|Mandi Edwards| Indie Documentary Filmmaker @manditantrum-blog - Tumblr Blog

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This is our new working film poster, this is the original image that Frank made at college, We will be tweaking slightly to work with ‘My Name Is Frank’. So excited.

I haven’t blogged in a few weeks, I knew the beginning of April was going to be a busy time for me. Alongside working overtime over the bank holidays, and venturing into a new experience of Wedding Photography for a friend, I have continually been working on my application for the Watershed Studio Residency, for which the deadline is looming at the end of April. This has really allowed me to tidy up and straighten out in my head ‘My Name Is Frank’. Unfortunately I have not yet found the time to edit and look over our test shoot from a couple of weeks back, which I’m hoping will really curb some strong questions ready for our next shoot next week (ontop of this, my dear sister is expecting her first baby, a new asset to the family! Her due date was monday but still no sign, so if my nephew is late I may have to postpone this date to meet him!) I have my good friend Jason onboard as the cameraman alongside myself, while test shooting I realised self-shooting is very difficult for multi-camera set-ups. Onto of that I felt very rusty which I think came to light in the footage.

Nevertheless, I felt very productive and these few hours gave me a great creative kick once again to continue working behind the scenes to really finesse the project. I also finally had my satisfaction fulfilled after watching the long-awaited return of my favourite documentary maker, Louis Theroux. Although built for TV, his abstract approach to interviewing is really inspiring to me, and the honesty in which he speaks to his participants really achieves his goals in terms of delving into large issues. The third instalment of this new series was of course, on transgender kids. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered this a few months ago, to begin with I had inevitable thoughts of ‘he’s stolen my thunder’ which rapidly transformed to, ‘i’m onto something’ and ‘the time is now’ for this subject. He focused on children especially, a very controversial topic that has this week blown up in the media, causing quite heated responses from my parents for one.

Ontop of this, I had an insistent phone call from a friend last week, who had recently made two new friends that he believed would make excellent documentary subjects, if I was interested(!)

This rapidly (within a few days) transformed into another project now firmly under my belt, two immigrant boys from Honduras, currently living without a Visa in the UK. I have to be honest, my geography is appalling and I hadn’t even heard of Honduras before this last weekend. How I don’t know, being the murder capital of the world, in the south Americas. We also felt the universe was trying to tell us something, as on Easter Sunday night, I returned home to relax and watch Simon Reeve’s current travel show, and where did he go to? None other than Honduras and Jamaica! This was excellent for me as it really summed up what the boys had explained, Honduras and its people are beautiful and loving, however its corrupt government and unfortunate economy situation means that Honduras, much like Jamaica years ago, will struggle to overcome its terrible and dangerous reputation. One powerful statement in the film was ‘Honduras is a prisoner of its geographical placement’ when speaking of the growing of drugs for the demand from north America.

The boys were very emotional in their interview, they had recently sold their apple laptop to pay for two weeks hostel money to avoid having to fly home (one of few personal items they had). ‘Home’ used lightly, by the boys who are ‘working for their family, not their country’. Quite shocking statements from a place you have grown up in. However difficult it will be for a British audience to relate, this film will instil nothing but empathy for these young men, especially within the same age group (which I happen to be!) I am blessed to have met them, and am working to stay in touch everyday to bond further as friends. They told me they appreciate my solidarity, and just want to have the opportunity to achieve their dreams of creative careers, and to take care of their families. This has been a new experience for me technically too as I was asked to cover up their identity, rather than blur out their faces, I attempted tight angles and focusing on twitching extremities to convey their emotions while speaking to me. One boy’s English is understandable, the other’s is not so much, so rather than mute somebody’s story due to a language barrier, I am lucky enough to know somebody who can go through and translate it for me. This is another new venture, to be in suspense to find out how he answered my questions, and to know the real story of what I got the gist of through expressive gestures.

I am currently on the train to Brighton to spend three days with my sister, in this time, I’m hoping to complete ‘Write To Kill’ finally, as its getting quite ridiculous that it’s still not complete. I will then be submitting a 90 second cut to Depict! in Bristol, a free competition with a £2500 prize! I will the be submitting to ‘short shorts’ and other short festivals in the US and UK.

