YSP Media Official Sponsor For Spondon Rovers Strikers Football Team

YSP Media is proud to be the official sponsor for Derby-based junior league football team Spondon Rovers Strikers Under 7’s! We’ve been hugely impressed by this hard working, dedicated bunch of players and our thanks to the coaching staff for their commitment. Getting involved with the local community, sports and culture is something we are very passionate about. We're pleased to be able to support a local club in Spondon and grassroots football here in Derby, and we very much look forward to continuing to support the team going forward!

The Spondon Rovers Strikers U7’s for the 2021-2022 season with the coaching team

Three Films Premiere For Constella OperaBallet's 'Spin A Tale'

YSP Media have been working closely with Constella OperaBallet, an exciting, creative company dedicated to developing opera-ballet and creating multi-discipline performances for audiences. Their latest project Spin A Tale was developed over a two-year period, working in partnership with Derbyshire’s Darley Abbey to bring its heritage to life through a series of films with newly commissioned dance, music and drama. Commissioned by the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site in conjunction with Beam, the project was funded by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Great Place Scheme.

Photography by Ray Gumbley Photography

YSP Media were commissioned to develop three of the seven short films which premiered as part of Spin A Tale for Darley Abbey Day 2021, beginning work in early April 2021 with the filming on location in Darley Abbey, home to the most complete surviving 18th Century Mill complex in the world. As a Derby-based film production company who are passionate about the arts and heritage, it was an honour to be involved in such a creative and rewarding project and we had the opportunity to work with some terrific collaborators and artists.

WATER HYMN

The first production out of the three our team were involved with is Water Hymn, an opera-ballet performance celebrating the power of water and paying homage to the unceasing energy of the River Derwent that gave power to the former cotton industry. Working closely with choreographer Sarah-Louise Kristiansen, director Christopher Bevan and cinematographer Jackie Teboul captured the dynamic and engaging performances of a quartet of dancers, with the filming taking place in a beautiful location on the banks of the River Derwent facing towards the mills of Darley Abbey. Water Hymn was performed by Bryony Harrison, Erica Mulkern, Bethan Smith and Rebecca Stead.

Photography by Ray Gumbley Photography

TANGLED

A smaller and more intimate film Tangled, choreographed again by Sarah-Louise Kristiansen and performed by Daniel Longhurst, was shot inside the old toll booth in Darley Abbey. This contemporary dance film was shot in beautiful slow motion and features a solo dancer entwined in thread, reflecting the former cotton industry in Darley Abbey and ties to the past. Cinematographer Jackie Teboul brought an incredible creative eye to this short film, and creatively working with director Chris, our team were able to make the most out of a very small location, creating a mysterious and alluring visual style complimenting Sarah’s choreography.

Photography by Ray Gumbley Photography

Photography by Ray Gumbley Photography

BRICK ROW

Lastly, a short scene entitled Brick Row from Ruth Mariner was filmed at the old schoolhouse in Darley Abbey. In this original piece, three of Constella OperaBallet’s singers showcase the architectural history of the area, focusing on the houses of Brick Row, which were built to attract workers away from the industrial hub of Derby and into the new industry of Darley Abbey. Joining the YSP Media filming team alongside Chris and Jackie for this project were Benjamin Hodge on sound and Monica Montalvo on hair and make up design. Our thanks to the Constella performers Claire Wild, Fleur de Bray, Rachel Maby and Roland Harrad for their incredible work on this unique production.

Photography by Ray Gumbley Photography

Photography by Ray Gumbley Photography

Each of the three films was a delight to film and edit, and our thanks go to artistic director Leo Geyer and producer Alice Bezant of Constella for their relentless hard work to bring the overarching project together, as well as designer Holly Pigott and costumier Sebastien Freeburn for their work and artistic insight. We also want to give thanks to photographer Ray Gumbley who was on location for the shoot and captured some terrific unit stills, as seen in this posted and fully credited to him. The full programme for Spin A Tale consists of seven films, with work from Deda in Derby, local schools and the university amongst others completing the line up. Constella estimate that several hundred people were involved overall which is a mighty achievement, made even more impressive by the fact that this was all brought together during the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. Throughout filming all health and safety measures were adhered to by all of the creatives involved.

