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Middleton - Available Now!

Twenty months after picking up a pen to start drafting ideas for our web-series, Middleton, we're finally in a position to release it to the world!

The project as a whole has taken a little longer than we'd initially anticipated, but with all things taken into consideration, I think everyone has done an incredible job to get to this stage.

As mentioned in previous blogs, we started filming Middleton early this year in the picturesque village of Great Ayton, North Yorkshire. Our team, made up entirely of local cast/crew, were aiming to produce a short sitcom series made up of five, fifteen minute episodes; the equivalent to a feature film! 

          Some of the Middleton cast / crew in Great Ayton Village Hall

As with any low budget production, we found that financial restrictions and work commitments were the biggest challenges to overcome throughout the project. With these factors in mind, we were only really able to film on Sunday's, and I really do take my hat off to everyone who is so committed to making it in the film/TV industry, that they gave their only day of the week off each week in order to make the project a success - Thank You!! 

In order to celebrate the release of Middleton, we held a screening of the entire series, which attracted an audience of 90-100 people. The response from everyone I spoke to afterwards really was overwhelming, so a big thank you for all your comments. In addition to this, we also managed to raise £380 for Teesside based charity, Abbie's Love, which is an excellent bonus. 

Following this we released 'Middleton - Episode One' to YouTube on Thursday 7th November and had almost 2,000 views in less than a week, along with some excellent feedback, which has already made the entire project worthwhile!

People still ask me, "Why did you create Middleton?" The reasoning behind it was to provide a platform for everyone involved; an extra project to add to everyone's CV, whilst providing the experience necessary for future productions. And I for one will be keeping my fingers crossed for everybody involved that they manage to get recognised off the back of Middleton, because the dedication and effort everyone has put into the project deserves rewarding!

If you're interested in taking a look at the first episode of Middleton, please head to; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8ViQSqdQYo

Your support really would be appreciated! Episode Two will also be available to view at www.youtube.com/teeyomedia, as of 19:30 (GMT) on Thursday 14th November.

If anybody has any questions relating to the project, please contact us at [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/teeyomedia 

#MiddletonSeries

Thanks again for your support everyone, I really do hope you enjoy the rest of the series! 

Martin Davies, Director

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Middleton Series - Our Goal

What is Middleton? Why are we doing it? What do we hope to achieve from it? I've lost count at the number of times I've been asked these questions. This is my attempt at answering, as well as welcoming you all along to the world of Middleton. 

Inspiration

I’m a big fan of scripted TV comedy, with programs such as Only Fools and Horses, Friends, Summer Heights High, Little Britain and Come Fly With Me (to name a few) constantly being on our tele. But there are three comedies in particular that have had a bigger influence on me than others, and these include Mr Bean, The Royle Family and most of all, The Office. Why? They’re simple, they’re funny and they’re believable.

("Believable? But Mr Bean's an alien?" ... You know what I mean)

As you may have read from co-writer, Adrian Phipps’, recent entry, we wanted to create characters that people can love, hate, poke fun at, laugh with, but most of all, we wanted to create characters that viewers can relate to. And this has been the biggest obstacle to overcome, but thankfully, I’d like to think we’ve achieved this with Middleton. 

So why create a comedy? Ever since I watched The Office I’ve been a massive fan of Ricky Gervais, and I’ve always thought it would be brilliant to be involved in a production similar to The Office or Extras. Whether it be as a hobby, or for a living, it didn’t matter – I just knew I wanted to create something to try and make people laugh. About ten years later, I’ve stopped putting the dream off, finally put pen to paper and just got the hell on with it ... no excuses! 

So far the production couldn't be going any better, and we hope things are going continue in this manner this weekend, as we have a big shoot coming up on Sunday. We will have all but a handful of our 15+ cast members on set throughout the day, which is to make up our biggest shoot to date. Once the day is complete, we will be approximately halfway through production, which is a great achievement for everyone involved. But what next?

Moving Forward

Since finishing my Television Production course at Teesside Uni, I've often been asked, what have you got to show for it? And the honest answer is, nothing. Which I think is true for the majority of graduates. However come the end of this series, everyone involved will have a credit to their name, with which they can start / progress their career in the industry, and I think that this purpose alone is worth the immense effort this production is taking.

We also aim to use the experience and knowledge we gain from Middleton to work on future projects, which are already in the pipeline, and it's with this in mind that we try so hard to make this a success, because if this is the stepping stone for us to work from, then I really do think that everyone involved is in a very strong position moving forward.

Stay Involved

To everyone involved and to those who have helped encourage me personally, and the production as a whole, so far, a massive thank you!! To those of you who are new to the Middleton scene, welcome along. From here on in we're going to be bringing you more frequent blog entries and regular video updates which will keep you bang up to date with all our goings on, starting next week, with a blog entry from Producer, Lydia-Grace Pitts, and a video of Middleton's Mayor, Terry Coombs (played by Jim McMaster).

