Latest News | Maniac Films

In Search of Darkness 1990-1994 Blu-ray Authoring

2024-12-18 00:00:00

We have been busy working again with Creator VC on their documentary feature film In Search of Darkness 1990-1994to turn it into a very full dual layer Blu-ray for release to their backers. The amazing documentary follows on from their 1980s horror genre films and splits the horror movies of the 1990s into two sections allowing for another 1995-1999 Blu-ray to come out later. Watch the trailer linked above to get a flavour of this movie or watch direct via YouTube on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6FGjqxUEWE Mark at Maniac Films designed the Blu-ray playback around a set of pop-up chapter menus like the one below - allowing you to navigate by year and then by each movie within each year as well as navigating to extra features. We encoded the long-form video content and then spent a lot of time reworking subtitles to move them into place around on-screen titles for English and Spanish subtitles. Example movies covered in this era include Frankenhooker, Stephen Kings IT, The Silence of the Lambs, Candyman, Ghostwatch, Natural Born Killers and Interview with a Vampire. Mark prebuilt the motion menus in November while awaiting the final 6 hour documentary, with the final subtitle work positioning around onscreen titles and encoding and final QC in December against the final master. This included adding META data for consoles like Playstation to allow an image icon to appear on the console when the Blu-ray is inserted. Once the Blu-ray was signed off, Maniac Films encoded the BDCMF master for replicating the discs into the many copies printed and shipped to the original film backers. We have been working with Creator VC on a number of long-form documentary Blu-ray projects including Aliens Expanded and FPS First Person Shooter Documentary and plans are afoot for an Aliens Expanded Collectors Edition and more In Search of Darkness titles. For more information, see on our Blu-ray authoring and BDCMF services, then get in touch to discuss your next Blu-ray or DCP conversion. We provide specialist BDCMF conversion from BDMV and Blu-ray iso images to allow you to get your film replicated for commercial sale as well as full Blu-ray disc authoring services.

BDCMF for Stryper - To Hell with the Amps acoustic Blu-ray

2024-12-17 00:00:00

Commemorating 40 years of recording and releasing music, Stryper continues to churn out rock-solid albums and pulsating live performances. The hardworking group shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Watch a trailer for the new unplugged acoustic performance Blu-ray on the link above or directly at the official Stryker YouTube channel. We have created the BDCMF master files for the new Blu-ray so the band can get the master professionally replicated and packaged for resale. Experience Stryperand#39;s iconic heavenly metal like never before with To Hell With The Amps, featuring stripped-down, unplugged versions of their classic songs. From the high-energy anthems like Loud andamp; Clear and Soldiers Under Command to the emotional power ballad Honestly, this album delivers raw, acoustic renditions that reveal a fresh side of the bandandrsquo;s signature sound. It also includes a never-before-released version of the timeless hymn Amazing Grace. Most Blu-ray authoring software will not allow you to directly create the BDCMF master format needed for replication and so we offer BDCMF conversion from BDMV and BD iso images electronically. We were sent a Blu-ray master file digitally from the production house, which we then ran through our dedicated BDCMF encoding software before returning the final BDCMF master image and md5 checksum electronically. The 11-track acoustic collection features stripped-down versions of Stryperandrsquo;s classic songs andndash; ranging from energized tracks andldquo;Loud andamp; Clearandrdquo; and andldquo;Soldiers Under Commandandrdquo; to power ballad andldquo;Honestlyandrdquo; andndash; plus a never-before-released version of enduring hymn andldquo;Amazing Grace.andrdquo; The video unveils an up-close look at band members performing the album live in the studio. Track lists: You Know What to Do; Soldiers Under Command; No More Hell to Pay; Make You Mine; Loud andamp; Clear; Lady; Honestly; Calling on You; Amazing Grace; Always There for You; All for One. Buy your copy of the Styker Blu-ray on the official Stryker merch website. If you too need to create Blu-ray BDCMF replication masters or need DCP Creation for your film or require DVD or Blu-ray authoring services, then please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements. We cover all aspects of Encoding and Disc Authoring Services.

