Back In Action & Ready For Danger

Hey its been a while. We must catch up. So here's the run down of the past five (fucking, shitting hell has it been that long??) months.

Katerwaul: It was a pretty busy Summer. The album; "Here There Is No Why" was released on 22nd June. Our launch night was a huge success. It was held in the quaint little coffee house "Kilau" on little belmont street in aberdeen. Ashley Park and memebers of Y Change Costume treated us to a Musical Banquet. We then went on to promote "Codes In The Clouds", a Kent quintet on the amazing "Erased Tapes" label. They were touring to promote their album "Paper Canyon" which is out now and is fucking stonking. We played with them at the Tunnels in Aberdeen on the 22nd June and then in Glasgow's 13th Note on the 23rd. They were top notch guys who were a lot of fun to play with and we had some great banter. I talked to Stephen about possibly doing a wee video project for them and discussed with Ciaran about singing on a remix album for them. Its all speculation at the moment but who knows what the future holds??

After that we managed to kick back and have a well deserved break. We've played a couple of gigs since but with our schedules in life being so erratic at the moment we're just going to see how things go before getting back to things full time.

In the Mean time you can grab the deluxe edition of art work from Blurb here

Tim Courtney (Musician): For one night and one night only I came out of singer/songwriter retirement to play close friend Mark McCabe's leaving gig in Art Gallery, Project Slogan. This was a great fun evening and I even aired a couple of new songs. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet but I've decided once I have some time I'm going to start recording a solo Album. Yes that's right I'm very egotistical like that.

Tim Courtney (Filmmaker): "An Artificial Light" is well and truly under way. My laptop died a horrible death upon the first day of shooting so excuse the lack of hurrah when principal photography started. While my laptop was off line I decided to start a production diary so I'll see if I can get some pages scanned in if I get my geriatric scanner working with my shiny new debt laden Macbook Pro.

After going through casting hell I managed to start filming a month behind schedule and its safe to say this is the hardest production I've ever had to put on. With Pamela my leading lady moving away weeks after we beginning shooting we've had to really move things along very quickly. But now Pamela's parts are all in the bag and most of Davy's scenes also finished, all we need to do are some external shots with Davy and the opening scene with a little boy. One problem though, I'm still a little boy short to film this. More news on that to follow.

Tim Courtney (Human Being): On a personal note; myself, my girlfriend Rae and best buddy Topher went to the Philippines with my folks in Sept. Now normally the weather is great that time of year. But as everyone has been made aware, with all the GREEN campaigning and comparing of carbon footprints and hemp ASDA bag for lifes, global warming is starting to take its toll on the lesser countries that just don't really effect us so why should we care? type places. Well we were in one. Having dodged one Typhoon already we arrived in a wet and windy Manila. We spent most of our time wandering around shopping malls or walking through the hot rain. Rae and Topher took a while to adjust to the staring and general alien feeling of being and Ethnic Minority (now you know how I feel). Me and Topher got a few nice pics that I'l l have to get my lazy ass into gear and get them onto my new laptop and onto my blog. But no doubt you can see some on Topher's lovely flicr page here.

Rae spent a couple of days in hospital on a drip which was nice as I got away from my nagging Father and got to watch some cable TV away from the rain. Then another Typhoon hit just before it got really hot and sunny then wet again and then we left. Despite not sounding like it we actually had a great time and its always great to see my Family and be a part of an ethnic majority for a change.

A few days later after we were in the safety of our environmentally naive country a massive Typhoon hit destroying my Grandmother's home and killing many people. I shat my pants a little as my parents were still out there at the time but luckily non of my family were hurt.

So... there's been rock and roll star-esque touring, accoustic singing and song writing, typhoon dodging and filmmaking hell. All squeezed into five months. That aint too bad.

Tim Out!

Here There is No Why Special Edition

On the 22nd June Katerwaul will be releasing their/our first full length album entitled "Here There Is No Why". To mark the occasion we are having an album launch in Kilau Coffee Shop and Art Gallery on sat 20th June. Kilau have agreed to rent the space out to us to perform along side the amazing Debutant and the equally talented Kathryn Sawers. Get in touch via the Katerwaul myspace if you want tickets. There are only 60 so best be quick.

