Eclectic Schlock Productions

Lunge Christmas 2011

2011-12-17T14:35:00.002Z

The very Merriest of Christmases to you from Eclectic Schlock.

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 13 - NEW TRAILER

2011-12-13T07:01:00.001Z

Shot by Kristyna Baczynski. Performed by Greig Johnson & Kristyna Baczynski. Created by Greig Johnson.

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 12 - Junket

2011-12-12T07:16:00.000Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 11 - Danny Glover

2011-12-11T10:55:00.001Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 10 - Imagineer

2011-12-10T08:00:00.000Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 9 - Patch

2011-12-09T07:32:00.000Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 8 - Manecdotes

2011-12-09T07:29:00.000Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 7 - Grief

2011-12-07T10:31:00.001Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 6 - Relaxation

2011-12-06T08:53:00.000Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 5 - Funding

2011-12-05T09:16:00.001Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 4 - Tweet

2011-12-04T09:01:00.001Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 3 - Critics

2011-12-03T23:03:00.001Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 2 - Frank

2011-12-02T09:42:00.002Z

The 12 Days of Lungemas: Day 1 - Weight

2011-12-01T09:33:00.002Z

TRAILER

2011-10-21T11:21:00.001+01:00

Here it is - the trailer demo of Oliver's first attempt at his assignment:

It was an absolute delight to work once again with inspirational DOP Tom Robinson. Huge gratitude must also go to Kristyna Baczynski and my parents Ann & Steve Johnson.

As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Get in touch at the EARTHED Facebook Page, or find out more at Eclectic Schlock Productions.

Posters

2011-07-17T21:59:00.002+01:00

Ahead of next month's trailer shoot - very excitingly collaborating with DOP Tom Robinson - here are our first mockup posters. Tag lines are a challenge. Maybe it's competition time. Answers on a postcard...

REPO

2011-05-17T15:19:00.003+01:00

The latest Eclectic Schlock music video; 'The Repo Man' for The Scaramanga Six.

ALBUM

2011-04-28T22:30:00.006+01:00

Here's an oddity - flexing old muscles, reopening old wounds. A one week project, recording a collection of recently rediscovered songs I never got round to recording in the last millennium. I was a teenager when I wrote them, now the songs are teenagers themselves.

All performed and produced by me, with no refining, restructuring or rewriting allowed - hence the Jack Daniels reference.

'90s MAN: Relics From a Teenage Songbook' by Greig Johnson (31) by Eclectic Schlock

Wonderful cover art by Kristyna Baczynski.

HORSE

2011-04-20T07:53:00.008+01:00

The latest Eclectic Schlock video, 'Never Desert A Dying Horse', taken from Karl Culley's truly stunning new album The Owl, available now from iTunes, Play and Amazon.

Written & performed by Karl Culley, with Ashley Johnson on upright bass, backing vocals by John Davey and additional vocals and instruments by Daniel Webster. Produced and mixed by Daniel Webster.

For information, gigs and bonus tracks visit Karl or his fascinating blog, and follow him on Twitter.

TESTS

2011-03-27T10:03:00.004+01:00

A reel of sketchy testers for the perusal of our VFX animator - the first line of what will be a long dialogue to decide the look of the film. As ever, the password is 'earthed'.

EARTHED

2011-03-17T23:30:00.002Z

Can't wait to meet them in the flesh...

The roughest of rough mockups:

>

FOLLOW

2011-01-19T22:32:00.002Z

'Who Wants to Make, Fund or Appear in a Feature Film?' from Greig Johnson

Promote your Page too

CHRISTCHILD

2010-12-13T09:30:00.001Z

Written, performed & cut by Greig Johnson. Shot by Kristyna Baczynski.

REVIEW

2010-09-14T17:50:00.003+01:00

"...MR BRADLEY MR MARTIN HEAR US THROUGH THE HOLE IN THIN AIR created a sense of the surreal, setting one of William S Burroughs cut-up poems to some stunning visuals. Director Greig Johnson’s ability to evoke the feeling of Burroughs’ work is uncanny and it’s an extremely well put-together film."

Laurence Boyce, Little White Lies.

RAINDANCE

2010-09-09T12:37:00.007+01:00

We are honoured and thrilled to finally announce that MR BRADLEY MR MARTIN... will receive it's London premiere in competition at this year's Raindance Film Festival on Friday 1st October.

