The Slice: june Newsletter
Welcome to the fifth edition of ‘The Slice’, a newsletter from Bread Productions
Scroll down for our feature interview and more!
What we’ve been up to
Let’s start with the fun stuff!
Shannon joined millions of Brits who went to see Harry Styles & Shania Twain at their 12-night Wembley residency.
“My days… it was so good. It’s been 4 years since I last saw Harry Styles and he truly does just keep getting better.
I then popped down to Queens Heath, an independently run celebration of Pride in Kings Heath and it was BEAUTIFUL - very sweaty - but beautiful. I got to see some of my wonderful friends take the stage- Cake Boi, Esore Alle and Lola Thorne, as well as plenty of other incredible performers.”
Mazzy and almost everyone at the Digbeth Loc. offfices went on a road trip to see the fabulous UB40 when they brought their Unstoppable Tour to Cardiff for a brilliant night packed with incredible music with support from Maxi Priest and Aswad.
“Matt Doyle’s vocals sounded fantastic, I absolutely loved how he brings his own style while still capturing that unmistakable UB40 sound, with the crowd on their feet from start to finish.
I also joined long-time clients The Night Owl on a trip to London for The B-52s and DEVO for their brilliantly bonkers Cosmic De-Evolution Tour. Both bands still sounded fantastic, with The B-52s’ really earning their moniker as ‘the world’s greatest party band’ and DEVO’s brilliantly eccentric performance proving neither has lost any of their mad new-wave magic!”
Digbeth Business Improvement District
The proposed Digbeth Business Improvement District (BID) is a business-led initiative that would enable businesses to invest together in projects that go beyond the services already provided by local authorities. From improving the day-to-day environment and supporting independent businesses to championing Digbeth’s culture and identity, the BID is about helping the area thrive while protecting what makes it unique.
We were recently commissioned to create some social media content to promote the proposed BID and as part of this were delighted to work with Producer Benjamin Ibbott of Shine TV and Masterchef, to create a promotional video and suite of social media clips.
Watch the full promotional video here.
Eligible businesses - you can still hit the ballot deadline of 5pm tomorrow if you post by guaranteed delivery!
Some beautiful words from our client
Here's what our clients Howells have to say about us as Event Producers..
...and may we say it was also a great pleasure to work closely with Sarah Milford and Lucy Swift from Howells to bring the vision of their 35th Anniversary Celebration to life 🙌🏽
Shannon’s Side-quests
Big surprise- Shannon’s on another side quest!
“This month I helped out my good friends Vindictive with the release of their new single- making up some pretty tough-looking artwork. I’ve been working with these guys for a long time and have seen them progress from a Metalcore band with pop-punk influences to a Hardcore beatdown band- which is much angrier (and not genres I knew anything about until the last year or so!)
The artwork was a really fun project- knowing we wanted to use an X-Ray of a spine, but surprisingly they’re quite expensive to get rights to, so instead we got a cheeky photo of when the lead singer had to have an X-Ray last year. I did a good chunk of messing around with colours, contrasts and grain until we got to the final version- and I think its pretty gnarly if I do say so myself.
So- if you’re into angry music, go ahead and give Spineless by Vindictive a listen!”
What’s coming up
So we normally give you a bunch of highlights but quite frankly, there is only one event that we REALLY want you to come to.
Don’t panic though, if you want more recommendations across the creative industries we are doing a new sub-edition, the spread will be coming out as a monthly what’s on newsletter with our regular slice email now a separate affair! Keep em’ peeled!
Ok so this is the don’t miss event we’re all fired up about!
Saturday 18th July, The Night Owl, Birmingham
SOLEDAD BROTHERS & BLACK MEKON
Toledo Ohio's Soledad Brothers are back from the near dead to spread their one-of-a-kind Rust Belt R&B Revolutionary Gospel.
These will be their first time setting footprints on European soil together as a band in 20 years.
Soledad have been long associated with the early 2000's Detroit garage rock revival along with cohorts The White Stripes, The Detroit Cobras, and The Dirtbombs.
Cut from the same fiery roots, time and local as those groups but very much hewing their own path, the Soledads were louder and looser.
They were influenced by John Lee Hooker, The Gun Club, Hound Dog Taylor, Sister Rosetta Thorpe as well as frequencies more distant such The Fall and free jazz pioneers such as Albert Ayler.
Sonically this all came together in a sound all their own with political insight and edges not explored by contemporaries.
Their much-heralded firebrand live shows have diminished not one iota in the intervening years, in fact the anger burns brighter and the stage slop more noisy. Have a listen here. Grab your tickets here.
Upcoming Passion Project!
Gnome Alone is a short comedy film with a deliciously dark undertone, drawing on inspiration as diverse as Doctor Who (Blink) and Aardman Animation (Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl). Gnome Alone will make audiences laugh and quite possibly shudder!
Created by Paul Green experienced writer/director and producer of short films with BAFTA and Royal Television Society nominations and a super talented and highly experienced cast and crew ready and waiting to make this happen, but we need your help!
You can make this fantastic script a reality by helping us reach our insanely reasonable funding target of £2,500 to supplement our own personal financial commitment.
