oedipus.

King Creon, who is now the ruler of Thebes, demands that the body of her dead brother Polynices be left unburied and eaten by predators. Whoever does not comply with his orders, will face immediate execution. Antigone will defy this unjust order and bury her dead brother, thus losing her life, but coming to terms with her feelings and her inner sense of justice, regardless what the Authority says.

There is no need to point out the relevance of the myth of Antigone with the current political and socio-economic status quo. In this new world order governed by numbers and economic indicators, an invisible King Creon has not only invaded our lives, but is gaining power day by day. Few dream of taking an active stand against him, while most of us conform to his irrational and inhuman demands.

New Film From The Makers of Prose & Con

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Filmmakers Catherine Balavage and Steve McAleavy.

The filmmakers behind Prose & Cons, a black comedy about poetry, alcoholism and plagiarism, have started an ambitious new project: The Descending of Fate.

The script is written by Catherine Balavage who also co-wrote Prose & Cons. It will be produced, directed and edited by Catherine and filmmaking partner Steve McAleavy.

The film is about a 10-year-old boy who kills his best friend. Was it an accident? Can people be rehabilitated? Can forgiveness every be given, to yourself and others? And is it right that someone should be blamed for the worst thing they have done for the rest of their life?

A dark drama about criminal responsibility and healing. Will life ever be the same again?

[disclaimer: Catherine Balavage writes for this magazine]

TEDxEaling

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Ted Talks are now famous, and when they came along to Ealing I went along with my film business partner, Steve McAleavy.

We had a brilliant time and there was some really brilliant talks. TedXEaling was brought to Ealing by Chris Jones, film director and owner of Living Spirit pictures. Below is some of the people who talked at the event. I had a brilliant time and met some amazing people.

 

Sebastien Foucan: Our relationship with fear

Sebastien Foucan is the founder and creator of freerunning. Sebastien is well known for his views on the philosophy behind freerunning and is an ambassador for the discipline in many countries across the globe.

Seema Anand: The Art Of Seduction

The ancient arts of Courtesanery and Seduction were once treated as high philosphy, with divine and academic associations. Dr. Seema Anand explores how these narratives have been lost and in the evolution of their vocabulary, the implications have changed. Working with the range of what ‘story’ can mean to an individual Seema facilitates the learning processes of ‘telling’, ‘listening’, ‘acknowledging’ and ‘rejecting’ the narratives that make up our lives and our social interactions to enhance communication, build links and open dialogue.

Jarred McGinnis: Writing is the Only Magic I Still Believe In

Jarred McGinnis will share his passion for stories and demonstrate the power of words from Speech Act Theory to the genius that is the children’s book ‘That’s Not My Pirate’. Jarred is an American living in London, and the co-founder of the literary variety night, The Special Relationship. His fiction has been commissioned for BBC Radio 4, and appeared in journals in the UK, USA and Ireland. He is wickedtomocktheafflicted.com. In addition to writing fiction, he holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence.

Eve Hazelton: Film Director of Photography

How does light and shadow impact on our understanding of story? As a Director of Photography, it is Eve’s job to visualize a story and use the tools of her craft to translate that into a film. With the stereotype of a DoP’s role to be all about camera’s, Eve explores how other area’s of her job are equally, if not more important. Eve is the Director of Photography and Editor for Realm Pictures, an independent film company based in the UK. Her’s are the eyes which reveal the stories that the team at Realm want to tell.

Linda Potgieter: A purpose driven life

Linda Potgieter has enjoyed a rewarding 22 year career predominantly focused on designing and delivering communications solutions. Director of a locally based training and consulting firm, she has spent the past eight years designing and delivering communication and negotiation training across 14 countries. Linda’s inspirational delivery style is driven by her passion for the human connection within negotiations.

Chris Atkins: Lies and Truth – How to get to the truth of a story by telling lies

Chris’ first doc, Taking Liberties, is about the loss of civil liberties in the UK and is a polemical and entertaining theatrical feature. In June 2007 the film was released theatrically and was one of the highest-grossing documentaries of 2007. Chris was nominated for a BAFTA – The Carl Foreman Award for best writer, director or producer in their first feature film. He has since produced a slew of controversial documentaries for both cinema and TV.

 

Dekay: Urban Poetry

Dekay will perform a rap from her latest album and teach us about storytelling in a different form. Dekay is an unsigned rapper/songwriter/producer from Camden, North West London. With a back catalouge of 3 mixtapes and an album, Dekay has been battling, rhyming and shotting cds in the endz for the last 8 years.

