Sarah Gray's Blog, page 4

Ghosts of Christmas Future: A New Tradition…

... in which we close the doors to the cold night, snuggle up and bask in ghostly apparitions.Tim Frances, our charming host, introduces the eveningI. Telling Tales: Fundraising Through StorytellingKeep the date: 1 December 2018. Katie Isbester, Editor-in-Chief of Claret Press, and I were so delighted with the success of Strange Light that we have already booked this year's storytelling event. The last ghostly event raised over £800 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and we only expected to raise £500. This year our target will be a more ambitious - £1500. Despite the snowy weather, it was wonderful to see a full house, which meant we could close the doors, snuggle up together and bask in the spooky atmosphere of the ghostly performances. Poster design by Nathalie Hounsgaard. Artwork by Alodie Fielding.For those that couldn't make it along and don't want to miss out again, or those that want a reminder of a fabulous evening – if you dare, have a peak at what went on. If you are then inspired by our thrilling tales from the other side, please do donate. We are keeping the Just Giving page open until the end of June – with our thanks. I'd like to especially thank Phil Lepherd for donating his time and skill in filming Strange Light and Sarjit Bains for lending his camera equipment. We are very grateful.To enjoy more videos from Strange Light, click here.An intense moment from Warren Rusher reading from The Heart of a Heartless World by Sarah GrayAlready, I'm delving into copious supernatural stories and poems in preparation for this year’s event. It's a delight to discover new gems from contemporary writers such as Joe Hill and Neil Gaiman and revisit classics by M.R. James and E.F. Benson. Of course, I shall be writing a new, unnerving tale of my own. Listening to the audience reaction to the performance has been helpful in thinking about how best to format our next performance. I shall certainly be giving as much thought to the style and structure of storytelling, as well as the content, to achieve my ambition of making the next evening as ghostly as possible.Katie Isbester and Tim Frances announce the raffle prize winners The music provided by The Burek Brothers - Marino Glavina and Stuart James - was also a triumph. Everyone sang along with gusto to Stuart's amusing version of The Twelve Days Of Christmas: The Twelve Wraiths Of Christmas. My favourite gift was ‘Eight M.R. James's’. Jolly entertaining. Thanks chaps. I expect this year’s venture will also have such a unique musical treat.The Burek Brothers in full songFinally, thank you to everyone who helped out or supported the event, attended and donated time and money - it was most generous. Your support means the Motor Neurone Disease Association is nearer its goal of seeing a world without this devastating, life-wrecking condition.David Gurney reading from The Open Window by SakiMelanie Beckley reading from Introduction to Ghosts by Jerome K JeromeSpecial thanks goes to; Lucy Lewthwaite for donating the cost of the venue hire, Lucy Cranfield and Fiona Lambert for being absolute troopers in setting up and ensuring the smooth running of the event, Kees t’Hooft for looking after the performers and volunteers so well, Nathalie Hounsgaard for designing the beautiful poster (artwork by Alodie Fielding) Simon Gray and Peter Robinson for printing it; Melanie Beckley, Tim Frances, David Gurney, Warren Rusher for their marvellous performances and Andy Andreou and Sophie Knapp for the wonderful costumes. Without your generosity and hard work, this event would not have been possible.II. ClaretPress Short Story CompetitionHalf Life cover illustration by Alodie FieldingClaret Press is offering a great opportunity to have your writing published. Entries are now open to its short story competition, inspired by my short story collection, Half Life. Using dark humour and the supernatural, Half Life explores the complexities of both physical and mental illness. The competition asks for the most original stories about ill-health, told from any unique perspective including that of carers, family or observers, in any genre from humour to science-fiction. They will be compiled into a short collection of ten of the best stories and published by Claret Press. Those judged to be the top three will also win cash prizes. The competition closes to entries at the end of June 2018. Good luck. For inspiration, please enjoy a story extract from my book, Half Life, courtesy of Claret Press:The refuge of expecting the worst wasn’t enough to keep her safe. Hope, fragmented and transitory, kept breaking into her thoughts. Hundreds of times she entered her symptoms into the search engine and trawled the results for any condition that contradicted the current theory. She searched until she found a benign explanation. This gave her a respite. Once again she had a future, again the luxury of wasting time and basking in the feeling that life could be taken for granted. In these periods, the thought that she was having tests was a comfort. At the least it meant that there was reasonable doubt she wasn’t dying. One evening, at her regular choir practice, her toes clipped the edge of a raised cobblestone and she fell in the middle of the road in front of a busy theatre. The crowd queuing up for the performance stared at her. People were confused when she called for help. Adelaide was scared the lights would change and the traffic begin to flow. A couple in smart business clothes stepped forward. “Are you hurt?” the woman asked. They both looked worried for her. “I can’t get up. I can’t get up. I don’t have the strength.” Increasing panic intensified her voice. As the man attempted to pull her from the ground, he was surprised at encountering her dead weight. Adelaide clung to him as he lifted her, her face pushing against his chest and her legs limp. She smelled his mix of sweat and cologne. The woman stared at them, frowning as she watched their awkward wrestling. She clutched at Adelaide’s bag. When Adelaide was on her feet, she was embarrassed. “So sorry. Sorry, thank you, thank you.” Retrieving her bag from the woman, she continued to apologise and limped to the side of the road. The couple stared at her.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Is there anything we can do?” Adelaide didn’t want to cry in front of them. “No, thank you, I’m fine, honestly. Thank you.” She walked with slow deliberate steps and, as she turned the corner, allowed herself to cry. Shocked and hurt, she limped towards the bus stop. Her knee had been twisted and the skin on her hand was broken and bloody. But it was the realisation of how vulnerable she had become that terrified her.