Troma Sgt Kabukiman Blu-Ray Release for Refuse Films

2024-12-16 00:00:00

We have nearly finished authoring the new Blu-ray release for the Troma comedy film Sgt Kabukiman originally dubbed as Columbo with a dash of Jim Carrey by the New York Times, the film has girls, car chases, animals, theatre, guns, explosions, fighting, flying and slapstick comedy that you would expect from a 1990s Lloyd Kaufman film. Watch the trailer for Sgt Kabukiman on the link above or directly on YouTube here. Written and directed by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman, the film stars stars Rick Gianasi, Susan Byun and Bill Weeden. Synopsis: A streetwise New York police officer transforms into the worldand#39;s most unusual superhuman hero. This re-release of the Sgt Kabukiman film for Liam Regan of Refuse Films features a 1997 VHS cut of the movie in Open Matte upscaled to HD720p along with a 1997 Open Matt Directors cut from a Digibeta master, plus a 2015 Widescreen Directors cut in HD. The Blu-ray is scheduled for release as soon as a few more of the many special features and extras from the Troma Films archive have been tweaked. Some of the extras have been upscaled from original NTSC standard def and delivered as HD720p. There are multiple specials menus with looping music backgrounds and a complex pop-up menu on the main film for chapter navigation as well as changing audio options. Each video film on the Blu-ray has a pop-up menu for ease of navigation and bypass the problem with Blu-ray players not having a real and#39;back buttonand#39; like you get on DVD players. As well as the physical Blu-ray disc authoring, there is a lot of different artwork and data to correlate on the Blu-ray box packaging, inlay and booklet as well as connecting this in the disc menus. All thanks to graphic artist Mila who has worked very hard on this project. We have provided all the asset encoding and disc authoring for the Blu-ray release plus, testing and Quality Control, subtitle checking and manipulation as the original Troma subtitles needed some work. We will also be doing the final BDCMF conversion for replication and have organised the replication through Sony. Get your copy of the Sgt Kabukiman Blu-ray from Refuse Films online. This film is part of the TromArchive Series 1 which includes Cannibal! The Musical and The Toxic Avenger - buy one or get the bundle, or donand#39;t.. Iand#39;m not on commission either! If you have a film project and need help getting it onto DVD or Blu-ray then please get in touch with us at Maniac Films or check out our DVD andamp; Blu-ray services for more information. We offer BDCMF conversion services or Blu-ray replication, English Caption creation as well as high quality Digital Cinema (DCP) encoding for Film Festivals and Digital Cinema Release.

BDCMF conversion for The Reign of Queen of Ginnarra Blu-ray

2024-12-12 00:00:00

Enter the shadowy realm of The Reign of Queen Ginnnara, where medieval fantasy collides with Lovecraftian horror. This groundbreaking epicandmdash;hailed as the grandest independent fantasy ever createdandmdash;plunges you into a kingdom on the brink of madness and despair. We have been working to prepare movies for Blu-ray replication, this time we have converted the Historical Horror film The Queen of Ginnarra from Hex Media Ltd and Director Lawrie Brewster of The British Horror Studios, into the BDCMF format for the Blu-ray release of the movie. Watch the movie trailer on the link above or directly on YouTube. The horror movie stars Sam Barclay, Adam Barnett and Chris Capaldi and features Megan Tremethick as the Queen. The film centers around an exiled prince (Elderon) who is thrust into a battle for power when his kingdom falls into darkness, while his sister, Queen Ginnarra, believes sheand#39;s been chosen by a dark god and uses its power to maintain control, leading to her descent into madness. Read more about the movie on the Amicus website. BCDMF is an industry format used for the mass replication of Blu-ray discs. The standard BDMV format which is created by authoring software cannot be used in the replication process and needs to first be converted to BDCMF format first. We were sent a digital copy of the 2024 film as a BDMV Blu-ray master, which we encoded with our dedicated BDCMF software before returning to the client company electronically. We can normally deliver BDCMF conversions the same or next day, depending on your timezone. We hope to work more with Hex Studios in the future, for their new horror movie releases planned for next year. If you too need to create Blu-ray BDCMF replication masters or need DCP Creation for your film or require DVD or Blu-ray authoring services, then please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements. We cover all aspects of Encoding and Disc Authoring Services.