 

Daniel Sloss: It’s just a story

Scotland’s Daniel Sloss is currently one of the fastest rising stars of UK comedy. He started doing stand-up aged 16, has appeared on numerous TV shows including ‘Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow’ plus his own BBC show ‘The Adventures of Daniel’ and tours extensively thoughout the UK as well as internationally.He will be talking about how comedy is a series of short and truthful stories.

 

Will Brooker: Tales of the Dark Knight

After 73 years in popular culture, Batman has become more than a corporate product and commercial property; he also belongs to generations of readers and fans who circulate their own stories around him, and keep his legend alive. Will Brooker is Director of Research in Film and Television at Kingston University, London. He is the author and editor of several books on popular culture and audience, including Batman Unmasked, Using the Force, the BFI Film Classics volume on Star Wars and, most recently, Hunting the Dark Knight: 20th Century Batman.

David Varela: Throw your Story from a Plane

David Varela is a London-based writer and producer. He has written for film, theatre, radio, magazines, ebooks and games, creating some of the world’s most exciting transmedia projects along the way. These include Lewis Hamilton: Secret Life (for Reebok), Xi (for Sony PlayStation) and most recently The Seed, a transmedia story combining four plays, a treasure hunt and online characters, as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. He is currently developing an original drama series for Channel 4.

Emily James: Shooting Outlaws without Hurting Anyone

After her first broadcast commission, The Luckiest Nut in the World (C4, 2002), the Guardian asserted “Emily James is a genius”. Following the experimental Don’t Worry, (C4, 2004) and What Would Jesus Drive?, (C4, 2006) Emily’s attention has now shifted to feature documentaries, acting as Executive Producer on the acclaimed The Age of Stupid (2009). Her feature directing debut, Just Do It: A tale of modern day outlaws screened in over 45 independent cinemas across the UK in Summer 2011.

Richard Newman: Inspire and Motivate People with PRO

Working with 17,000 people across 45 countries Richard discovered there is a story-telling method that motivates all of us, called the PRO system. His team have helped clients win business worth over £1.6 billion, working on pitches and presentations to make them stand out from the crowd. Clients include the McLaren Formula 1 Team, KPMG and IBM. Recently he has been working with 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers, to promote their TV shows about body language.

Julian Friedmann: The mystery of storytelling

How we tell stories seems to be a mysterious process that millions around the world want to be able to do, but 99.9% effectively fail. Why is it so hard for storyteller and audience to be one? What we communicate can change the lives of the writer and the audience. However, why stories matter and how to tell them better may not be as mysterious as it seems. Julian Friedmann has worked with writers for over 40 years; he believes understanding that storytelling is more about the audience than the writer will result in better storytelling.

Martin Lee: The Story Of My Shame

The redemptive power of ‘story’ for both businesses and people.

Martin Lee is a director of 26, the business writers’ collective that exists to inspire a greater love of words in business and in life. In his day job, he is a co-founder of Acacia Avenue, a boutique qualitative research consultancy whose purpose is to make business recommendations to its clients as long as they are in the interests of their customers. Before taking to agency life, Martin worked in the book business, culminating in being the Marketing Director at Waterstone’s.

Linda Haysman: The Costume Designer

What story does the clothes you wear tell? Linda Haysman is an experienced Costume Designer and has worked in theatre, film and television. Linda will be exploring story telling through Costume Design and it’s effect on audience perceptions.

 

 

TEDxEaling 2012 Hosts and Entertainers

Chris Jones – Filmmaker, author and TEDxEaling creator

Having made feature films, an Oscar shortlisted short film, written seven books on filmmaking, run the London Screenwriters’ Festival and subsequently trained literally thousands of filmmakers and screenwriters around the world, TEDxEaling themes on ‘Story’ was both a logical AND challenging step for Chris. He will be introducing TEDxEaling and looks forward to sitting in the audience with you.

Walter Lewis: TEDxEaling Master Of Ceremonies

Walter is an established actor, voice artist and corporate trainer.  He has worked in TV, film, and theatre on both sides of the Atlantic, and has been a long-standing member of the The Reduced Shakespeare Company.  Other credits include: “Red Badge of Courage” (Naxos Books), “Never the Sinner” (Manchester Library), “East of Eden” and “Auntie Mame” (BBC Radio), “1408” & “The Dark Knight”. As an American living in the UK he loves the British sunshine…

 

Catherine Arton: Casting Director

Firing your creative synapses. Catherine Arton is a casting director, motivational speaker, director, and story teller of old. Having studied English Literature at University and Acting at LAMDA, Catherine has a true passion for story and story telling. Catherine will use some of her own specially devised techniques and ideas to help the conference attendees to get into the best possible mindset for the TEDx conference.

