Maniac Films are an award-winning media production company based in beautiful North Devon, UK. We make films including drama, corporate communications, documentary videos, music videos, sports videos, live event coverage and interactive content for DVD, Blu-ray, smart phones and digital cinema. We provide services in post production for editing, colour grading, visual effects, format conversions, rotoscoping and motion graphics as well as full production services for video and audio. We offer camera and camera accessory rental and use our experience to help you choose the best gear to suit your needs and budget.

We provide a full DVD production service, from DVD authoring to DLT tape for mastering, DVD disc and packaging artwork design and can provide very competitive pricing for large scale DVD replication (1000+ pressed DVDs) or short-run DVD-R duplication using a very high quality disc printing process in-house. We also produce Blu-ray discs and Dual-layer DVDs for replication or playback at exhibitions and conferences.
Check our services or faq's for more information.

  We are also licensed to create Dolby Digital ™ Audio tracks and use Dolby ™ trailers and logos for our DVD productions.

   More Video streaming and downloads in our downloads area.

Recent Projects:

We are searching for a new Media Apprentice to start in summer 2012.
Visit our apprenticeship page for more info.

Genesis Surf Shop Spring clothing lines

Revitalising Yoga DVD menus and artwork

Universe Inspectors Documentary edit

Post production grading for short film 'Worlds Apart'

Interactive DVD project for St Annes Chapel restoration

New Maniac Films rentals web site - now live

Our SP Profile

Secure On-line Shop now open

      MANIAC films news and updates 2012:

May 2012 - Filming students learning to use quill pens at Newport Community School.

We were invited to join Julian Vayne from North Devon Museum on his recent visit to Newport Community School in Barnstaple - one of a number of teaching sessions in which Julian is introducing the students to artefacts from St Annes Chapel.

This session introduced the students to quill pens and allowed them to have a go at writing using the implements - lets just say that things got a little messy with blobs of ink everywhere!
Stu from Maniac took along a couple of costumes, kindly loaned by the Barnstaple Heritage Centre, and asked a couple of willing volunteers to dress up as victorian children. He then filmed them writing in copperplate script - learning their alphabet.
This footage will be used in the upcoming virtual tour film for St Annes Chapel

For more information about the St Annes project please visit our St Annes page

May 2012 - We will be filming the Elite Iron Man event for Nick Thorn at the 2012 Goldcoast Oceanfest event in Croyde

The Elite Man/Woman event invites 24 men and 24 women to compete in a gruellinge elimination event. Competitors fight over 3 legs to earn a place in the final as they take on a 3 stage course of swimming, surfboard paddling and ski paddling in each round.
The event is being organised by local surfer and 8x British ironman champion Nick Thorn in conjunction with the 2012 Goldcoast Oceanfest

Maniac Films will be covering the event in order to provide Nick with a shorp promo film as well as media rushes immediately following the event.
We will be filming the even using our Canon EOS 7D cameras on the beach and a number of GoPro cameras in the water - some of which will be strapped to the athletes.
We are looking forward to returning to our roots - surf filming!

For more information about our live event filming services visit our Services page

April 2012 - Viewing the St Annes collection at the museum in preparation for upcoming photoshoot.

Over the years a large number or artefacts have been found at St Annes Chapel in Barnstaple, including paper darts made by pupils at the grammar school and animal bones, even clay pipes that once would have been smoked by the teachers!
Many of these artefacts are stored at North Devon Museum and Mel from the museum was kind enough to give us a tour and the chance to get into the storage rooms to examine some of the pieces.

We will be returning in a fortnight to photograph a large number of the pieces for the virtual tour - this is a great step forward in the project!
Unfortunately there is one piece that we cannot photograph - the Hugenot cloth. This is an 18th century alter cloth which cannot be removed from it's display. (see picture)

For more information about the St Annes restoration project please visit our St Annes page

April 2012 - GoPro HD LCD backpack rental helps Sam capture long days on the piste

At the end of March, Sam contacted us with regards to hiring the LCD backpack accessory for his GoPro HD here camera - and we were happy to oblige
Five weeks later and Sam has sent us this stunning image taken from the camera - this really shows what the GoPro can do! (click the picture to see the full image)

Sam was very impressed with the LCD backack. It is invaluable when it comes to replaying footage and ensuring that you are getting the shot that you need - a problem with the original GoPro where you had to guess and hope the shopt was good.

You can hire our GoPro HD Hero cameraand LCD backpack from our rental website - www.maniacfilms.com/rental

<Check out our rental site for more information about our equipment hire services>..

