Jobseekers Sitcom Wraps Principal Photography

After 10 days of filming in Derby and the surrounding area, principal photography has wrapped on the pilot episode of sitcom ‘Jobseekers’. Set at the height of the recession, Jobseekers, produced on an extremely small budget funded by the sale of one of the writers’ cars, donations from well wishers and a fund raising event, follows the experiences of a group of friends recently reunited and looking for work. Jobseekers is the story of a group of three friends reunited after years apart and searching for work. For this Midlands born trio, job seeking is a full time career.

Predominantly featuring cast and crew members from the East Midlands, the script was the inspiration of Lee Dilley, who having worked in many different roles, became increasingly exasperated with the farcical and bureaucratic procedure that he had to endure as someone looking for work. He found an outlet for his frustration in his idea for a script for Jobseekers five years ago, which was developed with writers Beth Foster-Hunter and Paul Farrell. Over 100 people including cast, crew and extras came together to help make Jobseekers happen.

The majority of the filming took place at a number of locations around Derby between 15 July and 21 July, with most of the premises being offered for free. Director and Co-Producer for Jobseekers, Christopher Bevan, said: ” We have been completely overwhelmed by the generosity and support of local businesses and organisations for our project. The making of our sitcom pilot has attracted a huge amount of goodwill for which we are extremely grateful. Some of the businesses Jobseekers has been supported by include Derby Homes, Hox Wine Bar, Bar Marrakech, SSC Steel Service Centre, Giorgio Reggiani & The Great Northern in Mickleover. YSP Media are looking to continue to developing film projects in Derbyshire for the foreseeable future.”

“When completed, we are aiming to screen the pilot episode of Jobseekers to a number of television production companies in the hope that one of these will finance and commission a full series of the situation comedy and this would be our dream scenario.”

Writer Lee Dilley, added: ” We are looking beyond the introductory pilot episode to future episodes and already have episode two partly written. The making of this pilot with the support of our great cast and crew has been a dream come true and we are very proud of what we have achieved.”

Filming for the pilot took place during July and August and editing has now begun on the pilot with the view to a premiere being held before Christmas in Derby. The sitcom has also been covered in local media with an article featuring in the Derby Telegraph recently which can be read here. BBC Radio Derby also picked up the story with some of the team being interviewed in the studio on 7th September 2013. Above you can listen back to the interview with Ian Skye.

Pink Flora Collection Screens In Edinburgh At CineFringe Film Festival

Last week our short documentary Pink Flora Collection was screened as part of the official selection of the CineFringe Film Festival, the only film event of the Edinburgh Fringe. We were absolutely delighted that the film could continue to be seen by a wider audience and help raise awareness for breast cancer as well as tell the stories of the brave ladies involved in the film. Pink Flora Collection was inspired by Monika Codrington’s Pink Flora Collection from the Breast Cancer Charity Event organised by The Best of Derby. The collection was modelled by women who have survived breast cancer and this documentary tells their story, revealing the thought process behind the design as well as the event held at the Derby Conference Centre back in October 2011.

In describing Pink Flora Collection on their website, CineFringe wrote, “A subtle and moving documentary based around a charity event but, interestingly, never showing it to us – instead we share stories from a group of women brought together by breast cancer, their experiences all the time juxtaposed with the playfulness of their children all around them. A beautifully simple but powerful idea”. Pink Flora Collection screened as part of the No More Polar Bears selection 3 held on 19th, 22nd and 25th April in Edinburgh. We also received a lovely review from culture website The Cult Den, who wrote;

“Last but not least is ‘Pink Flora Collection’, a documentary film brought to us by Christopher Bevan which aims to raise awareness of breast cancer, and does this in a powerful manner. It takes the talking heads of mothers who have had the illness and come through it thanks to the treatment they have received. This cuts this with footage of their young daughters. An interesting juxtaposition with innocence and youth highlights the impact that hits the whole family and the legacy of a woman who is faced with diagnosis. The contrast works well with the young girls providing welcomed comic relief from the harsh realities, lightening the mood when answering questions on why pink is their favourite colour. The balance between this material and the seriousness of the overriding message helps to give the topic emotional perspective. The documentary coincides with a breast cancer charity fashion show, and the work by Monika Codrington lends its name to the film, keeping the colour pink at the forefront throughout.”

To find our more about CineFringe, visit www.cinefringe.com. You can also view the promo trailer for the festival here.

Derbyshire Olympic Torch Documentary Premieres

Marking a year since the Olympic Games were held in London, our documentary charting the Olympic Torch's journey through Derbyshire premiered at the Alvaston Park Family Funday on Sunday July 28th to a great reception. A co-production between YSP Media and The University of Derby, the documentary was primarily shot on June 29th 2012 when the Olympic torch made it's way through the cities, towns and villages of Derbyshire. With a crew of 20 made up of university film tutors, students and graduates, the project saw small teams visit each torch location to film coverage of it's arrival as well as meet local people involved in the day.

On the day of the film's premiere, director Christopher Bevan was on hand to discuss the making of the film at the several screenings held throughout the afternoon in Alvaston Park. We are hopeful that the film will receive more screenings in the coming weeks to month as we hope to play our part in keeping the legacy of the games alive. With contributors to the documentary including key figures involved in organising events to celebrate the Olympics in the region, the chances are high that the film will indeed reach a wider audience.

For more information on the premiere you can read an article from University of Derby's news feed here or alternatively you can view an early trailer for the project here. To contact regarding a potential screening, please contact the University of Derby's film contact Sean Kirby, University of Derby Press and PR Officer, on 01332 591891 or email: s.kirby@derby.ac.uk. To contact the film's director Christopher Bevan, please e-mail cj_bevan89@hotmail.co.uk.

1st Place in Five Lamps 24 Hour Film Challenge

Following taking part in the annual Five Lamps Films 24 Hour Film Challenge, we were delighted to be awarded first place in the competition at the closing event of Derby's iD Fest! The 3 day festival culminated in the screening of the competition entries with a high level of talent on display, a testament to the quality of filmmaking in Derby. Our film Birthday Bash was voted by the judges as the best of the competition and we were thrilled to be able to accept first prize on stage at the close of the evening.

Written by Joseph Maudsley and directed by Christopher Bevan, Birthday Bash is a short comedy about a couple home alone. Jesse is in the mood for love one morning, his girlfriend Amy not so much. Convincing her otherwise turns out to be the least of his problems. Simplicity was the key in making this film, shot in just 4 hours during the competition's 24 hour time limit. As part of YSP Media's prize for coming in 1st place, we have been given the opportunity to film a future project on the RED One cinema camera thanks to The University of Derby as well as membership to the QUAD, Derby's independent cinema.

The Derby Telegraph featured the competition as well as our film Caught in the Headlights, which was also shown at iD Fest, in this article here. Read on to find out more about the competition. We also received an excellent review from film blog 'A Clockwork Orrery' who wrote:

"The grand prize (a cup) went to Birthday Bash – this short was one of the more technically impressive films and more importantly, the funniest. The best humour I believe comes from universal truths – this short was about a lad trying to get some morning sex off his too tired girlfriend – nothing more universal than that. Well shot, funny throughout and one hell of a payoff; it deserved the award.'

A big thanks goes to everyone involved who gave up their time and worked on the project. You can watch the film over at our film section here and let us know what you think!