The ‘Spin A Tale’ collection of films premiered in full on Saturday 8th May during a live event hosted by Beam on YouTube. If you’d like to find out more about Spin A Tale, head to the link here. You can also watch all of the seven films made at the official Constella YouTube channel.

'Making WORK' Documentary Completed For Animate Projects

Earlier this month Animate Projects released our short documentary ‘Making WORK’ online to run alongside four artist films made as part of the WORK Project.

Per Animate Projects, “WORK is about the experience and organisation of contemporary working lives. Four artists’ films explore contemporary working lives in the middle of England and were filmed in Derby, Thrapston, Birmingham and Bolsover, by artists Dryden Goodwin (Alongside), Jenny Holt (The Great Bear), Esther Johnson (A Role To Play), and Adam Lewis Jacob (People Meeting In A Room).”

YSP Media creative director Christopher Bevan was commissioned by Animate Projects to develop a short contextual film featuring interviews with key individuals involved in WORK, including artists, partner organisations and project leads as well as participants who were involved in some of the films.

“Devised by Animate Projects, WORK is a collaboration with four other Midlands arts organisations: QUAD, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art, Vivid Projects and Junction Arts. Each organisation worked with an artist, helping them engage workers in the process of making their film. WORK is generously supported by Jerwood Arts and using public funding by Arts Council England.”

The films created for WORK had their premiere online on International Workers’ Day, 1st May 2020, after the Covid-19 pandemic halted any plans for physical screenings and exhibitions. Several months later our short documentary ‘Making WORK’ joined these four films online, and it is hoped that as we move further into 2021 and restrictions are eased, there will be opportunities for all of the artists films and our contextual piece to be screened to the general public.

All films are now available online at the official WORK Project website. Our thanks go to Gary Thomas and Abigail Addison of Animate Projects for bringing us onboard this wonderful project. You can watch our full film ‘Making WORK’ below.

Apple TV Streaming Launch For 'Women Of Impact' Documentary

'Women of Impact: Defying the Odds' is now available to rent on Apple TV as part of the British Urban Film Festival 2020 official selections programme. Executive produced by Danielle Vassell and produced by YSP Media, the film will now reach its widest audience yet as it is rolled out across Apple TV’s app as part of BUFF’s carefully curated film selections. As ever it is a really impressive line up of films put together by BUFF and you can find all of the official selections for 2020 on the Apple TV app at the link here.

The British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) is widely acknowledged for its celebration and showcasing of diverse film talent both on-screen and off screen, and we’re proud to have this film selected and be amongst such a wonderful line up. YSP Media creative director Christopher Bevan would like to extend his thanks to Danielle Vassell for bringing our team onboard to produce this film, and for her close work with the BUFF team during a challenging time to get the film ready for Apple TV. This has been such a great way to end the year for us!

About the film: From executive producer Danielle Vassell and YSP Media, ‘Women of Impact: Defying the Odds’ brings together a group of five extraordinary women of colour to shine a light on their diverse personal journeys.

'Lighting The Way' In Bolsover Film Completed For Junction Arts

On Saturday 28th November Derbyshire-based arts charity Junction Arts premiered our latest film celebrating ‘Lighting the Way’, a special ‘socially distanced’ event created to replace the beloved annual Bolsover Lantern Parade.

2020 has been a challenging year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and with restrictions on public gatherings in place, Junction Arts created this unique project for the community of Bolsover to give people the chance to build and display lanterns at home, and in schools and care homes. Check out the film below!

Produced entirely remotely, the ‘Lighting the Way’ film from YSP Media is edited together from the contributions of participants from across Bolsover who generously sent us photos and videos of their wonderful creations being made and displayed with pride. To see the community coming together so creatively in such a difficult time was incredibly heartwarming and inspiring.

‘Lighting The Way’ was officially marked at 5pm on the 28th November, as all of the lanterns made this year were lit and placed in windows across Bolsover as a symbol of celebration, union and hope. Our thanks to all to the team at Junction Arts, the artists and all of the communities involved in bringing this film to life. Find out more about the whole project here.

