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Love a good British gangster movie? Wanna help make one? Watch the video and find out, after you consider the following. What do we consider a great British Gangster movie? Classics like, Get Carter, The Long Good Friday and Sexy Beast all provide the vicarious pleasure of living in the shadows and seeing these immoral characters get dragged through the dirt for their sins. When it comes to my own screenplay, I wrote it following a terrifying night out with real gangsters in Liverpool in 1995 and brought together other real life experiences in Amsterdam and elements such as The Nordic Biker War which to me all fit together to make the story that is, The Compromise. As such, my screenplay takes a similar sensibility of scale from The Long Good Friday, where a London Kingpin takes on the American Mafia and the IRA, but switches it up with the Liverpool gang, like a dysfunctional family out of their depth amongst bigger European, underworld gangs. The Compromise also goes further than other classic British Gangster movies with strong female characters who provide a moral compass and dare I say it 'kick ass' action to the proceedings. Not only do female characters provide a ying to the yang, in The Compromise, moreover there is a buddy element in the story too. The protagonist (Blair), a gangster, who trusts no one, buys the help of a nervous, but smart student whose girlfriend goes missing with Blairs nephew in the shadows of Amsterdam. This buddy relationship provides a counterpoint to the underworld action, anatagonism with Blair and a dark humour. Some have called the dialogue 'Tarantino-esque', which I'll take as a compliment. I'm particularly influenced any Elmore Leonard - who actually influenced Tarantino. Let's get back to it. I need your help, I need reviews, comments, feedback of all kinds for my pitch deck for The Compromise. It needs to show it has an audience, so please do grab a copy, email me for a copy, listen to the audiobook free on YouTube. If you are a producer or a production executive then please do DM me. We need original movies. This is a recent quote - STEVEN SPIELBERG: IF ALL WE MAKE IS KNOWN BRANDED IP, WE'RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF GAS. THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN GIVING THE AUDIENCE VISUAL STORIES, AND THEY CAN BE IN ANY FORM, BUT WE NEED TO TELL MORE ORIGINAL STORIES. Thanks to Pavel Douglas Seb Pecchia Dr. Alex Ross James Sykes for their support and help hashtag#originalfilm hashtag#filmproduction hashtag#productioncompany hashtag#pitchdeck
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Right idea, wrong time.
A friend and real Heavy rockstar once told me that great ideas sometimes just need the right oxygen. I often think about that. In this case, Big Ride was a mountain biking adventure DVD and TV pilot way ahead of its time- filmed on the amazing trails of Afan in Wales. DVD was a well established delivery format in the early 2000’s and I was making good money making fitness videos, corporates and even how to’s. The DVD format seemed the perfect way to present a mountain bike adventure and supplementary video files to give new riders the inspiration and education to take a big ride. Good news, bad news. The shoot was really challenging and the edit was a rites of passage; I sweated bullets, writing VO, loading between producers, graphic artists as well as producing the majority of the music and authoring theDVD. Eventually, it got done. We had 2,000 discs made to sell direct, but to get us to a series or TV deal we’d need mass distribution. At the time it was Chili video or go home if you wanted to sell via Halfords. The deal was done. We made it! Except, we didn’t make it. Turns out a group of kids had made a thing called YouTube and the internet really became THE place to share video content. Chili never came up trumps for us. Sales from our website were modest. There was a meeting with a TV company, but the pilot never took off. Today, we have insanely good technology to capture mountain biking like full frame mirrorless cameras, drones, 360 cams, Action cameras and everyone has a smartphone.🧐 In the years that followed I worked independently on a smaller mountain bike series called Dirty Little Secrets. It gained over 1M views and I sold a lot of it to Future Publishings Bike Radar. Big Ride had become a flaming expensive calling card and it got me gigs and helped sell DLS. It’s a shame Big Ride never fulfilled its true potential. Who knows, maybe it could come back. Until then, indulge in the pilot episode cut of Big Ride - The Complete Mountain Bike Adventure. Huge thanks to Justin Loretz my bestest bro who helped make Big Ride Happen. https://lnkd.in/eW6gscmE In 2017, I was hired to cover the UK leg of filming for Generation Iron 2 — the feature-length documentary produced by The Vladar Company and now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
The location? BodyPower offices and gyms in Birmingham, UK. Body Power, the UK’s biggest fitness expo at the time. Fast, Focused, and Unfolding in Real Time The shoot was led by director Vlad Yudin, alongside his assistant and a behind-the-scenes cameraman. It didn’t take long to realise this was a fast-moving production. No endless lighting tweaks. No rehearsed perfection. Find the moment. Frame it. Capture it. My role was to run a two-camera interview setup:
Except two of the three interviews were inside a gym lined entirely with mirrors. Mirrors mean nowhere to hide lights. Nowhere to hide tripods. And nowhere to hide yourself. Every angle becomes a puzzle. Every reflection a potential mistake. By that point, I’d spent 17 years filming high-pressure corporate productions — CEOs with five-minute windows, live events with no second takes — so adapting quickly was second nature. I worked with available light, controlled spill carefully, monitored ambient sound, and mic’d talent efficiently so we could roll fast without sacrificing quality. That’s documentary craft. Calm under pressure. Technical precision without slowing momentum. Context Matters: Filming BodyPower’s Founders We filmed Nick and Steve Orton, the founders of BodyPower, capturing insight into the UK bodybuilding scene and its growing global influence. Documentary filmmaking isn’t just about faces on camera — it’s about context. Understanding the environment. Capturing