I wondered if I might ask a bit of a favour of you?

If you have time, and want to feel all warm and squishy, could I trouble you to add either a link to Geeky Gifts on your own site/blog, or, if your feeling uber-generous, perhaps one of these nifty banner ads wot I ‘ave made?

If you’d like reciprocal links back to your site, let me know and I’ll set up links to you from this blog (if there isn’t one already) and the Return to Earth site.

How’s that!? A two for one offer!

I’ve got four banners in two sizes -

1) 120×60 Generic Button:

2) 120×60 Film Funding Oriented Button:

3) 468×94 Generic Banner:

4) 468×94 Film Funding Banner:

5) The Text Link:

Your Text Here

As an extra incentive, the owners of the top five sites that refer the most people through to Geeky Gifts … Read More »

It’s been quiet round here of late, but doesn’t mean there’s been no activity chez Cogs. Oh no Siree!

The latest draft of Return to Earth is almost in the bag (I know I keep saying it, but I’ve struggled with the third act – a moment of clarity last week has unclogged the old grey matter though).

I’ve also been busy coding. The latest effort is Geeky Gifts, which I urge/beg/implore you to check out, and perhaps, with the evenings drawing in and Christmas just around the corner, to consider purchasing one or two gifts for your loved ones through the site.

Go on, you know it makes sense. Hopefully it’ll make a film too.

and ent

…writing and thinking hard about Return to Earth – and making reasonable progress.  Nothing startling, but it’ll do me. With the million and one other things on at the moment, I’m not expecting miracles.

I have set up a separate blog and Twitter feed for the Return to Earth project, http://returntoearth.at/once/ and @returntoearth respectively.  Feel free to check out and follow (and donate!), I’ll no doubt update that site more than this one, with my recent track record of updates.

In case anyone was wondering what the previous post was about it was all part of a big game run by the the creator of Moblog, Alfie Denning, where forty or so bloggers were provided with geo-cache type clues which would lead people to various points around London where they would find photographs by the talented James Nachtwey and a letter.  Find the photos, … Read More »

Inspired by Tim Clague’s post about how Marvel write their comics, I’ve been inspired to take hold of an idea that has been bubbling about in my head for some time now; namely that I should write the next draft of Return to Earth initally as a StoryBoard, and then, once I’m happy with the structure, write it back to screenplay format.

I have no idea if it will work, but it seems to make so much sense to work this way, primarily to force myself to think in images and structure the story visually.  

The notion struck me a few years ago while I was reading The Conversations, Michael Ondaatje’s superb book where he discusses the art of editing with Walter Murch.  Walter describes how he likes to take screenshots of takes and line them up to see how they … Read More »

If you’re a documentary filmmaker and you fancy a quick shot at fame on Channel 4, there’s a new competition being launched next month with your name on it.

To celebrate the release of Guy Maddin‘s My Winnipeg, Channel 4 are looking for UK filmmakers to make a three minute documentary about your home town.  The winning films will screen both on Channel 4 and at the Branchage Film Festival.  You could even win a holiday to Winnipeg!

The competition kicks off on the 1st July, check out the competition home page for more details, and to set yourself a reminder.

To get you in the mood, here’s the trailer for My Winnipeg.

Think I might have a go myself…

Had a minor heart attack last night while procrastinating researching for the new screenplay.  Seems there’s another moon film coming out next year, directed by Duncan Jones and called, wait for it, Moon!

With heart sinking rapidly I flew past the ‘possible spoiler’ warning on IMDb to learn that, thankfully, it’s nothing like my story.

Nice one sheet though.

I also stumbled across this video of an Earth rise which is just to die for… Glorious.

Woke up this morning to find overnight there had been a fascinating contretemps brewing between two very cool web sites, both of which I’m a big fan of*.

In the blue corner, replete with Raccoon, is Seesmic, run by the ever smiling French New Media Guru and founder of Le Web, Loic Le Meur.

In the red corner (with white flashes) is Phreadz, developed by the one man dynamo and all round top chap,  Kosso.

Rather than explain it all (as it’s quite complicated) Christian (aka Documentally) interviewed Kosso about the situation over on Qik.com – watch it now!

As Christian and Deek point out in the video, I think the whole situation has ramifications for bloggers, filmmakers and musicians that extends beyond two web sites having a bit of a barney, it’s about ownership of content on the web.

Hopefully, the situation as it … Read More »