So, what’s the story?
When keen amateur gardener Ronald places a garden gnome on his manicured lawn, the ordered world of suburbia takes a sinister turn for the worst.
Each morning Ronald wakes to find the gnome has mysteriously moved closer to the house. And no matter how often he moves it back, it gets closer, and closer - until one morning he wakes up next to a life-size human gnome!
In a reversal of roles, the human garden gnome now places a statue-like Ronald on the manicured lawn. The gnome invasion is complete!
https://lnkd.in/ey9-hRe7
Each month, we spotlight an expert in their field working within content or events. This month, Mazzy caught up with Producer and Founder of Film Friendly and RooScreen, Becky Rooney.
For anyone unfamiliar with Film Friendly, can you tell us a little about what you do and what your day-to-day looks like?
I wear a number of hats! I’ve been in the TV and Film industry for over 30 years, working in a variety of behind-the-camera roles. Through my consultancy Film Friendly, I help a range of clients from a variety of sectors attract, manage and maximise filming opportunities for their business, location or locality. Alongside, I combine freelancing with producing short-form content through my company Rooscreen. No day is the same, which keeps me on my toes! On a Film Friendly day, I might be working 1-2-1 with a client on developing networks or designing filming enquiry processes, or presenting to a room of tourism businesses who are keen to understand how the industry works behind the scenes. If I’m working on a production, my day can involve anything from scouting locations to budgets, schedules, script notes and casting.
Looking back on your career, what were some of the key moments that shaped your journey into the industry?
My first job at 19 as an audience researcher on the Vanessa show was a pivotal moment. I knew I wanted to work in TV but I had zero knowledge and I’d never even met anyone who worked in the industry so I had to find a back route in, which I did by applying for work experience on a game show. Then every time I moved genre, from talk shows to documentaries and scripted, I was lucky to have people who have believed in me and helped me step up and across. Which is why I support emerging talent now, it’s lovely to be a position to pay it back. My career has taken me to so many exciting places and I’ve met some brilliant people along the way, from ordinary people with extraordinary stories to billionaire business owners and I’ve (mostly) loved every minute of it.
What inspired you to create Film Friendly, and what gap did you feel it filled within the industry?
When you work with locations and suppliers, they all have similar questions:
How does it all work? How do productions get made? What sort of things do you look for? Where can we find more filming? And I realised that providing insights in to production processes, networks and team structures etc is of huge benefit. If locations, local authorities, tourism partners and residents understand what's expected and why from the outset, it makes for a much more positive experience and better outcomes for everyone.
You work closely with productions, crew and locations. What makes a filming experience successful for everyone involved?
That depends on your definition of success! Practically speaking, the ultimate aim is for the production to run smoothly, efficiently and to plan. There can be challenges; shooting in a public place is unpredictable, inclement weather has an impact but the key is to consider all of these factors before the shoot and have robust plans in place. For me, equally as important, I like everyone I work with to feel they have a voice, that their contribution is valued and they can have a positive feeling about what we’re creating together.
How have you seen the TV and film industry evolve over the years, particularly in the regions?
When I first started out, there were only 4 channels. Filming was expensive, exclusive and fairly impenetrable due to the high cost of equipment. Over the years advances in tech has made filming much more accessible but the irony is that we’re now drowning in content so audiences are harder to find. I started my career in the regions at Anglia TV, but a lot of those opportunities are sadly now lost as regional TV hasn’t been a priority for many years. However, there's definitely an increasing appetite for local voices and stories and the West Midlands in particular is in a great position to work with productions that are looking to shoot outside London.
Are there any recent projects or collaborations you’re especially proud of?
I'm hoping to be able to announce a couple of very exciting Film Friendly partnerships soon. Production-wise, I’m proud of how well our BFI-funded film Playground, written and directed by the wonderful Northampton-based Tayla Halfacre, is doing on the international festival circuit. I have a digital pilot due for release this summer, led by West Midlands talent behind and in front of the camera, and I’m working with two other brilliant Midlands-based writers on their short films which we're aiming to shoot later this year/early 2027. I’m also in pre-production on a beautiful and heartfelt film based in the North West, with a fabulous team behind it including an incredible actress as the lead.
This month, we asked our ‘The Proof’ guest, Becky Rooney, to give some advice to aspiring screen professionals.
I’ll keep this really simple. Be nice! There are some unpleasant people in the industry sadly, but find collaborators who make you feel good and lift you up. It’s entertainment after all so be sure to have fun doing it.
A huge shout-out to everyone who's producing content of any kind. Making stuff is hard! It takes a lot of courage to put your work out there and a ton of tenacity to keep going, so I have a lot of respect for anyone making films at any level.
Check out our latest episode of Mixtapes, Movies and Memes featuring special guest Hugh Blackwood, frontman of The Atlantic Players, just ahead of their recent appearane at Mostly Jazz, Funk and Soul, Moseley Folk and Cambridge Folk Festival. Listen back here.
Thank you for reading round 5 of ‘The Slice’!
Want to tell us about your cool event or project? Or recommend a rising expert for us to talk to (even yourself!), drop Mazzy an email at mazzy@breadbirmingham.co.uk