April 2012 - Camera and audio equipment hire for Artaura productions 'Shattered Summer' film shoot

Matt Biggs from Artaura Productions has been working on his new film 'Shattered Summer' for nearly a year - which has included various re-writes and casting changes.

However he has now started filming and Maniac Films have been helping out with equipment hire for the shoot.
The equipment has included a Canon Eos 7D camera, Nikon to Canon adapter rings, dedo lights, boom poles and the Zoom digital audio recorder.

Check out the website in progress at http://shattered-summer.com or check out the Facebook page

<Check out our rental site for more information about our equipment hire services>..

April 2011 - DVD for Twofour productions

We have been working with Twofour in Plymouth to create a training/promotional DVD for a major car manufacturer (Sorry but we can't say which one).

Working with the video files supplied by Twofour, we designed the dvd menu artwork, built the menu structure and created the final dvd for the client.
We also designed the DVD disc artwork, working within strict branding guidlines to produce a layout that reflected the clients professional image.

This is the second time that we have collaborated with Twofour on a project for this client and we hope that there will be more in the future!

<more info on our DVD authoring and menu design services>..

April 2012 - More CD print and duplication for new Peter Bruntnell album - Ringo woz ere

The latest album from Devon based singer/songwriter Peter Bruntnell, 'Ringo woz ere' , has been receiving some great feedback and is selling well - which means that we have been working hard to produce another batch for sale at his upcoming gigs!
We love to help out local artists and it's fantastic to see this album, named in tribute to his cat the late and great Ringo, doing so well and getting the recognition that he deserves as a songwriter and musician.
The album can be purchased on Petes website - www.peterbruntnell.net. While you are there why not check and see if Pete is playing a gig near you?

<Click here for more information on our CD printing and duplication services>..

April 2012 - Maniac Films are searching for a Media Apprentice

Here at Maniac Films we believe in giving new and enthusiastic talent a chance to shine. This year we have a place for a Media Apprentice to join the company as an advanced apprentice in creative and digital media, giving them a chance to work on a variety of projects in the workplace.
The successful applicant will also attend regular 1 day sessiona at Petroc college in barnstaple - learning new skills to bring back to Maniac Films and try on the job!
The job will begin in summer 2012 and will last between 18-24 months.
For full information and how to apply, visit our apprenticeship page.

March 2012 - New Maniac Rental site goes live

It's taken us a while to get to this point but our new rental web site has gone live today!
Our rental business is becoming more popular and we wanted to make the whole experience easier for our customers. You can now create a kit list to suit your needs by either selecting individual parts or by selecting a kit. It works in much the same way as a shop - with you submitting a kit list to us. We will then contact you to confirm availability and arrange paperwork.
All prices are included in the web site, which will also provide you with an equipment value to help you arrange your insurance and also an estimated shipping cost.
We are still adding a few parts to the site and finishing off equipment pictures so please bear with us for the first week or two.

For see our equipment for hire or to learn more about our camera rental services visit our new rental pages

March 2012 - Glen joins us for 8 week work experience placement

For the next 8 weeks Glen will be travelling over from Ilfracombe to join us here in the Maniac office as part of a work experience placement.

Glen is interested in media and digital art so we will be teaching him all that we can about photography, digital art and photo manipulation as well as getting him to help out on a few jobs around the office.

One of his main tasks will be to work on product photos for the Genesis web site. We are sure he will fit in well here and we look forward to working with him over the coming months...Welcome aboard!

March 2012 - New Nikon Micro 55mm f/2.8 macro lens is added to the kit list

We have just taken delivery of a second Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8 macro lens which will be added to our rental kit.
We loved our existing lens and it really opens up an extra range of shots with a close focusing distance of just 25cm. When this lens first arrived we sent it off for a full clean and service and is now in pristine condition!
For more information see Ken Rockwell's review or check it our on our rental pages

For more equipment for hire or to learn more about our camera rental services visit our equipment rental pages

February 2012 - Equipment hire for Andy Mangnall in exchange for Madeira surf footage

In December we loaned our new Redrock Livelens adapter for the Panasonic AF-101 and a Canon 70-200mm f2.8 lens to Andy Mangnall for a trip to Madeira.
However rather than payment for the rental, we struck a deal for footage use in the Universe Inspectors documentary for some good HD cut away shots and HD Madeira surf shots to use to add to the section where local legend Ralph Freeman talks about his winters away surfing big waves in Maderia.