As per usual we are releasing a special limited edition version of this album. The images above are pages from the book. Also enclosed is a recording of a live stripped down set at Kilau. There will be a standard no thrills version for the people who just don't give a flying shit about visual art and just want to own the CD and hear the onslaught of David Milne's awesome production. For every one else there's Bit Torrent.

Remember Me As A Time Of Day

Remember Me As A Time Of Day from Tim Courtney on Vimeo.

A tragic accident links the lives of three people in a compelling narrative style. Will is dealing with the distance forced between himself and his children through a joint custody battle, while Ryan and Louise are in the early stages of a new relationship. All their lives are transformed and fragmented indefinitely.

This was finished at the end of 2006. A collaborative effort between me and Shaun. This enjoyed screenings at "Rushes Film Festival" and the "Peacock Visual Arts Film Showcase". I'm starting to archive older work now online but it takes really long to encode these videos.

The Sound Of Burning Letters

The Sound Of Burning Letters from Tim Courtney on Vimeo.
Another Depth Of Field test video to feast your eyes apon. This time I've edited the footage to the piano track "The Sound Of Burning Letters". This does not have vocals recorded yet and is just an MP3 demo Dave sent me to test the backwards reverb sound I wanted for it. I'll go into greater detail about that some other time.

The purpose of this exercise was to get images as close as possible to looking like super8 or super 16mm footage. I want an almost in between look for "An Artificial Light". In this exercise I almost used the concept of light to tie in all the images. I may use some of these ideas in the film later on too.

Emily

Around four years ago Shaun & I challenged each other to write a script for one another that we would Direct as solo projects. I wrote a film called "Register", about a man coming to terms with his new life outside of prison after years behind bars, a film for Shaun to direct. In return he wrote "Emily", a story of a family torn apart by the abduction of protagonist couple; Robert & Alice's only daughter, Emily. "Register" proved too ambitious a film to make on our no string budget, and thats when we co-wrote "Remember Me As A Time Of Day". A film with the similar theme to "Emily" around the death of a child.

I am proud with what we achieved with "Remember Me", with the film being screened firstly at The Belmont Cinema as part of a Peacock Visual Arts film showcase of local talent. Shaun got to participate in a question and answer session on our methods of work. We then took it to the Rushes film festival soon after, where it was shown with other films around the globe. Shaun and I sat after the screening answering questions by the audience. Mostly on how we filmed what would be come an infamous sceen involving a child being ran over by a car. The key of course was never to show the impact and to let the mind fill in the grotesque balnks.

After almost a year in development Shaun and I decided to make "Emily" as a co-directed piece. We got Jack from Peacock in after an amazing screen test where he held a knife to my throat rather convincingly while Shaun was safe behing the camera. I got Kate in after impressing me with her underplayed performance in my stage adaptation of Woody Allen's "Melinda and Melinda". Adam, because I liked the look of him. Not that I'm homosexual but I think he is a very attractive man, and I liked the Idea of breaking something beautiful for this film. David Falconer came in as sound man and provided us with all the camera equipment and sound gear. His knowledge and bag of tricks became priceless and I think I'll never make a film without him. Richard who we worked with on "Rememeber Me" devoted hi lighting talent. After securing Sophies house for all locations the shoot went smoothly and without hitches. We started editing whithin days of wrapping up. Then our personal lives imploded.

It started with Shaun going through a messy break up. I won't go into details but it was enough for us to shelf the film for a long time. As soon as there seemed to be a light coming at the end a very long and dark tunnel Laura and I also broke up. A saga that saw me move out and sleep in a friends spare room for nine months. But now after returning to editing and getting all the sound in order here it is. My first true labour of love; "Emily"

There is no word as to any screenings. We've unfortunately missed a heap of this years deadlines. But enquieries have been made and hopefully you'll hear of them here.

I hope you enjoy the film and one day hope it was worth the work, wait and heart ache.

To every one who helped out; to Jack for his commitment, to Kate for her hard work and help with make up effects, to David for all his advice expertise and advice, to Richard for the lighting on minimal resources and heated film disscussions and ideas, to Sophie and her family for their hospitality, to Adam for getting bruised and cut and all the commitment that is key to this films every success. And I would personally like to thank Laura because even though things had not worked out as we had planned you were always there through every film I have made up until "Emily". To all of you, thank you.