The Toxic Avenger back on Blu-ray for TromArchive Series

2024-12-05 00:00:00

We are nearing the end of the Blu-ray authoring for the Troma comedy-horror feature film The Toxic Avenger1984 for re-release on Blu-ray disc byLiam Regan of Refuse Films. The Blu-ray is scheduled for release as soon as a few more of the many special features and extras from the Troma Films archive are signed off - and there are alot of extras on this release including a HD widescreen version of teh 4K scan of the movie plus an Open matte aspect Directors cut and the original Japanese cut in Open Matte aspect ratio. For those who are not familiar with the main character - The Toxic Avenger, the film is about the first Superhuman-Hero... from New Jersey! After falling into a vat of toxic chemical waste, a 98-pound bullied nerd, Melvin Ferd, transforms into a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength to save the little people of Tromaville, New Jersey, from evil and corporate corruption. Refuse Filmsand#39; sub-label, the TromArchive Collection offers previously unreleased materials from the Troma film archives in NYC. Providing limited editions of Troma Team classics, world Blu-ray premieres, andsubversive deep cuts to Tromatize your physical media library. This includes the Trey Parker Troma movie Cannibal! The Musical that we previously worked so very hard on the video restoration and upscale recently. The Blu-ray authoring by Maniac Films has involved trying to fit a lot of great content onto a BD50 dual layer Blu-ray disc - along with the multiple specials menus with looping music backgrounds and multiple commentary tracks from Lloyd Kaufman and the Toxie cast and crew plus new interviews shot for this edition. Each video film on the Blu-ray has a pop-up menu for ease of navigation and bypass the problem with Blu-ray players not having a real and#39;back buttonand#39; like you get on DVD players. The main film uses a more complex chapter selection pop-up menu shown above with great artwork again from Mila for the menus as well as the disc box inlay and sleeve.. Buy your limited edition Toxic Avenger Blu-ray now from Refuse Films website. Itand#39;s a classic film and the many extras and special features on this edition make this new re-release a worthwhile addition to your collection. Maniac Films have provided all the video encoding and disc authoring for the Blu-ray release, plus testing and Quality Control, subtitle checking and manipulation - we did reworking of the original Troma English subtitles a fair bit. We will also be encoding the final BDCMF master format for replication of the Blu-ray and have organised the physical media print and replication of up to 3000 units with a matt kaminated slip cover over the Blu-ray box. If you have a film project and need help getting it onto DVD or Blu-ray then please get in touch with us at Maniac Films or check out our DVD andamp; Blu-ray services for more information. We offer BDCMF conversion services or Blu-ray replication, English Caption creation as well as high quality Digital Cinema (DCP) encoding for Film Festivals and Digital Cinema Release.

Video Wall Vision Mixing for Hinkley Point Livestreaming

2024-11-28 00:00:00

A Decimator test and hire turned into a Video Wall Vision Mixing Crew job for Mark at Hinkely Point C nuclear power plant near Bridgwater in November. Mark has been helping the team at Dependable Productions with the 2 day livestreaming event at HPC. It was a complex event with multiple cameras, drones and pre-recorded video, all presenter-led in front of a video wall. Mark had to quickly learn how to use the clients Captivate title overay software for adding lower-third titles to the staff as well as a Wirecast video mixing system for the 4k Video background wall, to display the live drone footage as well as pre-recorded video playback and motion graphics during the livestream. Mark also had our DJI SDR wireless video transmission unit available to help overcome some noise issues they had with the Teradek bolt units that they had been hired in, as well as a couple of our Decimators working with the extensive kit. Dependable got amazing feedback from the clients and#39;very polished and professionaland#39; and have booked them to provide another livestream update event in 2025. We hope to join the team again for the next HPC event! Thanks for all your help this week. You were a joy to work with and a real asset to the team. You also took to the kit that was new to you with ease and kept totally on top of the system. It was a very tough job to plan due to the challenges of the site but the plan is only as good as the team delivering and Iandrsquo;m really glad you became part of that team. The client are delighted with the result, and I hope we may be able to work together again soon. - Richard Critchlow, Dependable Productions. If you have a requirement for a video project or need a Livestreaming service for your next business meeting or event, then please get in touch with us - we cover concept to delivery with our award-winning video production services.

