MANIAC news 2005:

Industry news:

December 2005 - Pulse Rated Oxfam Charity Gig DVD filming

Pulse Rated Oxfam gig with Donderdag, The Naked Apes, Scouting for Girls, Jesse James, Transcargo and Imperial Leisure rocked the Empire Shepards Bush on Sunday. Were you there ? A fantastic lineup of unsigned acts organised by Pulse Rated and proceeds going to Oxfam, the gig was a huge success. We were there filming the bands for a new DVD due out in the New Year.  <more>

November 2005 - Goldcoast Oceanfest 2005 DVD Available now

The free sports and lifestyle festival is here in one action packed DVD with over 90 minutes of sports and music mayhem. How can you get all that in one small disc ? Available to buy online now this DVD has it all - surfing, skateboarding, mountain bike jumps, Aussie surfboats, Kitesurfing, Paddle race, Aquathon, Volleyball tournament, Beach footy, Education day, trade village, interviews with the bands and event organisers, and a great range of music from the chilled Geed Up and Jenna Witts out to the hyper punk sound of Captain Everything!
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Current Projects:

  Pulse Rated Oxfam gig DVD
  Goldcoast Oceanfest 2005 DVD
  Half Life - Scotland Surf DVD
  Universe Inspectors Rockumentary DVD
  SAS Eco Grom Tour webclips & DVD extra feature
  PointBreaks Watersports new Promo DVD
  Ongoing Studio1A DVD productions

June - Nov 2005 - its all a blur !

We've been busy with photo shoots for Pash clothing and Genesis surf shop; filming another promotional film for Pointbreaks watersports; back to Scotland to work on Half Life; more interviews for Half Life and the Universe Inspectors DVDs (both due spring 2006); Multiple DVD and CD print & duplication projects for Hereford Council; more Stocks & Powell CDs of course; Plus in August we had Creation Fest 2005 - we were very busy creating lots video content for the big screen at the event and filming the skateboarding and seminars for UCB tv; promo DVDs for Ed Knight and Adam Thornton; Helping Eyeball surfcheck with their webcams; More media conversion for Chilli.tv and of course Goldcoast Oceanfest DVD production (see above)

Featured Bands:

   
Small Town Mentality              Stocks & Powell

   
The Tribe                                The Lost Girls

June 2005 - Goldcoast Oceanfest 2005

The free sports and lifestyle festival is back in Croyde on June 17th - 19th. We will be filming the event this year with collaboration from Matt Biggs at Artaura, Geoff Tydeman from Beachcomer productions, local film maker Andre Dore and additional help from James Gray, Owain Thatcher and Tom Brooks.

We've been busy preparing some video content for USP for playback on the big screen and will be doing some streaming wireless video transmissions from the beach using the Nomad4 ™ rugged wifi kit. More updates will be posted soon!

June 2005 - Chill.tv DVD and media encoding

A short run DVD duplication project for Chilli.tv to promote their extremely mobile video content and new website. This led to additional work to tidy up some technical areas and re-encode media for their website in Quicktime and Windows Media Video formats.

June 2005 - Artaua DVD duplication

Duplication and DVD printing for a short film on Sustainable Transport by Artaura Productions.

June 2005 - Small Town Mentality Video clips

A couple of short video clips from the new Monochrome album from Jim Jones and the Small Town Mentality guys. Features STM at the Thatch in Croyde and the Landmark in Ilfracombe. catch them at the Goldcoast Oceanfest on June 17th and 18th.

June 2005 - Maniac short Video Montage featuring 'Mintie'

A short video montage featuring preview footage from the Scotland surf DVD and some surfing in Croyde with a few extras thrown in. We have synced this up with music from Mintie for playback at the Goldcoast Oceanfest 2005 Event. We hope to be using more Mintie music in forthcoming productions.

June 2005 - More Interview Footage for the Stormriders DVD

We have been catching up with a few local surfers to describe the surf breaks in the North Devon region. The video will be mostly used as voice-over for the forthcoming Stormriders guide DVD.

