So, it's been a slooooow start to the year, but it has given me lots (and lots) of time to work on my Feature Film script for my Screenwriting Masters which I finish in December! 2/3rd's down and 1/3rd to go!
But the stop press news is that Raindance TV now have almost all my back catalogue of short films on the web:
Please check out - http://raindance.tv/search/node/martin+gooch
Which will keep you entertained from between 5 seconds and and hour depending on your attention span - and wheteher you like this sort of stuff - but if you are reading this I'll wager you do like this sort of stuff...
In other news, I shot a new short film with barry Cryer or Comedy fame, in Feb with a superb crew - Rod 'The Vicar' marley on Dop'ing and Roger Tooley on Camera with Jonny Hansler on bass...
It's a good old larf and should be finished in a month or so.
In a dramatic departure to what I usually make - I made a short film which is dead miserable and depressing and all very grown up and serious, which is almost finished, and will hopefully prove to people I can direct this sort of stuff as well as 'silly school boy' stuff.
It's called Irreparable and won't be in a cinema near you soon...
and now back to your usual program.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Goodbye to all that...
So, It's new years eve... again!
This blogging larks a tricky business. Everytime I write something someone tells me off - it's too negative - it's too boring (!) - It's ebarrassing - It's poorly spellled (!) - ad infinatum...
So, I've been trying to write something which doesnt offend anyone, isnt boring, prrperwly spelt, positive and amusing.
Which is why I havent written anything since October...
But its the end of the year so like every other f*cker out there I'm going to write my review of the year.
Ahem.
A truly odd year. I imagine very few people this time last year could of imagined the sheer and utter cock up of managing the world that the banks have, well, managed.
I've got a few chums in business (well I say chums - I just talk to them in the hope they might drop somemoney or something), and talking to them you really realise what a deep deep mess we is in.
It's taken a long time - hundered of years but basically all the rich people have stolen all the worlds money. It's all in their bank accounts and no one can get it.
But none of that realy kicked off till the summer. What summer????
No sun!
I sat out on my roof terrace everyday for June/july/aug and september and I didnt (to the relief of my neighbours) take my shirt off once for fear of hyperethermia.
Still it did mean I got lots of writing done. Another year another script - this time an adaption of the fighting fantasy gamebook- DeathtrapDungeon with the blessing of the writer Ian Livingstone. Maybe something will come of this but it was six months time well spent. I enjoyed writing it more than anything i've pretty much ever wroted.
Another block of Hollyoaks and the death of Max. That was great fun to do and an interesting time in the hollyoaks story. Hope to do more next year (?)
Directed six short films for East 15 including two half hour films, which was interesting. Was fun to work with so many new actors - some immensly talented and some... er... not as immensly talented.
Made three 1 minute films one achieved nothing, another people keep telling me is the best thing wot I've done, and the third won me the Movie Mogul competition 2008 - the bounty of which I have yet to see but it could and I hope, lead on to some interesting events in 2009.
But you know me - lets not get excited. The pessamist is never disappointed.
I Invented the Raindance short film project - which has so far made six short films, used 12 young actors, and taugh 30+ people the delights of film making. (There are delights?)
I completed a year of my Screenwriting Masters.
Entered and got rejected from the National Portrait competition and the Photographic Portrait thingie. (I think that's a comment on my artistic career...)
Had a film screening at the Curzon Soho with over 100 people in attendance and an hour of Gooch created movies. This is hopefully (is that the right word?) the last short film screening I'm going to do. They are expensive - a pig to organise and achieve nothing, except a nice booze up for everyone else.
Raindance TV want to take my entire back catalouge of shorts to put on the telly (internet telly, not telly telly) which is good - but I fear this isnt going to break montecarlo.
Got a new passport with a very sensible photo in it - but didn't leave the country - I didn't even go to Wales! First time I haven't left the nation for 21 Earth years - This will have to be rectified.
Got a new (my first!) Agent! Very exciting moment indeed - hoping this will bear fruit soon, as many seeds have now been planted.
Had five holes drilled in my knees - a general anesthetic and months of phsio, which wasn't my favourite event of the year. But hopefully a thing I won't have to do again. Though UCLH is an excellent hospital and I will be fighting the corner for the NHS for a long time to come.
Shot the Pricillars new Pop Video - All the way to Holloway.
