TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTRE, MILLENIUM POINT, BIRMINGHAM.

I am due to commence teachning a number of short three-day intensive courses in video production, editing, After Effects and DVD Production starting in the 2008 Easter Holidays. Exact dates and times will be posted online soon.

NCFE CREATIVE CRAFTS: VIDEO PRODUCTION kicks off for 2007/8 at Kidderminster College on Thursday September 13th at 7pm.

This year, there's a newly revamped and upgraded course (we have some great new equipment at the College!) ready to go.
We have the course on two levels, Level 1 for the beginner and those with some very basic experience in home movie making, and Level 2, for those who are a little more experienced, or already undertaken the level one.

Our new equipment and software includes the full Adobe CS3 suite, with will now allow us to cover post-production visual effects with Adobe After Effects, and Encore, which is pro-level DVD authoring and encoding program. We also have top rated new High Definition Video cameras, along with quad-core computers to edit in HDV!

This year the course features:
*Camera, sound and lighting techniques.
*Editing tricks, including grading, keying and more.
*How to direct, write and produce a film.
*Special Effects tricks, and how to film for effects use.
*Special section on sound effects, foley, and post-production sound mixing.
*DVD authoring, and the technical aspects of making a DVD.
*film study; both features and shorts. (I always try to find something students hopefully haven't seen before)
*The usual flexible approach, allowing the course to cover specifically requested things, and to mould it to the needs of the films being produced.
*Full out-of-class support via email.
*Work experience opportunitites on professional local shoots (should there be applicable openings).
*Some of the former students are also still in direct contact, and willing to help new students to crew their films.
*Networking and special events information and visits (at Student and venue discression).

Students are allowed to make any short film of their choice (within sensible and legal reason), and full support is given throughout.

Students who have some equipment of their own are of course, still afforded the luxury of using it if they wish, instead of, or as well as using College kit.

Enrollments are now being taken at Kidderminster College Student Services on 01562 512003 / 4.
If anybody has any questions or enquiries, please get in contact with me using the email below.
The course lasts 30 weeks, is NCFE certificated, and is free to under 18's. Please enquire at Student Services for current costs and concessions. You will need to let student services know which level interests you. The course is listed on page13 of the part-time prospectus under the Art&Design section.

Best wishes,
Rupert Millward
-Course tutor
rmillward@kidderminster.ac.uk
http://www.kidderminster.ac.uk

• Back to New York! The Hellraiser Chronicles: A Question of Faith is getting its second screening in New York, accompanied this time by Dr. Psycho and Last Meal. Once again at the I-CON Festival.
• I am planning on uploading a number of my shorter films by the end of February. Dr.Psycho, my most requested not-online movie, will be the first to go up. There will also be a trailer for The Hellraiser Chronicles: A Question of Faith, and some special interest DVD clips amongst others. I am looking into the possibility of putting HRC: QoF up in its entirity, but only for a limited period.
• Popular American horror magazine HorrorHound have done a Hellraiser special for their Jan/Feb '08 issue. The lengthy and well written piece covers all aspects of the Hellraiser universe, including comics, communities, and the new wave of short films I kicked off with A Question of Faith. I get a nice little mention, as does the movie.
  
• The Hellraiser fun still continues! The Hellraiser Chronicles: Hellbent is a short british fan film, due to make it's debut in New York's 2008 Icon festival. I have allowed the filmmakers to use the opening sequence and format, adding it to Mark Adam's Hellraiser Chronicles: Lifebringer to bring the Chronicles series to three entries.
• Woes of the Departed is looking as if it's going to be the only one of the seven Balance Project Films to keep it's charity fund raising purpose. Original series 'producer' Chip Colquhoun appears to have abandonned the seven-film project, leaving the existing films in limbo. Nobody seems to have heard anything from him in months. I have taken the initiative directly and am in talks with DiabetesUK about having WotD online soon, with their support.
• Hollywood based actress Sarah Logan has updated her website with a new demo reel. Amongst the footage from her films is some clips from The Hellraiser Chronicles: A Question of Faith. This is the only online place to see some footage from this movie. Visit www.sarahlogan.com and select demo reel.
• I have had Woes of the Departed selected to play at the next Worcester Arts Workshop Subterranean Cinema in December. A Drinking Song (Michael Walcott) and Another Day in Paradise (Dave Stokes) are also set to screen.
• 'Last Meal' was a success at Birmingham Arts Fest, and ITV have approached me about adding it to their short films website. It is now online along with 'Ipotesi' and 'Nothing to Where?' at the ITV local Website. There is a link to each film on the Screenings List page.
• 'Ipotesi' has been selected to play at the Cinem@tic films festival at the IMAX Cinema, Millenuim Point, Birmingham. It was screened on Thuesday 16th October.
• 'Last Meal' and 'Nothing to Where?' have been selected to play at Birmingham Arts Fest. Both films will be playing at the Library Theatre (same venue used for the Birmingham Film Club) on September 16th '07. 'Nothing to Where?' is scheduled at 6pm, and 'Last Meal' at 9pm.
  