To keep up to date with proceedings, head over to the following pages;

www.facebook.com/middletonseries,

www.youtube.com/teeyomedia

@MiddetonSeries

#MiddletonSeries

Martin Davies, Director

Ps. Mr Bean is an alien ... right?

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Ree Collins' Middleton Update

Hey guys, Ree here.

I play Denise Fowler in the #Middleton series. This means wearing a lot of leopard print, red nails, horrific make up and very short skirts. Safe to say, I feel a little out of place in the sleepy village of Great Ayton.

It has been great meeting the team. Everyone is so passionate and enthusiastic about the work in hand which is just brilliant. We are supplied with endless tea/coffees, sandwiches, crisps and last week we even had homemade cakes and cookies courtesy of Lydia! (Earl Grey tea cupcakes nonetheless!? Who knew?)

This week we have had a week off from the filming and have used it to work on promoting the show. It is so exciting to see the number of Facebook likes grow every day! Thank you all so much for your support so far. Glen and Martin had a bet going as to just how many Facebook likes we could get over a day. Glen won the bet, which meant Martin has had to buy him many pints! Please continue to support and ‘like’ us on Facebook/follow us on Twitter and who knows, Martin may have to buy us all drinks!?

In addition to the Facebook following, we have confirmed two slots on local radio stations. Tune in to the new Palace FM (located at the new ‘Hub’ on Redcar seafront) Friday 17th May @ 5pm to hear us talking about all things #Middleton.

Last week saw homemade cakes, boob flashing and Midsomer Murders ... who knows what will ensue this week! But, I can’t wait to find out.

P.S. In other news, we have been filming in Great Ayton for a few weeks now and I am yet to indulge in a Suggett’s Ice Cream. Bad times.

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A Middleton update from Glen Fawcett

A while ago I wrote an entry for our Middleton blog to document the epic journey Martin and I went on to try and find the perfect setting for our weird little village. We encountered fog, snow, freezing temperatures and I think there was a whale involved at some point, although, it was a while ago. We spent a whole day driving through village after pointless village and we managed to narrow it down to two options - Ravensomethingorother and Easilyforgottonville.

You might also remember I briefly mentioned another small village which was quickly dismissed as a potential location because of its unsuitability due to it being a tourist 'hot-spot'. Well, we decided we like tourists and if you've been following the blog thus far then you'll know we've actually just had our second day of filming Middleton in the definitely not unsuitable village of Great Ayton!

Filming has been an absolute pleasure. After our read through in MINK I was a lot more confident in our choice of cast than I was in our initial choice of location. It's great to work with a team of such talented and dedicated people.

It's been especially great getting to know our production team, I feel as though I’ve really bonded with Paul, our camera guy who recently saved someone’s life, Alex aka ‘Sleepy Simon’ who’s been following us about with his camera and appears to be sleeping in the back ground of one of our scenes (look out for that) and Chris, the sound guy.

One thing I’ve noticed throughout the production so far is the level of professionalism shown by everyone. I’d like to take some credit for that, I think people have witnessed the way I conduct myself on set and that has served as an example to everyone.

On the subject of professionalism, I really fancy a pint and I’ve got an hour before I’m due at the theatre so I’m going to cut this blog short and quickly sum up what else has been going on:

Richard, (playing Ned), convinced some locals that we’re filming Midsomer Murders, Alex has promised to do a short documentary with me on the ducks of Middleton which should involve us both wading through the stream just over the road from the Village Hall, our record for keeping up a ping pong ball remains at just 5, Danny (playing Danny) can’t use walkie-talkies, Chris the sound guy owns a pair of handcuffs and is most definitely a kinky bugger, Ree (playing Denise) got well into character and pretty much flashed everyone and Lydia makes great sandwiches.

It's been lots of fun and lots of hard work and I can't speak for everyone but I definitely have bruises on my arse. Peace.

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Middleton - Day 1

After a year of writing, months of pre-production and endless sleepless nights of planning, it was finally time to start the shoot!

As we woke up at the crack of dawn, the first thing that sprung to mind was ... "Please let today be worth all the effort." But as soon as we walked into the Village Hall and seen the cast bring Middleton to life, I knew it was.

Despite so much planning and communication on the run up to the production, it was only when all cast and crew members congregated in the Village Hall that things started to feel real. The guys sorting the camera, the mic being checked, the make-up being applied, the behind-the-scenes camera rolling and the cast rehearsing. The ball was finally rolling!

Our first shot was situated in a small, cramped corridor. A scene that was always going to prove challenging, which only added to the nerves I was already feeling - was this production really going to be as good as we'd been expecting?

