:: gia’s blog ::

I’m helping out with the British Film Institute’s 75th birthday celebrations. They’ve asked 75 different ‘well-known people’ to nominate one film each, then ‘the public’ are able to vote on them. The top 5 will be screened at the BFI from January. Here are a few of the choices:

There have been 63 different films nominated so get over there and vote for your favourite. You’ve got til the 30th of September to cast your vote.

Right now the top 10 looks like this:

1. Blade Runner
2. Quadrophenia
3. The Godfather
4. Stalker
5. Pulp Fiction
6. Lawrence of Arabia
7. The Third Man
8. A Matter of Life and Death
9. Singin’ in the Rain
10. Metropolis

If you think that, say, Lawrence of Arabia should be part of the top 5 to be screened instead of Pulp Fiction, then get voting (yea, yea, technically you can only vote once, but if you really care there’s the old wipe the cache and cookies trick!). The whole current order of the films can be seen here.

Come on, kids, help me out and vote!

I’m going to be attending all the X-Files events over the next few days in London. In order to let everyone *not* attending get a flavour of what is going on, I’m going to *try* and film and broadcast live from my mobile. I will be at the Q&A with Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter at HMV tomorrow evening, the premiere is on Wednesday (I’ve got red carpet access and am guaranteed time with David and Gillian) and on Thursday Frank and Chris will be doing a signing at Forbidden Planet.

If you want to keep track of what I’m doing, check back here over the next few days.

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Here are some interviews I did at the X-Files Sneak Peek at the LA Film Festival.

First, for TONS of videos, photos, conversation on the X-Files, join Big Light. It’s for fans, old and new of the X-Files.

Now, this video gives an idea of what kind of fun was had by all at the X-Files Sneak Peak at the LAFF. It was made by the lovely Mya. Music: Walking in Memphis by Cher. (More below the fold)

Find more videos like this on Big Light
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Anyone who does online marketing work for a media behemoth knows that ‘the online copyright issue’ is an endless source of frustration. I’m working with Fox on X-Files: I Want To Believe doing online marketing and promotion. As a geek film fan, working on films that you love is just the best thing in the world… except for the meddling of the legal departments.

Last week, I received a copyright infringement notice from Google because I have the X-Files teaser trailer on my YouTube account. I am working for Fox, to promote a Fox film and I got served with a copyright infringement notice.
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In the next few weeks there is an X-Files DVD coming out. Up until today, I thought it was going to be called X-Files: Revelations (and in the US it still is), but in the UK, at least, it seems to be called X-Files: Essentials. Ah, who cares about what it’s called, it’s what’s on it that counts.

This is being released as a ‘primer’ for the new film. You don’t need to watch these in order to understand the film, but if you want to remind yourself of the X-Files or if you never watched it in the first place, this DVD has an excellent selection of episodes which will give you a good taster of what the X-Files is all about.

The episodes are as follows:

Disc One:

• “Pilot” (from Season 1)
• “Beyond the Sea” (from Season 1)
• “The Host” (from Season 2)
• “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” (from Season 3)

Disc Two:

• “Memento Mori” (from Season 4)
• “Post-Modern Prometheus” (from Season 5)
• “Bad Blood” (from Season 5)
• “Milagro” (from Season 6)
• Bonus features: 2008 theatrical trailer; Wondercon talent panel session

As I was typing those out, I was going to do a little review about each episode and kept thinking, “Oh, I love this one!” “This one is sooooo great!” “This is my favourite.” “No, this is my favourite!” “THIS one!” “This one’s excellent…” So, I’ve just put a plain old list. :) The episodes they’ve chosen for this DVD really are the best of the X-Files without even really delving into the mytharc.

I’m going to start an X-Files Episode Chat thing where everyone watches the same episode on the same day and gets together online to talk about it and meet other people over the following few days. The aim is to try and get the RIDICULOUSLY HUGE number of X-Files fans out from their fan sites and into the world (so everyone can see just how many there are!). I’m going to work out a schedule for it – I want to start it soon, but the damned DVD doesn’t come out until the 14th of July! :(

But what I’m MOST interested in is getting non-English speaking fans on board to run episode chats in their own language. There are HUGE numbers of fans in Germany, Russia, Italy, France, Spain, South America, Asia… X-Files fans are EVERYWHERE! So, if you’re a non-English speaking fan and you want to do this, please email me (look on the righthand side of this blog page for my address or if you’re reading this on BigLight or in Facebook, PM me.) and let me know!

(*ahem* For the latest leaked X-Files photos have a look at XFN)

One thing I’ve been finding very interesting since I started doing stuff for the X-Files is the almost obsessive need for some of the fans to not believe anything, yet neither do those ‘unbelievers’ attempt to seek out the ‘truth’. They think they’re being ‘a Scully’, when, in fact, they are merely being a ‘reverse Mulder’- they adamantly don’t want to believe. Consequently, I’ve been getting quite a lot of, shall we say, “feedback” from some people on YouTube.

