Midlands Spotlight on new film On 3
midlandsmovies • February 8, 2021
Director Louis Brough returns to the Midlands film scene with new film On 3... and we catch up with the filmmaker to find out about his latest project that is due to be released later this year.
On 3... was written by Louis Brough and Paul Mackie and follows two strangers who meet on an ordinary night out, but both are running away from their problems. And by the end of the night they will have to come to terms facing them.
Starring Damian McNeilly and Chloë Culligan Crump, with Sarah Feltham in a supporting role, the film was shot under Covid guidelines and were limited to a skeleton crew of 6 including the writer-director, the camera operator, an AC, sound operator, make-up and 1st AD.
Louis goes on to explain how the new rules affected their filming plans. “With us shooting in fairly small spaces, we had to rotate the room frequently with three actors required in one room for one scene so this reduced us to just camera op, sound and director being in the room when filming the most important scene in the film”.
“We filmed the main bulk of the story in December 2020 just after the second lockdown wherein we booked out two rooms in a local hotel, where we also made use of the swimming pool and lobby area”.
“Coincidentally on the same night that Crawley Town checked in the night before their away match against Mansfield Town and some of them were very interested in seeing one of our actors storm down the corridor”, jokes Louis.
cont...
“The second day of filming took place in February this year and we took our time to make sure all Covid guidelines were in place so that the locations were comfortable enough to let us film. Despite our small numbers and the rain coming at us, when we moved outside we were able to finish filming just an hour over schedule and picked up some wonderful looking footage on the way”.
The film is being shot under Louis’ own Scarlett Light Media production company which began back in 2008 with award-winning apocalypse story In a Perfect World. And Louis ends by explaining how his latest film intends to reflect the current global situation.
“Like many of the films I have been writing recently I wanted this story to end on a note of hope but also to reflect on how important communication is - especially now with the lockdown and how much it's affecting people. I am hopeful that when this one is finished that people who see it will want to go and have the best conversation they have ever had - whether it’s with a stranger or someone close”.
Find out more about the film here: https://www.scarlettlightmedia.co.uk
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Our resident local film critic @_jacob.holmes headed off beyond the region's boundaries to the BFI London Film Festival. In our latest Midlands on the Move feature, Jacob shares some helpful hints for first timers, as he provides a guide for local filmmakers and film fans as to what to expect when visiting events further afield... In 2025 I had the honour of attending the 69 th BFI London Film Festival for a week, I attending premieres for some of my most anticipated films of the year. And even grabbed a press pass too. This wasn’t my first film festival, but this was my first London Film Fest and to be brutally honest, in the build-up, I was nervous! Sadly, I found the BFI and Accreditation websites not very intuitive and quite confusing. So this this article hopes to give some peace of mind and let people know what they can expect when attending such UK festivals - both as a regular guest and as press. Tickets Getting regular tickets can be stressful, akin to a big concert. And in a way it's like the Hunger Games, a survival of the fittest type of vibe. First off, BFI advertise tickets go on sale at 10am in September, which is true but not wholly accurate. Instead, at 9am you head to the website and get put in a waiting room with a random allocated number for when the actual sale start at 10am. At that time it tells you where you are in the queue. If you get lucky, you could wait 15 minutes, but often the wait can be an hour plus. Finally when you can make a purchase, you are let in and can put all tickets into your basket. I have two years of experience with this queue! The first time, I failed completely and all movies I wanted to see were sold out. But this year I had a plan! The key to success is knowledge to how to play the game. Tip 1: For the best possible chances, subscribe to the BFI and become a member. The year membership was £35 at its cheapest. And if you're in the Midlands like I am, outside the festival a membership can be fairly useless unless you go to London often. But what this membership gives you is important. A week before general release there is a presale for BFI members. Not only is this a benefit, it also gives you a crucial second chance. By that I mean if things don't go your way the first time, you can try again in the general sale. And I had to do exactly this. When general admissions came out, I tried again for tickets for Wake Up Dead Man and got my ticket! Tip 2: Quantity. There's nothing against the rules saying you can’t enter the queue on multiple devices! I was placed very low down in the queue in my first year on one laptop, but this year I used my phone, PC, laptop, my friend's laptops AND my friends' devices! But it all paid off. Devices can take 2 hours or only 30 minutes. More Devices = Higher chance of getting tickets. Tip 3: Know the films you want to see beforehand. If you don’t know what films you want to see or when they screen you will be completely lost. Write a timetable - and furthermore, have back up plans. Sometimes you'll click on what you want and it will be sold out, but having a backup plan will be much easier overall. Tip 4: Even if you don’t get tickets, it's not the end of the world. There are plenty of second-hand ticket websites selling tickets at normal (or sometimes cheaper) prices. Websites like Twickets, social media accounts like @LFFstubs on X or the r/londonfilmfestival on Reddit will have second-hand tickets. In fact, I sold one of my tickets on Twickets and had no complaints either. Press passes As you can imagine, this process is very different for industry passes. The biggest issue is tickets go on sale in waves each day. Instead of one go, pass holders book their tickets day by day. Tickets go on sale at 8am two days before, usually taking place on the accreditation app or website. In some ways this is easier, but it's also a gigantic pain. Although it's MUCH easier to get a ticket, do have to wake up every single day to go onto a laggy website and book a few tickets. You may even have to book tickets in the cinema. Another issue can be if you plan to see both general and press screenings. One you book way in advance, but press screenings are booked during the fest. Ticket prices for public screenings vary, but the gala/premiere screenings are usually £30-£40. Whilst the press screenings are completely free, you just have to pay for the pass itself which is around £55.