Saw the Damned 4 times... The stranglers, James, Siouxsie, Heavens Basement (?),The Zennors... and lots of others I can't even name... (or remember).
Met Tharg - Alien editor of 2000AD.
Top that.
~
Things to look forward to in 2009!
A feature film?
Yet another short... (maybe only 5 this year). (Im not putting a question mark as this is pretty much a dead cert).
The rest of my masters? Another feature film script?
A new computer without a sticky space bar?
Some serious trips overseas?
About a half dozen weddings to attend?
Who knows what the future will bring?
But then, thats half the fun isn'tit?
Yesterday - Chaos.
Today - Chaos.
Tomorrow - Chaos?
This blogging larks a tricky business. Everytime I write something someone tells me off - it's too negative - it's too boring (!) - It's ebarrassing - It's poorly spellled (!) - ad infinatum...
So, I've been trying to write something which doesnt offend anyone, isnt boring, prrperwly spelt, positive and amusing.
Which is why I havent written anything since October...
But its the end of the year so like every other f*cker out there I'm going to write my review of the year.
Ahem.
A truly odd year. I imagine very few people this time last year could of imagined the sheer and utter cock up of managing the world that the banks have, well, managed.
I've got a few chums in business (well I say chums - I just talk to them in the hope they might drop somemoney or something), and talking to them you really realise what a deep deep mess we is in.
It's taken a long time - hundered of years but basically all the rich people have stolen all the worlds money. It's all in their bank accounts and no one can get it.
But none of that realy kicked off till the summer. What summer????
No sun!
I sat out on my roof terrace everyday for June/july/aug and september and I didnt (to the relief of my neighbours) take my shirt off once for fear of hyperethermia.
Still it did mean I got lots of writing done. Another year another script - this time an adaption of the fighting fantasy gamebook- DeathtrapDungeon with the blessing of the writer Ian Livingstone. Maybe something will come of this but it was six months time well spent. I enjoyed writing it more than anything i've pretty much ever wroted.
Another block of Hollyoaks and the death of Max. That was great fun to do and an interesting time in the hollyoaks story. Hope to do more next year (?)
Directed six short films for East 15 including two half hour films, which was interesting. Was fun to work with so many new actors - some immensly talented and some... er... not as immensly talented.
Made three 1 minute films one achieved nothing, another people keep telling me is the best thing wot I've done, and the third won me the Movie Mogul competition 2008 - the bounty of which I have yet to see but it could and I hope, lead on to some interesting events in 2009.
But you know me - lets not get excited. The pessamist is never disappointed.
I Invented the Raindance short film project - which has so far made six short films, used 12 young actors, and taugh 30+ people the delights of film making. (There are delights?)
I completed a year of my Screenwriting Masters.
Entered and got rejected from the National Portrait competition and the Photographic Portrait thingie. (I think that's a comment on my artistic career...)
Had a film screening at the Curzon Soho with over 100 people in attendance and an hour of Gooch created movies. This is hopefully (is that the right word?) the last short film screening I'm going to do. They are expensive - a pig to organise and achieve nothing, except a nice booze up for everyone else.
Raindance TV want to take my entire back catalouge of shorts to put on the telly (internet telly, not telly telly) which is good - but I fear this isnt going to break montecarlo.
Got a new passport with a very sensible photo in it - but didn't leave the country - I didn't even go to Wales! First time I haven't left the nation for 21 Earth years - This will have to be rectified.
Got a new (my first!) Agent! Very exciting moment indeed - hoping this will bear fruit soon, as many seeds have now been planted.
Had five holes drilled in my knees - a general anesthetic and months of phsio, which wasn't my favourite event of the year. But hopefully a thing I won't have to do again. Though UCLH is an excellent hospital and I will be fighting the corner for the NHS for a long time to come.
Shot the Pricillars new Pop Video - All the way to Holloway.
Saw the Damned 4 times... The stranglers, James, Siouxsie, Heavens Basement (?),The Zennors... and lots of others I can't even name... (or remember).
Met Tharg - Alien editor of 2000AD.
Top that.
~
Things to look forward to in 2009!
A feature film?
Yet another short... (maybe only 5 this year). (Im not putting a question mark as this is pretty much a dead cert).
The rest of my masters? Another feature film script?
A new computer without a sticky space bar?
Some serious trips overseas?
About a half dozen weddings to attend?
Who knows what the future will bring?