About Raindance:
'Raindance has become Europe's largest independent film festival. The 18th Edition will run from September 29 to October 10 in central London. In the past, we have screened films such as Pulp Fiction, The Blair Witch Project, Dead Man's Shoes and many more. Over the years, the Festival has hosted such guests and filmmakers as Christopher Nolan, Shane Meadows, Ken Loach, Marky Ramone, Iggy Pop, Quentin Tarantino, Kerry Fox, Armando Ianucci and Billy Childish. For 12 hectic days in central London, Raindance showcases short and feature films from all over the world as well as organising workshops, panels and live events.'

ZEBRA

2010-09-09T12:35:00.000+01:00

We are pleased to announce that 'MR BRADLEY MR MARTIN...' will screen in competition at this years Zebra Poetry Film Festival in Berlin, on Thursday 14th of October. Details can be found here.

ODENSE

2010-08-27T18:14:00.004+01:00

We had a wonderful time at this year's Odense Film Festival; our first visit to Denmark and we couldn't have been made to feel more welcome. MR BRADLEY MR MARTIN... got a great reception and the questions after each screening were insightful and interesting. A truly great festival, recommended to all.

FEST

2010-06-07T10:40:00.001+01:00

MR BRADLEY MR MARTIN... screened at this year's Holmfirth Film Festival, as art of the Northern Film Makers Shortlist, on Tuesday 25th of May.

YOU

2010-05-30T12:40:00.003+01:00

The Birdman Rallies perform a special live version of 'You and I', from their 2009 untitled EP, recorded & produced by Daniel Webster.

Directed, cut & composited by me.

FESTS

2010-03-18T23:04:00.000Z

Both MR BRADLEY MR MARTIN and Misadventure have been accepted for the Seven Short Film Festival 2010 (Wednesday 24th March, 7:30 at Seven Arts In Leeds). I will be introducing both films on the night.

MR BRADLEY MR MARTIN has also been shortlisted for the Yorkshire Award at Glimmer 2010 (Hull International Short Film Festival) in April.

SOUP

2010-03-03T17:30:00.003Z

Here's a wee curio - the first film I ever made. Poem, reading, sound & picture by me, aged twenty.

INTERVIEW

2010-02-26T20:19:00.006Z

Here's an email interview, requested by Creative Media students from Macclesfield College, who had attended my lecture at the Bradford Media Museum in November:

Could you give us a brief resumé of how, when and why you started making films?

I was on a very broad Graphic Arts course where anything went (GAD at Leeds Met). At the end of a First Year spent writing short stories and making paper mache masks I received the best piece of advice I ever have - start your Second Year with something big - so over that Summer I shot a lot of footage with a friend's borrowed camcorder, even though I had no idea at that stage how I was going to edit it. I was just getting into Jan Svankmajer and David Lynch, so trying moving image seemed inevitable. My personal Way In was music - I already knew how to create and record audio, so I made a track of myself reading an Edward Lear-inspired poem I'd written, 'Owl Soup', then shot a mass of images and ideas to cut over it. As soon as I did my first cut, I was hooked and did nothing but film from then on.

Can you describe the different ways in which you have ‘shown’ your work? Are there advantages/disadvantages for each?
Obviously, the Internet's great - Facebook's really good for building up a community of people you can show your work to with a simple message. Upload direct to Facebook or get a Vimeo or YouTube channel and start getting feedback. The only disadvantages are the compromise in quality, the size of the picture and the fact that all the feedback you get is secondhand, not face to face. Anyone making moving image simply MUST watch their work with as big an audience, on as big a screen, as possible whenever they can. You haven't seen your edit until you've watched it with a roomful of people. The best place to do this is a film festival. Through a guy I met at a screening above a pub, my first film, 'Owl Soup', got shortlisted for Best Yorkshire Short at Leeds International Film Festival, so never underestimate your own work - just enter it and see. I've never won; to me the prize is seeing your work on a big screen with a big audience. There are no disadvantages to being in a film festival; they're wonderful experiences. Ironically, TV can be the most anticlimactic outlet for your work. Shows like Sky's Propeller TV are always looking for stuff to screen, but unless you throw a big viewing party, you'll have no idea how it's gone down with anyone.

Apart from your own projects, who might commission work?
There are always competitions out there to get experience with live briefs; companies offering prizes and exposure in return for publicity, and if you can win or get shortlisted you've got something good for your CV. Enter small, obscure competitions and festivals too; less competition, greater chances. Other than that, all my work has come through friends or friends of friends. Someone will approach you if you make it well known what you do, or you can find an upcoming band and offer them your services. Music videos are the great mutually beneficial medium - the band need your video and you need their music - but you have to be prepared to work for little or no money, particularly when just starting out. Basically, always say yes. "Can you make us a video in one weekend for forty quid?" - "Yes". If you say no or maybe, someone else will get the gig.