'Women of Impact: Defying the Odds' Documentary Selected For Derby Film Festival

Derby Film Festival goes online for 2020 and we're delighted that 'Women of Impact: Defying the Odds' produced with executive producer Danielle Vassell will be included in this year's programme. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic causing cinemas across the UK to close for the month of November, the Derby Film Festival traditionally held at QUAD in Derby will now take place online.

The film will be available between 19th-25th November as part of a selection of documentary short films which can be rented on the brand new QUAD Player platform. You can head to the link here for further information on the full Derby Film Festival documentary programme line up. Our thanks to the selection team at DFF and QUAD, and all involved in making this film.

Bringing together a group of five extraordinary women, ‘Women of Impact: Defying the Odds’ shines a light on their diverse personal journeys. Surviving and thriving following a premature birth, becoming a powerful advocate for change in the foster care system after traumatic experiences growing up, and working through humiliation at school to achieving incredible heights in academia, these are just some of the moving and powerful stories of success against the odds. The experiences of a journalist carving her own path in a challenging industry, and an undergraduate from a religious family leading worship and providing guidance to others from disadvantaged backgrounds, each individual story is united by a common desire to achieve and share their wisdom with others.

Featured in the film are author and motivational speaker Danielle Vassell, academic and advocate for student development Christina Vassell, renowned journalist and broadcaster Sinai Fleary, the founder of Prosper not Perish and singer/songwriter Gabrielle Stapleton and author, consultant and advocate for foster care leavers Keeley Stephenson.

'Connective Tissue' Premieres on Global Sci-Fi Platform DUST

The debut short from writer-director Matthew B.C. has landed on the global sci-fi platform DUST. Connective Tissue, starring Thomas Beatty and produced by YSP Media with Sentient Programming, will now be in a prime position to reach a wide audience online across DUST’s platforms including their website and social media pages such as Facebook and Youtube where they hold an incredible 2 million subscribers.

Connective Tissue follows an addict hacker as he discovers an alien frequency that has left his twin brother in a vegetative state. Finding a way to bring his brother back will involve revealing where the frequency came from and finding out exactly what it wants - a result that could force the hacker to question his own identity and what it really means to connect with the word around him.

The film is now available online at the link below so please take a look!

You can find out more about the production of the film here including the full production credits for Connective Tissue. We’re incredibly excited to have this wonderful opportunity with DUST. Per their official website, “DUST is the first premium sci-fi entertainment brand that reaches fans across all platforms, giving voice to emerging, diverse and established filmmakers. We feature the best sci-fi short films, series, and innovative content that cuts through the present to invite the future.”

You can watch the film at the above link and we have shared below some of our behind the scenes photos taken on the shoot back in October 2018 by photographer Gemma O’Brien. Also head on over to Midlands Movies for an exclusive interview with Matthew B.C. on the development and production of the film here.

DUST Premiere Announced For 'Connective Tissue' Sci-Fi Short

YSP Media and Sentient Programming are delighted to announce that writer-director Matthew B.C.’s debut short film Connective Tissue has been selected by DUST and will premiere on October 27th 2020.

Starring Thomas Beatty, Connective Tissue follows an addict hacker as he discovers an alien frequency that has left his twin brother in a vegetative state. Finding a way to bring his brother back will involve revealing where the frequency came from and finding out exactly what it wants - a result that could force the hacker to question his own identity and what it really means to connect with the word around him.

Thomas Beatty as Leo in Matthew B.C.’s Connective Tissue

The official poster for the film designed by Luke Kondor has been unveiled today as part of the exciting DUST announcement and we are very much looking forward to our upcoming premiere with them. Per their official website, “DUST is the first premium sci-fi entertainment brand that reaches fans across all platforms, giving voice to emerging, diverse and established filmmakers. We feature the best sci-fi short films, series, and innovative content that cuts through the present to invite the future.”

Our thanks go to the DUST selection team and staff who have been supportive and engaging throughout this process, and to our cast and crew for their tremendous work on Matthew’s psychological and unique science fiction short film. We’re looking forward to sharing Connective Tissue with audiences for the first time from 27th October and the film will be available across DUST’s platforms including Youtube, Facebook and more.

CONNECTIVE TISSUE CREDITS

• Writer-Director: Matthew B.C.