CARRY ON SCRIBING: GOODLY ADVICE FROM THE ESTEEMED WRITER, MS SARAH GRAY

Jane Austen and Natalie Goldberg give writing advice and Aphra Behn’s early editions are saved Jane Austen’s humble place of workThe writing process is a personal thing. Learning how to drag the best out of my work has taken a long time, but the answer, I discovered is simple. Last autumn I visited the Jane Austen's House Museum and was delighted to see how humble Jane's place of work. A small wooden table placed in the corner of the room is where some of the greatest works in the English language were crafted. With myself being from a family with six children and growing up in a small house (suburban council - not country vicarage), space was a valued commodity of gold-dust proportions. All activity was public. To be a writer, I imagined having to secrete myself away and slog over a keyboard for at least 10 hours a day. Almost impossible. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg suggests otherwise. Goldberg’s solution, or permission as I see it, is ideal for the veteran of a chaotic 'all hands on deck' childhood experience: do what you can, when you can, where you can. An hour on the train, 15 minutes in a café or 10 minutes waiting for an appointment. Noise, crowds and interruptions – I can deal with it all. 10 hours alone, in silence produces only despair. Witnessing Jane's diminutive table revealed how deft she was at working within her resources and I wonder how much would get done if we all waited for the perfect conditions – very little, I expect.Aphra Behn didn't wait for the perfect conditions. Taking opportunities was her forte, which secured her position of as the first woman to make a living by writing. Chawton House is a short walk from Jane Austen's house and was once the home of her brother, Edward. Now it houses an extensive library of pre-20th century women's writing, including a selection of Behn's early works and editions of some of my other favourite writers such as Frances Burney and Ann Radcliffe.Portrait of Aphra Behn by Peter Lely, 1670In researching my novel, Memoirs of a Gentlewoman Vampire - an historical, horror romp inspired by the life of Behn (think Moll Flanders meets Carmilla) - the Head Librarian, Dr Darren Bevin, was generous enough to display a variety of Behn's original editions. I was delighted at the wonderful titles and subheadings, ‘THE Younger Brother: OR, THE Amorous Jilt’, ‘Written by the Late Ingenious Mrs. BEHN’ and hilarious character names such as ‘THE TOWN-FOPP: or Sir Timothy Tawdrey’. Carry on Scribing, perhaps? Inspiration flowed. Another of my motivating tools is the physical world. Whatever stimulates your process or wherever you choose to work, all writing has one thing in common, the most important step is to start – now, open your document or your notepad and just write.Chawton House, HampshireI'd like to thank Anthony Hughes Onslow, Darren Bevin and all the staff for their warm welcome to Chawton House. Being a wheelchair user can make visiting heritage sites difficult, but everyone accommodated my needs to ensure my experience was complete as possible. Thanks also to my friend, Mary Lucille Hindmarch for organising the trip and sharing a glorious, autumn day.Many of the writers represented at Chawton House had fallen into obscurity during the 20th century and the work done by the library to keep the collection in good condition and available to the public is invaluable. Visit the Chawton House library website to find out more about their work and how you can get involved.NB - Chawton House: The house and gardens are open to the public from 5 March to 7 December, including weekends and bank holidays.Jane Austen House Museum: The house museum opens from February to December, including weekends and bank holidays.

CARRY ON SCRIBING: GOODLY ADVICE FROM THE ESTEEMED, WRITER MS SARAH GRAY

Jane Austen and Natalie Goldberg give writing advice and Aphra Behn’s early editions are saved Jane Austen’s humble place of workThe writing process is a personal thing. Learning how to drag the best out of my work has taken a long time, but the answer, I discovered is simple. Last autumn I visited the Jane Austen's House Museum and was delighted to see how humble Jane's place of work. A small wooden table placed in the corner of the room is where some of the greatest works in the English language were crafted. With myself being from a family with six children and growing up in a small house (suburban council - not country vicarage), space was a valued commodity of gold-dust proportions. All activity was public. To be a writer, I imagined having to secrete myself away and slog over a keyboard for at least 10 hours a day. Almost impossible. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg suggests otherwise. Goldberg’s solution, or permission as I see it, is ideal for the veteran of a chaotic 'all hands on deck' childhood experience: do what you can, when you can, where you can. An hour on the train, 15 minutes in a café or 10 minutes waiting for an appointment. Noise, crowds and interruptions – I can deal with it all. 10 hours alone, in silence produces only despair. Witnessing Jane's diminutive table revealed how deft she was at working within her resources and I wonder how much would get done if we all waited for the perfect conditions – very little, I expect.Aphra Behn didn't wait for the perfect conditions. Taking opportunities was her forte, which secured her position of as the first woman to make a living by writing. Chawton House is a short walk from Jane Austen's house and was once the home of her brother, Edward. Now it houses an extensive library of pre-20th century women's writing, including a selection of Behn's early works and editions of some of my other favourite writers such as Frances Burney and Ann Radcliffe.Portrait of Aphra Behn by Peter Lely, 1670In researching my novel, Memoirs of a Gentlewoman Vampire - an historical, horror romp inspired by the life of Behn (think Moll Flanders meets Carmilla) - the Head Librarian, Dr Darren Bevin, was generous enough to display a variety of Behn's original editions. I was delighted at the wonderful titles and subheadings, ‘THE Younger Brother: OR, THE Amorous Jilt’, ‘Written by the Late Ingenious Mrs. BEHN’ and hilarious character names such as ‘THE TOWN-FOPP: or Sir Timothy Tawdrey’. Carry on Scribing, perhaps? Inspiration flowed. Another of my motivating tools is the physical world. Whatever stimulates your process or wherever you choose to work, all writing has one thing in common, the most important step is to start – now, open your document or your notepad and just write.Chawton House, HampshireI'd like to thank Anthony Hughes Onslow, Darren Bevin and all the staff for their warm welcome to Chawton House. Being a wheelchair user can make visiting heritage sites difficult, but everyone accommodated my needs to ensure my experience was complete as possible. Thanks also to my friend, Mary Lucille Hindmarch for organising the trip and sharing a glorious, autumn day.Many of the writers represented at Chawton House had fallen into obscurity during the 20th century and the work done by the library to keep the collection in good condition and available to the public is invaluable. Visit the Chawton House library website to find out more about their work and how you can get involved.NB - Chawton House: The house and gardens are open to the public from 5 March to 7 December, including weekends and bank holidays.Jane Austen House Museum: The house museum opens from February to December, including weekends and bank holidays.

