its nicks birthday press kit

7/31/2019 Its Nicks Birthday Press Kit

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UK (English language)

2009

35 minutes

Super-8mm with digital transfer for exhibition

A short homemade musical

Directed by Graeme Cole

Music by Aidan Smith

Produced by Mick Sugden


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Its Nicks Birthday Press Kit|

Contents

Page 3 Synopses

Page 4 Honours, festivals, contact

Page 5 Director statement, biography, filmography

Page 6 Composer Aidan Smith

Page 7 Film notes

Page 8 Credits

Page 9 Music & photo credits

Page 10 & 11 On-set stills

Page 12 Digital screen shots

Additional images

Page 1 Promo poster/postcard image

Page 3 Super-8 screengrabs

Page 4 Digital screen shot

Page 5 Director photo

Page 6 Composer photo & album covers

Page 7 On-set still

Page 8 & 9 Super-8 screengrabs


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A home-made Super-8 musical. Over an all-day drinking session, the

dreams of a troubled romantic and his companions are worn away by

ennui and isolation. With songs by Aidan Smith.

A home-made Super-8 musical. Nick can accept his fading youth if only

Liz will acknowledge there is an impossibly profound connection between

them. The binds of human communication fray as they shamble through

the last day of his twenties with nothing to do but tolerate his verbose

mate and her (half-) sister.

Capturing the unconventional handcrafted aesthetic of Aidan Smiths

songs, this is a musical for those who wouldnt normally go near one. The

dancing creaks and the vocals strain when four ordinary folk attempt to

impose meaning and colour on their mundane and aimless lives. Sundays

dont come with a three-act structure, and we dont have hidden reserves

of magical talent. We have mood swings, private theories and temporary

epiphanies.


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Special Mention from the Jury, 6th IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival

UK GLIMMER: The 7th Hull International Short Film Festival, April 2009

International INDIELISBOA09: 6th Lisbon International Independent Film Festival, May 2009

Please seehttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/inb.htmfor up to date list of festival appearances.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1387512/

Graeme Cole (Director)

[email protected]

+44 (0) 7913 026 913
http://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/inb.htmhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/inb.htmhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/inb.htmhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt1387512/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1387512/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.imdb.com/title/tt1387512/http://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/inb.htm


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"I established L'Institute Zoom in 2003 with Mick

Sugden and Anselm Burke to make films in ways

that other people aren't. I also write screenplays for

directors who are driven to play with expressionist

ideas, pooh-pooh Britain's realist canon and who

instinctively know that film is not storytelling, it is

the choreography of light and sound. The films that

I direct vampirise my own personal crapness to prey

on the ludicrous assumptions and conventions of

cinema."

Graeme Cole was a winner in 2002 with his short sci-fi Grand Guignol Christmas movie

script, Rarely-Done Juan. In 2003, Graeme wrote and directed A Case Of Making The Knife Fit The Woundas his debut

short, which premiered at the . Pilot For A 22nd Century Sitcom(writer/director, 2005)

played at over 20 festivals and film nights and received a Special Mention from the jury at the

. Graeme has been on the jury or selection panel at the and festivals in Manchester and the

in Berlin and was selected to attend the in 2008. He is based in

Manchester and open to offers.


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Aidan Smith was born in

Hackney, London and grew

up in Eccles, Manchester. He

has released 52 tunes on

compilations, e.p.s and two

albums on 3 independent

record labels. He has

soundtracked 6 short films.

He co-wrote and played in

"The Tale of Club Vaudeville"

at the Green Room theatre in

Manchester in February

2009. He enjoys playing

croquet and his favourite

colour is green.

http://www.myspace.com/fancybarrel
http://www.myspace.com/fancybarrelhttp://www.myspace.com/fancybarrel


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Its Nicks Birthday is a true story based on the fictitious life of Nicholas D.