I’ve been accused of perpetuating a hoax, called a fake, unprofessional, a lying sack of shit (nice), all because I did a nerdy little video of myself opening the script for the first time which they don’t think is real. I’ve done a video response, replied in the comments, written about it here, but to no avail, there are still people who react in an overly hostile way to something they don’t want to believe.

Last Thursday, I had a phonecall with Frank Spotnitz to talk about various things- the trailer, the Revelations DVD, the soundtrack, the premiere and the LA Film Festival. During the call he confirmed that I did, indeed, read the X-Files script. I’m waiting for him to approve the edit of the whole call, until then, here’s a clip of that..

Screencaps below the fold.

Visit YouTube to view the full screen version.

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The day has come. I can start talking about the X Files: I Want To Believe! I am an X Files fan- I own books, toys, trading cards, I even used to dye my hair red like Scully- so when I found out about the new film I emailed a colleague at 20th Century Fox who I met when doing Sunshine and told him that I’d love to help out on the film in any way possible.

I was hoping that I’d maybe get to organise a bloggers’ screening or something… Imagine my joy and excitement when they asked me to do a bunch of ‘online stuff’ for the film for the next few months! The first thing I needed to do, however, was read the script…

Yes, I am wearing a Boba Fett sweatshirt.

Sunshine is on at the Rio Cinema Dalston in London this weekend as part of the Physics On Film festival run by the Institute of Physics (and organised by my friend Sam Rae:).

Unfortunately, I’m not going to be in London this weekend otherwise I’d be there. I’d love to see ‘Sunshine’ in the cinema again. The last time I saw it on a big screen was at an IMAX After Dark screening.

I finished working on Sunshine when the DVD came out in the UK last September. I then had a bit of a physical collapse and needed to restructure everything again in order to not end up a complete wreck. So last autumn, I spent 6 weeks in bed. When I tell people this, they think I must have been depressed. Not at all. I was happy, but genuinely physically exhausted. When you do 7 days a week, 16 hour days for two years, you end up needing 6 weeks in bed. My colleague Stephanie at Fox in LA told me that would happen, so it’s not like I wasn’t expecting it. She said they’d suck my brain dry and leave me with very little left. And that they did.
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Water Lilies opens this week in London at the Curzon Soho, Brixton Ritzy, Cineworld Fulham, Odeon Swiss Cottage; the Duke of York’s in Brighton; and the Cameo in Edinburgh. I’ve already posted the trailer and a few clips, now I’ve got the first 6 minutes of the film (press play to watch). Read the rest of this entry »

Been doing some Water Lilies related stuff while Brian is attending the TED talks. The film comes out from the 14th of March in the UK. It’s a brilliant film and is getting great reviews from everywhere.
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First off, thanks to everyone at Walking With Robots for such a brilliant 3 days. You guys rule! Also, thanks to all of you blog friends for visiting the Walking with Robots blog and saying ‘hi’. We all really appreciated it. A super, special thanks to Jonathan Sanderson for asking me along. Nice to finally work with you after all these years!

Now, I am mental busy.

I’m heading off to San Francisco first thing tomorrow. Brian has been invited to speak at TED which is the initial reason for our trip. We are also going to meet up with friends and people from Seesmic (who are friends, too, but I wanted to give them a special link :).

Apart from the whole, boring ‘cleaning stuff from Bristol, cleaning stuff for SF, getting 12 days’ of stuff ready for my son who’s here while we’re away’ domestic rubbish, I also have a lot to do for Water Lilies (yes, that’s an invitation to check out the site!:). I suspect I might be ripping DVDs and putting clips up online from Business Class on the Munich to SF flight tomorrow… cos I don’t think I’ll have time today.

Broadband on planes is a life-saver.

Via Hugh via Lee on Twitter.

On first thought, I’d say that 2007 was fairly uneventful. My past few months have consisted of me being ill and feeling like I’ve done very little other than try and get healthy again… Then, when I properly think about it, I realise that the whole year has been MENTAL!

January

Me and Charlie Brooker

I was doing lots of stuff for Sunshine and Channel4.com, saw Ben Folds in concert, the Sunshine trailer was leaked by resourceful fans and I was interviewed for Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe.

February

/Cat blog

MASSIVE Sunshine stuff, loads of Channel 4 stuff, went to LIFT where Brian spoke and my Screepwipe interview was broadcast.

Watch Video

March

Danny Boyle on the Sunshine set

I know the photo above wasn’t taken in March, but the month was so freakin’ mental I didn’t take any photos. I was doing 7 days a week, 18 hour days mainly for Sunshine- press and bloggers’ screenings, press interviews, cast and crew screening, Manchester screening, messageboards, emails, IMDB, generally mentalness. There was also Channel 4 stuff, a discussion I took part in at the ICA, went to Cambridge with Brian who spoke at their Science Festival… and I’ve also got ‘Milton Keynes’ in my diary on the 16th. I’ve got no memory of what that was about at all.