Lighting gaffer for Enduro World Champion Steve Holcombe

2024-11-21 00:00:00

Earlier in October Mark was setting up lighting for American sports video journalist Parker Donaldson at the home of British Enduro Champion and 9 times World Enduro Champion Steve Holcombe. Parker was interviewing Steve in Tiverton about his upcoming FIM 6 Day endurance bike racing series for NOCO who create and design premium battery chargers and other automotive products and are sponsors of the NOCO FIM 6Day motorcycle endurance event. Steve Holcombe was born in Barnstaple, North Devon and always dreamt of making a living from what he loves doing best - riding his bike and winning! Here is a link to a compilation of some of Steveand#39;s achievements (watch on YouTube). Parker contacted Maniac Films as he was travelling with limited equipment and needed someone local to supply and setup a number of LED lighting fixtures and a range of soft boxes for the interview. Mark was available and helped Parker get the shots he needed for his documentary and promo videos. The finished film about the 2024 NOCO FIM 6DAYS and#39;The Journey is Ourand#39; is now on his YouTube account and you can watch on the link above or on YouTube. If you have an idea for a video project and need a lighting gaffer or camera guy for your next documentary interview, then please get in touch with us - we cover concept to delivery with our award-winning video production services.

Cannibal! The Musical Blu-ray Finalising QC for Refuse Films Release

2024-11-19 00:00:00

We are nearing the end of the Blu-ray authoring for the Troma/Trey Parker comedy-horror-musical film Cannibal! The Musical, originally released in standard def in 1993 for release on Blu-ray disc for Liam Regan of Refuse Films. The Blu-ray is scheduled for release as soon as a few more of the many special features and extras from the Troma Films archive are signed off by Liam Regan. Some of the extras have been upscaled from original NTSC standard def and delivered as HD720p. The main movie has been painstakingly restored by Mark at Maniac Films and delivered in crisp HD1080p on the Blu-ray. The Blu-ray authoring has involved trying to fit so much content onto a BD50 dual layer Blu-ray disc - the audio on the main film consists of 7 different audio options, with multiple audio commentaries as well as a Music and Effects only version for anyone who wants to just sing along! There are multiple specials menus with looping music backgrounds and a complex pop-up menu on the main film for chapter navigation as well as changing audio options. Each video film on the Blu-ray has a pop-up menu for ease of navigation and bypass the problem with Blu-ray players not having a real and#39;back buttonand#39; like you get on DVD players. As well as the physical Blu-ray disc authoring, there is a lot of different artwork and data to correlate on the Blu-ray box packaging, inlay and booklet as well as connecting this in the disc menus. All thanks to graphic artist Mila who has worked very hard on this demanding project with lots of changes of content lengths and titles as it went on. We have provided all the asset encoding and disc authoring for the Blu-ray release plus, testing and Quality Control, subtitle checking and manipulation as the original Troma subtitles needed some work. We will also be doing the final BDCMF conversion for replication and have organised the replication through Sony. If you have a film project and need help getting it onto DVD or Blu-ray then please get in touch with us at Maniac Films or check out our DVD andamp; Blu-ray services for more information. We offer BDCMF conversion services or Blu-ray replication, English Caption creation as well as high quality Digital Cinema (DCP) encoding for Film Festivals and Digital Cinema Release.

