Today’s creativity and writing has been centred on film making. Specifically having a discussion with Producer Chris about Pink Sari. There has been revisions and amendments to the script and we are still looking at recruiting half of the cast.
Film making has been something of an adventure over the last three years. From learning and teaching myself how to write a script to casting, getting to a set and directing. Producer Chris often tells me that it is rare for Authors to be so closely involved in filming. As such, there are lots of things to negotiate.
Whilst I’ve written stories, there’s a whole developmental process in putting a script together. There’s a casting process, trying to determine who may be the best fit. Getting everyone together and also then having a set in choosing locations. There’s a lot of think about.
The only experience I had of anything Filmy was an AS level in Media Studies nearly 20 years ago. That has been useful to be honest. Also, in making one’s own movie, you watch and listen to movies differently. To seeing scenes unfold, to listening to the sound track. The experience of creativity is different.
I have done this before, the once and that was real eye-opening experience. You will have seen references to Devan Coultrie is Unwell. What was half an idea, a short story in a collection became an eleven minute film that was entered in lots of film festival. The highlight of which was entering and being part of Birmingham film festival. There were a number of awards. For a short film and suprisigly, the music.
That said, I love the Devan Coultrie theme tune and the scene in the gunmakers pub. The piece of music in the pub is called shot gun run way and was perfect for that scene really.
I am currently trying to gain the leading actor and his film wife. In a city of 1.1million people, I need to find two who will fit the bill for this movie. Perhaps then, we shall have a movie!
Good music might move you; inspire, encourage and motivate. Just look at the Chariots of Fire music. Vangelis and Conquest of Paradise is an epic piece of work. Music has meaning and can shape, create so many facets of the human condition.
Most, but not all, of my books have a playlist. Songs that are inspiring, might be a theme tune for a character or evoke something that needs to be titrated into a story. I listen a range of music, and sometimes it hits on something that stirs writing.
Even the Devan Coultrie movie had what felt like an epic soundtrack, Was really useful actually to help the film. Devan has a theme tune, but my favourite is most definitely the sounds in the Gunmaker’s Arms scenes. I only have to hear the theme tune and I am thrown back to memories of filming, of standing next to the real Devan Coultrie. I did have the writing playlist, but in a fit of pique, sadly it was deleted. I tried to recreate it, even had a paper version somewhere.
I think we all feel good music when we watch a show or a film. Just think of the theme tunes that have become iconic over the years. To think that two chords, make us think of a dangerous fish. You know the one! Or the guitar riff for a Spy on Her Majesty’s service.
The image above is an anthology, a work in progress that has been paused for some time. You’ll note that there’s a fair bit of Bollywood on there. There were a lot of movies in my childhood that left deep impressions and have found themselves somehow woven into my stories.
That said, The Beyond Kangana Series has Hallelujah and The Carol of the Bells in it. As does Padmi’s Christmas Carol, I think. One day, perhaps I should pop the songs onto the online song provider outlet thing for readers to enjoy.
Have had some time to do a little writing in the last couple of days. Not reams and reams, but a couple of thousand words to get things going. Hopefully there is time to over the weekend to add to that tally. I don’t tend to give myself categorically imperative words counts. I find this unrealistic, and there can be a feeling of undue pressure as well. I would rather enjoy writing, retain some motivation and also go with a flow.
My current project is an expansion of corner of my writing paracosm. You may note that I have distinct Universes. I have the Fragments Universe, The Beyond Kangana Universe and then there’s the Devan Coultrie Universe. There is a picture at the top of the post of that collection as it is for the time being.
The current writing project is technically a sequel. Development and a bit more detail of the first book. I don’t want to give too much away just yet; I would rather have more concrete information before I do that. I also feel rather protective of it. To work on it, get it done and dusted before any public exposure. What I can tell you, that it is indeed set in Birmingham, once again.
Whilst I am trying to get back into writing, I am also keeping an eye on film making. There is a script, a plan and ongoing discussions with producer Chris. We are currently looking for actors with this project as detailed below.
Pink sari is a short story from Behind The Scenes and fresh off the back of the rip roaring success that was Devan Coultrie, here we go again!
We are looking for actors to participate in Unpaid/Volunteer Opportunity
Great for portfolio development/gaining experience
Actors based in Birmingham/West Midlands
‘Pink Sari’
Life is full of memories and moments. Anand is trying to remember, before he starts to forget. Trying to hold on to precious memories and moments of love and family. A moment with a pink sari, that became a life time.
Well, it’s nearly six months since Devan Coultrie is Unwell was released. What an adventure it has been so far!
The last six months has seen a fair few laurels land for the cast/crew of of Devan Coultrie is Unwell. There is another six months on this Filmy-Adventure!
A JAmedia.ukProduction. A Punam Farmah Film. Devan Coultrie Is Unwell
Confused, out of sorts; Devan’s day isn’t going well. From the bathroom, his bedroom to a bar. What exactly is going on?
The Devan Coultrie Saga Collection from the Peace Novella Series
19th January has a special place in my diary, on calendar. It is the date whereby Devan Coultrie was released into the universe in Retreating to Peace: A Peace Series Novella.
My second piece of non-fiction, but my first foray into the world of writing romance. There was a bit of romance in Fragments, but not a great deal.
I joined the Peace Novella Series group. Our task was to write stories based upon the fictional town of Peace, Montana. The town, a brain child of fellow author S.H. Pratt. The idea of romance appealed. Especially having written Fragments. I felt as though I had something left in the tank; I fancied writing something different. There were rules, a contract; not a problem. A novella, sweet, fade to black etc. All sensible stuff.
I inked up my fountains pens, I cobbled together a plan. I was literally making it up as I went along.