Racontesse Journal

I’ve let my babies go…Surface Tension and Half Life are being released into the wild.Book Crossing is a social networking site for books. It is the act of giving a book a unique identity so, as the book is passed from reader to reader, it can be tracked and thus connecting its readers. There are currently 1,822,132 Book Crossers and 12,219,771 books travelling throughout 132 countries.Be vigilant and maybe you could spot Surface Tension and Half Life on their adventures in the world. Find the Racontesse profile here.www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf

Racontesse Journal

REPLICATING BLADE RUNNERBlade Runner does what all good sci-fi should and questions the nature of humanity.I was nervous at Blade Runner’s resurrection as the original film had such emotional resonance and has become a cult classic. The script works well because of the triangle of central characters and the interplay of their three differing positions.Deckard is ostensibly human but the question of his existence is challenged throughout – Is he a replicant? In my opinion, it only works is he is human. His job as a Blade Runner is to dispatch dangerous outlawed replicants and he is good at it. He is a casual killer, undisturbed by any conscious. Rachael is unaware she is a replicant but is plunged into existential crisis when Deckard reveals the true nature of her existence. Her implanted memories of childhood are vivid and visceral. She remembers taking piano lessons and can play beautifully. If the outcome is the same is she any less human? Roy Batty is a replicant who knows his function in the universe. He is intelligent, sensitive and is capable of love. All replicants have an allotted time span and Roy knows his is coming to an end. Roy questions Deckard right to judge what is human and who gets to live.Blade Runner 2049 pivots around the evolution of the replicant. Rachael has given birth to a child and this changes the fundamental nature of what it means to be a replicant. If they are able to reproduce then they are as human as any of us. The question has been solved and the tension dissolved. The lead character Officer K is a replicant unable to lie and built to serve. Throughout the film he learns to hide information from his employer and finally protects the replicant child from destruction. This means the film lacks the intensity of the original and the magic triangle of opposing positions. It is beautiful and stylish but becomes a thriller rather than an existential treaty. In rebooting Blade Runner it loses its essence and becomes only a replica of the original.

