meet phil walsh: director of MR

We have been harbouring a rather juicy secret. Phil Walsh will be directing “Michael’s Resignation”. Together with Hollywood guru screenwriter Eddie Harrison (our script editor), he has been revising the original script into a shoot-able work and pulling together a huge amount of material and contacts that have forever changed the course of what we’re doing.

To say we’re lucky to have Phil is an understatement. A Pinewood veteran, Phil is an experienced and award-winning director in film related media. He has gained a wide understanding of the creative opportunities in a wide area of applications. From giant, multi-synchronised screens to immersive, ‘experiential’ installations to web delivery, to broadcast and cinema, he has directed commercials, title sequences, dramas, brand films and specialist event films. He has an in depth understanding of the technical issues and opportunities relevant today and has a wide network of contacts and associates.

His major clients have included: BBC, Orange, British Airways, VISA, Motorola, ASTRA, Xerox, NHS, Hewlett Packard, CNN creative services, Courtauld Institute and Williams / BMW, and he has gained much recognition for his work including winning in: World media festival, Stevies International, Cream, Promax, World Fest and the London International Advertising awards.

Phil will be working with our DoP Dave Meadows, who shot Ewan McGregor’s “Scenes of a Sexual Nature” and does BBC “Top Gear”, and is one of the most sought-after cameramen in the UK. Unfortunately they both use Macs, and are constantly battling as to who is the most handsome.

Check Phil out here: http://www.philipwalshassociates.com/
Dave is here: http://www.davidmeadows.co.uk/

Here is a snapshot of his “Director’s Vision” outline sent to everyone involved in the project:

The feel
The journey – the narrative – the emotion

The journey is a fix of both familiarity and unreality. It’s a poetic experience immersing us in very current issues, seen and judged from many perspectives. The narrative, whilst ultimately linear, splices back and forth through time to make a point, to ask a question, to make us think and to help us understand. The story is based around a central character, Michael, whom we may love, like, empathise with, hate, sympathise with, be disgusted by or saddened by – all in equal or unequal measure. His story, whilst reflecting current talking points, is an engaging, emotional experience consuming us in his state of mind and his developing, but ever twisting, perspective. Dangerous thoughts wrapped in an emotionally charged performance that keeps you hanging on for the best until its too late, enhancing both cynicism and helping manufacture hope – hope that we avoid constant repetition of the same mistakes and that the better parts of this thing called human nature, prevail more forcefully.

The look
The camera coverage – the lighting – the grade – the sound

We will witness the story, characters and messages via a combination of techniques:
- Lenses will be fast with a shallow DOF for most intimate scenes.
- Fast moving, immersive and free running camera moves will get us into each environment and reflect the pace of the action.
- Poetic, composed and thought provoking set pieces will enhance and augment the story, using the clothes, possessions and environments that our story discovers.
- Surprising, quirky and humorous cutaways will be used to represent and exaggerate phrases and thoughts, as if to examine what we say and why we say it.
- The object is not for the visual coverage just tell the story, but to look at it sympathetically, simply and intelligently, with a vision that feels as close to the viewer as possible.

The lighting will be uncomplicated but beautiful. Whilst a single source might light one scene another may have concentrated areas of shadow and light to both highlight, and leave unanswered, specific content.

The grade and texture of the pictures will be a combination of crisp imagery presented in a slightly de-saturated and stark world with one stand out colour for story telling effect – red.

The sound will play a significant part. Soundtrack will be deliberately eclectic and obscure from blues, indie, hard rock, voices, jazz and classical. The sound design will be presented as a character in itself – highlighted close proximity effects plus twist on what you’d expect to hear or when you’d expect to hear it.

Characterisation
The cast, how we see them, how they make us see ourselves

The main characters are all touchable and reachable, at least to start with. We either identify with or understand their progression. As the story unfolds we will then, in some cases, battle to hold on to that progression and unwillingly let go as we divorce ourselves and react. We ultimately, never know what’s around the corner though. The dialogue will be flowing, natural vernacular and feel real and spontaneous. The script will ultimately be a guide only. We want to trust in the credibility of the characters and their feelings. The moment we here a ‘script’ we are lost from the connection.

Summary
The entertainment, the memorability, the connection, the legacy, the beginning

Visually stimulating and significantly different in coverage in both picture and sound, the experience will have humour, humility, sanity, courage, conviction, madness, destruction, cruelty and deception. There will be memorable scenes as well as a memorable experience. It will be raw, direct, artistic, poignant and moving. It will evoke a series of reactions and states of mind but not (in the name of Michael) resignation.

MR should be remembered not only for its immediate effect but as a film of its time and the start of a series of films that reflect the same causal themes, all very human, but from wildly different vantage points.