June 2005 - Creation fest DVD still awaiting Music Clearance

The Creation fest promo DVD is finished but we are still waiting on the final music clearances via the MCPS. This has turned into a much longer process then last years event DVD and has taken over two months already.

Phil Pechonis from Calvary Chapel says "for this years Creation Fest event we may just produce web clips and use the MCPS LOEL to play back short video clips online instead of producing a DVD promo."

May 2005 - SAS Quiksilver Eco Grom Tour Filming

Surfers Against Sewage were down at Croyde beach on the last bank holiday in May, with the Quiksilver tour bus, as part of their beach guardian and Eco awareness education programme aimed at kids 9-14. SAS asked us to film the event for use on the web and as DVD extra features. We have just posted a few stills and video clips from the SAS Eco Grom event. Check out the SAS beach awareness Article in the North Devon Journal with transcripts from the event.

We filmed the event in Croyde with collaboration from Matt Biggs of Artaura and got some great footage of the kids learning the environmental message from Andy Cummins of SAS and the surf tag contest with Quiksilver Pros Gary Elkerton, Nathan Phillips and Sarah Bently.

We have posted out model release forms to all those who completed the SAS entry forms - but some kids are missing! If you or your kids were at the event and want to be in the short film then please download the model release form (pdf) , sign it and post it back to us ASAP. Thanks.

May 2005 - Amy Newton Video clip

we've made a short video clip for the 'Have I got You' track from Amy Newton's new Album Lost for Words. Amy Newton will be playing at the Goldcoast Oceanfest in June.
Visit the Amy Newton website and listen to other tracks from this great new album.

May 2005 - Yelofin networks broadband Installation DVD Production

Maniac films was commissioned to produce a consumer-focused Installation DVD to helps users install new wireless broadband services from Yelofin Networks - a new broadband ISP offering pre-configured wireless broadband with network file sharing services.

The work involved all filming and post production with voice-overs, graphics and titles, DVD authoring, printing and duplication for a short initial run of DVDs. Mark Brindle from Maniac films was also involved in the design of the installation process and device configurations in tandem with some trial customer installations.

May 2005 - Ryerson Sound Solutions Audio CD duplication

We helped finished off an Audio CD production by Ryerson Sound Solutions - including setting up Audio-Text, disc printing and duplication.

May 2005 - VISUALISE bid with Util4 and 3C Research

DTI Technology Programme bid - VISUALISE Visually Improved Spectator Experience for large scale public events. VISUALISE aims to provide an enhanced experience for spectators through local area access to a rich range of media via a hand-held device. If the bid is successful we will be working with 3C Research partners including UTIL4 and Inmarsat to help demonstrate the technology at the WRC event in Wales.

May 2005 - Choice Cottages Wireless Broadband & Google Ad words

Maniac films have been helping Choice Cottages to get online with wireless broadband in their new shop in Braunton. we've also been providing them with consultancy services for online advertising using Google Ad words.

May 2005 - More Stocks & Powell CD duplication

Yet more Audio CDs for the Griffin boys - copies of the 'Droids' Album are selling well and more are needed fro Gigs. Standard Audio CD printing and duplication. For those of you who cannot get to a Stocks and Powell Gig then the Droids album is available to purchase online.

May 2005 - More Fistral Sessions DVDs for A1 Surf

Geoff Tydemans surfing flic has been selling well - you can now see it in the travelling surf museum which is currently in Exeter - or buy a copy of the DVD online here or at a A1surf. Proceeds to the Tsunami surf relief fund. we've also been making a lot more copies of Chris prestons Longboarding DVD - The Long Way round.

April 2005 - Stock Footage for the Stormriders Guide DVD

We have been supplying stock footage of surfing and lifestyle at Croyde, Woolacombe, Saunton and Scotland for the forthcoming Stormriders Guide DVD from Low pressure publications. We have been commissioned to do some interviews with local surfers and surf industry icons to provide views and local knowledge on particular surf breaks in the North Devon area.

