Wootton Bassett Rocks! Charity Music Video

I am extremely proud to have directed and produced the charity single and music video in aid of military charities. A cover of the classic Green Day track - Wake Me Up When September Ends – performed by over 1000 residents of Royal Wootton Bassett in honour of fallen heroes and in aid of military charities: The Royal British Legion, Combat Stress, The Undentable Trust and Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen & Families Association (SSAFA).

Timed to follow Wootton Bassett receiving its Royal status, the project is the brainchild of Wiltshire mum of two, Tracey Rogers, whose brother, Captain Mark Hale, was repatriated after being killed by an IED whilst evacuating an injured soldier in Afghanistan in 2009. Having now completed the single and accompanying video, Tracey explains: “I first had the idea for a charity single in June this year. I wanted to do something meaningful that involved as many people as possible from this wonderful community to remember my brother and other fallen heroes, to mark the end of an era of repatriations through Royal Wootton Bassett and also to raise much needed funds for military charities that focus on supporting bereaved families and also help and support wounded servicemen and women”. Although repatriations no longer pass through the town, the community of Royal Wootton Bassett are continuing to support families and soldiers by raising funds through sales of the single and video and will continue to remain in close association with military families.

Having secured the support we needed to get the project off the ground, Richard Sutcliffe our Music Producer and Sound Engineer recorded the single using local musicians and singers together with two choirs and over 200 people from the town, the recording and mixing of the track took place in Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire with additional recording in St Bartholomew’s Church in Royal Wootton Bassett and has been 
mastered at Abbey Road Studios.

The accompanying video for the track features over 1000 local residents. From our singers and musicians, skateboarders, the Junior Town Crier, sports and youth groups to British Legion repatriation bikers and standard bearers – everyone played a part in the video, which used the iconic Royal Wootton Bassett high street as the back drop. It is visually stunning, beautifully mastered and at the same time extremely moving. For more information on cast and crew, please visit the IMDb page

The project has had fantastic support both locally and nationally; the single was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios and mastered at Abbey Road. The music video was filmed using a Red One camera to give a cinematic quality and has been mastered to cinema standard by Dolby. The video was directed and produced by Mark Kenna co-owner of Dreambase Studios in Royal Wootton Bassett and the Director of Photography was Ross MacKenzie owner of Firebird Films in Swindon. Dreambase also completed 100% post production including 5.1 sound mix, edit, grade and DCP for cinema.

The single and video can be downloaded NOW from iTunes, Play, HMV, Amazon, Napster, Spotify, 7digital. You can purchase t-shirts, writstbands and pre-order your limited edition DVD form the Wootton Bassett Rocks website. Charitable donations can be made by the general public via SMS texting RWBR11 and the donation amount to 70070 or at the JustGiving website. You can follow our progress on the Facebook page or follow the project on twitter. So far we have raised over £20,000 for our chosen charities and have some exciting events lined up for 2012.

If you have any projects you would like to discuss, please email mark@dreambasestudios.com. Ie look forward to hearing form you.

ADR for Norwegian director Petter Næss

Last month I had a visit from Norwegian director,  Petter Næss who has been busy working on the film, Comrade with Rupert Grint and Lachlan Nieboer. It was great to work with Zentropa, a Danish based production company to provide Lechlan's ADR for the film.

The film is based on a true story. On 27 April 1940, German Luftwaffe pilot Horst Schopis’s bomber was shot down at Grotli by an RAF fighter, which then crash-landed. The several German and English crew members shoot each other together, and later found himself in the same cabin. In order for a difficult winter survival in the Norwegian wilderness, they have to stand together. It's a long, unlikely friendship began.

"I've had the pleasure of working on many of Peter's films out in Norway as a Dolby Consultant", says Mark Kenna, owner of Dreambase Studios, such as Just Bea back in 2004, Elsk meg i morgen in 2005 and Tatt av kvinnen in 2007, about a woman moves into a young man's home and starts to run his life -- a process that makes him fall hopelessly in love with her. "It's really great that Peter and Danish production Zentropa feel they can rely on us to deliver great sound."