Enjoy.


Emily from Tim Courtney on Vimeo.

Dof Adapter

Dof Test Kilau from Tim Courtney on Vimeo.


This is some footage I shot just to try out my new DOF adapter for my new JVC GZ HD-7. For some reason FCP wouldn't let me output this in all its 16:9 glory. Instead its a squished 4:3 version. The magic bullit effects are a little heavy handed but it gives you an idea of the depth of field I can achieve with it.

An Artificial Light

EXT FIELD
It is a beautiful summers day. The sun has dried out the field discolouring the grass from moist green to a dry brown. There is a family picnicking in the middle of the field. Mum and Dad are enjoying a glass of wine while their son runs around playing with a model aeroplane in the field. There is a stoned wall that divides the field into sections and in one corner there is a huge tree. It is the main feature of the field and although it is the height of summer the tree has not yet sprouted new leaves. The boy runs along the wall making flying noises. He stops by the tree as a man with an old white gym bag approaches. He gazes at him with great curiosity. The man slows to a halt looking quizzically at the young boy. A wide-shot shows the two characters staring at each other for a few seconds.

JONATHAN (The Man)
Hi
The boy stands silent.

JONATHAN (cont.)
What’s your name?

BENJAMIN (The Boy)
Benjamin

JONATHAN
Hi Benjamin, I’m Jonathan… That’s a nice plane.

BENJAMIN
I’m not supposed to speak to strangers

JONATHAN
I realise that. I was always told the same when I was your age… Believe me in today’s society I’m just as scared of you as you are of me…

Benjamin continues to stare curiously at Jonathan. There is an uncomfortable silence between them. Neither seems to want to move away from the tree.

JONATHAN (cont.)
What kind of plane is that? It looks old.

BENJAMIN
It’s a spitfire. It’s from the second world war.

JONATHAN
Its nice. You interested in the war?

A phone rings from inside Jonathan’s trouser pocket. He doesn’t answer it, he doesn’t even flinch as to not alarm the boy. It stops ringing.

BENJAMIN
What’s in the bag?

JONATHAN
This bag?

He gestures to his Gym bag. Benjamin nods.

JONATHAN
Nothing much. A table-cloth, a birthday card, some cinnamon, cutlery, a book and a t-shirt. Oh, and some toothpaste.

BENJAMIN
Why?

JONATHAN
You wouldn’t understand

Benjamin’s parents can be heard calling for him in the distance. He runs off, without saying anything, not even acknowledging Jonathan, away to his Mother and Father.

Jonathan pulls out his phone and sits on the root of the tree. He holds the phone to his ear. A voice mail can be heard just enough to be audible.

ANSWER MESSAGE
Its me Isobel… I read your note… I’m really sorry… I know… there I am apologising again… I know how much it doesn’t help… but…

The voice gives off a huge sigh before eventually Jonathan clicks the phone off. He puts it back in his pocket and looks out into the distance. He takes a deep breath to stop his emotions getting the better of him. He sets the Gym bag out in front of him between his legs. He pulls back the zip and starts sifting through the contents, and true to his word he unearths all the items he spoke of to the boy.

This is the opening scene of a new film I have written. I've been busy doing location photography and sourcing actors. Which is hard. As the story unfolds we see through flashbacks what every item in the bag means to Jonathan and what impact it has on his relationship with Isobel.

This film is a relatioship study. Questioning fate and the notion of true love.

I got the Idea after discussing film projects with Shaun, moaning about my lack of original ideas, when Fionn Regan's song "Put A Penny In The Slot came on" the first verse inspired me to write this film.

"I apologise,
seem to have arrived,
On what items in my bag from your house.
There's cutlery,
a tablecloth, some Hennessy,
And a book on Presidents deceased.
I'll have them fed-exed to you,
It was a strange thing to do,
I hope we can still be friends.
Ah, it was not me,
but someone else, you see,
Twisting the steering reins.

Put a penny in the slot and make an
artificial light shine,
Leave go. Mark old and line."

Get in touch and I'll email the script to those interested.