MOTHER!: THE POWER IN HINDSIGHT

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.‘If you gave an extremely bright fifteen-year-old a bag of unfamiliar herbs to smoke, and forty million dollars or so to play with, ‘mother!’ would be the end result’ - Anthony LaneThis is how one critic chose to describe the 2017 American psychological film, 'mother!'  The film, directed by Darren Aronofsky, created much disagreement with cinema enthusiasts. Aronosfky has a reputation for generating controversy for his often surreal, disturbing films, such as Black Swan (2010) and Requiem for a Dream (2000) – with mother! being no exception. The plot follows a young woman, and her husband, living a peaceful life in their country home until it is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious couple; characters played by Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer. This film has been met with very mixed reviews – with Anthony Lane being a strong example. A review which fairly summarises the film is by Dan Jolin – ‘A difficult film and one that’s likely to offend in some ways. But as an elliptical, dream-logic infused visual poem, it certainly leaves a searing impression’. The question posed here is: Would Anthony Lane, and the many others who left one star reviews, be changed with hindsight?This film is an allegory of the Book of Genesis. Lawrence, plays a naïve and caring Mother Nature and Bardem, a self-obsessed God. After being visited by Adam and Eve; Harris and Pfeiffer, the ‘Apple’, symbolised by a crystal, is smashed causing destruction and panic in their home, The Garden of Eden. Aronofsky, when questioned about the making of the film – ‘Finding the structure was the great breakthrough that allowed me to write this screenplay so quickly. When trying to think about Mother Earth’s relationship to people, I decided to turn to the stories of the Bible as the best way of describing a version of peoples stay on Earth’. Apparently, this is blatantly obvious, but to the many people describing this film as ‘confusing’ and ‘a mess’, I’m sure they would disagree. Much of this can be seen in literature. Many of Franz Kakfa’s novels are only understandable through hindsight. The Trial and Metamorphosis, for most, need re-reading and a quick Google search for the meanings. His repetition of certain nouns and verbs can leave the reader confused and even though it’s an interesting book, how difficult it is to read can sour the overall impression. It’s the same with language. If you had a Clockwork Orange dictionary next to you while reading the book, wouldn’t it make it slightly easier? The understanding of a book and the true meaning might not be explicit and the feeling of satisfaction may only become apparent in the research afterwards.Mother! continually references other similar texts throughout which, at times, threw off watchers when trying to find sense in the chaos. The film shares many similarities with The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. All three plots centre around an innocent, and sometimes weak, woman being controlled by her husband’s confidence and command. By trying to overthrow the power the husband has, they ultimately end up destroying themselves one way or another. Mother! pays homage to The Yellow Wallpaper with Lawrence drinking a yellow potion throughout that is never truly named, and a whole scene in which she actually paints a wall yellow. In mother! Lawrence also falls pregnant and is reluctant to let her husband care or hold the baby, much like in Rosemary’s baby, for fear that he may hurt it. Even the marketing poster used for mother! shares strong similarities to that of Rosemary’s baby.Allegory’s are present in many different types of literature to reveal a hidden meaning, particularly a moral or political one. George Orwell’s Animal Farm is one classic example of an allegory, with the use of pigs on a farm to reflect the events leading up to the Russian Revolution in 1917 and the Stalinist Era of the Soviet Union. The theme and meanings present in literature add more depth. If Animal Farm hadn’t been representing the Russian Revolution, I highly doubt that would it have had the impact and status it has today.Hindsight Bias is the inclination, after an event has occurred, as seeing it as predictable – despite their being little or no basis for predicting it. We all like to think that if we had just one more inkling, a slightly more blatant clue, a suspicion, we could have guessed anything. As a person we always like to think WE know, what we think we know, is completely irrelevant. After watching something completely unpredictable, many can claim ‘we knew it all along’ - mother! being no exception. Reviews starting with, ‘First, I must laugh at all the reviews of people who had no idea what they were watching’ – could be a prime example of hindsight bias. The ‘how can you not see this’ and ‘some people just don't understand a metaphor’ is the overarching theme across many opinions of people who ‘just got’ the film. You have to ask, did they really? If you require having to Google search the meaning of the film after watching, did you really ‘get it?' - can you claim that you were just ‘double-checking’ your own theories? In most cases, I highly doubt this. The hindsight bias may appear sometimes as arrogance. Hindsight has managed to shape the views of watchers against watchers, the ones who ‘got’ the film versus the ones who couldn’t. Battle of the hindsight bias.In the case of mother! hindsight is a very powerful thing. If the many people leaving 1 star reviews had known the meaning beforehand I would guarantee that their reviews would be different. But then, should we have to rely on hindsight? Should film and literature be explicit? Dramatic Irony has been fooling characters for years so, shouldn’t we be fooled once in a while? Before the film screened at the Toronto Film Festival Aronofsky spoke to moviegoers apologising – ‘Sorry for what I am about to do to you’. The mystery surrounding the film, from the confusing and unclear trailer to the puzzling and peculiar movie posters, gave audience little clues to go on. Aronofsky may have relied on hindsight a little too much in the making of mother! but that is not to say that it shouldn’t be relied on at all. It may have taught watchers a lesson. To be more open minded is a wonderful thing. To have to ‘connect-the-dots’ can give a film more appeal. It can teach viewers, like Anthony Lane to open their eyes.  It can leave a searing impression, and with mother! – whether you loved it or hated it – it has to be admitted, it definitely did that.Lucy Cranfield, StudentLucy Cranfield is a third year student at the University of Westminster. She studies Creative Writing and English Language. Her current course electives include;  Screen Writing, Studies in Literary Language and Language and Power.

Racontesse Journal

NORTHERN GOTHIC“I am all in a sea of wonders. I doubt; I fear; I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul.”― Bram Stoker, Dracula.As I approached Whitby’s cliffs I was scared the abbey wouldn’t fulfil all of my hopes. When it appeared, looming up against the skyline, it lived up to my gothic expectations. I could clearly imagine how Bram Stoker’s Dracula could be born out of this magnificent structure. I had wanted to visit Whitby and its favourite abbey for so many years that it had become a fantasy – almost a fiction itself. Whitby is a charming harbour town but I was disappointed with its lack of homage to Dracula and its creator. A few years ago I visited a stunning exhibition, Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination, held at the British Library detailing the history of Gothic fiction. To bring this to Whitby would secure its place as the heart of Gothic Fiction.Castle Howard was destroyed by fire in a 1940 and was restored in stages from the 1960s onward. It was when the 1980’s production of Brideshead Revisited was shot here that much was restored by the production company to make sets. I was surprised by how it was money from the TV industry that helped to restore a heritage site of national importance back to its original glory. On and off screen the house is as equally stunning.Often I am unmoved by the places writers work, to me it is the words that are important. However, the dining room in which the Bronte sisters sat, debating and creating together, enabled me to visualise how two of English literature's greatest works, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, came to life. I felt that if I had been brought up in the Parsonage I too would’ve been drawn into the creative dynamics of the Bronte family. Haworth is surrounded by moors and the Parsonage built in front of a graveyard with such an atmosphere how could you fail to create such classics of gothic fiction. Even the weather was perfect – rain and wind abound. Being surrounded by Northern Gothic has left me inspired to breathe life, or death, into my own gothic creations.