• Producer: Christopher Bevan

• Leo/Eric: Thomas Beatty

• Director of Photography: Thomas Pierrepont

• Editor: Darrin Brading

• Composer: Matthew K. Grundy

• Sound Design: Kelly Singer

• Art Director: Christina Cushing

• Costume Designer: Sammy-May Buxton

• Hair and Make Up Designer: Monica Montalvo

• Sound: Benjamin Hodge

• 1st Assistant Director: Alex J. Withers

• 1st Assistant Camera: Seb Hawkins

• 2nd Assistant Camera: Farhan Naushahi

• Gaffer: Brett Turner

• Units Stills Photographer: Gemma O’Brien

• VFX Specialist and Poster Design: Luke Kondor

• Art Department Assistant: Abigail Wardle

• Production Assistants: Jayne Slater, Tyler King Johnson

British Urban Film Festival Selection For 'Women of Impact' Documentary

We’re delighted to announce that the newly BAFTA accredited British Urban Film Festival has officially selected our documentary ‘Women of Impact: Defying the Odds’ for its 2020 edition. From executive producer Danielle Vassell and YSP Media, the short documentary brings together a group of five extraordinary women of colour to shine a light on their diverse personal journeys.

The British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) is widely acknowledged for its celebration and showcasing of diverse film talent both on-screen and off screen, and we’re proud to have this film selected and be amongst such a wonderful line up. Working with Executive Producer Danielle Vassell on this project has been an incredible experience for us, with this latest news following her successful release of the film on the digital TV channel Vox Africa and international streaming platform AfroLand TV.

You can watch the trailer for the film below and the entire documentary will be shared and available for streaming online with the full BUFF catalogue later this Autumn. YSP Media would like to thank the BUFF selection panel and all involved in the production of ‘Women of Impact: Defying the Odds’.

Learn more about British Urban Film Festival at www.britishurbanfilmfestival.co.uk.

AfroLand TV Streaming Premiere for 'Defying the Odds' Documentary

Following on from a successful digital television premiere, the short documentary we produced ‘Women of Impact: Defying the Odds’ has been launched on the streaming service AfroLand TV thanks to the continuing efforts of the film’s commissioner and executive producer Danielle Vassell.

AfroLand TV, a streaming TV service often billed as ‘a Netflix for Africa’, carries a range of Pan African web series, documentaries and movies with subscribers able to view the platform on iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. This exciting and growing platform is the perfect home for more viewers to discover the stories of the incredible women who took part and we are excited that the film is continuing it’s journey to reach audiences around the world.

Find out more at https://afrolandtv.com/ where you can sign up to watch their streaming catalogue of films and shows, and check out the official trailer for ‘Defying the Odds’ below.

'Women of Impact: Defying the Odds' Documentary TV Premiere

Thanks to the terrific efforts of executive producer Danielle Vassell of Sisterhood TV, the short documentary ‘Women of Impact: Defying the Odds’ produced by YSP Media recently aired for the first time as a premiere on the digital channel Vox Africa UK (Sky 193) on Friday 22nd May with further airings throughout the month.

With a planned physical premiere placed on hold indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak, Danielle was able to secure a terrific opportunity to screen the film on several occasions. The documentary follows five distinct but similarly inspirational journeys of young women of colour, with author and motivational speaker Danielle enlisting our services to produce and create a moving and enlightening short documentary based on her initial ideas and inspiration.

Featured in the film are director of Sisterhood TV, author and motivational speaker Danielle Vassell, academic and advocate for student development Christina Vassell, renowned journalist and broadcaster Sinai Fleary, the founder of Prosper not Perish and singer/songwriter Gabrielle Stapleton and author, consultant and advocate for foster care leavers Keeley Stephenson.

It was a true pleasure to be commissioned for this project which is now available to view online in full here, with further screenings to come in the future. Check out the trailer below and read more about the film on our featured profile here.

Above: Watch the trailer for Women of Impact: Defying the Odds (Pictured: Danielle Vassell)

Post-Production Continues On Upcoming Short Film 'The Other'

As the year comes to a close we thought we’d provide a brief update on the status of Dreamfusion Productions and YSP Media’s upcoming short thriller The Other. We’re currently working towards a completed edit of the film and we are really happy with how it is coming together so far. Our Editor, Stef Hrycyk, has been working hard on the film over the past few months and we are delighted to report that we are making great progress towards our final edit.