For now, the sun is shining and I am excited to be near the seaside, on tenterhooks of my new nephews arrival.

#honduras newfriends pregnancy sister brighton holiday watershed studioresidency application #transgender louistheroux documentary april ginatron weddingphotography appleupdate blackandwhite

Shoot went great! Some issues with lenses struggling with light, and I need to watch my ISO, apart from that one man band worked fairly well considering it’s been a little while!

Frank was that smiley the whole way through, despite a nasty foot infection! I wish you a speedy recovery Frank!

Test-shoot Day ‘My Name Is Frank’

Today marks the physical start of ‘My Name Is Frank’. Today is Thursday March 19th 2015. I embark on my next piece of work.

I have just finished writing a starter questionnaire for Frank. Obviously, his responses will no doubt encourage further questions from me, but taking note from the greats - Louis Theroux and Nick Bloomfield: ask less, don’t interfere. It’s called observational for a reason.

Bloomfield even went as far to say, repeat the last words they give you right back to them! At first I thought that sounded ridiculous, but of course it allows pause for thought from the interviewee, allowing them to refine their answer before speaking aloud.

This project feels different, as Frank not only is the subject but also is a filmmaker himself. So we will be collaborating together, Frank will essentially be co-directing this doc. I’m excited to play with lighting, and visual interview set-ups. I feel nervous without Kenny by my side, he was definitely a comfort blanket, knowing every shot would be perfect. This time its down to me, but we achieve things through pushing ourselves right? And learning from mistakes. So wish me luck!

Just got back from the really warm and homey screening event of Cineme! There were 8 films that played, first off – The life and danger of TommyChaos and Stacy Danger, this was a cute and low-budget animation which for mewas likeable but lacked in storyline and the actors were quite poor. The second was A Monster and Me, which had a promising storyline, but had a couple of plot holes and didn’t really go anywhere in 13 mins, also didn’t favour the actors and the sound levels were all over the place! The cinematography and animations were very good though. The third was Lilly (A Lover’s Dream) a music video using green screen and after effects to generate a 3D environment! Good track and interesting concept, quite liked this one!

The Stomach is one of my top three favourite shorts from last year hands down, a creepy horror/thriller with real grit and outstanding performances! It was SO SO good to finally meet Ben Steiner- the director of the film, who is now a Bristol local I was pleased to discover! They gave a very entertaining Q&A and were very approachable and likeable guys, already giving me insights on other screening opportunities available in Bristol!

After the break, they played three more shorts: Chocolate Heart, which I also watched while programming Cucalorus last year! A hilarious and quirky love story.

Then they played a local music video by James Sampson called Periscopes by Haiku Salut which consisted of stunning slow-mo visuals of children played with coloured paint, with a rainstorm at the end. Very cute and beautiful cinematography. Great track too! Must check out the band, as they are close friends with Kayla Painter who composed the soundtrack for my film! Small world! This I think was my favourite film of the night, you can watch it at the top of this post!

And then Allen vs. Predator by Shunk Films (they had a great ident!) which was also very funny and very reminiscent of Edgar Wright. Filmmakers also acted in the short which I applaud if done well!

Finally the pulsing single key of GITH fades in, and I’m right back in the US again! The beginning of my film always gets my heart pining for Wilmington, the bright and sunny streets, the warm sunsets, and of course all my friends and ‘family’. My dream mirror-image lifestyle. Watching the film back, after not having watched it since November, again was good for me to see with fresh eyes. I find watching it with an audience is always good for me and allows me to view it as an audience member. I can be more critical of whats onscreen and ‘see it for what it is’ rather than scrobbling over it thousands of times on a screen at my desk. After tonight, I still feel that it’s a messy edit, and I still felt my fingers wanting to tweak and pull bits out and replace other bits. My dad made a wise comment about being on a tight time constraint, which is why I may feel that it could have been done better.

