LIGHTS, CAMERAS, ACTION!

Shooting to the top

The East Midlands is becoming a hotbed for young film making talent. Inside Out watches the stars of the future in action as the cameras roll on location.

The old saying "aren't policemen looking younger these days" now goes for film makers too.

From drama and documentaries to animation and art films, the East Midlands is becoming a hotbed of film making talent.

Inside Out goes behind the cameras to take a look at some of the East Midlands' freshest talent.

Hollywood in the Midlands?

The East Midlands is fast becoming a mecca of movie making as its young film makers grab a piece of the spotlight.

One of the most recent successes has been the black comedy One for the Road starring Hywel Bennett.

The film was shot in and around Nottingham, using mainly local actors.

Its director Chris Cooke has been tipped as the "one to watch" by film critics.

Cooke started life as a camera man on the BBC's East Midlands Today, but then switched to his first love - film making.

Chris spent three years of his life getting this, his first film, onto the silver screen.

He's renowned for his naturalistic style, improvisational performances and hand-held camerawork.

Now establishing an enviable reputation, his climb to the top has been the result of a lot of hard graft.

New directors

Chris Cooke follows in the footsteps of another Nottingham luminary, director Shane Meadows.

Bob Hoskins starred in the Nottingham-based film TwentyFourSeven

Meadows was raised in Nottingham, but dropped out of school as a teenager.

After various odd jobs and a brief spell studying acting and photography, Meadows volunteered at a local art centre and learned about video-making.

Meadows served his film apprenticeship making dozens of short films using borrowed camcorder equipment and with friends as actors.

His big break came when he was approached to direct a TV documentary. This in turn led to him being signed up to make the BBC-financed feature film TwentyFourSeven starring Bob Hoskins.

Made on a shoestring, the film provided a launchpad for Meadows' film career and for his next feature, the comedy drama Once upon a Time in The Midlands, featuring Robert Carlyle and Kathy Burke.

But raising the money to make films is still tough, and Meadows continues to make TV commercials to keep his bank balance in credit.

Bright young things

The new generation of East Midlands film makers are starting young, and borrowing a trick or two out of Meadows' book.

The Turrell twins, John and Tom, from Beeston in Nottingham started making their first films in their early teens.

"We've been making films since we were 11 so our camera is just like a member of the family," they say.

They're currently on location shooting their next drama feature, and look set to have a bright future in the movie business, if they decide to pursue this career path.

Animated magic

It's not just dramas that are being produced on our doorstep - animation looks to have a healthy future too.

Animated fun from budding animators

Aspiring animators Alex Girvan and Paul Jackson are making cartoons to rival family favourites like Creature Comforts and The Simpsons.

These young film makers could be the next Matt Groening or Nick Parks!

They draw their influences from horror movies of the past and present. The result is ambitious animations with a real visual flair.

The hours of painstaking work spent on making their animations come to life is well worth the time and effort.

Back to school

For other film makers, it's back to the classroom to fine-tune their art. Several Midlands schools are keen to encourage pupils to try their hand at film making.

Some of their films made a big impression at the recent BANG film festival at the Broadway cinema in Nottingham.

The young film makers' documentaries covered subjects ranging from life as a teenager on the mean streets of Sneinton, and a look behind the scenes at Nottingham Forest Football Club.

The Turrell twins dream up their next movie project

For young people who haven't got started yet, the Broadway in Nottingham is a good place to learn the craft of movie making.

The cinema provides a lively programme of events for schools as well as workshops and young people's festivals.

Another good starting point is Line Out, a resource centre for independent film makers based in the Leicester area.

It provides access to high quality equipment, information and advice, film schools, and almost everything an aspiring film maker might need to turn their idea into a movie.

Boosting new talent

So what does the future hold for East Midlands-based film makers?

Film director Chris Cooke is optimistic about the prospects for the next generation.

Celluloid dreams -film maker Chris Cooke

"The East Midlands is one of the most exciting places to be for young film makers - opportunities to get into the film industry are growing and growing," he says.

Chris is also encouraged by the availability of money to help film makers.

The East Midlands has been benefiting from arts funding which is helping to boost the region's film output and encourage new talent.

New technology is also playing a starring role. Camcorders and film editing kit is cheaper and more accessible than ever before.

There's never been a better time to make a movie.

So why not borrow or buy a camera, and get out on the streets filming?

Who knows? You could be the next Spielberg, Scorcese or Shane Meadows! It's a dream that could be a reality for the region's film makers.