The next stage of our post-production will be the sound design and our composer Richard Birkin has already begun work on the bespoke score for our film. We hope to begin moving into the sound editing phase shortly.

We also wanted to mark this latest update with the release of another behind the scenes photo taken by our unit stills photographer Chris Harris. This image shows our lead character Marcus (Adam Horvath) hard at work in the kitchen with head chef Phillip (Christopher Tajah) behind him.

Further news on the post-production and release plans for the film will be coming in 2020!

Shirebrook Market Shops Enlivenment Documentary Part One Completed For Junction Arts

This week we were pleased to see the release of the first of two short documentaries on the Shirebrook Market Shops Enlivenment Project. Commissioned by Junction Arts, a Derbyshire-based participatory arts charity, this short film series looks at the creative process behind some of the artwork currently being installed to rejuvenate Shirebrook’s marketplace.

Production on this film gave us the opportunity to undertake a number of interviews with some of the funders, project coordinators, artists and local retailers who have been involved during the enlivenment project. It was great to get the chance to make several site visits over the past few months and speak to local people whilst filming some of the shop shutters that are due for renovation.

The next phase of the project will see a company called Shutter Media begin work on the physical installation of the approved designs. We’re looking forward to returning to Shirebrook to work with Junction Arts project coordinator Amy Smith and continue our filming with a view to releasing the second film in the series in early 2020. We’ve had chance to look at some previews of the designs created by students with Zantium Studios to be adapted and they really are fantastic, and should go a long way to increasing the vibrancy of the marketplace. The link to the first documentary film is below and we look forward to sharing the next phase with you very soon.

First Look Behind The Scenes At Additional Filming on Short Thriller 'The Other'

At the end of January Dreamfusion Productions in association with YSP Media wrapped filming on the final two scenes of our short thriller The Other, a feat that would not have been possible without the generous contributions made to our Indiegogo campaign. We had a tremendously successful two days, with a sizeable cast and crew giving their all to make sure that we produced the best possible filming results. The footage is looking great and we’re excited to be able to bring you a brand new behind the scenes look at the scenes filmed.

The first pick-up was the art exhibition scene filmed in Nottingham at the excellent Scene Studios. Art Director Craig Jenkins and Producer Belinda Basson were able to bring the gallery space to life, creating a convincing exhibition location with the help of stunning original artwork donated for the day by local artists Patricia Blatherwick, Roger Crooks, Kathryn Rose and Carol Litowczuk.

Producer Belinda Basson and Dani Tonks who stars as Ruth in the upcoming short thriller ‘The Other’.

Supporting Artists relax during break on the gallery shoot at Scene Studios in Nottingham.

Returning and together for the first time in over a year, the cast and crew seamlessly picked up from the last filming, and as ever we are very grateful for their professionalism, generosity and creativity. This time we also had a large number of supporting artists on set (including two crowdfund Executive Producers) who were all extremely patient and attentive, both on and off camera, and we are so thankful to every one of them for their contributions. Here are a few behind the scenes photos of the art exhibition filming, which show the tremendous level of professionalism and team-working on the day.

On set during filming of the gallery scene with key cast, crew and supporting artists

Day two saw a smaller, skeleton crew travel over to Birmingham for a challenging but creatively rewarding shoot at Birmingham New Street station. It was another very successful day and to shoot the finale of the film at such an iconic location as hoped was a very humbling experience. Producer Belinda is extremely grateful and wants to give special thanks to Network Rail for granting her request to shoot at one of their busiest railway stations and for the wonderful support from staff during the day.  We can’t give too much away about this critical scene, but we hope that when you see it you will be on the edge of your seats! For now, we have a teaser photo taken on location to share with you.

Shooting on the platform at Birmingham New Street

Looking ahead, we are currently in post-production and within the coming months we are hoping to bring in further creative collaborators to support the final production stages of The Other. Our composer Richard Birkin is attached to score The Other, and we’ve already had some great discussions about this aspect of the film. Once our Editor and Sound Designer have come on board we’ll be ready to move forward, and we are hoping to recruit these roles imminently.

