Daniel Johnson Films

WE HAVE SOMETHING – A Short Screenplay By Daniel Johnson

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:16:47 +0000

I thought you might enjoy reading one of my short film screenplays. It’s a way of avoiding work for ten minutes and a good alternative to browsing Facebook.

This is a screenplay I wrote a few months back called ‘We Have Something’. It’s about an inter-office relationship between the 46 year old boss, LAURA, and a 21 year old from the mail room, MICHAEL.

It’s a nice slice of rom-com, and it all takes place within 9 pages! It will give you a good idea of what my films are like when in script form. I often say to my friends that I think I am a better screenwriter than director. In directing, I think I have certain skills; but in writing, I am after expertise. That’s my hope.

You can download the script HERE. Let me know what you think!

New Ryanair Prices and Guidelines for 2013

admin — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:16:27 +0000

In keeping with their commitment to being a low-budget carrier, Ryanair have made some subtle changes to how the airline works, and I will now set out to explain in detail.

The rumours are true, they will begin charging people to stand during flights. All passengers will be forced to remain seated for the duration of the flight, meaning that any standing up — for any reason, at any point during the flight — will incur a £5 charge. This will be complicated by the fact that Ryanair will also begin offering ‘in flight aerobics’ to combat the rise in deep vein thrombosis. It will cost £10 to take part in the aerobics, and £15 not to. The ‘standing fee’ will still apply after landing, which means that if you wish to leave the aircraft for free, you will have to do so by crawling.

Ryanair have faced thousands of complaints in recent years about hidden charges and costs. They have now decided to be more transparent about pricing, meaning you can ask the flight attendant to explain the fees to you, but only if you pay them £22 and agree to rent a Volvo.

Other changes are subject to approval by the EU and aviation authorities. These possible changes are, according to Ryanair’s Vice-Chief Executive Brian Rippov, “aimed at giving our customers more choice”. These include plans to make certain things “optional”, such as seating, safety gear, and trained pilots. “Pilots are expensive,” mused Rippov, “and it will be down to the passengers to decide whether they want to pay for one.”

The controversial airline are also branching out into more locations, with a planned ‘New York’ landing spot, which is actually nearer to Wisconsin than Manhattan. This is a common practice from Ryanair, whose airport locations and hotels are rarely near where they are advertised. In 2008 they promised to clean up these discrepancies and even agreed to make sure more of the hotels have beds in them.

In 2014 Ryanair are rumoured to be considering additional ‘optional charges’, but only as a way of making things cheaper and easier for the customers. One of the key things on offer may be ‘Flights for £5, in wingless aircraft’. This is the latest innovation by the company, who will be utilizing many European roads and fields as an alternative to taking to the skies. “It helps us keep things safe,” said an insider from Ryanair, who were rocked recently by a Daily Mail poll which showed that 72% of people would rather “have a mid air collision in a British Airways plane than have to buy a Ryanair scratchcard”.

More news soon.

5 Tips For Your Acting Showreel

admin — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:06:30 +0000

Some of what I say is personal opinion, some of it comes from speaking to other directors, and some of it comes from conversations with casting directors over the years. These are just ideas, suggestions, and things I tend to go by when creating showreels myself. If it doesn’t resonate with you, ignore it!

1. Don’t waste the first minute with a montage! We want to see you ACT! Too many showreels are just people looking pretty walking in and out of rooms. It’s not as interesting as you think!

2. Begin with a GREAT PERFORMANCE! It doesn’t have to be a whole scene — it can be the middle of a scene; halfway through the dialogue, whatever it is! Show us YOU in the MOMENT.

3. Don’t put your favourite pop music all over your reel. Not only is it amateur, but it dates your showreel immediately.

4. Make the scenes SHORTER! When we’re watching a reel, the STORY doesn’t matter so much. Things just need to make sense. So turn that two minute scene into a thirty second scene by taking out some of the bits that don’t matter so much.

5. DON’T cut out shots of other people. Part of acting is reacting to the other characters, it’s about the relationship. We need to see that. Remarkably, when a scene is GREAT, even when the camera isn’t on you, we still feel we’re there with you. So it doesn’t all have to be close up on you — allow the thing to BREATH!

Have a look at this showreel I edited for actress Debra Baker.

The second scene, from ‘Junkhearts’ was originally about three minutes long, but we cut it down to forty seconds — yet everything important is still there. Also, if you look at the clip from ‘Call The Midwife’, the camera is on the other actress more than Debra, yet we still get a really strong sense of her character and performance.

Officially Launching my Showreel Service

admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:53:08 +0000

There are some incredibly talented actors in the industry. The problem is that the marketplace is flooded. It’s hard to land any role, let alone your dream role. This is where I come in: I write scenes specifically tailored to your strengths; and then we film them. Therefore, rather than waiting for an acting job to show what you can do, we can make it happen by producing your showreel. Literally, a week from today, you could have brand new footage showing precisely what you are capable of and what people have been missing. In the video below are some clips of my work.

I have been writing and directing films for over ten years. I love the process and the showreel service is a way to work with and discover some great actors. Many of the people I have produced reels for have gone on to get work because of it. I have also cast many of the actors in my own projects.

The hardest thing as an actor is gaining exposure. I believe my showreel service goes a long way to helping you on your journey, by allowing you to do great work with an experienced director with a distinct writing style.

Get in touch if you’re interested! Email: dj@danieljohnsonfilms.co.uk

http://www.twitter.com/danieljohnsonuk

Bluecat Screenplay Competition

admin — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 02:26:51 +0000

I’m extremely excited to be able to tell you that my screenplay ‘The Toilet Attendant’ has reached the semi-finals of the Bluecat Screenwriting Competition. It is also up for the Cordelia Award, where I am among six British screenplays in the final.

How exciting! Writing is such a crazy thing. Most of the time you’re left to your own devices, your own intuition. To get validity from such a prestigious festival is very exciting and inspiring.

They announce the winner of the Cordelia award on March 15th; and on the same date they name finalists of the main competition. Whatever happens, I’m excited; it’s been thrilling to be involved thus far!