Songbird: The Full List of Behind-The-Scenes Videos

   Over the last seven weeks, you may have seen some new Songbird behind-the-scenes videos popping up on the Triskelle Pictures YouTube channel. I never intended to release them this year - they've actually been on my to-do list since the film was finished in late 2017, but I've been so busy since then with client and short film work (and grateful to be that busy, as I miss it now) that the videos have had to stay on the back burner. 

   However, as with many things, Lockdown finally gave me the opportunity to edit the videos, and it was actually quite nice to release them now; I know that a fair few of you enjoyed watching the videos (thank you to everyone who shared them on social media), and if I've brought even a few moments of entertainment to people during this difficult time, then I'm really glad.

  For anyone who missed the videos on their initial release, here is the full list of all seven, along with a brief description of why I wanted to share them with the world:

1) The Cinematography of Songbird

  Our first video was perhaps the geekiest, as it gave myself and DOP Christopher Newman the opportunity to ramble on about the camera techniques used in the film (try and count the amount of times we say Promist Filter!). Songbird had a look which was very different to most of our films, but I love the old fashioned methods we got to try out, and Chris really deserved the two awards he won for his work. Chris and I have worked (and lived) together many times, which is always a pleasure, and I really think our friendship shines through in this video.

2) Filming In The East Midlands: The Locations of Songbird

   I'll admit that I had two reasons for wanting to make and share this particular video. Obviously I loved the film's locations (in spite of the long walks!), and I believe that the East Midlands countryside provided the perfect setting for a fantasy film - but I also wanted to use this opportunity to talk about filming in the area in general, and the fact that there aren't enough films made around here any more. My cast and crew were equally passionate about the subject, and they had some important insights to share.

3) The Music of Songbird

   Music was always one of the most important elements in Songbird; not only was it a film about a musician, but we had a very talented singer-songwriter in the lead role - and a fan base eager to hear the film's soundtrack. It was such a privilege to have Janet Devlin write not one but two gorgeous original songs for the film, which in turn inspired the majority of the film's nominations. I also loved the score that was written by Ian Algie and Simon Andrews.

4) Songbird: Working With Janet Devlin

   Of course, we couldn't talk about the film's music without talking about the film's leading lady herself! Getting Janet Devlin on board the project is still one of the highlights of my career (I still can't quite believe we got her), and not only was she a joy to work with, but her agents and fans were so supportive of the project too, which was really touching. Songbird was Janet's first film role, but I thought that she gave an incredible performance - and the critics more than agreed!

5) Songbird: Keeping It In The Family

   Back when we were in post-production on Stop/Eject, director Neil Oseman discovered that actor Therese Collins is frankly brilliant in interviews, and he released this video of her interview highlights. So when Therese came on board Songbird, I was very excited to get her thoughts on camera again, and she certainly didn't disappoint! But beyond that, I also wanted to use this video to tell audiences about the wonderful on-set relationship between Therese and her daughter, Laura C. Cann. Laura had worked at Triskelle Pictures for years before finally making the move to producing, and it was great to pay tribute to her here.

6) Songbird: The Nightmare of Scene 17

   You've heard us talk about it a lot; we've used the hashtag, we've called it the worst experience we've ever had on set, and we've blamed writer Tommy Draper numerous times (I even made him a T-shirt of shame to wear!), but how bad was #Scene17 really? Well, 'luckily' for us, the cameras were rolling the whole time when that thunderstorm suddenly came down on us, so now it's time to finally share the inside truth with you all... if you dare watch! I recommend sharing this video with anyone who's considering a career in film because they think it sounds 'glamorous'!

7) Songbird In One Word

   And finally, a nice short video to end the suite, in which the cast and crew are challenged to sum up the Songbird shoot in one word. I thought this would be a hard task for everyone, as the shoot was so epic and multi-faceted, but many of us actually opted for the same word... this was just a fun little video to tag on the end, but it certainly made me smile, and it reminded me how much I loved working with the Songbird team!

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   It was lovely to finally remove those videos from my 'to-do' list, but it was a bittersweet feeling too. I don't think there's anything Songbird-related left to release now (apart from a memorial film I might make about my clapperboard, which was a victim of Scene 17's crazy weather!), and so this officially ends a journey which started at the end of Summer in 2015. It's been one heck of a ride, not all good, but mostly great, and with lots of treasured and valuable memories made along the way. I'm proud of everything the film and its team ultimately achieved.

   If anyone wants to see the full length 'making of' documentary, with extra behind-the-scenes content, it is available exclusively on the Songbird DVD - and there's still a few copies left on the Triskelle Pictures website, but they are selling fast! There's also a few more Songbird videos available on YouTube, including some early ones from the film's pre-production phase.

   It's hard to see my adventures on Songbird as things from the past - and I know that I won't have as many 'stories from the set' to write about this year. It may be a while before I have footage from any new short films to share with you guys, but fingers crossed I won't have to wait too much longer! I'm doing everything I can to get my projects off the ground, in spite of the current hurdles, and I'll update you all as soon as one of them gets the go-ahead.

Sophie