Livestream Video Production for Global Law Company

2024-11-15 00:00:00

Mark and Phil have just returned from London, where they were providing a multi-camera livestreaming service for a leading global law firm at their headquarters in the City of London. Luke joined them again to set up the sound mixing desk and the PA system, sorting out radio microphones and handheld mics for taking participants questions. The Livestream business meeting had several participants joining remotely and appearing on large TV screens in the main meeting room and on the Livestream. Mark and Phil drove up to London late on the previous evening and offloaded kit into the clientand#39;s offices so they could start the setup and testing in the morning, setting-up the vision mixing deck and multiple cameras used for the video production. They used the DJI SDR Transmission wireless video system again, that had been such a success at the Bridgwater Carnival the week before, and this allowed them the ability to position cameras with large batteries and avoid floor cabling to allow more guests into the meeting with the companies CEO. After the Town Hall style meeting, Mark edited the multi-camera video recording and was able to deliver the finished video with some extra 4k frame grabs for social media on the same day before heading out of London. If you have an idea for a video project or need a Livestreaming service for your next business meeting, then please get in touch with us - we cover concept to delivery with our award-winning video production services.

BDCMF conversion and Replication for How To Kill Monsters Blu-ray

2024-11-11 00:00:00

We have been helping Director and Producer Stewart Sparke of Dark Rift Horror with the Blu-ray release of his latest film, How To Kill Monsters (HTKM) starring Lyndsey Craine (of Eating Miss Campbell fame), Arron Dennis (Zomblogalypse, Book of Monsters), Fenfen Huang (Now You See Me 2, Operation Red Sea), Daniel Thrace (The Creature Below, Blood Myth) and genre favourite Nicholas Vince (Hellraiser, Nightbreed). We have helped Stewart finish the Blu-ray authoring by adding in a special pop-up menu close feature that could not be added in his authoring software. When we created the BDCMF encoding for replication, we can also remap some button functions on the Blu-ray and had discussed this in advance with Stewart to allow him to finish the Blu-ray. We organised Blu-ray replication with Sony which involved disc on-body artwork as well as a double-sided inlay, booklet and a cardboard O-ring sleeve. Watch the movie trailer on the link above or directly on YouTube. This horror movie tells the tale of the sole survivor of a blood-drenched massacre, who must team up with a rag-tag bunch of rookie cops and lawbreakers to fight off an invasion of monsters from another dimension. The film has been winning awards for Best film and Best special effects too. BCDMF is an industry format used for the mass replication of Blu-ray discs. The standard BDMF format which is created by authoring software cannot be used in the replication process and needs to be converted to BDCMF first. If you too need to create Blu-ray BDCMF replication masters or need DCP Creation for your film or require DVD or Blu-ray authoring services, then please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements. We cover all aspects of Encoding and Disc Authoring Services.

Bridgwater Carnival 2024 Filming Crew Livestream and DVD production

2024-11-07 00:00:00

We have been preparing kit and then up to Bridgwater, Somerset, for our 11th successful year filming the world-famous Bridgwater Carnival and parade - filming the daytime events and performances from marching bands and singers and the evening parade of amazing carts for a live stream mix to the big LED screen in Bridgwater and a Livestream to YouTube of the evening parade. We supplied a multi-camera crew with 4k cameras as well as wireless roaming camera using our new DJI Transmission system this year and Blackmagic Studio Camera 6k. Watch the 2024 Carnival Promo on the link above or directly on our account on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/1039665205 and then head over to the Bridgwater Carnival event website for more information on the charities involved and to buy your copy of this yearand#39;s DVD or to donate to the charity. We supplied a 7 person crew for filming from both static and wireless roaming camera positions, vision mixing, livestreaming, plus sound recording of the world-famous lit procession. As well as recording the audio, we created a mix with live commentary by the infamous Chris Hocking which was added to the cameras and mix for the live stream and separated for the DVD and Vimeo HD version, so you can choose to watch with or without Chrisand#39;s dulcet tones!. We were also involved in prep work - getting adverts tweaked for the big screen, generating timetable screens like the one below, for the daytime events, as well as filming the carts before the procession to give viewers a chance to see them before the lights are switched on. Some shots of the daytime carts are in the promo video. If you missed the event and the livestreaming then date for your diary next year, Saturday 1st November 2025. The DVD contains the full 2-hour procession, which culminates in the famous Squibbing (basically holding massive fireworks safely!). Viewers can watch the full procession with live audio, or with the optional commentary track. We have cut the occasional gap and removed a few of the collecting carts to make the DVD flow better, but it shows the winners and the squibbing too. As well as the DVD, we have also created a time-lapse video which shows the whole processing in just over 2 minutes, a short promo film for the DVD andamp; next yearand#39;s carnival and also a few extra films for advertisers. If you need help with video production we can offer a full service package including creative, filming and post-production to suit your budget. Please get in touch to discuss your next project.