We’re also hard at work on our digital development pack, which contains detailed insights into the making of the film, for those who claimed this perk. Exclusive The Other pin badges claimed by many of our backers, are due to go into production soon, and we hope these will be arriving with backers within the next month or so.

We look forward to sharing more news about The Other with you soon!

'Creativity For Good' Nomination At Mainframe Derby Creative Business Awards 2019

We were incredibly honoured to receive a nomination for this year’s Mainframe Awards in the ‘Creativity for Good’ category and attend the ceremony at QUAD in Derby earlier this month. Mainframe supports businesses from across Derby and Derbyshire, and their work is supported by a whole host of local and national enterprises and programmes. To be recognised in this way was a real boost for us and we’re grateful to the organisers and our category judge for shortlisting us alongside fellow nominees Mair Perkins Animation and Jane Hardstaff’s Common Threads.

’Creativity for Good’ recognises businesses who have created projects that have ‘contributed to the betterment of lives through creative means; both locally or further afield’. We were pleased to be able to submit our portfolio of work for Green Eco Technologies (GET) for our nomination, with the effort to tackle the global challenge of food waste being the core focus of this work.

‘GET develops, supplies and manages technologically advanced, safe, efficient, and environmentally beneficial, on-site solutions for the conversion and re-purposing of putrescible organic waste into reusable resources.’ Our work involved a series of videos for their WasteMaster system which have been shared online and screened at exhibitions globally, and we have also supported GET’s social media management.

The Mainframe Awards evening was held on April 11th at QUAD in Derby, and our category was won by the terrific Mair Perkins and we send our warmest congratulations to her. To be amongst the nominees and such a vibrant, exciting group of creative individuals was a real privilege and we look forward to continuing our work for good both with GET and elsewhere through our documentary and promotional work.

To find out more about the Mainframe Awards and the full list of winners and nominees, head on over to their website here.

Short Film 'Make Do Or Mend' Wins At Midlands Movies Awards

Last week we attended the annual Midlands Movies Awards ceremony in Leicester, with our short sci-fi film Make Do Or Mend nominated for four awards. Represented by director and producer Christopher Bevan and lead Hair and Make-Up Artist Monica Montalvo, we were absolutely delighted to be presented the award for Best Make-Up, Costume and Hairstyling on the night!

A huge collaborative effort, our thanks must go to the whole nominated team including Monica, SFX Make Up team Father Phantom Studio (Laura, Katarina and Ben) and costume designer Chris Morris. They worked tremendously hard before and during filming, and we were so pleased with the end result and having this recognised by Midlands Movies is a real honour for us. Further thanks go to our production designer Milly White who was integral in bringing the vision for these departments together.

Elsewhere at the Midlands Movies Awards, we were nominated for Best Director, Editing and Sound Editing but faced with so much stiff competition, we didn’t pick up the awards in these categories but for us, the nods and award we received are reward enough.

The evening itself was fantastically organised and a huge amount of fun, thanks to Mike Sales and the Midlands Movies team for all of their efforts in the lead up to and on the night to make it such a success. It was great to bump into fellow nominees, some familiar faces and some new, and the venue was the perfect choice for the occasion. Our thanks once again to all who have made this success possible, and we hope to have our next project ready to submit for the next Midlands Movies Awards in 2020.

Credit: Photography by Philip Eldridge-Smith

About Make Do Or Mend

“For Hunters, victory is the only alternative to death. When Irix (Miranda Heath) returns with a new trophy, her kill has already attracted dangerous attention from rival Hunters. With the seconds counting down until the next hunt, her companion Ashak (Dan McGrath) claims to have a way out for both of them. Surrounded by enemies and with another brutal hunt about to begin, the two Hunters must decide whether to make do and embrace the inevitable or take up the fight against their fate.”

Make Do Or Mend is directed by Christopher Bevan, written by Dan McGrath and produced by Christopher Bevan and James Hutton. To find out out more about the making of the film, visit our blog post here. To date the film has received a Special Mention in the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge, received official selections for The Short Cinema, Fargo Fantastic and Birmingham Film Festivals, and at the latter of these was nominated in 3 categories for Best Micro Short, Best Production Design and Best Costume. In early 2019 the film was picked up for online distribution by DUST, ‘the first premium sci-fi entertainment brand that reaches fans across all platforms, giving voice to emerging, diverse and established filmmakers.’ The film was nominated at the Midlands Movies Awards for Best Director, Best Editing, Best Sound Design and won for Best Costume, Make-Up and Hairstyling.