DANCING WITH MYSELF: FILMMAKING LAID BARE

Join our guest writer, Hannah McKibbin, as she discusses getting naked and her new short film The Happy Genius.When I first came up with the idea for this short film, I never stopped to think that getting a man to dance naked for me might be a fairly intense introduction to my first foray into filmmaking. I also didn’t stop to think that it might be difficult to get an actor to agree to dance naked on camera for a director with no credits to their name. The only thing I could think about was how the simple and visually evocative lines of the poem Dance Russe by William Carlos Williams would make for the perfect voice over accompaniment to a short film about loneliness. So I decided to take Williams’ poem, create a character around the central narrative voice and see if I could build a story around that.The Happy Genius is a film about repressed older businessman, Henry, who has the perfect life to the outside world but still feels an aching loneliness inside. Fit to burst with all the tensions of his day, Henry retreats to the safety of his garden shed where, locked away from prying eyes, he releases himself from all this pent up tension by stripping naked and dancing wildly. For me, it’s about how we are so much wilder than the ‘civilised’ faces we present to the world. It is about the reverberations of repression and the importance of finding an outlet to express our innermost emotions."If you want to give birth to your true self, you are going to have to dig deep down into that body of yours and let your soul howl." Gabrielle RothIt took a while to find the right actor for the role but eventually we found Martin Bishop. Martin had an immediately intuitive understanding of the character and I knew straight away he was a great fit. Martin also has an exuberant rebellious streak that meant that he was up for the challenge of the dance. I wanted the dance to feel truly instinctive rather than a routine so we decided that we would not choreograph it. The idea behind the scene was that it was not about ‘perfection’ but perfect ‘imperfection’. Through dance, Henry is escaping from the rigid confines of the life he has built up around him - the big expensive house, the beautiful younger wife, the young kids, the pressurised corporate job and returning to a simpler, freer state of being. The dance couldn’t feel contrived - it had to be spontaneous if it were to work.A great inspiration for my process for working with Martin came from Gabrielle Roth’s 5 Rhythms method. The 5 Rhythms are a form of physical therapy wherein the subject is guided to find their own expressive dance movements through listening to five different types of music which trigger different physical and emotional responses: flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness. The theory behind this dance movement therapy is that when you allow people to express the various emotions they hold within themselves they will release the tensions they are holding on to and effectively learn how to self-heal. Henry’s sadness is that he can only cope with expressing his innermost self when he is on his own - thus, his sense of loneliness becomes compounded once again.Martin and I had a number of sessions where we moved through these 5 rhythms and found a selection of music that inspired the best emotional response in him. My main intention was to make Martin feel as comfortable as possible doing this before the added intensity of doing it without any clothes on. When it came to the shoot day, we had a closed set of just Martin, our director of photography, the assistant cameraman and me. Martin went for it with all the verve and passion that he could muster and we shot the whole scene in one long 40 minutes take. Because we were not shooting sound, we were able to play music and I was able to direct Martin throughout the scene. Filmmaking can be very stilted, taking a long time to set up and then continually stopping and starting in between takes so having the opportunity to play and explore in this way was a total joy. There was so much beautiful footage that it was really difficult for us to choose the best bits and the scene that I had been the most nervous about became the most enjoyable part of the whole shoot.As an ex-Rhythmic gymnast, I am very much inspired by dance and have recently made an experimental dance film to accompany a new music artist’s first solo release. In line with my approach to ‘The Happy Genius’, instead of creating specific choreography, I wanted to allow the dancers to be free to express themselves in a way that felt natural and instinctive to them rather than follow a set routine. I am incredibly interested in improvisation and hope to bring this into my dialogue films in the future. I really admire the work of directors who use improvisation like Andrea Arnold, Joanna Hogg and Mike Leigh. If the actor really knows their character, improvisation can create incredible spontaneous moments that feel ‘real’ because they are unplanned - something you just don't get when following a script.Hannah McKibbin, FilmmakerHannah is a writer/director and script editor from London. Her first film, The Happy Genius (produced by Alex Cook, Senior Talent Manager at BAFTA) recently premiered at the Paris Short Film Festival and is continuing its festival run across Europe and America. She is now in pre-production for the final shoot of a surreal dark fairytale drama - The Blood Bride - a death trip through an abused young woman’s subconscious.For more information on Hannah and her work, visit her website www.hannahmckibbin.com​