But then, thats half the fun isn'tit?
Yesterday - Chaos.
Today - Chaos.
Tomorrow - Chaos?
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
OMD at the Roundhouse
So, I went to see OMD at the Roundhouse this evening, observant readers might have been able to deduce this from the title line.
I actually went with a friend, who was really late as she went to the wrong theatre (the forum in kentish town...) and whilst i was waiting for her I actually bumped in to the gilr Im secretly in love with (so secret - no one knows this at all).
But then just as I was chatting to secret love girl, my date turn up so I had to rush off and be polite.
Ahyhoo, the gig was brilliant. Seldom do I see gigs where there is so much emotion in the air.
Rock gigs rock, but I don't always feel stirrings in my heart. But when the OMD boys did Joan of arc the audience applauded more than they did at the end of the gig, it was truely a magic gig moment, if we hadnt have been standing already - we would have been standing.
There was a lot of audience participation, gone the feeling of awkwardness and stupidity, that sometime you can feel when trying to clap along to a pop tune.
But then looking around I was one of the young ones (36), the band themselves must all be mid to late 40's, which is no bad thing, but at several points I really was a teenager again and there was a bit of sentiment in my eye at several points.
A truly great gig.
Its in my top ten of all time...
I actually went with a friend, who was really late as she went to the wrong theatre (the forum in kentish town...) and whilst i was waiting for her I actually bumped in to the gilr Im secretly in love with (so secret - no one knows this at all).
But then just as I was chatting to secret love girl, my date turn up so I had to rush off and be polite.
Ahyhoo, the gig was brilliant. Seldom do I see gigs where there is so much emotion in the air.
Rock gigs rock, but I don't always feel stirrings in my heart. But when the OMD boys did Joan of arc the audience applauded more than they did at the end of the gig, it was truely a magic gig moment, if we hadnt have been standing already - we would have been standing.
There was a lot of audience participation, gone the feeling of awkwardness and stupidity, that sometime you can feel when trying to clap along to a pop tune.
But then looking around I was one of the young ones (36), the band themselves must all be mid to late 40's, which is no bad thing, but at several points I really was a teenager again and there was a bit of sentiment in my eye at several points.
A truly great gig.
Its in my top ten of all time...
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
No more Pink Floyd
So, my brother gave me a music magazine to read the other day, as Queen (or what they have now become, like Frankensteins monster they have risen from the dead with a new head on top) have a new albumn out.
I was a big fan when I was a kid, so this is still an event, I remember running off to Our Price records to buy the I want it all 12" single and fighting with my friend hayes as they only had one copy left... (I won).
Anyhow, what was more interesting in this magazine was an interview with David Gilmore, Axeman with the Floyd.
At the end of the article he said - no I ain't gunna play with the Floyd no more. (words to that effect)
So that was a bit sad, and then I went to sleep and in the morning I woke to find that poor old Richard Wright, Keyboard player has only gone and died.
Terribly sad.
I think that puts the end to the Floyd re-union I was hoping for then.
I feel very lucky to have seen Floyd at live 8 in 2005, which was incredibly good. I also saw them at Earls Court in about 1994, which was amazing, and in knebworth in about 1989, then went off to see Roger Waters do The Wall at THE WALL in East germany.
That was amazing 200,000 people, the biggest gig in the world at the time.
I still have dust in my turn-ups from Potsdammenplatz, where we were standing in all the fox holes, where they had blown up the land mines, leaving huge craters, so everyone had to stand on the rim, so they could see anything!
Waters managed to get in a helicopter at one point and flew off over the Wall, but we didnt know it was him, as we were all looking at the WALL - the biggest stage ever constructed apparently.
The amount of hours I spent as a kid, and still sometimes now, listening to the music and actually being somewhere else at the same time, must run in to hundreds or thousands.
I think Pink Floyd were the band that made me think, music is something that I shouldn't do, as I'm crap at it and I should concentrate on the visuals - film making and the like.
Better use of time for me I think, and as we have been once again reminded, we only have a limited amount of the stuff.
So Richard. Thank you for the music.
I was a big fan when I was a kid, so this is still an event, I remember running off to Our Price records to buy the I want it all 12" single and fighting with my friend hayes as they only had one copy left... (I won).
Anyhow, what was more interesting in this magazine was an interview with David Gilmore, Axeman with the Floyd.