• The Kidderminster Shuttle have done a piece on the success of 'Nothing to Where?', which you can see HERE.
  
  Written, choreographed and directed by talented filmmaker Kim Archer, it is also available for online viewing on the ITV Central website. I executive produced and edited this very acclaimed surreal dance film.
• The three Narrowboats Special interest DVDs I directed for Activ-8 films have now been released on DVD in the UK by Pegasus Films. Further details on the screenings & DVD list page. Model Railways: An Enthusiast's Guide is also now on release.
  
• Kidderminster Arts Festival kicks off in the Summer Holidays of 2007, and amongst the numerous things on offer, is a video display featuring film clips from local filmmakers including myself and some of my students from Kidderminster College. During the dark hours, the reel is being projected onto the wall opposite the Warehouse Cinema on Green Street, and is also playing in Kidderminster Town Library during the day.
• 'All the Way Home', the M. R. James inspired ghost story film that I directed for the Balance Film Project, to raise money for DiabetesUK research, is now completed. Unfortunately the 'producer' has lost the original premiere at the IMAX Cinema in Birmingham, and broken terms of the agreement under which this and the six other films were made. As such, the film has been regretably pulled from the project, which as this moment in time, is going nowhere. The film has now been re-titled 'Woes of the Departed' and has received it's theatrical premiere. See the screenings page for details.
• Dr. Psycho may be returning in an unexpected manner! I am currently in discussion with interested parties about co-developing a stage show version of the good doctor's antics, interacting with new film segments. This is planned for Halloween 2008, so be patient! More details as I go along. I will be looking for new actresses for this, who will be able to be in both the film and stage presentations.
  
• The Hellraiser Chronicles: A second entry into the series of shorts is in post-production. This film, entitled The Hellraiser Chronicles: Life Bringer is by Bristol based Mark Adams, who runs the Hellraiser website. He is using the same formula as our promo, and will feature the same opening title sequence that I have allowed him to have. This is the first of a number of fan made Hellraiser movies that I am considering licenising the format to.
• Also Hellraiser related, a short prose Hellraiser Chronicles story that I wrote is now on the fiction section of the site. Entitled 'Number of the Beast', it features illustrations by Andy Dingley.
• On an unexpected and unusual turn, I have been entered on Wyfopedia online encyclopaedia. It appears I am recognised as the only established professional film director from Kidderminster other than Robert Hamer (Kind Hearts and Coronets, School for Scoundrels). All the Way Home, Twisted Souls, A Question of Faith and Grave Peril are all listed in the Films of Wyre Forest category. In fact, Grave Peril was the site's 1500th page entry, so I have a direct reference on the site's main page!
• The Twisted Souls restoration is still ongoing. The work so far has been so re-instate footage shot back in '91-'93, that couldn't be included back then, do an improved grade, and clean extensive damage to the original master. So far it looking amazing in comparison with the original version that was issued on VHS in '93. I have also completed some parts of the director's cut by adding in alternate scenes and shots from 1998 that have not been seen previously. When the current quality restoration is done, I shall shoot the new material. We have excellent new zombies courtesy of Savage Optic FX. DVD menus are already done, and some extra material has been gathered. IMDB are now listing the movie!
  
• I have a number of my films listed on IMDB.