My Q&A was what I was most worried about, I’ve never been comfortable infront of a crowd (as im sure most people aren’t!) however I feel I have learned to calm myself when in this situation. I always fret ill be faced with a question I haven’t thought about in enough depth and make a fool of myself, but tonight I dodged the bullet once again (figuratively speaking!) My questions were half hosted by James, and then opened up to the audience. We covered what my original concept was and how it came into fruition, whether producing the film had altered my perception and opinion of guns, the demographics of race and social status affecting people’s perceptions on crime in the city (a new one from a geography student! Great question!) Also covered the behind-closed-doors politics of certain participants/organisations and what had changed while I had been gone over the summer, which ultimately led on to whether I had a bigger ‘in five years time’ recap/follow-up project in thought. Also had a film suggestion given to me which I hadn’t heard of before – The Interrupter’s set in Chicago.

Tonight was the first time my parents had seen my film also, which was another personal milestone for me, and they responded very seriously and backed up their accolades with valid points and specific parts of the film which was comforting. I am also so grateful to my dear friends that attended, and want to take this opportunity to thank them: Luke Stuart who composed the beautiful piano score, always there to support me creatively whether I’m at home or not. Jason who I hope to work more closely with in the future on my new documentary project! A great chap to sit next to and giggle with while scoring the films! My dear friend Sarah who travelled all the way from Bath to attend the event just to see my film, always a positive and endearing lady who believes in me and is also another indie filmmaker in the same boat! And my work colleague Sam, who I wish I spent more time with outside of work, I was so glad to see him there! All in all a small group that I knew but on reflection humbled me that I am extremely lucky to have such a large group of creative friends to support me and collaborate with! Including new friends from tonight, James Sampson and Ben Steiner.

I am on cloud 9 this evening and am so happy for this opportunity. Thank you James Ewen and thank you Cineme for hosting GITH for its first UK screening! Couldn’t have asked for a better one.

So this week I have exciting news! First off, Guns In The House will be having its first UK screening at Cineme in Bristol. The event will be held in the beautiful Tobacco Factory in Bedminster, alongside the excellent short film - The Stomach, one of my favourite shorts from last year! We also get another 7 shorts to watch in the second half, so its going to be a great evening! Secondly, I have just gotten off the phone with Miss. Chris Lancaster, who is the case manager at the 'Big Buddy' Program at Cape Fear Volunteer Center in Wilmington. She has very kindly invited me to be a member for their new Young Professionals board, who will help with fundraising, publicity, and attend monthly meetings to report on the programs progress! 'Big Buddy' is such a fantastic program, where adults can enrol as mentors for at-risk youth aged 5-16 in New Hanover County. The aim of the mentors is to offer encouragement and support to promote self esteem and confidence in the children. From what I observed while shooting Guns In The House, I was shocked at how mature the young people of Wilmington are, and how many doors are often closed in their faces because of their backgrounds or family's financial status (eg: college) ultimately leading them on the wrong path and ending up in often tragic situations that are hard to escape. One of the most vivid analogies for me that you hear in the film from Mr. Roger Hubbard, is that to walk past a drug dealer on the street who will offer you a quarter of his business, takes strength and courage to ignore when you have a family of your own to feed as well as yourself. "What job downtown will give you that?" These are the kids that need a helping hand from us, and for a minimum of two hours a week its really a small price to pay to keep these young people positive and to see the bright futures they have ahead of them.

I am very excited to be a part of this organisation and hope it won't be too long before I am back in Wilmington to meet them in person and participate in the work they do!

Killin' time.

So i'm currently sat in Starbucks, looking like one of the hipsters with a macbookpro I used to loathe. But right now, I'm a starving artist and I don't really have the money to even buy an expensive coffee in here!

I'm waiting on Frank, Who I hope will be the star of my next documentary project, which is slightly under wraps still while we work out the details. This is another huge topic which I'm hoping to reign in to a manageable level as I did with Guns In The House. Hopefully I can achieve this once again! A good friend just wrote about Mercury being in Retrograde, which explains why I've been feeling pretty shitty of late. I was quite concerned at several points about my wellbeing. Normally I'm pretty on it with the positivity vibe, but with this year rather unclear on creative terms, and still being stuck at the same retail job ive had for three years now, I'm starting to think there must be more to life than being broke all the time. BUT I refuse to let money be the obstacle to the point that it stops me. The indie film world is so unstable anyway, I think I have to realise that itll be a long time before I make money at this gig, and until then I have to struggle to keep it up. All the greats make their best work at the beginning when their struggling to break through, so really I should make the most of this time, that the kings at the top look back on, once they've reached their peak and the future looks bleak, instead of having everything at your disposal and opportunities coming out of your ears. Another friend mentioned late one night how, living in the western world alone is a fact that we must not take for granted. We can easily be educated if we please, we can work, and we live under governments that allow us to live freely (debatable I know but I won't get into that.)

