Author: mandyleewords

Hula – short film

11402911_828546260559862_5212990989196814484_oHello, been a while, but I’ve been busy!

In my day life I’ve been writing about cocktails and all things cidery for Thistly Cross Cider.

In my freelance life, one of the things I’ve been working on for the last 8 months is a Scottish-based co-written short film called Hula.

Set in the Highlands of Scotland, it’s a story about liberation.

Plot Outline: When her daughter leaves for the bright city lights, a lonely, cash-strapped divorcée must open her home as bed and breakfast. But each guest that arrives disturbs her status quo – can she accept this change and embrace mid-life liberation in her small rural community?

I’ve been developing, writing, rewriting and honing (we love the word ‘honing’) alongside writer Claire Nicol and director/writer Robin Haig, and now I’m thrilled to say we have script lock! Due to film in the early Autumn, there will soon be more exciting news, but for now if you’d like to follow our progress, please ‘like’ our official Facebook page here.

Advertisement

New Series of OOglies on CBBC

Ooglies_TXCard_v01

Excited to see a TV series I worked on in the latter half of 2014 is now about to be aired! Series 3 of OOglies, a stop-motion animated children’s series, will start broadcasting this afternoon, Mon 16th March on CBBC, twice a day at 15.15 and 18.20.

I was lucky enough to be on the writing team alongside some amazing creatives, working on OOglies’ short, comedy sketches featuring animated food and household objects, most of which feature the infamous ‘googly’ eyes.

*Fact: previous episodes watched with my niece and nephew inspired a new personal tradition – I still stick OOglie-style wobbly eyes on my Christmas satsumas every year!

It was a fantastic experience to be involved with such a beloved, BAFTA-nominated programme, and I’m looking forward to seeing both old and new characters and their splat-tastic adventures making it to air.

TV listing (and that all-important credit) here, and here’s even more OOglies info including one of their Comic Relief sketches.

ooglies from cbbc

Love Cake runner-up in the Palme Dewar

Love Cake only went and got runner-up in the Palme Dewar 2014 competition! Very proud, and it’s a lovely validation for all the hard work the cast and crew and everyone involved put in to the film. Thanks to the Aberfeldy Film Festival, Heartland Film Society and all those who voted for us.

It was a particular joy to do so well in the year that Bill Forsyth opened the fest – bit of a hero of mine all the way back to That Sinking Feeling and Local Hero.

Here’s a round-up from the ESFF about their Palme-Dewar experience.

SKAMM at Edinburgh Filmhouse

filmhouse copyYesterday I spent a session with SKAMM (Scottish Kids Are Making Movies) at the Edinburgh Filmhouse after being invited along to talk about the process of scriptwriting and how a script changes as it develops into a shooting draft and then is actually shot.

After a read-through of the original script for the Edinburgh-shot short Love Cake that I wrote and part-produced, we watched it then discussed character introduction, followed by a Q&A. And they were all confident enough to present short pieces they’d written, for feedback. It was great to see such an enthusiastic group –  I wish something like this had been around when I was first getting into writing and film! Look forward to seeing all of the exciting films they’re planning.