A funny thing happened on the way to the camera

Never say no

They do say never say no, but I don't know who they are. Still there are those who wait to be employed and those for a corner shop to rent and the film and acting game is the same. You can wait for the phone to ring or demand a salary, or make a web series and win awards and get noticed. Ewe are all artists and Picasso did ask for a dollar each time he picked up a paint brush. Enough said, but we have always made and invested in films, and had we not many of the pop videos we made back in the day would never have turned into making The Krays, I would never have been able to give myself such a huge credit at the front of the film as Stunt Coordinator and got an instant career bump, and then been able to afford to make my own films etc...

The road trodden is never straight. So, just as I am at think tank conferences at the British Screen Council and with distributors learning a little about on-line morphication, (there spell checker deal with that one!) My wife asks if she can make something for the web. Coincidence my composers (Mar k Blackledge who is brilliant and has his own studios) said his son wanted to direct, so I threw about 20k at setting up a small camera set up to make web series. There was no way they were shooting that on my 5k Red Epics!

After 61 episodes of Shades Of Bad and winning countless awards, we had shot in Norway and Barcelona as well as the UK, just for a laugh and just because we could, and we ended up with a travel show - DORIS VISITS www.DorisVisits.com

Now some 200 travel films later in less than two years, we have an on line travel shop web base and people are booking hotels and cruises through us. You see when I started as a trainee DJ at radio 1 & 2 back in 1973, then went into commercial radio a few years later I never knew I would be cast as the DJ in a TV soap before the decade was out. I never knew once I got into TV that pop videos would be invented or I would produce and direct via a weaving route in and out of action.

I certainly never thought I would be a travel agent. But that is why you should never say no. Just saying, if you need a hotel use our link through Doris Visits, it is an official Bookings.com affiliate link as is our one to Monarch, P&O and a dozen other cruise lines and Tour Guide functions. That is because of volume of content and traffic, and it all came from no where.

So, the hair pin bend, and there always is one. I am given scripts all the time. Some to direct some under the guys of would I direct when what they would really like is for me to produce so they can direct. They are all normally poor. But, I was brought a series of books. Very raunchy female romance books. Why Me !!! ????  Now my wife Jean, now presenter on Doris Visits has often been heard to say that when I am offered female lead things. She nearly dies when I was asked to direct a film with Claire Danes in the USA by a producer who thought my output was female lead (Devil's Gate with Laura Fraser, The Scarlet Tunic with Emma Fielding etc) .... I stray. These books lacked a direction but had legs. It is that wonderful line I am sure is from a Linda Seger I read years and years ago... so we want to buy your script, it just needs a complete rewrite - here's why.....  Years later when I understood Hollywood a little more I wrote my own take on it, The Script Writing Cheat Guide, which I must update. But these books were / are still I have yet changed them that much, but wait. Are still about an older woman released from you will find out what in good time and when she is ready to tell you and can tell you, at an older age into life. So, to cut top the chase, she realises the clock is ticking and she wants to discover what most do in their teens. As an agoraphobic, by a route to be discover she swaps the house for a steel box otherwise know as a cruise ship. It is a fascinating look at life, and somehow I was the fit... female lead, cruise industry - obvious! (no there is no action.)

So, the SOLO CRUISER book series was in development and the table I set up (writer's table, development table) sat and criticised as they do. But I wanted to see ten episodes. Forget film, film is dead. Forget books I have no skills or interest. I needed to see a structure that worked for TV. I have an older Bridget Jones type, we all love her, where she is going but it is a mess. How would you handle it? So far this is what we have done. I have changed each book to be around a real cruise, the books starts the moment you board, ends when you get off. For arguments sake, Southampton to Southampton, round the Canary Islands. Then we have a time line, we have a looming end, we have a fixture. Book one ended up being placed into a cruise template of the Canaries that was Doris Visits Azura Cruise A628. Book 2 ended up being based on Arcadia Cruise round the Baltics and the third of Violet Becket's story, now more confident in direction uses bits and bobs of cruises in the Caribbean.

Look it is a tough life, but someone has to do it, and remember this is years of work with no fees and me investing, so that would put many off. I happen to thrive on it. My connection was this other little piece in the jigsaw, Amazon Editor Simon Okhill who came to me and got me to put my Brit Flick Freight into book form. He had the cruise project and made the fit.

