3rd place for Dog Day!
This month we decided to get back to what we love doing and make a film. We entered Five Lamps Films 24 hour film challenge and at 10am on the 4th we were given a badge and a line of dialogue and had 24 hours to hand in a film with the theme of family. Being the well-adjusted people we are, we wondered what kind of film the Fritzl family would make, and Dog Day was the result. Thanks to the incredible talents of our stars Katie Ward and Mat Firth, the film finished 3rd and will now be shown before a feature run at the Quad in Derby. Click on the link above to see it for yourselves.
14 May 2013
"It rubs the lotion on it's skin or else it gets the hose again."
Jame Gumb-The Silence Of The Lambs
The House On Abbott's Ridge
It's been a few months since our last update but we've been hard at work over the winter and we're finally ready to announce what we've been up to. The first draft of what we hope will become our second feature length film is now complete. The House On Abbott's Ridge tells the story of a group of TV ghost hunters who set out to debunk a haunted house and discover something far darker than they ever expected. It's still early days but we're excited about the script and hope to start moving forward with the project in the coming weeks.
13 February 2013
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
Jack Torrance-The Shining
Henchmen
It's funny how things that are planned to be straightforward can often turn out to be much more arduous than anyone involved could have imagined. This was most certainly the case with Henchmen, our semi-improvised mocumentary which was originally conceived to be made in 24 hours and run for 3 minutes. Things didn't quite follow that plan, but thanks to the talents of our three leads we may just have turned out the funniest short Waking Dream has ever produced.
19 October 2012
"I like this job; I like it."
The Joker-The Dark Knight
Evening Exorcise
The adventures of Robert Edwards continue with Evening Exorcise, which, as the title suggests, is our own unique twist on the exorcism sub-genre. Saying this is becoming a bit of a habit this year, but we believe it's our best short to date thanks in part to shooting on Canon's frankly amazing 5D. Our next short, Henchmen, which was being shot simultaneously, is almost finished too and we hope to have it here by the end of the month.
09 September 2012
"What I want to do is expose exorcism for the scam it really is..."
Cotton Marcus-The Last Exorcism
Ain't It Cool
Our first short of the year, Superpowers, has been featured on Ain't It Cool's Saturday Shorts and judging by the hits its getting people are enjoying it. Anyone who hasn't seen it already or anyone who's forgotten how funny it is, follow the links above and check it out. There was a double bill of Waking Dream's films at Five Lamps last week with Nipping Out For A Bite and A Message From Z.O.M.B.I.E. both screening, thanks again to the five lamps guys for putting on a great night. If all goes to plan we'll have two new films coming in the next month so come back soon!
31 July 2012
"When and where does this "real world" occur?"
William Miller-Almost Famous
A Message From Z.O.M.B.I.E.
Have you ever wondered if zombies, or brain ingesting entities, are really as bad as films and TV shows would have you believe? Take a look at our short informational video and learn a little more about the important work of Z.O.M.B.I.E.
04 June 2012
"Where are you, you spongy, yellow, delicious bastards?"
Tallahassee-Zombieland
Nipping Out For A Bite
It's been two and a half months in the making and represents the biggest learning curve we've ever faced on a single production. With great pleasure we present Nipping Out For A Bite, Waking Dream's first full-on action film and our first sequel. There's more shorts to follow in the coming weeks so come back soon and find out what really happens when zombies attack.
05 May 2012
"You aim for the head or the heart. Anything else, is yo' ass..."
Blade-Blade
Welcome To St. Shawshank's
Today marks the launch of a special webcomic from Waking Dream Studios Press. Written and drawn by Richard Reynolds, St. Shawshank's Infant School is a homage to The Shawshank Redemption but told from the perspective of children in a correctional school.
The timeless classic takes on a whole new dimension as familiar faces deal with life on the inside while trying to stop The Sisters stealing their lunch money. Episode 1 is live now and new episodes and bonus features will be added twice a month. Follow the links and support the project by liking it on Facebook, talking about it on Twitter and passing it onto your friends!
05 March 2012
"Any of you boys seen an aircraft-carrier around here?"
Maverick-Top Gun
Superpowers!!
We've been working solid for a month now and at last the initial fruits of our labours are ready to be enjoyed, in the form of our first comedy short for some time, Superpowers. It was fun to shoot and we're very pleased with it. Be sure to check back soon for a sneak peak of our first action movie, and My Hellhole followup, Nipping Out.
04 March 2012
"Phenomenal cosmic power… itty-bitty living space"
Genie-Aladdin
Nipping Out...
Almost exactly a year after we shot My Hellhole we were back on the cold streets of Mansfield last night for our first location meeting on the follow-up, Nipping Out For A Bite. The freezing temperature and snow couldn't detract from the cast's unique skills and we can't wait to get them on camera and show eveyone what they can do. But before we shoot that, there's the small matter of Superpowers to deal with......
31 January 2012
"Why do people who can't take advice always insist on giving it?"
James Bond-Casino Royale
The Year That Wasn't...
Through a combination of personal tragedies, allowing ourselves to become stuck in development hell and working on other projects, 2011 didn't really work out the way we planned. My Hellhole was invited back for the Five Lamps best of year show last week but it remains the only film we've produced this year and Dark Peak is now on hold indefinitely. At times it's felt like the whole world is against us and giving up is the only sane option. But, adversity also breeds creativity and we'll be starting 2012 with renewed vigour, several shorts ready to shoot, a new feature to unveil and something very special from Waking Dream Studios Press. 2012 is going to be interesting...
