SLAVE UPDATE & MY NEW HORROR MOVIE
about 1 year ago – Thu, Sep 21, 2023 at 02:31:10 PM

The Slave and the Sorcerer UPDATE! 

So, my friends, work continues apace! At the moment, we're almost finished with post-production. We're eagerly awaiting three '80s-style power ballads that are nearing completion. Aside from that, the rest of the sound design is essentially done; we just need to insert those final music tracks.

While it will take a bit more time to shoot the additional movie extras and manufacture the discs, the good news is that we're making excellent progress. 

So, plenty of work is going on behind the scenes! At the same time, we're also shooting another movie next week, so don't be sad if you don't hear from me for 2 - 3 weeks during October. It won't be impacting the completion of our film, which is in the hands of magically talented nerds at the moment. 

Megan Tremethick did a promotion with Sarah Frazetta! 

Of course, I know our barbarian horde are all good fans of Megan Tremethick, one of the stars of our movie (playing the seductive sorceress 'Nemain'). But, did you know she was asked to do a promotion by Sarah Frazetta (daughter of the legendary Frank Frazetta). Meg did a wee photoshoot with an awesome tee featuring one of Frank Frazetta's paintings! Here is a pic! 

I'll also add that our photo shoots for 'The Slave and the Sorcerer' are well underway, and we've planned our Jigme photo shoot to happen as soon as possible. Look forward to seeing all the pictures next week, folks!

MY NEW HORROR MOVIE

I'm delighted and proud to announce the launch of our new Horror Movie starring Megan Tremethick (above) along with Laurence R Harvey from the Human Centipede 2 and many others to be announced. 

Like 'The Slave and the Sorcerer' my new Horror Movie is a retro effort inspired by the 60s and early 70s golden era of British Horror. In fact our film 'In the Grip of Terror' is the first to be produced under the resurrection of 'Amicus Productions', the iconic 1960s Gothic Horror Film Studio and a one-time rival to Hammer. Their films once boasted the likes of Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Vincent Price.

With your support, our ambition is not just limited to one film. We aim to revive 'Amicus Productions' as a fully-fledged horror film studio, dedicated to producing numerous sumptuous Gothic Horror films that echo the golden era of 1960s British Horror. Of course, back in the day Amicus even made Doctor Who movies, and fantasy films featuring very sexy ladies being chased by er... motion captured dinosaurs!

Allow me to present our stunning Blu-ray Special Edition, which you can pledge for right here, along with stacks of other beautiful retro horror rewards!

Goal Smashed in 24 Hours?

And, in a true miracle, our new campaign smashed its goal in just 24 hours! We've now announced our stretch goals, aimed at the complete revival of 'Amicus Productions' as a fully-fledged horror studio. This achievement has the potential to transform the face of indie film!

To do that we're going to need your help, so we've designed some more beautiful rewards just for you!

We're Gonna Bring AMICUS PRODUCTIONS Back!
over 1 year ago – Sat, Aug 12, 2023 at 09:22:21 AM

We're Gonna Bring AMICUS PRODUCTIONS Back!

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to spread the news about this huge update! As you know, we're all enormous fans of Gothic Horror. It's the reason we initially came together to support the creation of our Gothic chiller, "Automata," also known as "The Devil's Machine."

Now, I am both proud and honored to announce that we are collaborating with the Subotsky family to revive the classic British Horror Studio Amicus. This collaboration marks their very first feature film in over 30 years—perhaps even longer, right?

Our upcoming film will be titled "In the Grip of Terror." It follows a Gothic macabre medical theme that might evoke memories of the 1972 Amicus classic, "Asylum."

While our campaign has yet to launch, I sincerely encourage you to visit and follow our campaign page. Together, we can make Horror History by reviving one of Britain's most beloved studios.

Visit the Campaign Page!

I'd be enormously grateful for your support folks, once we've hit 1200 followers, we'll feel ready to launch our film campaign which will of course, include all the stunning physical goodies you've come to expect from our team at Hex Studios.

If you'd like more information about this project, you can also read our latest newsletter

Big Hugs and Regards

Lawrie Brewster

Unofficial Fan Trailer for "The Slave and the Sorcerer"
over 1 year ago – Fri, Aug 11, 2023 at 09:43:55 AM

Unofficial Fan Trailer for "The Slave and the Sorcerer"

Here is a trailer cut together, from our footage. It's not our official trailer, but more like a work-in-progress! However, I know you guys would love to see some more footage from our up-coming movie!

