Promo for University of Derby's online course goes live

We've just completed a film promoting the University of Derby's free online course in Autism, Asperger's and ADHD. 

Filming meant meeting with plenty of schools, parents and staff as well as course tutors and several actors for key moments.

We're really pleased with the final result, and it was seen by over 4,000 people within days of going live!

Film series for RSVP a big hit!

Yesterday was the premiere event for a major series of five films made for RSVP in Coventry.

RSVP, part of the nationwide charity Volunteering Matters, aims to help retired volunteers keep active and help their community through a huge range of different groups.

The films were designed to create a legacy for RSVP and be used Coventry-wide to promote volunteering, but Volunteering Matters as an organisation are so thrilled with the series that they're now being used nationwide!

The premiere was well attended and there was overwhelming positive feedback after the screening. The films were brilliant fun to make and we hope to take on similar work soon! These are the first series of documentaries we've shot in 4K using slow motion elements, creating a beautiful and emotional series with some truly heartfelt moments shining through.

Watch one of the films below, and go to their YouTube channel to watch them all!

Pure Fitness get second film

Derby Gym Pure Fitness called on Toothpix for the second year in a row to create a fast, pumping promo for their gym classes held in Darley Abbey. 

The new film shows off their insanely hard classes and was real fun to shoot. Clocking in at under 90 seconds, this is an intense slice of workout heaven. Enjoy!

Commercial for Law School using new toys!

We've had a fantastic time creating this exciting new commercial for Derby Law School. The film was shot using a DJI Ronin, the latest development in camera stabilisation. Owen took care of writing, directing and editing. 

This is the first time we've worked with Bobby Eccles, a talented composer and sound designer who has recently moved to the area and we absolutely love how he's brought the images to life. Give it a watch and a thumbs up!

Moors for the Future - saving our peat land

Toothpix have just completed this great little film for Moors for the Future, a conservation project over five years that has made a massive difference to the moors in the Peak District.

One of the great things about making documentaries is learning about different people and the amazing things they're doing right on your doorstep. Before we made this film, we had no idea that worldwide, peat land stores more carbon than all the earth's forests combined!

The film mixed footage we shot, with aerial video and footage they'd shot over the past five years, giving a great overview of the massive change that's taken place. It was all tied together with graphics and a voiceover.

We're really pleased with this film - take a look and see why!

Derby Business School gets fresh new film

We've just created this new film for Derby Business School, part of the University of Derby.

It was a fairly big task. Toothpix had one day to film as much material as possible, mixing time lapse footage with more traditional filming work. We then had to combine this with video and photography shot over a six year period by the University's film team to really sum up the draw and quality of the school.

The film had to create a fresh new look for the Business School, but it was also important that it followed the University's brand guidelines. 

We needed to get a lot of information across in a short time, opting for infographics (animated facts and figures) carried by a great voiceover to do this. To tie all the video and photographs together so that they felt part of the same project, we altered the colours to match and then added the cool transitions between shots to give a real sense of continuity.

The film was made on a tight deadline (aren't they always?) and has already been shown at an open day event, as well as being hosted on the University's YouTube channel. 

Toothpix feature film sold to three continents within days of completion!

Owen's directorial feature debut, 'Devil's Tower' starring Jason Mewes and Roxanne Pallett, has this week closed deals for distribution in the US, UK and Australia!

What does this mean?

When a feature film is made, it's not just a matter of putting it in a cinema or making DVD copies to sell. The film makers broker meetings and screenings for distributors all over the world. A deal is then hopefully struck with a distributor for each territory. 

So, there'll be a distributor covering North America, another for the UK, another for Germany, Austria and Switzerland (that's a combined territory) and so on.

Each distributor creates its own poster and trailer for the movie aimed at that country's audiences. It also makes DVD & Blu-Ray copies, enters talks with cinemas, companies like Netflix, Sky Now and TV channels for that area. 

So, Devil's Tower will have different posters with different distributors the world over, and be dubbed into several different languages.

I for one can't wait to watch the Japanese dubbed version!

It's a huge step and a massive recognition for an indie director's debut feature to get distribution in three continents within days of going on sale and there should be plenty of news to follow as we agree more territories. 

Seriously cool promo for Pure Fitness

Check out this awesome new promo we've made for Pure Fitness in Darley Abbey. Crank the volume up and watch it in HD!

Pure Fitness is a brilliant gym run by the maniac personal trainer Matt Carlin and boxing trainer Scott Conway, who wanted a film for their website which is about to launch.

The gym is filled with different coloured lights which means that this is the first time - ever - we've not touched the footage in the edit to change the colours at all; what you see here is exactly how it looks while you're working out.

Enjoy!

New film for AMG Wealth Management

We've just finished the edit on a great new film for Derby's AMG Wealth Management. Run by Gary Hans, AMG Wealth Management is based in Allestree and uses funds managers from St James Place. 

Gary wanted a film which showed the real value his service offers his customers and the peace of mind it gives them and we've got to admit, we were pleasantly surprised by just how highly they regard his services.

