You've got to get this ...

This illustrated recipe book will be a production that is guaranteed to make you smile -

If you read my blog from 10th May this year then you'll already know that our historian and costumier Julia Gant is in the throes of preparing a very special recipe book to accompany the Heartsfelled film production.  The recipes are being chosen by Heartsfelled himself as being his favourites.

To fill you in a bit further - Heartsfelled is a Storyteller who is timeless and ageless which means he has been around since time began and collects his stories from across all times and places.  So the recipes he is choosing are genuine, historical dishes with wonderful stories behind their development and the illustrated book will explain the ingredients, how they are made and so-on.

To give you an idea of just how seriously good the authoress Julia is, only four years ago she catered "The Grand Ball at Villa de Molina"  that was in the ground floor of Napoleon's villa on Elba; she's lectured for academic circles and field cooks and the public at large and she's managed kitchens in some very fine historical homes  and shared pies with some pretty highly titled gents!

So, what's got me all excited this week?  Well,  I spent an hour with Heartsfelled himself and he, along with his amanuensis and muse Mnemosyne, was busy writing down anecdotes and tales of how he came to be there when each of the historical dishes was served.  I could sit and listen to these two historians, historical food experts and most literary people tell their stories and experiences for hours.  So, not only are Heartsfelled's musings and recollections historically fascinating, introducing us to a range of wonderful people from the point of view of their fine dining habits - but Heartsfelled has a glorious sense of humour and his writings are witty and funny too.  I had such a happy time listening to previews of the anecdotes that go with the recipes, smiling and laughing even gasping at Heartsfelled's life experiences.   I will add that there is some pretty smart research and a whole lot of real-life fun and games by lovely Nigel Gant behind Heartsfelled's musings . . . but don't tell Heartsfelled that I let on!

If you are interested in being told when this book is available (latest release date is August 2020 but it could well be available before that) them leave me a message here and I will be in touch.

Nigel Gant as Heartsfelled 

On being the writer . . . .

It is quite a thing to be the person that wrote the poetic saga which, years later, becomes realised in film form.   There is a big helping of responsibility attached as I see this as an important (not at all irreplaceable but I would go so far as to say significant) step in the development of the very talented young Zak Wylde Holland's career.  The director, makeup artists, costumiers, actors, and so-on all heave expectations. I may steer the ship alongside the Director from time-to-time, however, I am not to be lauded as anything more than a willing project assistant with a clear view on how things can be progressed.  I am the writer and that is my raison d'etre.  I look forward to the production with unbounded enthusiasm but the depth of my pleasure will be felt equally when the special edition book is released and I am holding it in my ink-stained hand!

            On the matter of being a writer, I have been creating stories and poems since I was a very small child.  I can recall back to when I was four or even younger, when I couldn't get to sleep (which seemed often in the way of my recall) my mother would say to me "Lie down, close your eyes, and tell yourself a story!"  So I did.  And I have been doing just that ever since.  Songwriters and sometimes poets will tell you that if you can remember the words in the morning then it's a good piece, worth developing!

            Of course the greater majority of what I have written in my adult, professional years has been textbooks and academic work.  That's what happens when you go and get yourself a PhD (mine is Law and Business would you believe!) they expect you to research in-depth, write with great clarity and have a good, strong sense of purpose.  Now that I have moved on and can fully indulge my passion for writing fiction I am finding that research habit very enriching.
              Being a writer to the core also means that I am entrenched in the new book I am researching and creating as well as keeping a weather eye on my duties towards this wonderful Heartsfelled project.  In time my role on this particular Heartsfelled film will melt away and I will sink down deep into the depths of being a writer once again.  The fantasy fiction that I created in a previous life, under a different name was well received so, although I have no wish to revive that series or be that person again, I am very much enjoying the escape into my worlds and the people who come to me there.
               In the meantime, out here in the real world, sets are being built, choreography is being refined and all things are making excellent progress.

Let's Say it all out loud - Videos for your information and entertainment

If you're not already a follower or fan of Zak Wylde Holland - you soon will be!

I often mention Zak in my posts, and you'll already get the impression that I am rather impressed by his creative and artistic skills as a filmmaker (trust me I've worked in the entertainment industry for 20 years and as a film studies teacher for nearly 15, I am qualified to know when something extra special is happening). Cinematography and directing a successful film shoot are true arts and Zak is, without any doubt, an extra-ordinary, upcoming artist in his field.

Sometimes I post photos because, let's face it, he is a good looking young man, isn't he!

I can only imagine that, over the next few years, Zak will have his own fan club of followers and enthusiasts for his work.  

Zak is made all the more charming by the fact that he is not in any way vain, he's strong, fit and intelligent but at the same time incredibly gentle and down-to-earth.  That's not to say he isn't a fireball of energy, he loves adventure, challenges and new experiences just as much as he loves his crackling home hearth and purring cats.

I shall be spending time on location with Zak Wylde Productions over this coming weekend and am planning to get some video interviews so that you-all can get to know Zak, and other cast and crew members, better.  But in the meantime, I'll leave you with a short video to admire Zak exhibiting just a few of his phenomenal gymnastic skills in 2017 . . . 

Heartsfelled: Day One - What a Film Crew!

It really was the very best day's filming for Heartsfelled.

Zak Holland and Patricia Buck working on the design of a shot.

There's a great deal to be said for good preparation.  In our case this meant that Pete Buzzsaw Holland (Director) and Zak Holland (Director of Photography) of Zak Wylde Productions  came and met me  on location at Ayscoughfee five days before the shoot.   
Consummate professionals that they are, they spend a careful, patient day walking through the shots, identifying potential issues and preparing for what was to come.  It was fun - but more importantly it meant that the big day, the real shoot, was both fun and fantastically well executed.
The locals were highly entertained as we paced out, sometimes acting out the sequences to see how they would go.  We walked all around Ayscoughfee's gardens talking about 'ghosts' here and supernatural people there!  Highly imaginative but possibly a quite amusing to the people who did not know what we were doing.

Then came the big day - Day One on location:

Pete and Zak take a well earned break - Zak is dreaming of chips!

Pete is one of the most patient, clear and calming directors I've ever watched.  Although most of my prior experience is with live events - I have been present on quite a few tv and film shoots in the past and am just knocked out with how smoothly this day went.  

The sun shone all day!

I've come to learn that clear sunshine sky does not simply mean that we had a nice sunny day together - it means that we had good, strong, consistent light with no cloud to vary the light levels and not even little drifts to cast annoying shadows!

Patricia observes as Zak lines up and frames his next sequence

As for Zak - cinematography is an art and Zak has a true artist's eye.  His signature shots, the framing, depth and composition and his understanding of how to bring a flat script to life all come together to mean that this film is already a product I am deeply proud of.  The Heartsfelled project has demands of its own, being fantasy, myth ridden and a little fantastical - it needs a particular set of skills to make it work.

Now we can't forget to mention Tina Holland - she is the organisational glue that holds this team together.  Heartsfelled could not be in better hands.  Here we see her and Zak in the quiet Crew Room at Ayscoughfee . . . . once again it's all about the careful preparation.  No chips in here Zak!!

Quiet crew room - no chips in here Zak!