So, here you have it! 

WORK GOES ON!
over 1 year ago – Thu, Aug 03, 2023 at 02:35:20 PM

WORK GOES ON! 

Hi everyone,

Here's a quick update on our progress. Firstly, we're doing fine in the whirlwind world of post-production—it's a marathon, not a sprint!

Currently, we're immersed in creating the VFX for our brief dragon scenes. Despite their short duration, these scenes are complex enough to challenge any team!

In terms of music, we've just finalized our instrumental soundtrack, and it's sounding incredible. My friend Aidan, our composer, has used samples from a range of synthesizers, lending our film an authentic sonic texture. While our soundtrack draws inspiration from the original compositions of DeathStalker and DeathStalker II, we've also incorporated an exciting addition.

The metal band, "Throne of Iron", is currently producing three tracks that will underscore some excellent montage sequences in the movie. 

A pile of work is also going on in the 2d matte painting world, with lots of rotoscoping. Now, most of our film is practical effects but, for example if I need folks to cross a treacherous bridge of stone pillers that's about 80 feet long (and guarded by a giant spider) then... I'm gonna need a little help from the humming machine. (Computer... and my Cousin Michael, who is like a computer). 

If you're wondering what a graded still should look like, I'm aiming for something along these lines: deep contrasts and rich, saturated colors. I'm using Film Convert Pro Nitrate (or something similar), which is a cinematic emulation plugin for Resolve / After Effects. Essentially, my goal is to give the film an organic, photo-chemical appearance without going overboard with grindhouse post-editing techniques, like adding film hairs or damaged frames. So, I suppose you could say it's reminiscent of a richly remastered, digital version of a 35mm sword and sorcery B-movie from 1984.

Want more regular updates?

Then please follow me on Twitter, Facebook and join our company filmmaking group over here! 

PICTURE SET REWARDS

All photo sets are currently under development. Although the Jigme set might take a bit longer, you can expect to receive all of them within the next nine days. As for the Jigme set specifically, it should be completed by the end of the month. Rest assured, they're all shaping up to look absolutely epic!

BackerKit

Folks, I understand that some of you haven't been able to complete the checkout process on BackerKit, sometimes due to us missing the addition of an obscure reward (my mistake). Rest assured, we will sort everything out and ensure everyone is accommodated before any items are shipped.

What's Next?

In the meantime, rest assured that we're working tirelessly. Unfortunately, we can't always focus solely on one project (I'm actually shooting three films this year for other companies), and we have another campaign lined up soon for the Gothic Horror Genre. When you're part of a team making movies, things can get a little hectic, but just like you, I can't wait to sit down, crack open a beer, and watch this film.

For now, the film is primarily in the hands of some talented nerds (I say this affectionately as a mega-nerd myself). These are the post-production matte painters, 3D animators, and sound mixers (did I mention that almost 90% of the sound design is done?).

If you want smaller, almost daily updates then do follow me on Twitter or our filmmaking facebook group! However, I will update you here as well! 

Big Hugs 

Lawrie

WE DID IT! And... NOW we're on BACKERKIT!
over 1 year ago – Thu, Jun 15, 2023 at 12:25:18 PM

WE DID IT! And... NOW we're on BACKERKIT! 

First of all, let me extend my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all of us for our team-based approach that made the impossible possible again. I can't begin to stress how much resistance there was within the film industry towards the production of a 1980s-inspired Sword and Sorcery film.

I realize more and more each day just how remarkable it was that this was even able to happen, and we owe it all to you guys and the hardworking artists on this production

My job will be to get the film tied up and completed as soon as possible, without ever sacrificing the quality of production value or the quality of our rewards. For those of you who are new to me and our Hex Campaigns, we take great pride in trying to make everything we produce special.

BackerKit you say?

That's right. For the first time we're using BackerKit which apparently is really fancy, and makes everything better - just like Bourbon and a gun! So, we'll see if that rings true! 

Quite excitingly we've also got a BackerKit store now, so folks please share that with people that haven't pledged yet! As, we can do with all the support we can get as we finish this film and plan for the next!

https://the-slave-and-the-sorcerer-sword-and-sorcery-horror-mov.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

And, rest assured that in the meantime Arlo the Torturer will be working very, very hard on the making of each and every one of your copies of the film! 

Mwuahahaha