Hill: aeroplane enthusiast, outsider and some-time LInstitute Zoom bit-part

player. Shot in the delirious cold morning light of a February many of the

crew had intended to sleep through, they were instead mobilised with

buckets of paint, green, orange and pink, to slosh over the shop fronts of a

Manchester suburb which returned the favour with the Ribena-loaded water

pistols of riled scallies. Seeking cover, soup, and a soft bed for Doris the

Canon 814 Super-8mm camera previously active onGrandma and the

Monster(2006) the team occupied Elizabeth Gaskell House, negotiating the

atmosphere with walls saturated in the history of the Victorian writer and her

houseguests (Bronte, Dickens), and now sealed in the signature emulsions of

the Its Nicks Birthday project. All the time, art director Louisa Birkin was

stockpiling more foam, cardboard, tomato sauce and fog juice than a bedsit-

blues finale could ever need...

Conceived and credit-card funded by Graeme Cole and Aidan Smith (who last collaborated on festival favouritePilot

For A 22ndCentury Sitcom[2005]), Its Nicks Birthday is a lo-fi tale of shambolic misfits who share a time and space,

yet are unable to reach each other. Drawing comparisons with Dancer In The Dark, The Umbrellas of Cherbourgand

the mumblecore genre, the film is all the same a unique and uncompromising cinematic interpretation of the

incommunicable essence of experience, and the fundamental rubbishness of the Nick in all of us.
http://www.exposuresfilmfestival.co.uk/watch/monsterhttp://www.exposuresfilmfestival.co.uk/watch/monsterhttp://www.exposuresfilmfestival.co.uk/watch/monsterhttp://www.exposuresfilmfestival.co.uk/watch/monsterhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/pilothome.htmhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/pilothome.htmhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/pilothome.htmhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/pilothome.htmhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/pilothome.htmhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/pilothome.htmhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/pilothome.htmhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/pilothome.htmhttp://www.zoomcitta.co.uk/pilothome.htmhttp://www.exposuresfilmfestival.co.uk/watch/monsterhttp://www.exposuresfilmfestival.co.uk/watch/monsterhttp://www.exposuresfilmfestival.co.uk/watch/monster


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Credits Developed by Graeme Cole and Aidan Smith

Written & Directed by Graeme Cole

Music by Aidan Smith

Main Cast Nick Stuart Brown

Liz Catherine Traveller

Harry Garth Williams

Cat Tuesday Betts

Main Crew Producer Mick Sugden

Production Manager Jonathan Addy

1st Assistant Director Debbie Steer

Choreography Fran Higginson

Cinematography Joe Mannion

Art Director Louisa Birkin

Hair & Make Up Ivana Petrovic

Location Manager John Barnes

Sound Design Bernie Steer

Editors Jonathan Addy & Debbie Steer

Credits

& promotional design Elly Strigner

Website Emma Hardy

Executive Producers Anselm Burke

Graeme Cole

Mick Sugden

Its Nicks Birthday is 100% independent and self-funded.

Shot on location in Manchester, and in The Studio at the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Shot on Kodak Ektachrome and Vision2 Super 8mm filmand brewed on Keemun tea.

LInstitute Zoom 2009.


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Music credits (Rights entirely cleared for use)

Nicks Narration Chant

Written, arranged and performed by Aidan Smith

Sung by Stuart Brown

Nick and Harrys Connection Song


Sung by Stuart Brown & Garth Williams

Sometimes Nothing Happens

Written and arranged by Aidan Smith

Trumpet played by Luke Das-Gupta

Sung by Andy Yates, Stuart Brown, Garth Williams, Tuesday Betts & Catherine Traveller

Happy When Hermit

Written by Graeme Cole

Arranged and performed by Aidan Smith

Sung by Catherine Traveller

Sleep When You Reach Tired


Sung by Tuesday Betts

La La La Liz


Sung by Stuart Brown

Press kit photo credits

Front image Elly Strigner

Pages 3, 8, 9 Joe Mannion

Pages 4, 5, 6, 7 John Barnes

Others as credited.


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Brown, Higginson, Williams in rehearsal (photo credit: Catherine Traveller)

On location in Manchester (photo credit: John Barnes)


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Cinematographer Joe Mannion loses custody of Doris the Canon 814 (photo credit: John Barnes)

Producer, Mick Sugden (photo credit: John Barnes)


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Production still (photo credit: John Barnes)

Production still (photo credit: John Barnes)

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