Watch Make Do Or Mend:

'Make Do Or Mend' Receives Four Nominations At Midlands Movies Awards 2019

On 3rd February the nominations for the Midlands Movies Awards 2019 were announced and we’re delighted to have received four nods for our sci-fi short film ‘Make Do Or Mend’!

The film has been nominated by the selection panel in the categories of Best Director for Christopher Bevan, Best Editor for Simon Dymond, Best Sound Editing for Keith Morrison and for Best Costume, Make-Up and Hair Styling for the team of Chris Morris, Laura Viale Durand, Katarina Horvatic, Ben Fallaize and Monica Montalvo.

Our sincere thanks to Midlands Movies for the recognition in these categories and also to the entire team who brought their amazing talent to the project and worked so hard. Originally created for the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge back in April 2018, the film has since gone on to festival nominations and selections both in the UK and USA, and was recently picked up by the online science fiction platform DUST last month for distribution to a large global audience where it has to date been viewed over 80,000 times.

As Midlands-based filmmakers these latest nominations from Midlands Movies mean a great deal to us and we’re also thrilled to be up against some incredible local talent, many of whom are friends and past collaborators, and we look forward to celebrating all that is good about independent filmmaking in the Midlands with them next month.

The 3rd annual Midlands Movies awards ceremony takes place in Leicester on Saturday 2nd March at Hansom Hall in Leicester, to find out more visit the official Midlands Movies website here and to see a full list of the nominations head here. You can watch the film in full below.

 About Make Do Or Mend

“For Hunters, victory is the only alternative to death. When Irix (Miranda Heath) returns with a new trophy, her kill has already attracted dangerous attention from rival Hunters. With the seconds counting down until the next hunt, her companion Ashak (Dan McGrath) claims to have a way out for both of them. Surrounded by enemies and with another brutal hunt about to begin, the two Hunters must decide whether to make do and embrace the inevitable or take up the fight against their fate.”

Make Do Or Mend is directed by Christopher Bevan, written by Dan McGrath and produced by Christopher Bevan and James Hutton. To find out out more about the making of the film, visit our blog post here. To date the film has received a Special Mention in the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge, received official selections for The Short Cinema, Fargo Fantastic and Birmingham Film Festivals, and at the latter of these was nominated in 3 categories for Best Micro Short, Best Production Design and Best Costume. In early 2019 the film was picked up for online distribution by DUST, ‘the first premium sci-fi entertainment brand that reaches fans across all platforms, giving voice to emerging, diverse and established filmmakers.’

DUST Sci-Fi Platform Picks Up 'Make Do Or Mend' Short Film

We’re excited to announce that DUST, the largest online platform for science fiction films, has picked up our film ‘Make Do Or Mend’ for distribution across their platforms. Released through the official DUST website, Facebook and Youtube, the film has so far amassed close to 50,000 views which brings a film we initially wrote, filmed and edited in just 48 hours to a larger global audience than we could have ever hoped for. The film is now available to view on their website here.

Per their official website, “DUST is the first premium sci-fi entertainment brand that reaches fans across all platforms, giving voice to emerging, diverse and established filmmakers. We feature the best sci-fi short films, series, and innovative content that cuts through the present to invite the future.”

Being fans of DUST’s approach to sci-fi filmmaking and content, we jumped at the chance to have the film released by them and are excited at the opportunities ahead. It’s been a fresh experience for us reading the feedback to the film and a tremendous learning experience. We have many more stories to tell in the universe of Make Do Or Mend, something alluded to in the short.

Our thanks to DUST for the incredible opportunity of having our film released on their platforms, and a thank you to everyone involved in the making of the film, both in front of and behind the camera. And if you’ve not had chance yet, please do check out the film and let us know what you think!

About Make Do Or Mend

“For Hunters, victory is the only alternative to death. When Irix (Miranda Heath) returns with a new trophy, her kill has already attracted dangerous attention from rival Hunters. With the seconds counting down until the next hunt, her companion Ashak (Dan McGrath) claims to have a way out for both of them. Surrounded by enemies and with another brutal hunt about to begin, the two Hunters must decide whether to make do and embrace the inevitable or take up the fight against their fate.”