Comrade is already getting the attention it deserves and has already been acquired by Metrodome (UK), Kino Swiat (Poland) and Vendetta (Australia).  Read here for more.

 Peter Næss giving Lechlan Nieboer direction during our ADR session.

Lechlan Nieboer at the Dreambase Studios ADR suite

Hover Chase 4D Sound Design

I've just completed sound design (along with business partner, Alex Hudd) on what is probably one of the most exciting experiences to come out this year. Produced by Lightworx Media and distributed by The Juice, Hover Chase 4D is an attraction ride experience that takes you on a hover bike race through city streets, oil refineries, forests, and caves. Participants in the ride not only experience 3D picture and 5.1 sound, but are also treated to moving seats, wind, smell, and water effects, amongst others.

The challenge for the soundtrack was to create an exciting, dynamic and emersive  5.1 soundscape that encompasses the audience, leaving them wanting more! With detailed flyby's, battles and explosions, you really feel like your there. You experience the ride from the point of view of one of the racers and so the sound of the hover bike had to react to every twist and turn during the 5 minute ride. The rise and fall of the engine was designed to compliment the speed and direction of the hover bike. In addition to this the other bikes in the race had to be sounded and directed as they moved on the screen in such a was as you really feel part of the action and excitement.

In addition the atmospheres of each of the locations in the race were designed also to bring a sense of being there for the ride's participants. The underlying music score, composed at Dreambase helps to keep the pace of the ride throughout so that from start to finish the experience is one that you'll never forget and one that you'll want to come back for more.


The ride is now available for licensing from The Juice.

Film Post Production

Sound Support for The Shed

'The Shed' is an independent short film which intertwines complex yet charming family dynamics with the vibrant fantasies of a child who, within his garden shed, ventures to outer space.

I was approached by Producer, David Tallon back in March who asked if we could help out with sound post on his film. David had already secured Dolby for the Digital Cinema Mastering and 2K scans from Deluxe Digital. A professional animator in Florida who has worked on Battlestar Galactica, Serenity has helped with some stunning space animations plus an American band have offered the project one of their main tracks to use. David also mentioned that a cancer firm were endorsing the project and offering some joint publicity screenings too!


After a meeting David, the director Jon Moy and his production team, I were keen to help out and offer sound consultancy and support through post production for this extremely exciting and ambitious project. I provided feedback as required to the sound post team at The Arts University College at Bournemouth on a number of levels from project planning to mix reference levels, sound ideas and post production techniques.

Lead sound designer and mixer, Sezin Tugen said "It was great to have Dreambase on-board and regular contact with Mark, who provided instant feedback on the work that I had done was invaluable. From work-flow to confirmation of my monitor and mix levels was essential, to know my dialogue was to industry standard and the additional sound design ideas really helped me, knowing that my work was to a professional level."

David Tallon's last project 'Way Back When' was nominated for 'Best Student Production' award at a film festival at the BFI London, and just received an official selection at the British Independent Film Festival and nominated for the 'British Lion Award' too, please click here for the award winning short.

SYNOPSIS: “The Shed” is the story of Neil; an imaginative 8 year old boy who grew up in his parent’s bohemian style house. He is surrounded by a fruitful lifestyle of music and art but the balance is disrupted when we learn that Neil’s mother could be sick with cancer.

 
This causes an uncomfortable distance within the household which Neil can barely detect through his naivety. In an attempt to protect her son’s innocence, Neil’s mother describes the word ‘chemotherapy’ as a “distant planet”. This stimulates Neil’s imagination and inspires him to visualise a futuristic spaceship in his very own garden shed  in order to travel to “planet chemo” and in turn save his mother from ill health. Accompanied by his noble crew of  pet mice, we follow Neil's adventure through the cosmos while facing all of its mysterious obstacles.
 
The premier of The Shed will be screened at the BFI London on the 4th July, 1pm onwards. We wish David and his team all the very best and look forward to working with him in the near future. If you would like any further information, please contact David at: davetallon@gmail.com