UNDER THE SHEETS: THE DRAWBACK OF GHOSTS

How to make people believe in ghosts.I. TROUBLESOME GHOSTSStories of ghosts and supernatural creatures are notoriously hard to get right, but this was the challenge I set myself when making my short film Wicked Yeva. Since childhood I've adored anything ghostly – I'd even say I'm obsessed. I'm not alone. Most cultures have their own nuanced version of the afterlife and ways of explaining the unknown. So why is it such a difficult genre to master?  Wicked Yeva is inspired by a childhood story recounted by my Aunt Jane. Often left alone with her older sister, Yasmin, the girls were expected to do chores, usually washing the dishes. Nan was pretty strict and would demand tasks to be completed by the time she returned. Leaving the kitchen to go upstairs to the toilet was a terrifying experience for Jane. By the time she reached the top steps Yasmin would be there, hanging on the banister leering down, face distorted, cackling with laughter and shouting  'I'm the wicked Yasmin'. Fleeing for her life Jane burst through the kitchen door to see Yasmin casually washing up. Even as an adult, she can't understand how quickly Yasmin was able to scale the side of the building and get back down again. It was almost as if she was imbued with supernatural powers.This is perfect storytelling material. Almost everyone understands sibling rivalry, so taking a creepy real-life tale and adapting it into a narrative exploring the conflicts of family life was fairly straightforward. The supernatural part was a little trickier. I've watched and read hundreds of stories recounting tales of vengeful ghosts, lost souls and folkloric creatures. But they often leave me feeling cold and deflated. A frisson shudders through my body, my eyes widen and I hold my breath as I walk with the protagonist into an old house, the moon-lit graveyard or dense, dark forest. The floors creak, a shadow darkens the room and a candle is inexplicably extinguished – they start well enough. The atmosphere and tone are exemplary. Tension increases as the protagonist, now in mortal danger, begins to unravel the mystery. The mystery, it turns out, is about as mysterious as the ghost - entirely misunderstood just needs to say it's piece. The spirit seeps onto the other side draining all the horror with it and leaving about as much impact as 'I woke up and it was all a dream '. This is at the heart of what makes supernatural stories so difficult to tell.Whether writing for screen or in prose, there are a few issues to consider when dealing with the supernatural. Successful stories are borne of and respond to the time and location in which they are written. Whilst travelling in the deep dark forests of Scandinavia I watched the mutating pink, green fingers of the Northern lights stretch across the sky. In the wilderness there is no artificial light pollution and I was entirely isolated from modernity. Surrounded by and in awe of nature, folkloric creatures and Nordic gods seemed entirely possible: for a moment I believed in Odin. From the late 18th century to the early 20th, Western supernatural fiction flourished. Most classic works in this genre were written during this period and in direct response to contemporaneous fears. The Gothic novel warned of corrupted bloodlines and moral degradation, the most notable examples being the mad scientist and bloodsucking vampire. While the Edwardian ghost story reminds us that whilst science can explain and control most elements of nature, we would be foolhardy to imagine that there aren't terrifying worlds beyond our ken. Although some of these worries do persist today, it would be hard to convince most people that the dead walk amongst us.II. GHOSTS DONE GOODSo how do we convince a cynical contemporary audience to believe in the supernatural? The answer lies in the stakes of the story. Henry James's The Turn of the Screw is often considered an exemplary ghost story. It actually contains all the archetypal elements considered essential for both a successful Gothic and ghost story; an innocent heroine, an old creepy house and a terrifying secret. A young governess, new to the profession, is charged by a man to look after his recently orphaned niece and nephew, Miles and Flora. He instructs her that she is to have sole responsibility for their care and she is to have absolutely no contact with him. When she arrives at the isolated Bly house she discovers that the previous governess, Miss Jessel and the Master’s valet, Peter Quint, both died in tragic circumstances. Being cruel and depraved, they flaunted their sexual relationship in front of the children and have now returned to claim them. A mortal battle ensues as the Governess fights these Godless ghosts for the souls of the children.The story was written in 1898 and critics often argue that it directly tapped into contemporary notions of the unconscious mind. It is never entirely clear if the ghosts are a product of the Governess’s unconscious imagination or actually true spiritual entities. However, the outcome is the same: she believes she's fighting something evil and it is her responsibility to prevail. The tension in the story sustains until the end because it remains with the Governess’s interpretation and reaction to her situation.Throughout his career James was attracted to the ghost story. However, he was not fond of literature's stereotypical ghosts. He preferred to create ghosts that were eerie extensions of everyday reality, "the strange and sinister embroidered on the very type of the normal and easy", as he put it in the New York Edition preface to his final ghost story, The Jolly Corner.I think this is why it works – the stakes remain with the protagonist and not the ghosts. The audience is not being asked to work out how or why they died or solve their problems and so the tension remains, immaterial of what happens to the ghosts. This type of psychological supernatural storytelling reflects my own approach. I like to think of my stories as personal hauntings – whatever the individual fears, will haunt them.  "Despite how stupid it was, she still carried a secret fear of the unknown, a fear of the threats that nestle amongst ordinary things."Switch – from Surface Tension by Sarah Gray.III. SEEING SPIRITSThe protagonist of Wicked Yeva is the younger sister, Susie, and it's from her point of view that the audience experience the story. Although by the close of the film the dynamic of the entire family has changed, the stakes remain firmly with Susie. Yeva conjures the power of the supernatural to solve her problems but it is Susie's decision at the end of the film, which makes her vulnerable and leaves the audience wondering what is to become of her. This is the horror of the everyday.Throughout The Turn of the Screw it becomes increasingly clear that the Governess is an unreliable narrator. Initially at least, we believe what we are being shown. This is compounded because the ghosts are so normal – they look as they did in life. In prose, the text describes what we see, but we have to render it physical in our imagination. This is considered one of the strengths of prose – we bring our own individual interpretations and fears into play. However, in film the look of the physical world has been decided for us. Decisions about how much of the ghost we actually get to see and the skill of the script and actors all contribute to our ability to be able to suspend our disbelief. The ridiculous rubber shark in jaws is a prime example. If the look of the monster isn't quite right it can undermine the storytelling. The audience is led rather than leading.Jack Clayton's 1961 film version of The Turn of the Screw, The Innocents is skilfully rendered. The ghosts look as they would have in life, but they are shown at a distance from across water, through steamed up glass and against the sunlight. Diffused and unclear they become frightening; just as it is unclear who the children are more in danger from, the governess or the ghosts only she can see.When making Wicked Yeva, I had to decide how much of my supernatural character the audience would get to see. It was a balance between showing Susie's point of view to enhance our understanding of her experience and the general principal of less is more – usually very wise with film monsters. Both lead actors are children and it was difficult to know how well they would deal with the subtlety required to make the script work. Actually very well, I'm pleased to say. Additionally, on a small budget I couldn't afford any labour-intensive special effects. My solution is to make it work by using the same method as The Innocents and show the 'monster'. However, I intensified the lighting by changing the tones from blue to orange and made changes to costume and make up. It is also the contrasting normality of the subsequent scenes, which makes it creepy.IV. SPOOKY LINENSMost of my favourite supernatural films show ghosts in their human form, no elaborate special effects or ghoulish make up; The Others (dir. Alejandro Amenavar 2001), Sixth Sense (dir. M. Night Shyamalan 1999) and Blithe Spirit (dir. David Lean 1945). It would be wrong, however to suggest that this is the only way of rendering an on-screen ghost effective. If you’re reading this article I'll wager Spanish gold at some point in your childhood you donned a sheet and with arms outstretched shouting ’WHOOOA!!’ Tried your damnedest to frightened your younger brothers or sisters. I expect you failed. The white-sheet ghost has got to be the lamest type of apparition. A Ghost Story (dir. David Lowery 2017) isn't afraid to jump out of the cliché cupboard and despite that, was still screened to critical acclaim at Sundance earlier this year.In this singular exploration of legacy, love, loss, and the enormity of existence, a recently deceased, white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to try to reconnect with his bereft wife.It is the power of the script and enormity of the themes tackled, which make this film work. Although the protagonist of the film, C is actually a ghost, the stakes still remain with him throughout – he is on a journey of discovery. Unlike the traditional ghostly antagonist demanding satisfaction through the living, C is looking to understand his destiny. This subverts the form in the same way the film twists the use of the white sheet to great effect.It's interesting to note how tropes change over time and can often come full circle. The bedsheet ghost is an antiquated relic from the theatrical world. During Shakespearean times, ghosts were usually clad with outmoded costumes, in which they had presumably died, to demonstrate that they were spirits returning from the past. Cumbersome armour proved an effective method of exposition, Hamlet's deceased father being a famous example. However, it's exceptionally awkward to give a subtle performance clanking and banging around on stage. Moving forward to the 18th century, directors ditched the outdated costumes and adopted the burial shroud. Returning spirits were now imbued with an ethereal like quality, thus the bedsheet ghost was born. This billowing shapeless form dominated ghost stories throughout the 19th and 20th century and has now returned to haunt us.‘Yōkai’ are Japanese ghosts and although there are often similar visual hallmarks with Western-style ghosts, they are much more terrifying. The Ju-on franchise for example (also known as the The Grudge outside of Japan) tells the tale of the Japanese folklore legend that is the Onryō; a vengeful spirit capable of affecting the living in horrifying ways. Tormenting their victims to death, these ghosts are dangerous and pose a far greater threat than a translucent bed sheet feeling misunderstood. In the western adaptation, the filmmakers chose a traditional ghostlike persona, pale blue-toned white or completely pure white. While the original is true to character – she is, as you can see, normally completely covered head to toe in blood.I'm not entirely sure whether Wicked Yeva works. I've been told it raises the hairs on the back of the neck and that's what I set out to do. It wasn't easy to embed all the subtle markers required to tell a chilling ghost tale in a short film. I'm still proud of Wicked Yeva, but maybe ghost stories are as mercurial as the supernatural itself and however much we try to explain them, they will change and mutate evading definitive, neat explanation.  A Ghost Story is in UK cinemas now and to read more about the bedsheet ghost, dive into this article on TvTropes.