Whether or not you do corporate stuff - promos and training videos - is up to you. I did one day of that and decided it wasn't for me.

Is ‘audience targeting’ a factor you consider in the production of your work and if so would that vary depending on the platform from which it is ‘shown’?
No. To me the audience is myself, whoever likes the work or the band I'm making a video for. Unless you're in advertising or broadcast TV and answering specific briefs, you don't need to pick the context first. You could make a three hour abstract piece or a one minute horror film; someone somewhere will want it, like it or screen it. There are some broadcast regulations and limitations, such as how much strobe lighting you can show on TV, but they're technical constraints, not audience issues. If a TV station or record label want a certain thing, you have to try and satisfy their requirements, but while also ensuring the work is right, and whether it's right is between you and your idea.

How might you gather audience reaction to your work and how it is ‘shown’ and would assessment/evaluation of this kind influence future work?
If everyone agrees on what your best piece of work is, that will influence you in future. Once you realise how much you enjoy making people laugh, frightening them, etc., you'll pursue it. Become a member of a community like Shooting People or Northern Exposure - either online or at screenings - and go after the opinions of creative people you respect, not just your mates or YouTube comments, but people who'll understand what you do, how you do it and how you might improve.

Has modern technology helped you produce and ‘show’ your films and if so how?
Modern is the only technology I use. I film on HD or DV, cut in Final Cut Pro on a Macbook, then burn dvds and upload to Vimeo. I've submitted to online competitions, sent films via Box or YouSendIt and got work through Facebook and my blog. It's all modern.

How do you overcome any legal hurdles you encounter along the way? What constraints are there for publicly ‘showing’ your work? Are there any barriers to selling your work – on DVD for example? Who owns your films once you upload them to a website and how do you ensure that they remain your property?
If at all possible, use original music or old stuff that you're sure is now Public Domain, and don't film anyone without their consent. Ideally, use musicians you know and make your work using entirely material that is owned or made by you. If you want to make a music video, find a band who want one. We had a student who made an epic, beautiful animation to a Sigur Ros track - even the band liked it, but the management said no, so it can never be publicly shown. You can apply for limited clearances on music and imagery, but if at all possible you should avoid the whole issue; particularly if you want to sell your work. Who owns them once they're online is a thorny one. YouTube and MySpace own any content you upload, but I've never experienced any trouble with that.

What does the future hold for the independent filmmaker and is there more or less potential for the work you want to be shown being ‘shown’? Are you as an Artist more liberated today or more constrained as a result?
More liberated (although I've never once felt anything but liberated, because I'm not trying to make money), but liberation is its own constraint. The playing field is almost completely level now that digital film's democratised the process. You could make the next Paranormal Activity. You could do anything and it will be assessed purely on the strength of your idea and craftsmanship, so be decisive about what you're good at and what you want to make. There are so many outlets available that anything you do will have an audience somewhere. Don't be intimidated by how many other people want the same things you want - you don't need to outdo anyone but yourself.

LECTURE

2010-02-12T17:37:00.002Z

'Weird For A Reason' Lecture 3|2|10 by Eclectic Schlock

'Weird For A Reason: Metaphors In Surrealist Narrative'. A lecture I gave to Graphic Arts & Design students at Leeds Met, referencing Bunuel's 'Un Chien Andalou', Lynch's 'Eraserhead', Svankmajer's 'Alice', Terry Gilliam's 'Tideland', Scorsese's student short 'The Big Shave' and my own 'MR BRADLEY MR MARTIN HEAR US THROUGH THE HOLE IN THIN AIR'.

TUNES

2010-01-28T09:19:00.003Z

Some of the original film music I've created - without recourse to Garage Band or samples, mind. All written, performed and produced by me.
Original Film Music (No Garage Band, No Samples) by Eclectic Schlock

SUFFERING

2009-12-27T13:37:00.006Z

Third and final video from the new Karl Culley album 'Bundle of Nerves'. The solo track - just voice and extraordinary guitar.

Just managed to squeeze another video into 2009; a year which has also produced Elephant Juice, Real Snow, Misadventure, Bundle of Nerves, Rufus, the Marianna Harlotta sketch (which I directed and edited), Lunge Uncovered, Shake Your Backbone and KARL. Time to finish the PhD, rest, recoup and reevaluate.