Thankfully, from the moment the cast opened their mouths, we knew we were onto a winner and everything became a lot more relaxed. The connection between all the guys (both on and off camera) was evident to see. They really could have been long-term residents of Middleton.

With the first shot out of the way, it was time to re-assemble the main hall and plan the afternoons shoot, safe in the knowledge that the cast we had were more than capable of pulling off a really enjoyable and more importantly, funny series.

As the afternoon came and went, we shot a series of events that will act as the backbone of episode two, setting us up nicely for the remainder of the series. The reason we wanted to shoot these scenes first is because it gives us a good base to work from moving forward, as the cast were able to get to know their characters in a scene that includes the majority of the cast.

Despite the amount of coffee that was flying around the place, I think everyone who was on set would agree that it was a long and tiring day. but I can assure everybody that after watching the days footage back, it was worth it.

Production continues this Sunday at Great Ayton in the Village Hall, which will be our second of three shoots in that location, before we move onto our external shots around the village. After this weeks shoot, our behind-the-scenes guy, Alex Whitely, will be providing some footage of the production to date for you all to have a look at, which should give an idea of a day in the life on the set of Middleton.

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Great Ayton

After much deliberation, we've finalised our decision as to where Middleton is to be based, and we've gone against our initial judgement, and decided upon Great Ayton. 

Having grew up in Middlesbrough, it was always nice to visit Great Ayton with the family on a summers day. Whenever the sun decided to play out, we knew we'd find large crowds of people providing a lively atmosphere.

I think this is the image we had in mind when we first set out to look for our location and therefore almost immediately ruled out Great Ayton, for two reasons in particular;

The village seemed too large and lively (especially in summer) to give the feel we wanted for Middleton.

With too many people around, there's always the possibility of people waving and making a disturbance in the background of any shots and spoiling any scenes we've lined up.

Due to these factors, we decided to go in search of a more fitting location and decided upon Ravensworth, situated on the outskirts of Darlington. Ravensworth was quiet, scenic and more intimate than any of the other villages we'd considered.

However, as time passed we got to thinking that perhaps Ravensworth was too isolated and didn't really offer enough personality for what we wanted, forcing us to re-think our decision and go back in search for the ideal village.

It was at that stage that our attentions went back to Great Ayton, and the more we thought about it, the more it made sense to base Middleton here. There's a really friendly, welcoming atmosphere around the place, as well as some real character about it, which will add to the attraction of Middleton.

The size of the village will also provide more opportunity to play around with certain shots and capture the spirit of Middleton, as it is larger than we'd initially imagined.

In regards to the people waving in the background etc., if they were to do so, it might just work in our favour. Middleton is being filmed through the eyes of a documentary crew, which would attract attention anyway. So if this were to happen throughout the shoot - it would only add to the realism.

I've spent this afternoon doing a reccy of Great Ayton, and the more time I spent visualising certain shots, the more excited I became. Also, the locals I've had the pleasure of speaking to today have been very supportive of the series, and seem more than willing to help out wherever possible, which has really given me the confidence boost I was hoping for.

I've been lucky enough to have spent many enjoyable days at Great Ayton when I was a kid, and I would love to think we can create an excellent series here, as it would be a bit more personal to myself and others involved in the production, who also have a link with the place.

Although we aren't looking to shoot any external shots for a good while yet, it's great to know we've decided on the village, which we can now visualise better when discussing scenes.

As it stands at the minute, there are still a couple of locations to finalise, but each day brings us that little bit closer to having all the pieces in place.

Click here to see a short video of Great Ayton, AKA. Middleton.

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Series Read-Through

With the audition process being a great success, it was time for the cast to meet and to hear the entire script come to life. The main focus of the session was to allow everybody to feel more comfortable about the production, but it was also a great opportunity for us to see what did and didn't work. 

The Get Together

We held the read-through at MINK in Middlesbrough, who were really accommodating and provided the perfect venue for what we needed. 

As soon as the cast arrived, it was evident that the group were going to gel as well as we'd hoped. A few of the cast members have actually worked on previous projects together, which instantly relaxed the atmosphere, which is what we were hoping for.

Once the read-through began, any initial doubts or worries I had about the day disappeared. The enthusiasm from everybody involved was clear to see and it was great, and almost a relief in some ways, that everybody clearly wants this to succeed as much as we do.

Dedication

During previous blogs I've mentioned how I feel similar productions could have been a lot stronger had more time been spent on certain areas. Another key factor I've noticed is peoples dedication to certain projects, or lack of it. I've sat in on similar read-throughs to today, and a lot of people have arrived without bothering to have previously picked up the script, or they look as though they've been forced along.

Thankfully the feeling we got from everyone who came today, was that they were genuinely pleased, and excited, to be part of Middleton, which is a great feeling for everyone involved and will definitely help the production.