TOP 10 TV ADAPTATIONS

From the pages of a book to the small screen, what is the best TV adaptation?We’ve already discussed film adaptations in a previous list but this week we turn on the TV, in honour of one of the best TV experiences in years; Game of Thrones. As season 7 arrives on our shores we take a look at how TV drama can be a powerful medium of its own. It definitely does things film can’t. Playing out over a longer period means storylines are often more complex and as a result give characters room to grow. It becomes a nuanced experience. Some books benefit from being squeezed into a two hour format but others just need that space.The golden age of television has brought about a lot of, well, gold. Budgets have soared and in some cases rival Hollywood blockbusters. Specifically in regards to production values and special effects (looking at you dragons). However, I don’t mean to diminish the more moderately budgeted programmes made by the BBC and other smaller networks. In fact, the BBC are responsible for some of the strongest drama series of recent years.10. The Jewel in the Crown (1984) ITV The Books: The Raj Quartet novels (1965–75) Written by Paul ScottThe Jewel in the Crown takes place during the second world war in India. The series explores issues of discrimination and colonialism against the backdrop of the last years of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement. I first read this whilst studying for my English Literature A Level and it broadened my horizons, making me realise literature could be a window to history. Deeply moved by the injustice the characters faced, it helped me begin to understand a very morally ambiguous time in British history. The story is told through the scattered perspectives of different character viewpoints but the adaptation takes a simpler route, choosing to play the narrative out chronologically. Featuring a breakout role for Game of Thrones star Charles Dance, as well as his co-stars Geraldine James and Art Malik. It’s listed in the BFI 100 greatest British programmes.9. War and Peace (2016) BBCThe Book:War and Peace (1869) by Leo TolstoyIn my opinion, no one does misery like the Russians. Endeavouring to expand my cultural capital by reading seminal works of classic literature; War and Peace was at the top of my list. It was a big enough task to finish reading it, let alone adapting it but one of the things the BBC does particularly well is costume drama. Even the beast that is War and Peace. Leo Tolstoy’s novel was beautifully adapted into six neat episodes by Andrew Davies. Davies handled the sprawling narrative and vast cast of characters with seeming ease. None of its original essence has been lost. Incredible acting, cinematography and an accomplished script hit all the right marks. A classic of Russian literature truly brought to life.8. Jeeves and Wooster (1990) ITVThe Books:Jeeves short stories (1917 - 1966) by P. G. WodehouseP. G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster pivots on the relationship between hapless aristocrat Bertie Wooster and his seemingly omniscient and wise gentleman’s gentleman Jeeves. As Wooster gets into romantic scrapes, Jeeves gets him out of them. The stories are witty, comprising of memorable one-liners and incredulous situations. They’re true to the books and perfectly rendered, leaving the original humour intact. The casting of Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry are two of the best casting choices in TV history. Watching this is like being transported to the aristocratic homes of the early 20th century and bearing witness as the antics unfold.7. American Gods (2017) StarzThe Book: American Gods (2001) by Neil GaimanA contemporary classic that is immediately relevant and will probably continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Old gods battle it out with the new in a war that bubbles under America’s surface. The novel is a meandering journey across the united states detailing Shadow’s encounters with the gods. However the series instead chooses to be an ensemble piece, focusing on a multiple array of quirky character. The producers chose to expand upon minor characters and ideas, lending more colour and depth. Shadow’s wife Laura has been developed into a flawed yet badass character who is immensely captivating to watch. With this expansion of characters comes a wealth of visual treats, which relish in portraying its gods in whatever whimsical or malevolent form they manifest.6. Mapp and Lucia (2014) BBCThe Books: Mapp and Lucia collection (1920 - 1939) by E. F. BensonMapp and Lucia revolves around the humorous rivalry between two village social climbers. Adapted from a series of novels, the script is made up of all the juiciest incidents from each, that when put together create a joyous whole. E. F. Benson’s turn of phrase is effortlessly comic and the adaptation has lost none of that charm. I watched this four times in a short period and it was an absolute pleasure each viewing and was left bereft every time it came to an end.5. The Night Manager (2016) The Book:The Night Manager (1993) by John le CarréNight manager and former soldier, Jonathan Pine is recruited by Angela Burr an intelligence operative to infiltrate the inner circle of arms dealer Richard Roper. This is an outline bound to intrigue but I could never have imagined how I would have felt as Jonathan was drawn deeper into his mission. I couldn’t sit still, reeling in my seat and desperate for every bittersweet minute to past. Adapted from the John le Carré classic, the show received 36 award nominations and won 11 of them. These included three golden globes, all for best performances by Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman. Each one well deserved.4. House of Cards (1990) BBCThe Books:House of Cards (1989) To Play the King (1992) The Final Cut (1994) by Michael Dobbs“I want to be everyone’s daddy” This creepy statement sets the tone for House of Cards. Although the American version has gained much acclaim, it is still the original version that has the killer edge. Adapted from the novel by Michael Dobbs, a conservative politician himself, the series documents Francis Urquhart’s ruthless rise to the position of prime minister. He will go to any ends to get what he wants. A brilliantly tense drama tinged with the knowledge that truth is stranger than fiction thus making the series all the more frightening.3. Orange Is the New Black (2013) NetflixThe Book:Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010) by Piper KermanThis is a dynamic romp through the world of the American penal system through the eyes of a privileged white woman. Based on the memoir of the same name, the show is raw and visceral in its highs and lows. It's hard not to feel the helplessness of those incarcerated alongside Piper Kerman. What makes this a truly astonishing series is the scope. The predominantly female cast is alarmingly authentic which makes the human stories all the more real. A progressive and groundbreaking drama portraying women in every shape and form.2. Wolf Hall (2015) BBC TwoThe Books:Wolf Hall (2009) Bring Up the Bodies (2012) by Hilary MantelIn 2012, The Observer named Wolf Hall as one of it’s ten best historical novels. A fictionalised biography documenting the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell, Hilary Mantel spent 5 years researching and writing the book and this definitely shows in her subtle prose. “Lyrically yet cleanly and tightly written. Solidly imagined yet filled with spooky resonances.” Christopher Taylor mentioned in his Guardian review and this atmosphere is exactly what the adaptation has managed to capture. The adaptation covers both Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, which extends to the execution of Anne Boleyn. This may be Mantel’s interpretation of the facts of Thomas Cromwell's life but the storytelling is so accomplished it’s hard not to see it as truth on the page as well as on the screen.1. Game of Thrones (2011) HBOThe Book Series:A Song of Ice and Fire (1996 - present) by George R. R. MartinIt had to be Game of Thrones. This series has everything you’d want from a drama. Dragons? Check. Political intrigue? Check. Zombies? Check. Sex? Check. The list goes on. The series of novels started in 1996 and has reached an unprecedented amount of notoriety for a adult fantasy franchise. This show is pure spectacle and winter will be here for a very long time.