The resulting footage from Andy is fantastic and has given Mark new inspiration to try to finish off at least that section of the documentary!
Andy said " Madeira was incredible! Thanks again so much for lending me the kit. You ll be pleased to know that the footage I took looks really nice. The lens and adapter were really useful, and a real pleasure to use.
You can check out some of Andy's work on his web site at andymangnall.com

<Check out our rental page for more info about our equipment hire>..

February 2012 - DVD authoring & printing for short film 'Locked In'.

We were approached by film maker Valeria Appel to do some DVD print and duplication for her new short film Locked In

We ended up doing a bit more then just duplication after spotting some issues with the sync, and did some re-syncing work and rebuilt the original time line at 25p and converted the HD source into a new DVD for Valeria. Valeria said "Thank you so much for this. I really really appreciate your help. I checked everything with 2 different editors, including one from Apple, and nobody pointed this out, I'm so glad I sent you the hard drive!

For more information about our DVD authoring and printing services check out our DVD services page

February 2012 - Grading for short film Worlds Apart.

Worlds Apart is a new short film by Sara Barbas, a story of love, alienation and self-discovery.
Sara contacted us for help with the final grade on the film and we were happy to assist her in getting the project finished. Mark from Maniac took on the task with gusto and has taken the raw footage from a Canon 5D and tweaked every shot to make the different camera angles match in colour and lighting.
You can check out the web site for the film at http://worldsapartfilm.wordpress.com
The film tells the story of a man from Greece and a girl from Portugal sharing a house in the UK with a British girl as they try and understand more about their flat mate, about the country that is England and about themselves, their own choices, priorities and hidden feelings.

For more information about grading and post-production check out our Services pages

February 2012 - New Zoom H4n digital audio recorder available for hire

Here in the office we have been playing with our new Zoom H4n digital audio recorder which records onto SD cards.
With 2x XLR combo jack inputs, this recorder will serve as a more compact alternative to the larger Edirol R-44 digital audio recorder.
For more information see the Zoom H4n web site or check it our on our rental pages

To see our equipment for hire or to learn more about our rental services visit our equipment rental pages

February 2012 - DVD authoring, cover and disc design for Revitalising Yoga

Revitalising Yoga has been available to buy on-line for some time, but with an upcoming release in the US, director David Gilliam decided it was time for a refresh of the artwork.
Our brief was to add logos to the start of the existing film, author the DVD with brand new animated menus and design new DVD cover and disc artwork to match.

The artwork was achieved by taking a number of screen grabs from the video to create a visual representation of the yoga instructor Elvira progressing from one pose to another. The idea was to convey simplicity, to promote the easy use of the DVD wherever you may be.
The artwork and master discs have been sent away fro replication an should be available to purchase on Amazon soon. Keep an eye on www.revitalisingyoga.com for updates.

<Click here for more information on our DVD authoring services>..

February 2012 - CD print and duplication for new Peter Bruntnell album - Ringo woz ere

Devon based singer/songwriter Peter Bruntnell is back with a new album titled 'Ringo woz ere' which features rare alternative versions of recent and new songs as well as covers of some classics.
This album comes hot on the heels of Pete's 2011 album Black Mountain UFO which made it into The Guardian's critics top 10 best album list for 2011.
Pete designed the album artwork and delivered it along with a CD master. This album will be sold in the same cardboard sleeve as his USA tour documentary - a printed fold-up sleeve containing a printed disc.
The album artwork features a photo of Petes beloved cat Ringo who sadly passed away before Christmas.
The album can be purchased on Petes website - www.peterbruntnell.net

<Click here for more information on our CD duplication services amd print services>..

February 2012 - Mr Pickles on Britain's Got Talent & the Daily Star newspaper

Wow! We never expected our music video would get this much attention! Croyde based singer/songwriter Mike Stocks (aka Mr Pickles) was head hunted last month by the producers of ITV's Britain's Got Talent. Mike accepted their invitation to appear on the show and took Stu from Maniac with him.
In order to appear on the show, Mike had to re-build his monkey theatre, making it larger and transportable. On 18th Feb, Mike, along with his family, Stu and 4 other puppeteers drive to Birmingham for the live auditions. Of course we can't reveal how Mike got on...you will have to wait for the live shows which begin airing in April
Following his appearance on the show, Mike also appeared in the Daily Star newspaper following incredibly positive comments by BGT judge Amanda Holden! You can read the article online here
Since the article has appeared the Youtube hits have jumped to over 7000. You can watch the Dreamin video on Youtube .