April 2005 - More Broadband for Devon Funding

We have been able to secure more funding under the Broadband for Devon scheme. This has helped towards getting a new Apple G5 dual and HD compatible screen to speed up the post production process.

April 2005 - Andrew 'Cotty' Cotton short promo DVD

Andrew approached us to make a short promo DVD from the footage we had of him already - he was fishing for sponsorship and has managed to secure a deal with Mambo. Andrew has been featuring in some more promo clips for the Goldcoast Oceanfest paddle race and is due out to Sri Lanka for part of the BPSA surf tour.

April 2005 - Doves Bookshop Online Shop skin created

We've started the Doves online bookstore website for Doves Christian Bookshop in Barnstaple. Another Oscommerce skin using a similar set of custom settings as the Genesis Surf shop website.
The store will be managed directly by Doves staff - currently delayed with a new stock management system installation. The online store should be opening mid Summer 2005 when the Doves staff have a chance to add some stock.

April 2005 - Surfers Against Suffering - Charity Auction for National Surf Relief Day

As part of the national Surf Relief day, an auction and BBQ was held at Baggy Lodge, Croyde, in aid of the Tsunami Surf Relief fund. We helped to raise over £1100 towards the fund, by donation from local surf retailers and other activities on the day. We helped by auctioning off some Lost Girls CDs, Maniac films T-shirts and Rash vests and some surf DVDs donated by Chris Preston and Geoff Tydeman. Visit the SAS website and see how you can help maintain awareness of the plight of the Tsunami victims.

April 2005 - Gallery updates

Windfest 2005 Woolacombe event photos now online, more Small Town mentality photos plus stills from the Croyde Surf club Ranakin memorial surf contest now online. We are too busy to update any more then this for April! More updates coming soon.

March 2005 - Genesis Surf Shop Updates

We've been busy photographing new stock for the Genesis Surf Shop online web site - see Rob and Christine Gilbert modelling the latest fashions from Billabong and Animal. We will be running a competition on the site soon to see who can work out where we have 'located' them using the Green Screen for pulling the backgrounds away.

March 2005 - Studio1A promo loop version 1

We have just finished the first draft of a video loop for Studio1A to play on a projector in the hair salon in Braunton. View the video clip and see if you can spot anyone you know amongst the North Devon locals who were part of an original photo shoot. We plan to add more images when they become available.

March 2005 - Web media conversion

We have completed a short media conversion for Chris Barrett on behalf of Lansdown rugs. The project comprised the conversion of a short promo CD video track from a muxed MPEG1 video to a web-friendly Streamable MPEG4 movie clip with some logo changes and audio tweaking.

March 2005 - More Quicktime MP4 Video clips online

We have uploaded two more long video clips - Croyde Point surfing mp4 video - showing a great day in August when the surf was 'goin off'. Lots of North Devon locals getting some great waves.

We've also uploaded a long Fiji Kitesurfing & Windsurfing mp4 clip from a short time in Fiji, staying at Safari Lodge Holidays with Warren Francis.

March 2005 - Lorna Doone apt4 website now live

A basic website and hosting package for Rob and Sue Tickell for holiday accommodation in Croyde Bay. The project comprised image stitching, basic CSS and javascript, copy correction, some stock library images and Google optimisation.
Visit the new Lorna Doone apartment 4 self catering holiday accommodation website at www.ld4croyde.co.uk.

March 2005 - Smithfield mp4 video clip online

Smithfield are splitting up and wont be back at Creation Fest 2005 as hoped - we've now uploaded the mp4 video clip we did for Creation fest 2004.
Read more and view the Smithfield video clip..

