The prospect of a new feature film.

The Summer Holiday's a looming in faster than most can realise. We are at Good Friday and it is nearly mid-April. When we return to college on 20th April there will only be six weeks of student contact time. Though the pressure will be only to wrap everything up academically for the students, it is also an exciting time for planning something new and adventurous. 

For me this time of year usually has my creative juices going to birth a new movie. Over the last couple of weeks I have been introduced to various people from South Africa and the USA, and to a story that spans Europe. Having read the author's novel and opened discussions regarding filmmaking practice, there is an exciting buzz beginning in preparing a much bigger production. 

My research has had me visiting the French Film Commission for funding opportunities and with other possibilities in Poland, Czech Republic and Austria. I have been reviewing business plans in preparation of updating them. We will be looking for European production companies and various other international companies to help co-produce the project. There are also potential revenues from the novel and from computer games.

And that is not all. 'Hidden' is now 50,000 words complete and I hope to have the writing finished by June so that I can have the novel edited over the Summer ready for publication in September. My mind is also considering which of my other scripts I should next novelise?

So, yes, we see all around us the problems with the 'recession', especially with the 'emergency budget' in the Republic of Ireland putting more financial pressure on individuals, which will more than likely force more shops out of business, causing the public to travel north to do all their grocery shopping in all the border towns, such as Newry, which in turn forces the local populace to seek other alternative shopping venues for basic essentials.

BUT our spirits are high (no not the alcohol, that's cheap) and the creative juices are on full blast. We are carving out a future and realising our dreams.