LECTURE

2009-11-27T22:02:00.003Z

...at the National Media Museum in Bradford.

KARL

2009-11-26T16:24:00.005Z

A short documentary about Karl Culley.

Enormous love, thanks and respect go to Geoff Lentin and, particularly, Karl himself; without their collaboration this wouldn't have been possible.

SHAKE

2009-10-17T16:27:00.004+01:00

Being 747 bring you the evolution of the first vertebrates, taken from 'Amoeba To Zebra' - the natural history musical 4.6 billion years in the making. Created and directed by me, with wonderful animation by the equally wonderful Kristyna Baczynski.

MARIANNA

2009-09-26T17:31:00.003+01:00

"In this rare interview, La Harlotta looks back over her incredible career - the people, passions and influences that brought her worldwide acclaim - as well as performing some of her most beloved works."

Written & performed by Sarah Deeas. Directed, shot and cut by me.

LUNGE

2009-07-30T13:03:00.004+01:00

In this Fudge Babies world exclusive, international superstar, actor, wrestler, lover and poet Lunge Dolphin reveals all - the tears behind the laughter, the man behind the face.

Go here for the full length, half hour special.

RUFUS

2009-07-22T00:22:00.002+01:00

Four and a half minutes of therapy, in tribute to a super and sorely missed animal.

GOD

2009-07-07T13:31:00.007+01:00

Very proud to have been in this; the entry of some friends (The Johnson Project - no relation)
into the Virgin Media Shorts competition, in which I acted and contributed some ideas. I think they did a grand job.

NERVES

2009-07-07T11:37:00.009+01:00

The second single and title track from the debut album of one of Yorkshire's Finest, Karl Culley.
Download it from 3minutesofmadness. Now.

Shot and directed - in three hours, for the cost of a full tank - and cut by me.

MISADVENTURE

2009-07-07T11:35:00.007+01:00

The video to 'Misadventure' by The Scaramanga Six (2009 Wrath Records), taken from the album 'Songs Of Prey'.

Directed, designed, composited and edited by me.

SNOW

2009-07-07T11:31:00.008+01:00

A music video for an old song of mine, taking full advantage of the long-awaited, appropriate climatic conditions.

All the samples were played on location (Harlow Woods), then looped and layered later -
i.e. There is no miming or overdubbing; all audio is taken directly from the footage onscreen.
No clips were moved around the screen either; everything appears in the frame as it was shot.

JUICE

2009-07-07T10:55:00.009+01:00

A video I directed, composited and cut for the debut single from Karl Culley's forthcoming album 'Bundle of Nerves'.
Download this song now from 3minutesofmadness.

WILLKOMMEN

2009-07-07T10:54:00.005+01:00

Willkommen and Bienvenue to E.S.P. in this short, introductory promo film.

TIPS

2009-07-07T10:52:00.007+01:00

Just a few red hot pointers from Eclectic Schlock Productions.

HEADCASE

2009-07-07T10:51:00.006+01:00

Promotional video for the latest easy to use, 100% effective product from Rantaway,
courtesy of Eclectic Schlock Productions.

'Losing it just got a whole lot quieter'.

[offer not available in shops]

ALLIGATOR

2009-07-07T10:50:00.009+01:00

A music video for The Voom Claps' newest track.

Written and produced by Geoff Lentin and myself.

DOWN

2009-07-07T10:33:00.015+01:00

A one day, 'live' video project featuring six composites of the same performer.

The song is 'Put Me Down'; written by me and more usually performed by Las Sangras.

HILARITY

2009-07-07T10:32:00.025+01:00

BBC Talent New Filmmaker Award Finalist 2004
WARNING: CONTAINS SCENES OF SIMULATED BODY MUTILATION THAT SOME VIEWERS MAY FIND DISTURBING.

Cartoon meets suicide note; the comedy of desperation.

WONDER

2009-07-07T10:32:00.024+01:00

A one take, flickbook-style music video for my own cover version of The Kinks' 'Wonder Boy'
(copyright Davray Music/Carlin Music Corp.), inspired by nineteenth century kinetoscopes.

HYDE

2009-07-07T10:28:00.012+01:00

One Man, Two Faces. A prominent doctor hides a 'terrible' secret.

This is only the second thing I ever shot/edited (nearly ten years ago), so judge not too harshly.
I think it still has its charms.