Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Update on Dave McKean's 'Luna' Film

Here is an update on Dave McKean's upcoming film Luna for which I folded two origami crabs in 2007. If you haven't read my previous blogs about this, they are Origami Emergency and More About the Origami Crabs.

First, some additional details about the crabs.

Luna filming began in early November of 2007. The request for the origami crabs was sent on 10-30-07 and the crabs arrived on the set 11-08-07.

Through my friend Mark Kennedy and Nick Robinson, word reached Dennis Walker, the articles editor of the British Origami Society (BOS), who asked me for permission to put my blog article in the BOS magazine. Dennis also told me that he was "VERY jealous" and "pretty chuffed that it was through the Origami Database". I think he figured that a British filmmaker should have asked the British Origami Society first.

After completing the live action shooting, and starting some editing, financing for the film collapsed at the end of 2007. About two years later, new financing allowed post production of Luna to resume in March of 2010.

Twitter Info

I extracted the following information from Dave McKean's Twitter page:

"Answering request for Luna stills, here's a few, from the live action shoot only. As we progress I'll post more: http://bundl.it/MjY2Mjk "

A "90% version of Luna" has been shown to producers. "Four people have now seen my film all the way through." "... the crab performed beautifully."

"Several small animated scenes + fx, music, sound etc." need to be done. Many 'small' details, but "a long process". Anticipate completion by the end of 2010. Listing in the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) by July 2010, perhaps.

"It's nothing like MirrorMask to be honest, although it does have Stephanie Leonidas in it, and some dreamlike scenes. It's an adult drama."

While looking for details on Luna progress, I came across this delightful bit of banter which I'll include for your enjoyment:
Ken Fries: Steve probably already has a copy of Luna...

Dave McKean: Great! Can I see it? Then I'll know if it's worth finishing...

Ken Fries: Nah, u shouldn't see it, I don't want to spoil the ending for you.

Photos:


Dave McKean sent me the following still shots from the film, in addition to the above photo of the crab "that will be in the book of the film." "The stills show Grant (Ben Daniels) folding the crab, with his wife Christine (Dervla Kirwan), which he symbolically buries in the sand. They hide behind a rock and watch a real crab emerge from the same place."

Folding the crab, wide shot and close-up:




The crab, on hand:


The crab burial:


Some contributors to the Luna film:

  • Dave McKean (writer, director, designer, editor)

  • Keith Griffiths, producer (produced 78 films, directed 16 films)

  • Simon Moorhead (produced all Mckean's films, including MirrorMask)

  • Antony Shearn (director of photography)

  • Tessa Beazley, production manager (production manager for about a dozen films, and other production)

  • Darkside Animation of London, animation support (graphics and special effects for 3 films)

  • Ashley Slater, music (actor, music writer, performer, and producer; music producer, mixer, programmer, and performer for "MirrorMask" soundtrack)

  • Iain Ballamy (jazz player and composer, composed the score for MirrorMask)

  • Dervla Kirwan, actress (Ballykissangel, Casanova, Dr. Who, Ondine)

  • Stephanie Leonidas, actress (MirrorMask, Yes, Feast of the Goat, Crusade in Jeans, Dracula)

  • Michael Maloney (In the Bleak Midwinter, Babel, Notes on a Scandal, Truly Madly Deeply)

  • Ben Daniels (Spooks, Doom, The State Within, Fogbound, I Want You)

  • Maurice RoĆ«ves (The Damned United, Hallam Foe, Tutti Frutti, Beautiful Creatures)