atmosphere. Letting story sit naturally inside its setting. Once we wrapped at the BodyPower offices, we moved on to film a rising figure in the fitness world — Martyn Ford. Meeting Martyn Ford At 6’8”, Martyn quite literally casts a shadow. But what struck me wasn’t his size — it was his clarity. Focused, driven, but refreshingly grounded. He spoke about transitioning into acting and an upcoming project filming in Ireland with an independent director. There was ambition there, but also realism. He knew he had work to do. That honesty translates beautifully on camera. In documentary, authenticity is everything. My job is to create an environment where that authenticity can surface — quickly and naturally. Efficient lighting. Clean audio. Minimal fuss. Let the subject breathe. We finished with a few production stills — including what I jokingly called a “gun show” shot. (If you scale the image correctly, I maintain my biceps were at least competitive.) The Small World of Film After the shoot, I realised something amusing. Months earlier, I’d interviewed indie feature director David L.G. Hughes, who mentioned filming his next feature in a stunning Irish location. It was the same film Martyn was heading to — Viking Destiny, where he was cast as the villain. Film is a small world. Documentary even smaller. Nine Years Later… Fast forward nearly a decade. There it is — my name is in the credits of Generation Iron 2, not only that but for a second, a BTS shot shows me sharing the frame with Martyn Ford. Brief. Fleeting. But permanent. Somebody hold my tiny trumpet! Easter eggs aside, it is the quiet satisfaction of documentary work that I love. You may not be front and centre. You may not be the headline. But you shape the frame. You capture the truth. You help tell the story. And when a global documentary lands on a major streaming platform, you know you’ve contributed to something lasting. Why This Matters Filming in high-pressure environments — expos, gyms, live events — requires more than just knowing how to operate a camera. It requires:
Let’s Tell Your Story Whether you’re producing a feature documentary, profiling a high-performance athlete, or capturing real-world stories that demand authenticity — I bring over two decades of production experience and a calm, technically sharp approach to fast-moving shoots. If you’re developing a documentary and need a cinematographer who can think on his feet, adapt instantly, and deliver under pressure — let’s talk. Because great documentaries aren’t staged. They’re captured. Contact Trusted filmmaker Adam Loretz via www.loretzvisuals.co.uk First impressions count and for Egym Global this is especially important when exhibiting their latest technologies and equipment. Recently, Loretz Visuals provided video and photography coverage of their market leading exercise equipment at Elevate show 2025. From body scanning to squats, bench press to new business connections the Egym team were firing on all cylinders and the attendees were loving it! Another happy client, all thanks to the strategy employed and exacted by the expert team at Loretz Visuals. More than just video coverage, clients trust is created through the way they are treated, the attention to details and delivery of the final edits. Find out how Loretz Visuals can support your business by contacting Adam Loretz today Independent filmmaking has never had more access to high-quality tools. The technology is here. The market is saturated with filmmakers. But what about the money? Hollywood has endured strikes, streaming wars, and even biblical wildfires—signs of an industry in flux. And from the embers, a little dragon emerges. Not a real one, but a Komodo—RED Digital Cinema’s entry-level cinema camera, (Previously £4,995) now just £2,995. A Hollywood staple, RED cameras have been used by auteurs like David Fincher, and now, with prices aligning with Blackmagic, high-end filmmaking is within reach for independent creators. But while the tools improve, the economics of streaming remain dismal. Amazon just set aside £250M for James Bond, yet indie filmmakers on Prime Video earn just 4p per hour streamed—that’s 8p for a full-length film. The financial disparity between the power of today’s cameras and the streaming revenue for independent movies has never been greater. So where does that leave indie filmmakers? Technology has democratized production, but without a sustainable financial model, can indie cinema truly thrive? Is it time for a new approach to distribution? A fairer streaming model? Or do we need to reimagine the production process, like independent filmmakers such as Robert Rodriguez? Let’s talk. What’s the future of indie film in the streaming age? #IndependentFilm #Filmmaking #Streaming #REDDigitalCinema #Komodo #Blackmagic #IndieFilm Some source links below. https://lnkd.in/eNiKZznr. https://lnkd.in/ekgtxzci https://lnkd.in/ewpzWGDT  Put me anywhere, and I’ll find the story. That’s the skill that comes with decades of filming content. But sometimes, even as a non-wrestling fan, I get pulled into a conversation that’s just great storytelling. Recently, I had the chance to film a podcast with legendary WWE referee Mike Chioda, interviewed by my frequent collaborator and wrestling journalist Ben Veal. Set against the stunning London skyline, the conversation was electric—diving into iconic matches, the politics of the sport, and the seismic shift of wrestling onto Netflix. From behind the lens, I could hear the chime of a great sentence, the camaraderie, and the humor that makes for unforgettable content. Visually, we pushed the setup to the limit—the Lumix cameras exposing for the highlights against floor-to-ceiling windows, while I juggled the C-cams, a two-shot, and some verité-style gimbal work with the DJI Pocket 1. Not ideal for high dynamic range, but perfect for capturing the raw energy of the moment. A deep, raspy voice. A room filled with passion for the craft. And the magic of storytelling, whether you’re in the ring or behind the camera. 🎥 Another great one in the books. hashtag#Wrestling hashtag#Podcast hashtag#Filmmaking hashtag#Storytelling hashtag#WWE hashtag#MikeChioda hashtag#London Here's a snippet. For the whole video checkout Bens Wrestling channel https://lnkd.in/g324H4HE How many streaming services fill your home screen? Netflix, Prime, Disney+... they keep stacking up, but are the stories getting any better?