The people I've met in the last year have really opened my eyes to know that I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, its just taking that leap of faith and taking financial risks that allow you to progress to higher forms of living.

And lastly, one of my new years resolutions was to not be such a massive consumer. Its hard, but I reckon if I continue to live life as a hermit until my birthday, I will climb ever closer to the zero financial balance...which is too petty a thing to get worked up over (which I've been doing too much of).

Very happy to have GITH screened as part of the first Martin Luther King student film festival at the Cape Fear Volunteer Center in Wilmington! It will be shown alongside other student work from New Hanover County High School. So thankful that Robert Cummins got in touch, who saw GITH at Cucalorus last year!

GITH is still submitting to both US and UK film festivals as well as european international Film Fests around Europe!

December 2013 Reminiscing

Just had a little realisation... That this time last year I had had my interview with Dan Brawley and Ash McGuire, and was waiting on tenterhooks as to whether I'd been accepted to be the new artist in residence at Cucalorus! I cannot believe that was a year ago, its absolutely flown by, however my most recent visit to Wilmington was so different to my time previously, it does feel like a fair while away. Lots of things changed, many of the friends I made there were only there temporarily, or have since moved elsewhere. But I made armfuls of new friends at Cucalorus 20, many of whom I try my best to keep in touch with. I've been back in the UK for 21 days now. Boy does it feel like a lot longer.

This year has been so fantastic and productive for me, I just hope I can better myself and equal my productivity this year. It's going to be a busy one what with my sister expecting in April, being the photographer for two good friend's weddings, and hopefully making more plans to return to Wilmington and Atlanta for film related plans! I can't wait to have a calendar for 2015 to plot out my time to juggle previous and new projects, alongside many exciting social events!

If I don't post again before, Have an excellent Christmas, the run up has been swift this time, and although I am grateful for the break period, I am ravenous for what the universe will throw at me in 2015. Bring it on!

Well I wish it couldn't be Christmas everyday.

This week, something quite simple jumped out at me from the screen. It was a paragraph in a link that a friend sent me, about deadlines for film funding over Christmas.

This might just be the best time of year to apply for grants: not only will you find yourself daydreaming about your next projects over the holidays, but there are also a slew of grant opportunities opening up that can make those daydreams a reality.

I am definitely daydreaming constantly at work about my next project, and this sentence gave me a good kick up the butt this week to make some headway for planning next year. It's going to be a busy one, and I need to seriously cut back on my non-film spending, so I can afford things to be productive! I must embrace a semi-hermit lifestyle!!! Editing my 'secret project' is proving a struggle at the moment, I don't seem to be able to get into the zone for it since I've been home and back to working full time. I've been back for 17 days now and the unproductive-guilt is kicking in. I really want it done so I can make that my completed project to kickstart 2015. I feel like time is forever running away from me!

Christmas is next week, and we have two weeks left of 2014. What a rollercoaster year it has been! I've had some incredible experiences packed in, and I can only wish for the same for the on-coming year.

Will make some a work sprint for tomorrow so not to be distracted. The weather is vulgar here this week so I shant be tempted outside at least. Roll on shortest day of the year (Sunday) so we can count down the days to summer again! How I wish for warm winds and quality time near the sea. Feels like forever ago when in fact it was exactly a month ago! Funny how different situations have that effect on you.

I think I'll watch my gift from a friend tonight, Waking Life: an animated film questioning sleep-walking and wake-walking, in a box plastered in positive reviews! Good night.

Second week at home.

This week I've been thrown back into full time work which has been a struggle! Not a lot of time or energy for much else during the day. However, I have now entered GITH into five US film festivals, mainly east coast and including Full Frame.

I now need to look at English film festivals and figure out where GITH would be received well. I found an amazing statistic for America is that 90% of american film festivals don't make it past ten years old, which makes Cucalorus very special indeed for being 20! Cucalorus 21 can't come quickly enough.