February 2012 - Artaura Productions website for Rooftops, Chimney Pots & Seagulls goes live

Matt Biggs from Artaura Productions has spent the last year documenting the lives of a family of seagulls that nested on a chimney opposite his home. The resulting film is called Rooftops, Chimney Pots & Seagulls.
The film was shot on the Canon EOS 7D and the GoPro HD Hero, the latter of which was loaned by Maniac Films.
The website has a teaser trailer and a short making of documentary which has been receiving some great feedback from nature and bird enthusiasts from as far away as Canada.
Check out the new website at http://seagulls.artaura.co.uk

<Check out the rental page for more information about our equipment hire services>..

January 2012 - Crew hire and live event filming for Cineon Productions

Cineon Productions recently called upon us to supply a camera operator to film a business conference in Birmingham.
The brief required our cameraman to use a camera provided by Cineon, however this left them short on kit for another shoot on the same day so they also hired a Sony Z1 HDV camcorder from us to cover the shortfall.
The event filming went smoothly and the rushes were delivered to Toby from Cineon the next day.

<For more information on crew hire or live event filming click here>..

<Check out the rental page for more information about our equipment hire services>..

January 2012 - New Nikon 105mm f/2.5 lens is added to the kitlist

We have just taken delivery of a second Nikon 105mm f/2.5 lens which will be added to our rental kit.
Our existing 105mm lens has proved popular so we have acquired a second to ensure no-one is disappointed. For more information see Ken Rockwell's review or check it our on our rental pages

For more equipment for hire or to learn more about our camera rental services visit our equipment rental pages

January 2012 - The Shadows dual-layer DVD duplication and cover printing for Great Torrington School

Marcos, the Performing Arts technician at Great Torrington School has been helping students from the school to write and star in their own film. The result is 'The Shadows', a 75minute thriller set in and around the school buildings.
The film was shot and edited by the students and the film was premiered at the school in July 2011. However the school needed help with one aspect, making 150 copies of the film for sale to students and parents.
We were happy to help the school out with this. We received the files earlier this month and quickly duplicated 150 copies of the film onto Dual-layer discs. After a few tweaks to the layout, we also printed the disks and matching covers before packaging them up.
Marcos is very happy with the finished product and we hope that the stars, their friends and families will love watching the film.

<See our duplication page for more about our DVD duplication and printing services>..

January 2012 - NTSC DVD conversion and DVD duplication for The Maniac Project film

The Maniac Project is a low budget (made for £500) grind-house style , exploitation comedy film created over 3 years by director N. Andrew Elliot and produced by Darren Horne. The film won an award in California at The Accolade film festival and has been doing well ever since.
Darren Horne contacted Maniac to ask us to convert the film from Pal to NTSC, allowing them to market the film in the USA.
We also created 50 printed copies of the DVD to be posted out as screeners.
We were more than happy to help with this and it's great to work with new and upcoming talent to help them in promoting and distributing their work!
You can see a trailer for the film on Youtube - although if you are under 18 or easily offended we do not recommend that you watch it

<Check out our video production page for more info about our video format conversion services>..

January 2012 - Zombie resurrection trailer now online - filmed with Maniac Films shooting kit

Back in August we supplied a full shooting kit to Charmed Apocalypse Pictures for a to shoot their new zombie film - Resurrection.
The shooting kit included a Panasonic AF101 camera with external Nanoflash recorder, along with a shoulder mount rig including follow focus and shoulder mount, tripod, a range of Nikon prime lensesMarshallll monitor, lighting and more.
Well there is now a trailer online and it's great to see the results from our cameras - we think it looks great!
You can see the trailer on the Charmed Apocalypse website or you can check it out on Youtube

<Check out our rental page for more info about our equipment hire>..

January 2012 - Mr Pickles appears in local paper and on the BBC

Local musician Mike Stocks (aka Mr Pickles) has been features in local press and even on the BBC news.
Mike first appeared in the North Devon Journal in an article that can be seen online - Mike in The Journal.
Mike was then featured on the BBC regional news programme Spotlight on Tuesday 10th January at around 6:40pm .
The news package featured Mikes music video Dreamin' which was filmed by Maniac Films in December.
It was great to see Mike, his song and his moustache getting the attention they deserve. Even his wife Karla and daughter Sunday appeared on the telly.

You can watch the Dreamin video on Youtube The Newsnight piece can be seen here.

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