At the end of the article he said - no I ain't gunna play with the Floyd no more. (words to that effect)
So that was a bit sad, and then I went to sleep and in the morning I woke to find that poor old Richard Wright, Keyboard player has only gone and died.
Terribly sad.
I think that puts the end to the Floyd re-union I was hoping for then.
I feel very lucky to have seen Floyd at live 8 in 2005, which was incredibly good. I also saw them at Earls Court in about 1994, which was amazing, and in knebworth in about 1989, then went off to see Roger Waters do The Wall at THE WALL in East germany.
That was amazing 200,000 people, the biggest gig in the world at the time.
I still have dust in my turn-ups from Potsdammenplatz, where we were standing in all the fox holes, where they had blown up the land mines, leaving huge craters, so everyone had to stand on the rim, so they could see anything!
Waters managed to get in a helicopter at one point and flew off over the Wall, but we didnt know it was him, as we were all looking at the WALL - the biggest stage ever constructed apparently.
The amount of hours I spent as a kid, and still sometimes now, listening to the music and actually being somewhere else at the same time, must run in to hundreds or thousands.
I think Pink Floyd were the band that made me think, music is something that I shouldn't do, as I'm crap at it and I should concentrate on the visuals - film making and the like.
Better use of time for me I think, and as we have been once again reminded, we only have a limited amount of the stuff.
So Richard. Thank you for the music.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Its my Birthday and I'll blog if I want to.
So, It's my Birthday. Well it is here, it might not be toi the west or even the far est, but right here right now, as Fat boy slim might, or might not say, it is. My Birthday.
I've been told that my blog is too negative, so I'm making my new years resolution to be more positive about things. Mostly the work things but other things too.
We will see how that goes.
Shit. That didnt sound too positive.
How about I'm looking forward to the future.
No, that sounds like a job application.
What about things look rosey.
No that just sounds rubbish.
Maybe I can't do it?
Maybe the lack of positivity is so ingrrained from 15 year teetering on the brink of the film industry it's just sapped my will to live.
Deflated me.
Maybe not.
Positive. Positive. positive.
Thats my new motto.
I've been told that my blog is too negative, so I'm making my new years resolution to be more positive about things. Mostly the work things but other things too.
We will see how that goes.
Shit. That didnt sound too positive.
How about I'm looking forward to the future.
No, that sounds like a job application.
What about things look rosey.
No that just sounds rubbish.
Maybe I can't do it?
Maybe the lack of positivity is so ingrrained from 15 year teetering on the brink of the film industry it's just sapped my will to live.
Deflated me.
Maybe not.
Positive. Positive. positive.
Thats my new motto.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Time our greatest foe...
So a month has past, thats an earth month, not a Martian month, or even a Jovian month, however long they may be. I mean what with all the heavy gravity, it'd be pretty pointless having a colony there, so don't really need to have a calendar system there, ad there won't be anyone.
I supose you could have an orbiting base, but then you might as well just use the earth calendar, as you would be experiencing sun rise and set.
Hmm. Worth a thought.
Anyhoo. A month has passed and very little to report - hence lack of postage.
Been teaching film making for Raindance which was pretty successful. Its amazing how easy everything is with all the digital technology these days, not like when i started out. Oh no.
Kids these days etc.. don't know their born. tum ti tum.
Been asked to write another feature film, this will be my 9th. But once more unpaid until it is finished. rather tedious that I didnt get asked three months ago when I had the operation on my knees!
Went to a meeting the other day and the producer didnt turn up and then didnt contact me for two days, and didnt say he was sorry.
Why do people think they can behave like this! Well obviously they can and they do!
In the mean time been working on the showreel, which might actually one day be finished...
I supose you could have an orbiting base, but then you might as well just use the earth calendar, as you would be experiencing sun rise and set.
Hmm. Worth a thought.
Anyhoo. A month has passed and very little to report - hence lack of postage.
Been teaching film making for Raindance which was pretty successful. Its amazing how easy everything is with all the digital technology these days, not like when i started out. Oh no.
Kids these days etc.. don't know their born. tum ti tum.
Been asked to write another feature film, this will be my 9th. But once more unpaid until it is finished. rather tedious that I didnt get asked three months ago when I had the operation on my knees!
Went to a meeting the other day and the producer didnt turn up and then didnt contact me for two days, and didnt say he was sorry.
Why do people think they can behave like this! Well obviously they can and they do!