The weather is cold, wet and blustery here, perfect conditions to stay inside with mugs of coffee and onesies at the ready. My plan is to finish my 'Suspected school shooter' film over the winter, ready to start filming my new project in the Spring. Again a gigantic topic which I am in the mental stages of reigning in. I feel this will be an insightful sister project to GITH. The structure seemed well received in America at least, so I'm hoping the formula will work out for my new subject.

Back to the grind! Check back soon for more initial creative thoughts!

There and back again, a hobbit's tale by Mandi Edwards.

Feeling very positive in my home comforts. Seeing my family again is lovely, and with the addition of a new puppy who wouldn't want to come home!

So today I'm going to make a life schedule. for the forseeable next year at least. I will be working on editing Gina Tron's video up until Christmas I believe. Should be more of a straight forward editing job than GITH.

I'm doing some simple animation for it also, so all will be revealed when the video is complete. I must say reading her latest book is great inspiration to work on it! She's such a unique and interesting person, and I can barely put down her new book 'You're Fine' - Buy it here !

I will be submitting GITH to more film festivals both in the US and in the UK, I have yet to research into festivals in the UK so thats next on the list. I reckon a few a week should do it. Costly business submitting!! But with help from the boss-lady Jen West I feel much more confident with the whole process now.

Lastly, preparing my new project. I shant reveal too much yet, I'm currently wondering whether it might be a two year job so as not to rush it. Considering a factual doc this time as well as observatory. Another hot topic challenge to follow up Guns!

This week has been a chilled one, but also productive in terms of what's next. After the intensity of the festival, I realise this is also my vacation for the year and have given myself some down time too.

So after initial brainstorming of my next documentary project, focusing on transitioning transgenders, I took a roadtrip to Myrtle Beach with a new friend which was a wonderfully weird experience! I feel like this image sums it up perfectly, completely dead out of season, but comforting and a new place to refresh my head. This week I began submitting GITH to other film festivals here in the US. I realise this will be a fairly costly venture so I am carefully picking my festivals for the most relative outlets.

I have 3 days left here, wow, thats insane. The time has both crawled and flown by. I have learnt a lot about myself, I feel I have reached a new level of confidence being in front of an audience at Thalian Hall. Again thanks to Cucalorus for programming my shorts block twice in such a beautiful building. The comments were overwhelmingly positive, and what with it being such a hot topic this week with the Ferguson case, I feel like there was no better time for it to premiere.

We also had a very cosy screening at DREAMS of Wilmington, where a great discussion was had afterwards. It was even shown on the local news that evening which was fun and great exposure for me!

I can only hope it has the same response back home. We have one screening being planned for February so far, and I will be looking into festivals in the UK to submit to also. This is all new to me so I will be learning to strategise submissions.

I am hoping to have my new documentary proposal completed in a rough state by the time I leave, ready to go and brainstorm with my british crew buddies. I will hopefully meet up with some of my old university friends for guidance in this venture, I'm going to try my best to pack in a lot of preliminary work before Christmas.

Cucalorus has been a mega roller-coaster! What a mix of exciting and electric creatives from all over the world. The warm and friendly atmosphere among people was beautiful. In just a day I felt like introductions were unnecessary and for a socially awkward person, I felt confident walking around the festival alone knowing that soon I would bump into a cheerful face! All the films I got to see this year were very strong, I was very impressed by the quality and the arrangements of blocks especially (being a shorts programmer I was intrigued as to which one would show up where!)

My top three favourites would have to be Gregory Go Boom, if you click here you can watch it in full! Such a punchy, and hilariously dark short, featuring Michael Cera in his unique character. The music is great and I just love how dark it is! Second favourite was The Hip Hop Fellow, a feature length documentary about a fellow at Harvard teaching you how he teaches Hip Hop to students. Great insight and a fascinating topic for a music genre I am not overly into normally.

Third favourite is I Believe in Unicorns by Leah Meyerhoff, which was a beautiful narrative feature with animation influences from Michel Gondry, but more fantasy-like and not quite so wacky. The love story was very bittersweet and definitely a heart breaker to my younger teenage self.

