A few months go I was asked to be the second unit director on a new up and coming TV pilot called Resonance.
I am usually fairly despondent and somewhat frustrated by the current UK drama shows on terrestrial TV. They tend to be a little too safe, passive and sanitised for my liking. I have always felt that UK drama has had a long way to go before it can start to match up to the likes of an HBO production.
It's true that budget always plays a big part in any production and also true that HBO have mega budgets compared to UK TV...but creativity and excellent writing and storytelling do not break budgets. But if you are of the mind frame that we will just shoot the cheaper and easier option, then you are never going to push the boundaries and ultimately it affects your creativity and in turn viewer enthusiasm. Resonance is a new TV pilot with a completely different take on how a TV series should be. I could tell from the off that the creators had a vision for Resonance and a real sense of passion for the project. It struck me that they cared more about the storyline and the project than anything else. This is very important as it means that a viewer can trust that the show will stay loyal to them...the show will be as full of energy in the latter series' as it was in the ones were they loved it for
After reading the script that was sent to me, I quickly realised that this was a very well thought out story and brilliantly written. It was also perfectly in tune with my taste and genre of writing, so needles to say, I loved it and so I agreed to be involved.
The cast were fantastic! Including some great names like Charles Dance (The Golden Child, Last Action Hero, Gossford Park), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Torchwood, Survivors), Aidan Turner (Supernatural, The Tudors), and Ruta Skansen (Spooks, The Tudors).
Of course the crew were highly professional and one of the best crews I have had the pleasure to work with. Which made for a really fun and relaxing atmosphere while maintaining a high energy and tempo to get the shots needed.
The shoot was fantastic on set and it incorporated filming some really interesting a action along with some very cool and different shots. Again testimony to the different approach that Reosonance has taken. We had Parkour runners climbing up the sides of buildings and jumping off sheer drops. We had the stunt coordinator from 'Clash of the Titans' coordinating the stunts, then there were fight scenes, chases, car mounted cameras, multiple locations, guns and so on...I just kept thinking...'If this is just the 'pilot'...what's the full series going to be like?'
The trailer has just been released and so this is a first sneak peek into the world of Resonance.
Watch the trailer here:
Or for more information on the series outline, cast and crew, you can visit the official website http://www.willyouhelp.co.uk/
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