Multiple DCPs for Film Londons Jarman Award 2024

2024-10-31 00:00:00

We have been working with The Film London Artistsandrsquo; Moving Image Network (FLAMIN) to convert several new films into DCP format for Film Londonand#39;s 17th Jarman Award for cinema screening. Inspired by Derek Jarman, the Jarman Award recognises and supports artists working with moving image and celebrates the spirit of experimentation, imagination and innovation in the work of artist film-makers in the UK. We were asked to create DCP files for some of the shortlisted films, including Larry Achiampongandrsquo;s film A Letter (Side B) and Artist and filmmaker Sin Wai Kin Dreaming The End and Maryam Tafakoryand#39;s filmNazarbazi. In Larry Achiampongandrsquo;s film A Letter, we witness the story of a man facing sectioning. The unfolding narrative collapses time to reveal the impact of history, immigration and geographical separation on two brothers living in Britain and Ghana. Sin Wai Kin uses moving image and performance to invite viewers to think beyond binary constructions. Set in opulent palaces and enchanting Italian gardens, their film, Dreaming the End, brings forth both the familiar and the uncanny in an interlocking tapestry of dreamlike narratives and enigmatic characters. After some chasing around we had all the films ready to be converted into DCP and the files were delivered to Film London electronically in time for the events screenings.Some films needed captions adding as open caption format in the DCP itself using XML conversion from SRT captions and some had the captions already burned in as part of the film. There is never one-size for DCPs - please discuss your DCP requirement with us and any screening-specific needs. UPDATE - A massive congratulation for the 17th Film London Jarman Award won by Maryam Tafakory. If you too need to create a 2k or 4k DCP for cinema screening for your short or feature film or require DVD or Blu-ray authoring services, then please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements. We cover all aspects of Encoding and Disc Authoring Services and can work remotely for clients in the UK and worldwide.

Second DCP for Gaza Documentary What Do We Do Update

2024-10-19 00:00:00

Journalist and filmmaker Mike Joseph has been updating his feature documentary film Gaza A Story of Love and War for more cinema screenings and has asked us to create a second update DCP to play after the first main film DCP, to keep costs down over making another DCP of both parts connected as one film. Mike hopes to create more updates to the documentary and may re-edit into a single film at some stage, but the situation in Gaza is so fluid it is difficult to keep up with what is happening on the ground. You can watch the whole update on YouTube from Mike Josephs account (Please subscribe and say hi to Mike) or click the link above. The original documentary film is about the conflict in Gaza where two journalists (Mike Joseph and Sami Abu Salem) meet to share stories over a Zoom link. You can watch the trailer of the first documentary film direct on YouTube here. The update features an interview with Plaid Cymru MP Ben Lake and Mike Joseph, after a screening of Gaza A Story of Love and War in cinema in Cardigan in September 2024. If you too need to create a 2k or 4k DCP for cinema screening for your short or feature film or require DVD or Blu-ray authoring services, then please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements. We cover all aspects of Encoding and Disc Authoring Services and can work remotely for clients in the UK and worldwide.

DCP Encoding for British Faith Crime Drama MAGNET

2024-09-23 00:00:00

We have been encoding a great new British feature film, Magnet by Director Larry Bammeke and distributed by World Harvest Christian Centre (TNM Productions). We helped Larry fix a few minor issues with the file delivery and delivered a DCP in time for its premier on a very tight deadline. When projected in a cinema, the Digital Cinema Package (DCP) needs to be encoded to match the filmsand#39; aspect ratio, otherwise you can end up with more letter boxing than intended. Magnet is in between 1.85:1 (standard 16:9) and a 2.35:1 scope aspect, and so it must be encoded as 1.85:1to avoid losing any of the picture information. We encoded the 5.1 surround soundtrack into the DCP. Watch the trailer on the link above or directly on YouTube. In this gripping faith-based British drama, a young man ventures into a dangerous world of crime. When confronted with a harsh reality check, he spirals deeper into chaos. Sequences of criminal behaviour are occasionally intense. It is 161 minutes long from Director Larry Bammeke and the BBFC have rated it as a 12A certificate due toViolence, threat, language, drug misuse and, sexual violence references. If you too need to create a 2k or 4k DCP for cinema screening for your short or feature film or require DVD or Blu-ray authoring services, then please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements. We cover all aspects of Encoding and Disc Authoring Services and can work remotely for clients in the UK and worldwide.