March 2005 - AimHigher DVD duplication

A last minute DVD duplication project for Artaura productions for a short film for 'Aimhigher', 'leadership and management skills food and drink industry master class'. We provided DVD duplication, disc printing and full colour sleeve prints, packaging and wrapping.

February 2005 - Stocks & Powell mini-tour

We followed Stocks & Powell on a mini tour of Portsmouth and Warwickshire - with three gigs on the last weekend of February 2005. We've 'thrown together' a very quick music video for the track "50 Miles" - watch out for more music videos and music clips.
Read more and view some of the photos and video..

February 2005 - Studio 1A DVD projected

We have started work on a new promotional DVD for Studio 1A based in Braunton, North Devon. This creative hair styling studio wanted a new way to advertise some of the fantastic work they do. We plan to project the DVD onto the frosted glass of the shop window to act as a moving billboard. The DVD will include photo montages of some of the recent hair styling and advertising messages.

February 2005 - Lorna Doone 2 website live

The Lorna Doone apartment 2 website is now live. This simple accommodation website features basic Javascript, flash and CSS, coupled with some photo stitching. Visit the website and book your next visit to Croyde Bay, North Devon.

February 2005 - Stocks & Powell website started

We have started work on the Stocks & Powell website. A very brief page is running, with some upcoming gig dates for this North Devon acoustic guitar duo. We will be updating the site with MP3 music clips, MP4 video clips and music lyrics. There will be photos of the band from recent and new gigs, plus practice jams and some amazing artwork from Mike Stocks.

January 2005 - MCPS LOL license

MCPS/PRS limited online exploitation license granted to MANIAC films to allow us to play MCPS members music synchronised with video in our video clips area. More Creation Fest music video clips available now to view.

January 2005 - geared up for Green Screen

MANIAC films invests in new Chroma key technology from Reflecmedia - a unique method of using a special reflective coating to produce a quality chroma key in a flexible, easy to use format, even with DV. The technology works in conjunction with an LED light ring which provides the key light for the chromatte fabric.

January 2005 - Creation Fest music web clips now online

More Creation Fest 2004 Web clips have been posted - view the downloads area for live Music video clips from Cross Movement, The Kry, MIC, Cathy Burton, Bandwithnoname, Steve, The Tribe..
We now have the MCPS LOEL license so we can show these prior to the promo DVD being released.

January 2005 - New Point Breaks website live

The new website for extreme watersports company Point Breaks has gone live. "We used lots of images from filming work undertaken for a new promo DVD for Point Breaks based in North Devon." said Mark Brindle, "We've worked closely with Simon at Point Breaks and he is very pleased with the result" Visit the new Point Breaks website and check out the very addictive surf game!
Get more information about the new Point Breaks DVD promo.

January 2005 - Broadband funding reaches Croyde

MANIAC films takes part in the Broadband 4 Devon funding initiative -and broadband finally comes to Croyde. "Its ironic that I spent 9 months with BT (back in 1998), designing a lot of the large scale solution for the Uk broadband infrastructure, then couldn't get broadband myself until 2005" said Mark Brindle. "Its been a long wait, but its finally here and its proving very useful to the business."

January 2005 - IOV Master Member status

Mark Brindle is awarded the status of 'Master member' of the institute of videography. The award was granted following an assessment of work provided - the Creation fest 2003 promo DVD was sent in as an example of work. The IOV aim to promote professionalism in Video production - visit their website for more information.

January 2005 - Surfers Against Suffering

We are actively supporting the North Devon group - Surfers Against Suffering. This group of people are helping to raise money for the Tsunami appeal with local events, auctions of surf related stuff and sponsored events throughout 2005 (paddle race/surf contests).
Visit the website and see how you can help maintain awareness of the plight of the Tsunami victims.

January 2005 - Cozy Knights Website live

We created a basic website to advertise the B&B accommodation available in Georgeham, North Devon. The project comprised design and layout, with a web and email hosting package - graphics, basic CSS and javascript and basic flash animation. Visit the website to book your next stay in North Devon.

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