New Feature Film has wrapped principal photography!!!

Owen is incredibly proud to have just completed work directing the feature film Devil's Tower.

Shot in Derbyshire, the film stars Roxanne Pallett as the lead, Jason Mewes, Frances Ruffelle, Jessica Jane Clement, Eddie Webber and Alison Carroll among a cast of well-known talent.

Devil's Tower is a horror film set in a haunted block of flats - more details to follow soon - as is the Leicester Square premiere!

About to create a new film for Silk Mill

We're excited here that we've been selected by The Silk Mill to create a new film showcasing the city and suggesting it as a city to host Creative Mornings, a great series of free talks from creative people to inspire people and businesses from the area. 

Look out for us chasing bubbles around the city (you'll see!!!)

Fast film for Smith of Derby

We've just made this brief film for Smith of Derby. A last-minute change of plan meant they needed a quick film to show off their premises - and fast! 

We shot for half a day with two camera operators and edited for three days, mastering to web, DVD and iPad. 

Toothpix is in competition... with itself

We've had some great news - our films 'All That Glitters' and 'The Pack' have both been nominated for the same award at the Landshuter KurzFilmFest taking place in Munich this March.

Both films are also to be shown in Berlin in a couple of days at the British Shorts festival.

A big thank you to all our customers of the last year who helped to make 2011 our most successful to date.

Here's to a brilliant 2012!

BFI screening with onedotzero

Owen Tooth and Paul Hammond at the BFI

There are two things to notice with the above photograph. First, that Owen and Paul went down to the BFI Southbank to introduce their short film The Pack at the onedotzero festival over the weekend. Second, that Paul is uncommonly tall, Owen being of average height and definitely not short...

The screening was brilliant, as was the open bar in the green room and the after party DJ'd by Sam Spiegel.

Onedotzero is a truly international festival, taking their brilliantly curated selection around the world in coming months.

You can also catch a film we made for Marketing Derby's London Embassy earlier this month below, including a pretty nifty piece of graphics which we created based on their new logo: 

Soundtrack Derby

November has been a big month for Toothpix. Our films have been seen in three continents (television in the US and Turkey, four US festivals, a festival in South Africa and an incredible festival in Trieste, Italy - as well as plenty of screenings in Old Blightey, of course!)

We were also there to film the culminating event for Soundtrack Derby and the Festival of Light in Derby's market square, sending a live feed to the BBC Big Screen of the amazing dance (courtesy of Surtal Arts) and spoken word acts and then shooting the after-event gig in The Box inside Quad.


This weekend we're heading to London for the opening of the massive onedotzero festival to introduce a film there, too. It's non-stop!

Hitting screens in the USA, Turkey, London, Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln this month!

This month, Toothpix seems to be everywhere! The Toothpix blog has just hit 10,000 pageviews, for a start.

The short films 'The Pack' and 'All That Glitters' are both being screened on Shorts TV in the USA and Turkey on heavy rotation. The Pack has also been selected by onedotzero to be part of their international touring digital festival. Screenings for the strand begin at the BFI in London on November 26th.


Last week, All That Glitters was screened at a film festival in Manchester and last night the South Yorkshire Filmmakers Network screening at the Showroom Workstation cinema in Sheffield hosted not one, not two, but THREE films directed by Owen in its lineup (The Pack, All That Glitters and the Luxury Stranger music video). It was a fantastic night with a great selection of shorts followed by a DJ set by the band. The bar even had a Luxury Stranger ale for the evening with a free single with every pint bought.


Next weekend sees the Nottingham Mayhem festival kicking off and we're proud to have a film in their exclusive shorts strand. There's an amazing lineup of films over the weekend which we'll be enjoying, too.


All That Glitters has been nominated for an award ('Killer Short 2011') in the Boston Killer Film Fest 2011


Finally, we're completing an edit this week of a film to launch proceedings for the Lincoln Frequency Festival of Digital Culture.


Phew!

Showroom Shorts a Toothpix feast!

On October 18th, the Sheffield Workstation cinema will be hosting the premiere of a brand new music video for Notts band 'Luxury Stranger' as well as screening The Pack and All That Glitters in their 'Showroom Shorts' strand. That's three Toothpix films in one night!

The screening will be followed by a party with a DJ set by the band. Tickets are free, but book early to avoid disappointment.

All That Glitters has also been invited to screen in Wirksworth alongside Nick Whitfield's brilliant debut feature 'Skeletons' with a Q&A from Owen after the screening.

Finally, The Pack has been selected to run on Saturday 29th October in Mayhem festival at the Broadway Cinema in Nottingham. It's a festival we've been attending since its inception and it's gone from strength to strength, with this year's lineup looking the strongest yet.

See you there?

New trailer for All That Glitters

Hot on the feet (paws?) of the trailer for The Pack, here's a trailer for All That Glitters!

New trailer for The Pack

The trailer for Toothpix short 'The Pack' has gone live.

Check it out and let us know what you think!