And Action! The Making of Prose & Cons.

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So we finished with the first location for Prose & Cons. We have 53 scenes in the bag. 53 scenes. That’s 50% of our movie. Almost. The most surprising thing was how easy it was. Not that it wasn’t hard, it was. It just took me so long to make a film that I guess I thought it would be nearly impossible. It was hard work, but if you work hard it’s no biggie.

Steve McAleavy and Catherine Balavage direct Prose & Cons

Steve was amazing. We are filming on a Canon 60D and Steve is operating it. Steve is the producer/editor/co-director and all-round great guy. Steve and I both have equipment but we mostly used his. He has a lot of Phillip Bloom stuff, and a Fig rig. I haven’t asked how much it all costs and I don’t think he wants me to; adding all of that up will only be painful.

The first actor to turn up is Lynn Howes. Lynn is not only talented but very professional. She knows the script inside out, is good with continuity and thinks of the little things that no-one else does. Jack Bowman plays her boyfriend in the film. Jack is perfect as Jamie. He is very talented and Jack is also fun.

Next up is Bo Wilson. Bo plays her part beautifully. She has a day job as an editor at the Evening Standard, gets up at 5am but still manages to get to Kingston in the evening and give a brilliant performance.

We filmed in Kingston, a beautiful area. We didn’t do too many takes and the actors were professional. Although I feel that because I cast some of my friends they don’t show the proper amount of respect for me as the director. I try to be firm and tell myself; hey, at least they turned up.

Clea Myers came and played my aunt. Clea is in a poignant scene in the film and she is an incredibly giving actress. In acting it matters to act opposite someone else who is talented. The better the actor the better you will be. Clea is obviously a film actress of note. She is one of the most talented people I have ever worked with. Acting on film is thinking, but thinking hard. I read that in Mel Churcher’s book, and it is spot on.

Before we start filming I realise that our of all of the scenes we are filming I am in about 90% of them. That is a lot of lines. Directing and acting is not necessarily hard. As long as you watch the footage back and change if it is not working.

One of the actors drop out at the last minute and we have to deal with the stress of casting while we are dealing with the stress of filming. Fun. Luckily, after a few calls the wonderful Monty Burgess stepped into the breach. He gave a wonderful performance and I cannot imagine anyone else doing the part.

Steve doesn’t have any crew but still manages to do brilliant shots. Steve says that the next time he wants crew and at one point says he doesn’t know why he indulged me: “We should have made a short”. he says. He’s joking. I think.

We had a brilliant time. When you make a film you become like a family. Few things went wrong apart from a broken lens cover (not the lens, thank god), a broken HDMI cable and a parking ticket.

I am very excited about filming the rest of Prose & Cons. I will keep you all updated and get Steve to write something to.

109 Scenes, 14 Locations, 17 Actors.

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I am finally making a feature film. Since I got my first camera when I was 14 I reckon I am slacking a bit. We have 109 Scenes, 14 Locations and 17 actors so far. It is a mammoth task which started today. We had a brilliant days filming and got quite a few scenes.


Prose & Cons came about when Richard Wright saw me tweet that I wanted to make a film with strong female characters. He handed me a 39 page script that he had written and told me to write the rest. I did. Richard was initially the director of Prose & Cons but we had some artistic differences and he has now left, proving that people can have artistic differences and remain friends afterwards. Richard is now a brilliant comedian making his way around the London circuit.

I am now directing the film with Steve McAleavy. Steve was originally the producer and DOP but his passion made it impossible for him to not direct with me. Steve is still DOP and producer.

Just before I wrote this I worked out the schedule for the film. Sorted out what scenes were filmed, what actors were needed and what props were needed. It is using all of the skills I have acquired during my decade long career.

I also cast the film. Needless to say it is a labour of love and a passion project. I have been turning down work and putting my time and effort into this film and so has Steve. We want to make the best film possible.

We previously did a night shoot in Hayes FM with the lovely Becky Talbot. We have a great cast, the best equipment and, finger’s crossed, it should all go well.

I will keep blogging about the making of the film. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.