Who was this fella? Devan Raaj Coultrie, a former hedge fund manager who was born and raised in Rugby, Warwickhire. He was heart broken, a bit of a rebel and wanted to start again.
On the other side of the universe. He would be the centre of his 100 acres in Peace; he was going to a big hitter and perhaps wear a tux. There’d be a bit of South Asian Culture in there. No way, no how. Was this fella going to hit all the boxes on a Romance Writers trope bingo card.
He wasn’t going to be the average male romance book character.
And man alive. I read a few by of preparation. I worked my way through a fair few Mills and Boon’s. I looked at the data. There were very few male characters of South Asian origin. Many were feckless playboys, who were fly-by-nights, who left broken hearts, and sometimes babies in their wake. Oh, and would drop their kit at the sight of a heaving bosom to rip bodices. There was some aristocrats, royalty, you get the idea.
We didn’t yet have Hooch Baron.
Plus, as a therapist, I tutted, rolled my eyes at the traits that these fellas had. There are far too many for me to critically evaluate and assess with the application of therapeutic modalities and theories in this post. Alas, this made me think.
Devan Coultrie, was not going to be a door handle. He would also keep his kit on. Mostly.
The women in his world. They’d be different too. They too, wouldn’t be the conquests, the trembling bottom lip….tokens of characteristics. There’s Aditi, Avni, Aida…that’s a lot of A’s. Oh,and his sister-in-law, Libby. They would be present, realistic and of value. They’d have an authenticity to them, and not the typical ‘brittle’ quality that is so common.
Funny thing though. Aditi gets some interesting reader reactions.
Remember, how I mentioned the Peace Novella Series. Well. I did something. I met them, a few of them. In….drumroll….MONTANA. Now this is the stuff of romance. Who, because of a fella, books an adventure, takes a flight….erm. Me.
S.H. Pratt, or Stef! Created, hosted the inaugural Big Sky Book Event in Billings, Montana.
Let’s have a bit of flashback right here
“Why write books sat in Montana?”
“Why not?”
“Have you been, do you plan to go there?”
“Sure, maybe. Why not? I mean, never say never. This is me. I got to Reykjavík and back.”
And, back to the present. I went. Because of Devan Coultrie.
I met Stef, Ariel, Jenn and Susan. In 3D. And we were the Peace Novella Series Authors. I heard the radio jingle that mentioned the international contingent. Jenn, bless her, looked at me. “That’s you!” she said. I nearly fell to the floor.
I’ve done a fair few interesting things, because of Devan Coulrie.
There was the book launch in the Gunmaker’s Arms, as Storm Dennis raged.
Storm, bloody, Dennis.
I will never forgive the British Weather and because of that one night.
The Gunmakers and Devan, have history. Way back when, I stood near a pillar during a reading event. I read Costume Drama. That is where Britain met the hooch Baron.
I was petrified that day. I even had Lee Benson and Martin Tracey roped in to read. JA Media had the mic’s, the PA. I read from all three Devan books. Yeah, by 2020, there were three.
This was proper, Vive Le Hooch Baron.
It gets better. JA Media is a big part of the Devan Coultrie Journey.
Somewhere in between the two 2020 lockdowns. I volunteered to make a film. JA Media planned to work with local authors, to make films. Only, it would need a script. Human beings too. I taught myself how to write a script. We then needed a cast.
JA Media and I, had to find them. The human beings that would be Devan, Aditi, Mike the Barman….we needed locations.
We found Devan. There was a lot of stress. I mean, who wants to work on something that’s a huge leap, and for free? There was no budget for this. Then, with the magic of social media and also A.A.Abbott sending out a re-tweet.
Habemus Une Devan.
A certain Vimal Korpal, was cast. He’d be donning the Dr.Martens.
The Dr.Martens. The minute he put those on. I didn’t keel over; I was leaning against a wall, clutching my director’s folder. There it was again.
Habemus Une Devan.
Vive le hooch baron
I will never forget Vimal uttering Devan’s lines. I was only just able to stay say on my chair-I didn’t have my bond villan chair at that time. Oh, and the grin! He had Devan Coultrie’s grin.
The Hooch Baron. That was him, the other side of zoom.
That’s hard to wrap your imagination around. The fella who for years has been inside of a book, inky squiggles. Was all very real. Then came the rest of cast, the crew. Through the magic of the Universe. We had a cast/crew. Make Up Artists, Production assistants.
Even Ruby the dog was part of this experience.
We shot the movie. Over three days, during the highs and lows of the pandemic. Through, around everyone’s real life, real job commitments. There was rain, snow, heat waves…..samosa chaats, pizza and of course, biryani.
I had to conquer my fear of motorways to edit the movie with JA Media.
I’ve danced around the Bond Villain chair to the Devan Coultrie Theme tune. That’s a nice feeling.
There was the big, whoop do moment of releasing the poster. I knitted that hat….
As I write this, I am days away from the fifth anniversary of Devan Coultrie going live. It’s been an interesting five years.
Without Devan, his saga and the Peace Novella Series, a lot might not have happened. I’d probably still be avoiding motorways, to be honest.
Not sure yet when the movie comes out. It will. I promise. In the mean time, go read the books.
Based upon the story by Punam Farmah from the Peace Novella Series.
So here we have it! A poster for a project that I has been such an adventure to be part of. There are quite a few people who are part of this. Lots of people to thank!
To think that the screen play was written and completed during Lockdown 2.0. That was when we had to find a real life Devan, the rest of the cast and locations. We did it though!
The film is and was, made in Birmingham. The Cast and Crew are local to the West Midlands. As such, our locations are very local too. Part of the film was shot in the iconic Gunmakers Arm’s in Birmingham. A pub that has a special place in my heart and the Devan Coultrie Journey.
Punam Farmah Author and Filmmaker 