What is next? Well having spent years advising soaps, and loving Jimmy McGovern's work, I can see the SOLO CRUISER books series as a soap, but each of the characters coming to the front in film fashioned with their story. That was a battle, but I seem to have one that Violet's story, as fascinating as she is, is only three books long.
Her Virgin Voyage
The Perfect Storm
American Portrait
and Panama On Your Six is a rewrite using Tank Commander Kieron Phipps as the new solo cruiser for the next series / three books. Those who know me will see a little of my influence in book 2, The Perfect Storm which is much darker.
All versions of the books are selling and as such will come up easily on Amazon searches, but I have added links. They are free on the Kindle library. What we are doing now is a simple break down into ten episodes and location structures because we obviously can't shoot it all on a cruise ship. But it will look like at as we all know, and quite wonderful. I need series two, which is three more books and I guess it is a five year project.
I also have insisted on Light versions of the books, not just the full fat versions. So there are two Virgin Voyages; Book 1, Virgin Voyage is very raunchy, but Her Virgin Voyage is the lighter version some 2500 words shorter. Book 2 is in two versions which are less than 500 words apart, and book three I think can survive in one version.

Life is strange, but who knows what will come next. The secret is to never say no.

Stuart St Paul

Doris Shades Of Bad works with fellow actor again on ship again.

Doris is on the road, and works on a cruise ship with fellow Shades Of Bad actor.

Episode 59 saw Doris go to Barcelona to deliver nanobots. They are used to take over the world. Who ever trusted her with them needs their head read. The actor in Barcelona was Manuel Martinez, he is real name is withheld as he is working under cover. Click here for the episode.

Doris has just been in the Canary Islands thinking about how and when she will take over the world, there has been a little problem as one of the actors was taken ill, so the show is on a break.

However, while on board she got to work again with Manuel Martinez. If you wish to know more about him click this passage and it will take you to the funny man's page on our site.

For those of you wondering what she is filming, you might like to take a look at the small film made there....

Beware, she is back..... and off to Grantham for the weekend. 

Does Drama make money, can web series offer deals ... how about 'like your first cruise of money back?'

Product! Content! Money! - and now a cruise deal to offer Doris's followers

I have been to so many panels where so called experts explain much, but it is all quite simple and most artists, me included over the years have ignored the basic facts 

Make what the public want, not what you want to make. 

Sure if you have no interest in selling, having a distributor sell, or making money that can be ignored ... but, if you want your film to play in a cinema someone has to clean and maintain the place and they want to be paid.

Facts are simple, drama is worth around 35 billion, sport 45 billion and Gaming 75 Billion. Films related to Games the studios like.
This is the first year that advertising spend on-line has over taken advertising on the television ... and I saw earlier this year adverts for people to read the Metro rather than just read their phones while travelling. Not only do they have to give the paper away free, but then advertise to get people to read it.

You can lead a horse to water ... BUT 

So we tested the online market with a recurring web series Shades Of Bad, and sure we won awards, were voted no2 show in the Indie Series World Chart, Jean Heard was twice voted Best Actress... but none of that is currency at our local Indian restaurant.

What we did while we were making it was study, watch trends, move the show about and learn. 

It is about what we can do and what the public want and although the drama is taking a sabbatical, DORIS VISITS was born as a test along with others things we discarded, and the travel show has produced 100 films in 8 months. We plan to hit 300 films within another three years and have 6 cruises and two ski trips already booked for next year. That is now a work load and an organisation nightmare for edit and release.
But travel has an audience you can target, like Gamers do which is why it works. Drama does not.

So, as Doris Visits has just started a relationship with SAGA CRUISES, we can offer their first cruise deal. Book through our link and obtain a deal where SAGA state - If you don’t love your first Saga cruise, SAGA will refund your fare! Thanks to SAGA for offering this to all Doris Visits followers. Click here to explore the deal in full. http://bit.ly/2dXDvLE

Click this text to go to the link. please share

Take a look at www.DorisVists.com and see the films. We are now re editing them all slowing and at the same time producing TV slot 30 minute shows.

If you never watched Shades Of Bad, start here and work through all 61...

If you never watched Shades Of Bad, start here and work through all 61...

The Kit used to shoot Shades Of Bad

Shooting Shades Of Bad - the Kit

Shades Of Bad was a departure into the web for us. Maybe we won't turn back!

We shoot a number of things from movies to web content, but we have just sold our Epic Dragon cameras and now are concentrating on web content. Our main web series are ‘Doris Visits’ the travel shows, and ‘Doris Shades Of Bad’ the drama series. For both web series we wanted to keep the quality at 2k, which is the quality of most current televisions bought and sold. That is certainly as good as most TV shows if not much better than daily soaps and lower level TV which are often shot at 720 lines and they are interlaced. If  I have lost you there I apologize, but most shows are now HD which the retailers are currently calling 2k.

The camera had to be small and I did not need fancy add-ons like slow motion. I just needed a camera that is used widely on the professional market and the cameramen that came in would be able to use. So, I asked them and Black Magic came out tops. I have seen recent blogs where the BMPCC goes up against some newer cameras and it wins hands down.