I got to Premiere my short doc also of course, which was very exciting and slightly surreal as I had waited all year for this moment! I screened at Thalian Black on thursday, a modest screen seating around 100 people, I had a high school audience from Hanover County who posed great questions. On friday I had the main screen to my name! It looks stunning and was a real experience to see my work in such a beautiful theatre. As the intro sequence played out, my stomach turned and I held my former room-mate's hand tightly throughout, I could feel she was so proud of me. Jen West continues to guide me in my creative ventures, and I feel blessed to know her and deem her my older sister.

So it was a weekend of dark rooms, little sleep, staying out talking about film till 6am in chilly Jengo's Playhouse, and dragging my butt out of bed at 9am to take on a new day of creative rapture.

I am in love with this town and this festival, and I hope to come back every year with a new project. The injection of creative adrenaline is overwhelming for me also, and I am riding the bull onwards to my next project. A big thank you Dan Brawley for giving me a break and a house to live in, and thank you to all my dear sweet friends for their continued support in my projects.

Nancy and Mark: my american parents, without whom I wouldn't have any of this. Channing Duke for opening my eyes to the world of Cucalorus and pushing me towards it, Rebecca Kenyon, my british partner in crime and idol for her love and support through thick and thin, and Jen West, my america sister who provides me with unconditional love and the brightest lights in my future.

I continue to meet amazing people here and I am so grateful.

Return to Wilmington

So I'm back in Wilmington, second day in and still adjusting to the time difference (woke up bright as a button at 6:05am!!) I'm going to spend today organising my free time, after a stressful week of pre-travel prepping and the last days of work! I have completed the first of my series of 'deleted scenes' videos From Guns In The House. These will feature on my vimeo page, and also on the website.

These are compelling stories that didn't make it into the final cut, but still have a powerful message which deserves to be shared. Watch this space for updates of new videos!

This week I am also going to begin my new secret project, which will be revealed hopefully by the time I leave (End of Nov.)

Its great to be cosying back into the welcoming community of Wilmington. I will be meeting Mr. Jumoke on Friday morning to discuss whats been happening in my absence, and how we can push this message to try to make a difference here in the Port City.

Score Complete.

Next step. The score for my film is now complete. I travelled up to sit side by side with my second musician, Miss. Kayla Painter today. I quickly discovered for this part of the creative tweaking process, working over email just wasn't cutting it. Sitting next to her and seeing the speed and precision in which she works was both fascinating and reassuring. I got the right girl for the job 100%. The subtlety I wanted for my film has been acquired, and it sounds perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better score, not to forget the haunting and eloquent piano tracks by Luke Stuart at the beginning of the film. They really add the depth and rounded edge I wanted for the film. I've been so so lucky and blessed to have all of these talented individuals work on GITH (including Mr. Martell of course). My only wish is that in the future I can pay them for their hard work, and continue to collaborate with them on my journey of independant film making. Feeling good, T-Minus 10 days before reuniting with my beloved Wilmington. Getting pretty excited now!

Film Poster

It's here! I'd like to present our new Poster for the film! Kindly produced by Ed Follis at Creative Finch.

I love the colouring and the simplicity, and hope to intrigue viewers to watch the doc! We went through a fair few phases, and I learnt what a 'bokeh' is! We decided against keeping that effect in the end though, it is much more clear and defined without it. Again I love the simplicity and minimalist edge to it. I think it covers my film as a whole well, this topic will never be complete, and my film I hope will open up many discussions and get people talking on how to best step forward and guide the new generation of tomorrows adults to making the right choices, especially in Wilmington. You'll have to watch the film, I could ramble on for pages about this!

I'm happy to still have the passion I have felt for this topic since last year, if anything it has strengthened through the amazing people I have met during the production of the film, and I hope we can continue to making a positive difference in Wilmington and hopefully elsewhere!

This week I have been emailing a fellow film maker, about a new project coming up; 91%. John Richie previously Directed 'Shell Shocked' which is a fantastic documentary about 'Growing up in the Murder Capital of america' set in New Orleans. Beautifully shot and fantastic interviews.

I'm very excited to have this in windows around Wilmington very soon!

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|Mandi Edwards| Indie Documentary Filmmaker