6th March 2007
Pure Cheshire
IT'S taken 25 years to get this far, but a Cheshire film producer could soon see his work screened at some of the world's most prestigious festivals. Sean McArdell, 29, of Handley near Chester, is part of the team behind HAWK, an ambitious short already causing a stir within the industry – even before it is released.
Set and filmed in North Wales, the 35-minute production tells the story of Rowan, a boy who grows up in the mountains of Snowdonia and who, when tragedy strikes, retreats into a fantasy world of Celtic folklore.
The £60,000 production is currently at the post-production stage but, if all goes to plan, will be submitted for the shorts category of this year's Cannes festival, which takes place in May.
This, and similar events across the world, could help generate the necessary backing to turn HAWK – on which Sean worked as producer and conceptual artist – into a full-length feature film.
A new script is currently in development but industry insiders are already touting its makers as possible “next big things” in British film.
The experience takes Sean's passion for cinema a full circle, 25 years after his first taste of the industry.
Aged just three, his interest was sparked when a neighbour who worked at London 's famous Pinewood Studios managed to sneak he and his dad onto the set of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
A gifted artist, his childhood in London and North Wales was dominated by drawing, comics, Disney classics, James Bond and Indiana Jones.
It took a sixth-form art and design course for him to discover his two loves could be combined. He says: “I suddenly realised there was such a thing as conceptual art for film – drawing storyboards and visualising how each scene should look. From that point, I knew what I wanted to do.”
Sean studied film and television design at Wrexham's North East Wales Institute, where he met aspiring filmmaker Michael McMahon – director of HAWK.
Michael helped him film his student projects, and in return Sean drew his storyboards and concepts. When his friend found work as a runner in the London TV industry, Sean moved to Chester and pursued a career in web design and animation. But the pair continued to work together.
He says: “Somehow we found the time to make our first non-student short film, Southside, which won national recognition, several awards and was screened on television.
“That encouraged us to set up 11:22 Entertainment, a company we wanted to be known one day for creating entertaining film and TV projects. I became a Producer and we started the ball rolling with HAWK. ”
The script was put together by Michael, with the help of Sean's brother Alex, 25, – an aspiring writer. But with no money, no crew and no idea how to bring their dream to life, the duo still had a long way to go.
It was through sheer graft, and the help of third partner and co-producer Matt Jones, from London, that the project got off the ground.
The team received a boost when veteran producer John Peverall – who won an Oscar for The Deer Hunter – agreed to mentor the project.
Sean says: “We touted the script and concept art to everyone we could, in the hope of finding backers. Short films are hard to raise money for because they yield little return – they're more about the art. It's really an investment in your potential.
“We were really lucky we found people who had vision and faith. Without that, HAWK would never have got past the pre-production stage. Luckily, they loved the script and could see its potential.”
This helped the trio attract some of the finest young talents in British cinema, including costume staff from Harry Potter, a cameraman from Casino Royale, and special effects experts from the Da Vinci Code .
Once completed, HAWK will be premiered in North Wales, London and New York and will do the run of short film festivals. The trailer has already won an international award and scored a first by being aired on television and UK cinemas – the only short so far to do so.
“We hope the new script, and the completed short will show people what we can create on a budget and inspire them,” says Sean. “Our long-term goals are to open a film studio in North Wales and to consistently produce high quality projects in a great cinematic landscape.”
The experience has been exhausting and financially draining. But Sean and his colleagues would not change it for the world.
He grins: “I recall a meeting I had with John Peverall last year. He said the first thing I should now about producing films was be prepared to always be broke because you just pump it into the films.
“How right he was. But I also remember that after our first day of filming, when I watched the rushes, I was nearly in tears at the beauty and quality of the footage. It was as if something we had nursed for two years with little reward had suddenly come to life.”
For full details visit www.hawkthemovie.com
SEAN'S TIPS FOR WOULD BE FILM PRODUCER'S
* Joining the Northern Film Network - a network for northern filmmakers, is great for networking and finding out events in the North. They do a really useful weekly email bulletin too. http://northernfilmnetwork.wordpress.com
* Sign up to www.shootingpeople.org - a fantastic UK-wide network for independent filmmakers.
* Visit www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk for information about funding all size projects, from shorts to features.
* It's always about who you know, so get out there and meet people who want to get involved. Often you will eventually build a network of people that you will work with on many projects as your careers intertwine and progress.
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