April

Danny Boyle, Cillian Murphy, Brian

Another insane month. Sunshine was released, screening and Q&A with Danny at the Ritzy cinema, trip to Russia for the premiere, the 28 Weeks Later premiere… and I bought some ‘Sunshine’ props and costumes. :)

May

Tiger in my face

My Sunshine props and costumes were delivered. :) Was starting to get properly frustrated with the Channel 4 stuff, was weaning off Sunshine, I went to the Arthur C. Clarke Awards nominations, did a Social Media Club photo walk with Lloyd, went to Anna and Julian’s wedding and started looking at secondary schools for my son.

June

Brian at the Star Wars exhibition

Trying to get back into life and recover generally from Sunshine insanity. Sunshine was at the IMAX, spoke at Music Tank, Daywatch screening, more secondary school stuff (including an entrance exam… yikes!)

July

Me at the Gormley exhibition

Secondary school interview (yikes!), started on the Sunshine DVD release, bit of Daywatch work, David Hoyle started Magazine again… my son was offered a place at a secondary school (yay!)

August

Brian, Mo, Benny Wong, Cliff Curtis

Sunshine DVD release, 28 Weeks Later DVD release, Daywatch, more David Hoyle at Magazine… QR Codes.

September

QR Codes

QR Codes for 28 Weeks Later, interviewed about QR on various tv and radio programmes, my son started at his new school, I was invited to talk to the Nuclear Industry Association, recorded the Nature podcast sponsor stings, went to more David Hoyle shows, saw Prince’s final aftershow gig, got properly ill.

October

CERN

Still ill. Started working on a project looking at the Ageing Population, went to CERN twice – the first time with Kevin Eldon and Simon Munnery, the second time with Quentin Wilson- took part in a Nuclear Industry Association roundtable discussion, met Arvind from Slingshot Studios.

November

David Hoyle

Lots of meetings, dinners and lunches. Ageing Project roundtable meeting and dinner… And, of course, the wonderful David Hoyle.

December

My father came to visit, I attended the Juno bloggers’/Twitterers’ screening, fell in LOVE with ‘Juno’ (you’ll be hearing more about this), started Twittering (finally), went to see the King Tut exhibition, attended the Nuclear Industry Association annual dinner, my son had his birthday, recorded a Digital Planet with Gareth Mitchell and Bill Thompson, more talks with Slingshot Studios, David Soul…then…

…today.

After all that, I really need to rest over the next few weeks. I feel like I’ve still not recovered from my illness properly and still need to catch up on all of the sleep I lost last spring with Sunshine… My next 10 days will consist of POWER RESTING. I won’t do any work (except for watching the pile of screeners I’ve got), I won’t worry about whether or not I’ll have any work in the new year… I will just relax in the most hardcore way…

Well, today Sunshine was released on DVD. I thought I’d take this chance to just share some of my Sunshine memories (well the ones which come with photographs which I can more or less make public) from the past two years…

During filming at 3 Mills Studios, I carried my ‘office’ with me to and from work every single day. I looked like a techy bag lady.

One of my very favourite things was wandering around the sets which weren’t being filmed on. Here’s me sitting in the social area of the Icarus II, where Capa sits when he’s told he’s got to make *the* decision.

My Sunshine husbands were/are Damien…

…and Phil

They did the videos, I did the website. We sat next to each other, ate lunch with each other, made each other copious amounts of coffee, hung out together, stalked Danny together… the whole thing.

My actual husband was on-set regularly, too.

In between the moment Danny shouted ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, that is a wrap’ in December 2005 and the start of the post-production phase, there was the wrap party at which Benny Wong DJed.

The post-production phase went on and on and I didn’t see a single frame of the film until September 2006 – it started with a completely different character doing the voice over and was, in my memory, fairly different from the final film. Danny finished post in December 2006 and a couple days later was the first time the trailer was shown. This is Andrew Macdonald, on his Crackberry, in the screening room waiting to watch the trailer shown on a cinema screen for the first time.

Andrew is just the loveliest person in the world. I love him lots and lots and lots. And lots. He very kindly invited me to Moscow to the ‘Sunshine’ premiere. Here’s the two of us in Red Sq.

The Moscow Sunshine Boys…

Andrew, me, Brian and Danny all tarted up for the premiere.

Brian, Danny and Cillian (well, his back) ready to walk on stage.

And on stage…

I, of course, made a point of making sure my son met as many ‘Sunshine’ people as he could. He got Alex’s autograph though Andrew said he’d only sign a cheque… He also had a great time on set with Troy Garity (who was absolutely lovely with him)…

He got to meet Chris Evans…

…Cliff Curtis…

…Benedict Wong…

…and was a honorary Sunshine Boy for a day.

So now I’m finished with Sunshine… there’s not really anything left to do (whether or not LA will hire me for *their* DVD release remains to be seen…), so for the next wee bit I’m working on ’28 Weeks Later’… so you might want to get used to these.