18 December 2011
"It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward."
Rocky-Rocky Balboa
My Hellhole goes live!
We are very proud to present our latest short, My Hellhole, a look at the darker side of Mansfield. Also in the works is The Big One, a comedy short with a twist, and plans for a second feature are still at the forefront of our thinking, so check back soon for further updates.
24 April 2011
"Hey, that light at the end of the tunnel? Guess what? That ain't heaven, that's the C train!"
Matt Murdock-Daredevil
Almost there...
After a longer shoot and more tests than we anticipated, our latest short, My Hellhole, is now heavily into post production. As you can see from the still above, the visual style is richer and more ambitious than our past endeavours and an original, orchestral score has been composed to enhance the atmosphere. So, watch this space for My Hellhole, making its unsettling debut in the coming weeks.
18 Febuary 2011
"These are the old days, the bad days, the all or nothing days. They're back!"
Marv-Sin City
New Year, New Logo, Big Plans!
After a relatively quiet 2010 attending festivals with Gabriel, we have big plans for 2011. It all kicks off later this month with My Hellhole, a short film about the darker side of our home town:
That will quickly be followed by Missing, a short doc we began in 2010 that has become something of a prelude to our second feature, Dark Peak, which should also be completed by the end of the year. Add to that more festivals, competitions and comic books and 2011’s shaping up to be a busy one! Check back soon for a behind the scenes look at My Hellhole.
18 January 2011
"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Maximus-Gladiator
Waking Dream Phase 2!
Waking Dream Studios has long had plans to expand into forms of entertainment other than film; this week those plans come to fruition as Waking Dream Studios Press sees its first publication come hot off the presses in the form of ‘Retarded’.
'Retarded' is a creator owned sci-fi anthology comic by Waking Dream’s Richard Reynolds and the Mansfield based über-artist Lyndon Webb.
The comic will primarily be for sale at the Leeds Thought Bubble Sequential Arts Festival on Saturday 20th of November, but, so long as stocks last, will be available on request via Waking Dream’s Facebook page.
09 November 2010
"You think just because a guy reads comics he can’t start some shit?"
Brody Bruce-Mallrats
First Look At Dark Peak
Our next film project, Dark Peak, now has a dedicated section under "Films". We'll be chronicling the production of this unique film over the coming months and there'll soon be script excerpts, pictures and production videos added, so check back regularly for the latest news.
07 September 2010
"I think we just picked up Dracula"
Franklin-The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Gabriel Wins Another Award
Gabriel Small continued its festival success last night when Jordan Morris and Richard Reynolds picked up the award for Best Young Film Makers at the Heart Of England International Film Festival. We’re hopeful the awards will help us raise a small budget for our next project, more details of which will be posted later this month.
16-August-10
"Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'"
Andy Dufresne-The Shawshank Redemption
Heart Of England Nomination
Waking Dream Studios is delighted to announce that Gabriel Small has earned another nomination for Best Young Film Maker from the Heart Of England International Film Festival. The festival is based in Tenbury Wells in Worchestershire and runs from the 10th-15th August. Gabriel is screening at 1:20pm on Thursday the 12th and we hope to see you all there.
04-July-10
"Then he showed those men of will what will really was"
Verbal kint-The Usual Suspects
IYFF Nomination
Gabriel Small has earned it's creators another Best Young Film Maker nomination, this time from The International Youth Film Festival. The festival runs from August 3rd-8th 2010 and Gabriel will be screening at 1:35pm on Friday the 6th. If you have the time, come join us and watch some fresh indie films.
14-June-10
"Never tell me the odds"
Han Solo-The Empire Strikes Back
Winner - Best Young Film Maker
We're pleased to report that Gabriel Small won writer/director Jordan Morris the Best Young Film Maker award at the Swansea Bay Film Festival. The film's producer, Richard Reynolds, shares in the credit and the pair were present at the ceremony on Sunday night to collect the award. A special thanks to everyone who supported the film and we look forward to seeing you again for Dark Peak.
18-may-10
"You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!"
Mickey-Rocky
Swansea Bay Film Festival
Gabriel Small will be screening this Saturday (8th May) at the world famous Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea as part of the 2010 Swansea Bay Film Festival. We've also been nominated for the Best Young Film Maker award and will be attending the awards ceremony at the end of the festival. If you're in the area come along and see some great independant films.
4-may-10
"Give me back my face!"
Rorschach-Watchmen
Dark Peak Recce 1
We took our first trip to the Dark Peak today to begin scouting for locations and assessing the area in preparation for our second feature film. It's an amazing mix of bleak isolation and picturesque lakeside views which should make for an interesting backdrop. Take a look at the gallery to see all of the pictures.
25-apr-10
"Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads!"
Dr. Emmett Brown-Back To The Future
Waking Dream Studios.com!!
After almost 6 years of writing, shooting, editing and screening films, Waking Dream Studios finally has a home on the web. In the weeks, months and hopefully years to come, we'll be expanding the site into areas outside of film, as well as setting up a creative centre where people can learn about film making and exchange ideas with like minded people. So take a look around and let us know what you think...