As social media creators, we're all storytellers now, trained by character limits and attention spans to distill our thoughts into digestible pieces. But can we take a complex narrative and deliver it in two punchy lines? In the film industry, we call this a log line - those brief descriptions you scroll through on Netflix. Yet ironically, our established storytellers seem to be moving in the opposite direction. When was the last time you saw a blockbuster under two hours? (Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" clocked in at 99 minutes, but since earning creative freedom, even he's embraced the epic runtime.) This challenge of concision hit home when I released my first novel, adapted from a screenplay, last year. Wearing both author and marketer hats, I spent months crafting the perfect log line. Here it is: "Three Liverpudlian gangsters play Dad to a small boy, amidst a Mob war, until they embroil a naive student & his penpal in their scheming. Following a trail of blood, a dark secret catapults one of the Scouse mob on a rescue mission with an unlikely hero." Perhaps all our time on social media is creating a new generation of storytellers who understand the power of brevity. The future of streaming might just depend on it. hashtag#Storytelling hashtag#Writing hashtag#Streaming hashtag#ContentCreation hashtag#FilmIndustry [Feel free to check out my novel here: amzn.to/3PZEvyV ] 🎥 The Vibrant World of Social Media Content: A Filmmaker's Playground 🌟
Alongside my work on high-profile events and major productions, I've been diving deep into the dynamic realm of social media content – and wow, what an exhilarating journey! These smaller-scale projects are anything but limiting. They're a creative playground where every brief, sometimes just a single line, becomes an opportunity for innovative storytelling. From capturing the essence of a gallery exhibition for a leading portrait artist to filming the latest fashion lines at a country store, and even showcasing a breathtaking ring for a talented jeweller – each project is a unique canvas for creativity. My versatility is my strength. Whether I'm wearing the hat of a video editor, cameraman, producer, copywriter, sound designer, or photographer, my core mission remains the same: creating moving pictures that truly move audiences. These micro-productions are more than just assignments. They're opportunities to: - Experiment with cutting-edge technology - Push creative boundaries in editing - Build meaningful connections through one-to-one client interactions - Continuously learn and grow as a filmmaker 💡Whether you're looking to create impactful social media content or planning a large-scale production, let's connect and discuss how we can bring your vision to life! Drop me a message, and let's create something extraordinary together. 🚀 #VideoProduction #SocialMediaContent #Creativestorytelling #Filmmaking Earlier this month, February 2024 I had the pleasure of producing content for the UK SkillCourt Team. SkillCourt is an incredible fitness training system which utilises lidar and laser technology to create interactive, cognitive and physical games for a wide range of users. Check it out (after you have read this post ; ) skillcourt.training/uk/ Tasked to film several hours of presentation in both the morning and afternoon, audience interaction, gameplay and reaction, I decided to bring in fellow filmmaker Seb Pecchia to build out my team. In fast paced, one off scenarios with multiple cameras, there's no place or time to compromise. You have to get the coverage and you absolutely must have great audio. On my own, this could and probably would have been a struggle. SkillCourt is used by many fitness clubs, leading sports teams and special forces units and as such the beautiful software provides tailored gamification and focus to improve both cognition, reaction time and physical health. It helps teams come together, better. With my array of Lumix full frame and DJI specialty cameras, all shooting 10 bit video, we comprehensively covered the event showing off this incredible technology. The full frame 6k Lumix cameras providing huge flexibility and options in the edit. Working around the audience and presenters, the small DJI Pocket 3, gimbal camera got many shots. Being light and portable, it can get very high, or low shots quickly and safely. It may sound like a cliche but the Pocket 3 is a game changer for social media production. Together then, the extra pair of hands, the DJI Pocket 3 and the fantastic SkillCourt system all provided huge value to this production. For every event, take one for the Team. |
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