BDCMF conversion for Abruptio Horror Blu-ray Release

2024-09-21 00:00:00

We have been working to prepare movies for Blu-ray replication, this time we have converted the Horror-thriller film Abruptio byline: Everyone is a puppet from 2023 by Anchor Bay Entertainment, into the BDCMF format for the Blu-ray release. Watch the movie trailer on the link above or directly on YouTube. The horror movie stars James Marsters, Robert Englund, (Freddy Kruger fame) Jordan Peele, Hana Mae Lee, Christopher McDonald and Sid Haig and is a surrealistic thriller/horror performed by lifelike puppets, making it the first of its kind. Abruptio has been named Film of the year and was written and directed by Evan Marlowe. BCDMF is an industry format used for the mass replication of Blu-ray discs. The standard BDMF format which is created by authoring software cannot be used in the replication process and needs to be converted to BDCMF first. Abruptio Synopsis:Les Hackel (Marsters) is a guy down on his luck who wakes to find an explosive device has been implanted in his neck. He must carry out heinous crimes in order to stay alive while trying to identify the mastermind manipulating the now twisted and strange world around him. We were sent a digital copy of the 2023 film as a BDMV Blu-ray master, which Mark encoded with our dedicated BDCMF software before returning to the authoring company electronically. We can normally deliver BDCMF conversions the same or next day, depending on your timezone. If you too need to create Blu-ray BDCMF replication masters or need DCP Creation for your film or require DVD or Blu-ray authoring services, then please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements. We cover all aspects of Encoding and Disc Authoring Services.

The Locksmith Novel Blends History and Crime with Personal Touches

2024-09-20 00:00:00

Julian Poulter has turned his award-winning The Locksmith script into a full-length novel and self-published copies to sell in his shop in Devon and online. He has been discussing the process with Devon Live again in this online article about The Locksmith novel, blending history, crime and personal touches into a gripping read. The Locksmith is a love story set in Victorian London, where a young man becomes caught up in the Jack The Ripper scandal. The original Locksmith script was finished with the help of Mark at Maniac Films and has been winning awards at many film festivals which have a script entry, including The Shepperton Screenwriting festival and the 100 Screenplays festival 2024. The Locksmith script was also a winner at the Best Script Awards, London in July 2024. If you need help with script development or screenplay formatting, then please get in touch with Mark at Maniac Films.

Security Technology Partner Conference Filming in Wales

2024-09-12 00:00:00

Mark has been filming a Security Technology Partner conference at the Celtic Manor Hotel in Wales with ACF and Rob from Waggle Events. The All-day event started with presentations and talks on new security issues and technologies and sales performance information that led onto a series of partner awards. After the serious business it was a fun black-tie red-carpet event in the in/outdoor space at the fabulous hotel with a small band performing plus magicians and entertainment including a roulette and blackjack table (not for real money though and just for fun!) late into the evening. We filmed the whole day event and provided a number of different length videos for the client to use internally and on social media. If you need some extra crew for your next production, then please get in touch with us at Maniac Films to see if we can help.