Make Do Or Mend is directed by Christopher Bevan, written by Dan McGrath and produced by Christopher Bevan and James Hutton. To find out out more about the making of the film, visit our blog post here. To date the film has received a Special Mention in the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge, received official selections for The Short Cinema, Fargo Fantastic and Birmingham Film Festivals, and at the latter of these was nominated in 3 categories for Best Micro Short, Best Production Design and Best Costume.

'The Other' Wraps Production On Final Scenes

That’s a wrap on 'The Other'! Dreamfusion Productions and YSP Media would like to extend their thanks to everyone involved in bringing this film to life including our wonderful cast, crew, supporting artists, locations, gallery artists and of course our crowdfunding backers for the final scenes.

Over the coming months we'll be moving into post-production and be sharing any updates right here on our website, the crowdfunding campaign page and social media channels. Don’t forget to check out the teaser trailer for the film so far released in back in Autumn 2018 which highlights just some of the exciting work completed on the film to date. You can also find out more on the film’s recently updated IMDB page with full details of the amazing cast and crew involved across both the first block of filming and final scenes.

A huge thank you once again to everyone who backed and supported the recent Indiegogo campaign to film these final scenes of 'The Other'. We’re delighted and can’t wait to share the film with you once it’s completed!

About ‘The Other’

Serious and meticulous young chef Marcus (Adam Horvath) begins to experience increasingly strange and unexplained events that challenge his sanity. With his mindset spiralling into paranoia his desperation is intensified by sightings of a familiar figure.

‘The Other’ is an upcoming short film from producer Belinda Basson, director Christopher Bevan and writer Ben Errington. The film is produced by Dreamfusion Productions and YSP Media. Starring Adam Horvath, Dani Tonks, Liz Leonard and Christopher Tajah.

New Sci-Fi Short 'Connective Tissue' Wraps Production

YSP Media is delighted to be able to announce the production of short psychological science-fiction film Connective Tissue from debut writer-director Matthew B.C. and producer Christopher Bevan. Principal photography was completed in Nottingham in October 2018 with post-production currently underway, and we are thrilled to be supporting Matthew’s vision to bring this story to the screen. 

Starring Thomas Beatty, Connective Tissue follows an addict hacker as he discovers an alien frequency that has left his twin brother in a vegetative state. Finding a way to bring his brother back will involve revealing where the frequency came from and finding out exactly what it wants - a result that could force the hacker to question his own identity and what it really means to connect with the word around him.

Influenced by the cryptic works of Philip K. Dick and William Gibson as well as counter-culture icons Terrence McKenna and Alex Grey, Connective Tissue is a slick, psychedelic cyberpunk story that looks to the themes of identity and self-discovery to combine style with substance.

“The balance between entertainment and ideology is key and it has become the clear focus of my work,” says writer-director Matthew B.C. “The questions you are asking regarding life or the human condition form the foundation in which to tell a story but it’s how you choose to present that stylistically where you get the opportunity to engage with an audience. Connective Tissue thrives on the power of absurdity and manic tension to make an impression - it gives you no choice but to sit up and take notice.”

“As soon as I met Matthew and heard his vision and ideas surrounding the film that would become Connective Tissue, I was immediately excited at the possibilities and the striking approach he was taking with the material”, says producer Christopher Bevan. “We were blessed to have a talented and hard working cast and crew who came together in support of this vision and I’m very much looking forward to sharing this film and building on what we have created so far in the future.”

On his debut film, Matthew can’t overstate the importance of having a focused team in order to bring his vision to life. “When you spend all your time putting pen to paper, it is hard to appreciate the physical and logistical process of turning that script into something tangible. After seeing the outstanding effort that Christopher and our dedicated team put into making Connective Tissue a reality, I am in awe of the passion and love for film it takes to be great in every aspect of production. Needless to say, this was the perfect situation for any first-time director to be in.”

Connective Tissue is slated for completion by Spring 2019 and we are subsequently planning a targeted festival submissions run followed by an online premiere later in the year. Head on over to the film’s official production page here for the first set of behind the scenes photos from Gemma O’Brien.