A small selection of all the of the bts pics that have found their way onto my phone over the course of our 9 day shoot for the @talesfromdavidstown game prototype.
I want to thank everyone who took part in this new chapter of the TfD project, especially those not pictured.
The first version of the game prototype will be completed later this month and there’s still a lot of post work ahead - but I I know that we wouldn’t have made it even this far had it not been for the above and beyond effects of the team especially exec producer @jules_oco who tirelessly worked behind the scenes to keep things moving and organised.
Looking forward to sharing more soon!
#indiegamedeveloper #videogame #werewolf
What is driving addiction on social platforms right now? I have a theory, based largely in part on my knowledge or psychology and marketing. What do you think to this?
#psychology #socialmedia #mentalhealthcare
Wrapping up my 44th year with something different and taking some time with an activity which recharges and inspires.
45 tomorrow and the gift I’m giving myself is a new… well me. Not a reinvention per se, but chasing, working towards something of an evolution.
Let’s see what I can do in the next 365 days.
In the meantime though, I’m heading out with my wife for some pre birthday fun.
See you all on the other side!
A little sneak preview of one of the two Christmas (yes I know, it’s not even Halloween yet) projects we’re currently working on.
This time, filming at the stunning place that is @bamburgh_castle filming a lovely little tale penned by @jules_oco and starring @amyduquesne - a magical storyteller in search of a missing tale, wanders the great halls and corridors of a castle sat on a great rock.
Just another reminder of how privileged we are to be working as filmmakers.
Yule (sorry) be able to find out more in November!
Finally - I can make an annoucement that we’ve had to sit on for a little while now.
As a lot of you will know, we’ve spent the last 2 and a half years producing Tales from Davidstown: - our very own IP and universe, consisting of an audio series, graphics novels, an audiobook... and now...
Well I’m very proud and honoured to officially announce that, recently, RO Pictures was selected by the UK Games Fund (Funded by the UK Government) to receive a grant to allow us to produce a prototype video game based on the series.
This means that, as of this month, we kick off pre-production into our very own interactive FMV adventure - and we’re calling it “Tales from Davidstown: The Werewolf Within” (working title).
The game will feature cinematically filmed, live-action scenes and star the phenomenal Michaela Longden as “Jess Wilder” and the amazing Elle O’Hara as her werewolf best-friend “Emily Hargreaves”.
This isn’t just another project for us, or indeed me. It’s the next HUGE step, after years of work, building something of our own, fostering a community and very recently, bringing our story into a much wider world since our last Youtube video went viral with 1.2 MILLION views (to date).
Things are happening, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
With that, I want to thank the rest of my absolutely out-of-this-world cast who have helped bring this so, so far over the years;
Danni Shepherd
Dan Smyth
Fenfen Huang
Samantha Mesango
Sarah Duncan
Ayvianna Snow
Daniel Bruce
Johnny Vivash
Bexs Barlow
Jenna Holmes Brook
Lizzie Bee
Wang Jiao
Louella Gaskell
and Julia Munder, who, without a doubt, this whole project would not have gotten as far as it has without her hard work, determination and belief in what we’re making.
Thank you one and all.
Time to celebrate! Have a great weekend, everyone! More to come very soon!
Last week, we made a move to take control of our own narrative. Following the discovered piracy of our content, we decided to release a portion of our internal test footage to the public: a bold decision, we hoped, but, as it turned out, the right one.
The result? Over 200,000 views in just under seven days.
This clip features the phenomenal Elle O’Hara performing what would be a key moment from Tales from Davidstown, a raw, physical, and emotionally grounded female werewolf transformation scene that captures the heart of what our series is about. Grit, fear, identity, and the horror of becoming something other.
What started as an internal technical test for pacing and performance has exploded into a lightning rod for the series.
Fans of supernatural horror, audio drama, werewolf lore, dark fantasy, British gothic storytelling, and practical creature effects have all jumped in, and the response has been overwhelming.
This is just a taste of what’s coming. Tales from Davidstown is a character-driven supernatural horror series set in the bleak moors of North Yorkshire, combining cinematic audio design, genre-rich worldbuilding, and an ongoing story about trauma, control, and transformation.
Think The Witcher meets Ginger Snaps, with the emotional intensity of The Haunting of Hill House and the mythology of Penny Dreadful.
To everyone who’s commented, shared, or simply watched, thank you. This moment belongs to you as much as it does to us.
More scenes. More story. Coming soon!
// Premiere // "The film also presented an amazing chance to shoot in the open gate format seeing as we were shooting on the Arri Mini LF and really wanted to push the sensor in such a low light environment."
@hipsince1980 talks about achieving lush, detailed night time close-ups when shooting their macabre micro short 'The Lure' where a lone nocturnal fisherman is surprised to discover he's not the only one hoping to hook something.
// Credits //
Starring @johnnyvivash
Written/Directed - @hipsince1980
Producer - @caloconnell
DOP - @stevenwyattdop
AC/Sound - @stewartsparke
Costume/Props - @carly_broon
Sound Design - @sammasonsound
Colourist - @oneboymedia
Sponsored by @centerframeclub
Shot Full Frame on @arri ALEXA MINI LF + @dzofilm Vespid Primes
Big thanks to York Railway Pond for the location + @annaonthepage for the inspo
#TheLure #ToniHipwell #WeAreDN #premiere #horror #darkcomedy #microshort #fishing