As of Sunday 21st April, we will start filming and as discussed today, we will all be involved in some really long days. With this in mind it was great to see how well everyone was getting on during the read. One of the things we mentioned afterwards is that the general banter from everyone involved shows that the cast is genuinely funny, which, again, can only be a good thing for the production as a whole.

Looking back on the day, it was definitely a worthwhile exercise. It's clear that there's already a good vibe amongst the group, or as Jack Bandeira likes to call it, "The Middleton Family". In regards to the actual script itself, we've definitely noticed areas where we can improve, and we are hoping to have these changes in place come the end of this week.

We're Ready

So, that's it! The cast have met, the crew is ready and the shooting schedule has been finalised. There's no doubting that this production is going to be a massive undertaking for everyone involved, but it's days like today that really make the effort worthwhile, and if today is anything to go by I think we really are in the process of making a brilliant comedy series.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be asking certain cast and crew members to give their thoughts on the process so far and what they are hoping to come from the Middleton series, or "season", according to Glen. As well as that, we will be doing one final reccy, and confirming a couple of locations.

Other than that, there's nothing more for it, apart from saying a big well done to everyone who was there today, thanks to Paul Robinson for the photos, and again, a big thank you to MINK for allowing day one to be such a success.

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Searching For Middleton - Another Perspective

The below is our 'Search for Middleton', through the eyes of co-writer, Glen Fawcett;

On 12th March, Martin produced a blog documenting our search for Middleton. Although the basic facts are accurate I feel his account of events does not allow the reader to truly experience the roller-coaster thrill ride that was our perilous journey that day. Here’s how I remember it…

To start with, although Martin states he left York at 8.30am when he arrived to pick me up, I can assure you, it was the crack of dawn. His phone call to let me know he had arrived surely woke the birds and as I hastily dressed I felt strangely uneasy. There was something in the air. I knew the day would go hard on us.

My feelings were confirmed when I got in the car with Martin and he didn’t have the heating on. I was cold all day. It was perhaps because of the cool temperature of the car that I initially dismissed the tremor in Martin’s voice when he greeted me as a sensory reaction to the sub-zero atmosphere he was maintaining inside his newly purchased Peugeot. However, the truth of the matter quickly became apparent. Martin didn’t have a clue what he was doing.

As Martin states, our knowledge on local villages wasn’t great (a redundant statement really, after referring to Great Ayton as a major tourist attraction) and with our initial ‘plan’ to head towards Darlington foiled because of a crash in Darlington Town centre (another ill omen – this day would go hard on us) we set off, with all the direction of a daddy long legs skirting across the surface of a pond from one lily pad to the next, aimlessly in search of Middleton.

It took us a while to get the hang of things. Most of the North Yorkshire countryside consists of roads leading to other roads. When we did spot a village we’d driven through it before we’d had a chance to see anything. I shut my eyes and started to think of my bed and how promising the day had begun, full of pillows and duvets and dreams… When I opened my eyes the hazy fog of dreamland had become a reality; there was fog all around us (as is the nature of fog). This day would go hard on us. 

It is said that it is always darkest before the dawn, that’s not true, obviously, and yet for some strange reason I still felt spurred on by our dismal situation. The cold, the crash, the fog they were all just hurdles to overcome in our 110m race to find Middleton. We were on the road to Whitby and we were close, I could feel it. Even as the fog turned to snow and the radio lost reception and the barometer read -3 degrees my excitement grew.

Martin claims that I sensibly suggested we turn back but it actually happened more like this: Martin was driving at 60mph through the freezing fog and snow navigating blindly, knowing that each turn in the road could be our last. I was hanging out of the window and pointing into the abyss, and as I roared against the elements, the whole thing was like a scene from Moby Dick.

“Onwards! Onwards Martin. She’s out there. Show yourself! Showyourself, Middleton, you motherless bitch!”

After a while we decided to turn around and go back the way we came.

With the kind of introspection lacking in Melville’s Captain Ahab I decided to question my instincts and instead take a more logical, or rather technological approach to finding our white whale.

We switched on the Sat-Nav and allowed the dulcet tones of Billy Connelly to guide us to one of the destinations previously suggested, never once mentioning the passing landmarks we were seeing for the second time that day.  

We managed to see two really great villages, both with heaps of potential, both with quaint little pubs with ridiculously late opening times and both annoyingly close to where we initially set off from. We had a little look around and we absolutely loved both places. We’re almost positive this had nothing to do with how cold it was and that we’d been driving around aimlessly all morning…

The discrepancies in mine and Martin’s stories are purely down to our individual perspectives, for instance, when Martin says I was ‘scribbling ideas’ on our producer’s notes, I was actually just scribbling on them. The facts are though that we have two great potential locations in Ravensworth and Melsonby and the fact that I’ve been telling people we’d visited Ravenscar (a small coastal village near Scarborough) and Easby doesn’t mean my account of events is any less accurate.