December 2025 - Black Sheep Independent Films

Christmas

December 2024

Devious. Sussex Film Office. Super Charly. Tracing the Rails. Superman & the Ying and Yang of life.

Super Charly

Where has the time gone? Four Months have flown by, or like the title of the last [ever] episode of Superman & Lois; It went by so fast. I have to say, that was one of the most emotional and, truly, satisfying endings to a television show that I have watched to date. It’s a shame that the shows run was curtailed due to the changes with the Superhero world of DC at Warner Brothers, but that’s show business. For me, Tylor Hoechlin made a terrific Superman/Clark Kent for the 21^st Century. He really embodied the original values of the character without making it feel dated. The whole team that produced that show is a shining example of what can be achieved, despite budget cuts and outside influences beyond the shows control. Goodbye Superman & Lois, I’ll miss you and I will enjoy revisiting from time to time.

So, what’s been happening over the last four months?

First up Devious

Devious

Episode five has finally landed on You Tube and has been warmly received by those who are following our epic love letter to our favourite TV show. For this episode I am happy that I managed to get the Spiker creature (who makes their final appearance) working via motion capture. This was achieved by utilising Ipi Soft (The trial version) which allows one to use the programme free for 28 days (This is a programme that works, 'out of the box', so can justify its costly use). The only limitation is that only two Kinnect or other cameras can be used for the capturing process. I have, in the past used four Kinnect 360s and it has produced fantastic results. Two cameras still do a fantastic job, but because you don't have a complete view of your actor from all angles it is best to play all actions to the camera and to be carful not to obscure any arms or legs from the cameras. It's a bit limiting, but if you are carful, you can achieve fantastic results. You can always manually repair any motion screw up during Ipi Softs targeting section of their motion capture process. Also, the motion can still be manipulated and altered when you have loaded your capture into Blender, so any additional alterations or corrections to your character can still be made. The results, I would say, were 80% successful [in my eyes], due to setting a completion date or one could carry on refining and improving forever, but I was chuffed that I ticked off another achieved, personal, goal. You can watch episode 5 of Devious here and if you have an interest in this 35 plus years project you can follow the link to the website where our web master, Ashley, has kept a comprehensive historical guide to the while process of this project and all its offshoots.

Here is the trailer for Episode 5

Episode 5 of Devious

Tracing the Rails
the Television Show

The next milestone on my list is that my dear Friends and fellow film makers Chris T Kirk and Stephen Cranford will be hitting the Television waves with their TV show Tracing the Trails. This project has gone from a passion documentary on You Tube to being picked up by Rewind TV. We’ve all been creatives within the media since the 1990s and, where Stephen has become a presenter for the BBC radio, the rest of us have pursued other avenues, so to hit the TV screens is another tick of the collectives’ bucket list and I couldn’t be happier for my dear old chums. I’ll be tuning in.

Rewind Television is the destination channel for curated classic TV.
Freeview 95 | Sky 182 | Freely 150

The milestones continue with the Sussex Film Office opening their marketplace. This is something SEO Kelly Mikula has been working towards for quite some time and now it has gone live and, if you follow the link, you’ll see that there is already expansions to the services being advertised as coming soon.

The Sussex Film Office is a fantastic, ‘one stop shop,’ for any Film, television, media production. The team are just the friendliest and most helpful people you will ever meet in the industry. So, if your production requires Location, equipment, permits, actors, catering or facilities then seek out the Sussex Film Office.

To find out more please click on the logo above to explore all the services that SFO have to offer.

Super Charly & 2025

To be the most centred of humans that I claim to be, I must, ‘yang to my ying!’ Yes, there have been milestones to sit back and feel proud of, may they be my own or for others that I know, but there have also been a few bum notes!

Confession time. In my last post I went on about the Ferring Film Club [South Downs] and how they needed submissions and support, and I blithered on how I would lead the charge and produce something. Well, I failed, and it was epic. Time flew by and I made one half arsed attempt to get the wheels in motion with fellow film maker Rob Goldsmith of Dream Vision Media, but this resulted in one meeting at our favourite coffee house (The Coffee Camp, I highly recommend it) and we talked about filming an 80s themed charity event that Rob was involved in. We had all these grand plans of impressive drone shots zooming over the South Coast promenade of Worthing West Sussex and editing a mini masterpiece! So, come the day, we geared up, took a deep breath before entering the fray of film making. Steeled ourselves for the tirade of hard work and creativity, only for it to lightly rain for five seconds, so we called it off! Oh! How the mighty have fallen! Epic Fail.

My next epic failure has been Super Charly. My personal big project and what has been achieved over the last few months? Nothing! Unbelievable. I’ve become Captain Procrastinator. How could this be? Just goes to show we can all fall or not get everything done that we wish to do. I need more than one of me, so I can get all my things done.

Theres also my music which I was looking to progress beyond Sonic Fire (Great music programme). I’ve also haven researching 3D printing, as I feel that it would be something I would take great pleasure in. Also, I have some ideas for creating my own toys/figures.

There’s Three Million Years Before Lunch, where I would like to record the audio play and have that go live on-line.

Finally, there is Grease Pencil, a 2D animated/art part of Blender. The applications are astonishing.

There’s just so much, my head is spinning and with Christmas just around the corner, Gosh! I can’t tell you………….

All I know is that I have some serious self-disciplining to achieve in 2025 or I’ll end up with accomplishing nothing!

Onwards everyone.

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

Health, happiness, love, and kindness to all.

Take care.