Crew and kit for Corporate team building Day in Bristol

2024-09-05 00:00:00

We have been working with Waggle Events and ACF Bristol again for a and#39;lights camera actionand#39; team building and corporate training event, this time in a Gothic mansion near Bristol. The event was run for an online film streaming company who knew a few things about genre films and they split into two teams who worked to produce their own scripted videos for the day and assisted by Mark from Maniac Films to train them in the use of our lighting, sound and camera kit. As part of the day, the attendees were split into teams to produce the initial film ideas, script and storyboard and then to be actors and to become the film crew themselves. There was a huge amount of props and costumes available to choose from, and the gothic location led to some quirky genre films being produced. Mark was on hand to train up the clients/crews on lighting and sound and camera and as they were well versed in cinema lore they chose to try some practical effects / split camera effects and camera techniques like trombone shots (zooming whilst moving camera). Once the filming was complete, Mark was handed the storyboards, script and the footage with some basic instructions so that he could edit the masterpieces into enjoyable movies to play back later in the evening. It was a very fun day and great to be working with ACF and Waggle Events again. The teams both did brilliantly, creating quite funny (not always intentional) films for each genre. If you need help with video production we can offer a full service package including creative, filming and post-production to suit your budget. Please get in touch to discuss your next project.

The Questing Beast Short filming in Ipswich BTS

2024-08-28 00:00:00

Mark has been in Ipswich for a 2-day shoot of the live action elements of The Questing Beast by writer/director Joseph Brown. Mark arrived a few days early to do final camera kit preparation and to recce the outdoor locations to be used in the film. The day before the shoot, the weather was amazing, soMark and Joe went through the woods to found suitable locations for all the scenes involving the stop-frame monster shots that will be incorporated into the film in 2025. There was a fair bit of sawn/cut tree areas to avoid as the film was meant to be in olden times before chainsaws, but they found some great areas in the woods run by location managerAnthony Gibson (he did the cooking too!). The next day of shooting, the weather forecast was looking bad and in fact it rained almost non-stop all day. A bit more recce and some shot re-planning, action blocking, costume and makeup tweaks were done, but no filming could be done at all on day 1 of 2 due to the weather. The pressure was on day two for everyone, including the Actor JeddBonstad-Clark to give great performances and the costume/makeup/armourerJean Arthur to keep costumes pristine in the damp location. There is a Behind the scenes video of the film shoot on the link above, or directly watch on YouTube here. This was created by members of the Colchester Film Club who were assisting on the shoot as Assistant Director (AD) Gethin Thomas and Leigh Martyn Thomas plus camera assistantJoshua Bradbeer, plus Producer and Director Joe Brown and DOP and camera operator Mark Brindle. The storyboard was reworked and shot order tweaked to reduce the risk of getting costume damaged, but we still managed to get all the shots filmed at 6k BRAW, including the gimbal shots on the DJI Ronin. Mark used the new DJI Transmission wireless system to allow the crew to see the camera shots throughout into the Smartview monitor. At the end of day two it was a wrap and all the shots were completed. Mark will next generate smaller H264 proxy files for Joe to work with and create a rough cut edit of the shoot to use for planning and blocking the stop-frame animation shots as the next phase of the video production. It was great fun to work on the production planning and the filming of The Questing Beast. If you have an idea for a video project, then please get in touch with us - we cover concept to delivery with our award-winning video production services.

Blu-Ray BDCMF encoding for Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks

2024-08-01 00:00:00

We have been converting a new Blu-ray for a Live album release by Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks called Perpetual Change. New US tour dates for 2025 are now on the Jon Anderson website. This 98-minute Live performance Blu-ray features Yes epics, classics and More - including: Yours Is No Disgrace; Perpetual Change; Close To The Edge; Heart Of The Sunrise; Starship Trooper; Awaken; And You And I; Your Move/ Iandrsquo;ve Seen All Good People; Gates Of Delirium; Roundabout. We have been engaged again by sound engineer and Band Geeks member Richie Castellano (Band Geek Studios/ Blue Oyster Cult) who has created the Live Blu-ray and will be releasing 14th March 2025. Replication factories require Blu-ray masters to be provided in a BDCMF format - we have specialist software to do the conversion, so Richie came back to us again for another BDCMF for this title. Watch a track from the album Perpetual Change on the link above or directly on YouTube. If you have a film project and need help getting it onto DVD or Blu-ray then please get in touch with us at Maniac Films or check out our DVD andamp; Blu-ray services for more information. Can offer BDCMF conversion services or Blu-ray replication, as well as high quality DCP encoding for Film Festivals and Digital Cinema Release.