In the mean time been working on the showreel, which might actually one day be finished...
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
So, its about the 23rd of July, where do the days go?
Its been a funny old couple of weeks, I'm still hobbling around on my crutch post - knee op, which is fairly annoying and the people of London still completely fail to get out of my way or offer me a seat on the bus or tube but then I never really expected that they would!
Last week I spent 4 days working as a 1st Assistant Director on a student film at shepperton studios funded by LCC (london college of communications) where I am doing my Masters and Skillset who give people in the film industry money to do stuff for some reason.
It was a fantastic set, the art department had really done a fine job, and each department had a Mentor from the industry, most of whom had been in the industry for at least 20 or 30 years and worked on everything you could think of, from Star Wars to Harry Potter to Gladiator.
Sadly however the Director and his side kick the Director of photography were possibly the two most arrogant and ignorant people I have ever met. They had done no prep as far as I could tell, and had absolutly no idea how to shoot a film. It was like being on a photographic set, each shot was totally different to the last, no continuity opf lighting, atmos or even performance.
The director hadnt even decided what genre it was and he had already started shooting.
They consistantly ignored all advice and comments from the mentors and continued to behave like they were shooting Godfather 4.
The budget was £100K and they pissed it all away.
On day three the shot list was M/S (medium shots) all day long. Nothing else. It was like the director hadnt even thought about what it was that he was going to do.
He kept waving about his own script which had some scribbles on, but never showed them to anyone else and never made any copies.
His notes were in coloured pen, and he said I like to think in colour. Well. That's lucky, then itsn't it?
It was amazing to me, who would kill to have such an opportunity, that the Dir hadn't bebothered to learn quite simply, anything about directing at all.
His direction to the actors was laughable, but one of the actors was taking it very seriously, and I just thought, Oh dear you're a bit of an arse arn't you. His loss.
One wondered what they get taught at school. Tch, kids these days.
~
Tonigfht was the opening night of the Rushes Soho Film Festival where I have a film playing in competition - The Gravity of Belief, so I was invited to the opening booze up which was at the old GLC building behind the london Eye.
It's now a film museam so I got to rub shoulders with daleks, darth vader, Boba Fett, and so on, quite fun really. Lots of the usual faces at london film things.
Its been a funny old couple of weeks, I'm still hobbling around on my crutch post - knee op, which is fairly annoying and the people of London still completely fail to get out of my way or offer me a seat on the bus or tube but then I never really expected that they would!
Last week I spent 4 days working as a 1st Assistant Director on a student film at shepperton studios funded by LCC (london college of communications) where I am doing my Masters and Skillset who give people in the film industry money to do stuff for some reason.
It was a fantastic set, the art department had really done a fine job, and each department had a Mentor from the industry, most of whom had been in the industry for at least 20 or 30 years and worked on everything you could think of, from Star Wars to Harry Potter to Gladiator.
Sadly however the Director and his side kick the Director of photography were possibly the two most arrogant and ignorant people I have ever met. They had done no prep as far as I could tell, and had absolutly no idea how to shoot a film. It was like being on a photographic set, each shot was totally different to the last, no continuity opf lighting, atmos or even performance.
The director hadnt even decided what genre it was and he had already started shooting.
They consistantly ignored all advice and comments from the mentors and continued to behave like they were shooting Godfather 4.
The budget was £100K and they pissed it all away.
On day three the shot list was M/S (medium shots) all day long. Nothing else. It was like the director hadnt even thought about what it was that he was going to do.
He kept waving about his own script which had some scribbles on, but never showed them to anyone else and never made any copies.
His notes were in coloured pen, and he said I like to think in colour. Well. That's lucky, then itsn't it?
It was amazing to me, who would kill to have such an opportunity, that the Dir hadn't bebothered to learn quite simply, anything about directing at all.
His direction to the actors was laughable, but one of the actors was taking it very seriously, and I just thought, Oh dear you're a bit of an arse arn't you. His loss.
One wondered what they get taught at school. Tch, kids these days.
~
Tonigfht was the opening night of the Rushes Soho Film Festival where I have a film playing in competition - The Gravity of Belief, so I was invited to the opening booze up which was at the old GLC building behind the london Eye.
It's now a film museam so I got to rub shoulders with daleks, darth vader, Boba Fett, and so on, quite fun really. Lots of the usual faces at london film things.
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