The kitchen that Shades Of Bad was all going to be shot in is small by filming standards and none of the walls fly away or have traps. I mean none of the walls are force and can be removed. What you see is the space we had. The BMPCC was ideal and there were few other coices. Stills guys compremise, but we never needed it to take stills, we just needed a dedicated movie camera.

It can shoot 2k raw but that means huge files and is over kill and would certainly be well beyond our Apple based edit suit, so we shoot at 1080 uncompressed. The edit still struggles when the shows get to 30 minutes, but we manage as most of the travel shows on line are around five minutes. The episodes of Shades were always going to be around three minutes.

All stop... it changed. As film makers our ambition was bigger and before long we were testing outside night shoots, filming in the woods and then going abroad. Just because we could and web series did not normally go to that expense. For us it was all a test, and adventure. It has generated a new series, the travel show Doris Visits which in 6 months has produced 100 films, over 80 of which are loaded. Now we have groups of actors and financiers coming to us to ask about the next step; shooting a movie this way.

If you are looking for a camera to shoot movies, take a look at some of our films on Doris Visits. This camera does not shoot stills. It is a movie camera. I will address more of our kit in later blogs.

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Doris Shades is a woman, she has needs. Revenge is amongst them.

Doris Shades is a woman, she has needs. Revenge is amongst them.

There is a tipping point which makes most people turn bad. Doris met hers when her husband left.

The picture below is from episode 56 when Doris dumps a dead body in the woods.
Another dead body.

Doris knew when show woke up to an empty bed that he was never coming home. She knew when her best friend and neighbour came by for coffee that morning that she would have to breach the subject, that she, Wilma was sleeping with her husband. But hey, that shouldn't break up a good friendship. He is the shit, not her, and he should die. Wilma her friend should kill him for her.
Now you can see this is a dark strange series, and we have now put up 61 episodes and although Doris tried to kill Brad she failed. She just happened to accidentally kill a lot of other people along the way. She accidentally became a serial killer and we accidentally had a series on our hands.

GUEST STARS

Guest stars have included James Whale from Celebrity Big Brother (ep 32), Olympian Derek Redmond (eps 43 to 54) and child star now a little older, Richard Beaumont (ep 20 to 40).

Although you can jump in anywhere, and I can suggest lots of different places to jump in, it is your call. The deaths don't start for a while so there are a few character building episodes where she wonders what to do with the mother-in-law that lives in now her husband has been such a shit. Well, she must pay. Doris starts a brothel and enslaves her. You see, Doris may look at life oddly, but so does the corrupt salesman when he cheats you out of your life savings. Doris Shades Of Bad is a dark series that runs a subtle (sometimes not so subtle) look at the remorseless crime mindset that bankers have when they travel into the city of London each day.
The difference is Doris starts her crime venture from the kitchen and as her drug empire gets noticed as she expands by selling grass to pig farmers (ep 13, very funny) then she us headhunted for greater things.
Having killed the local councillor, and fended of the police detective (This years Celebrity Big Brother favourite Detective Inspector James Whale in episode 32), 

the big gangster of doom arrives in episode 43, ex Olympian Derek Redmond in his first ever acting role.

You could jump in around then when the young trash collector knocks on the door and refuses to take the dead body in the wheelie bin unless they pay him, but then you will have missed them putting the dead body in the wheelie bin, episode 40.
Maybe episode 56 when they have killed the bin collector and take his body to the woods. 

It is a little bit Breaking Bad as a good woman gets bad, it is a little bit Dexter as she ruthlessly disposes of people, it is a lot Dangerous Housewife!

Can I suggest, that if you have never watched you start at the beginning ....  or somewhere, and power through them and catch up, then share. Please. We need numbers. Please share. Click this text to go to the YouTube full playlist. Please list below which is your fav ep, or when people might jump in.

On Daily Motion

If you want to go beyond, Daily Motion has episodes 60 and 61 up, click here. 62 will be shot in the next few weeks and then as we are trying to get another huge guest star for episodes 63 to 65, we may or may not be on time with those...... Click here for the Daily Motion channel.

Doris Visits

Now there is something strange. Derek the villain sent Doris to collect a package in Norway, so we got the idea of a travel series. Yes, Doris now has a travel series and a TV deal on Opera, and there are over 100 films, still loading some. And we expect to have 300 within, we hope three years. Click here to sample the travel TV show on your computer.

We ask that you pay it forward, please share........

The Boss comes in and directs episodes 58 and 59 after a film set accident

Stuart St Paul steps up and directs two episodes 58 and 59

to view films click the text where directed......

Stuart St Paul is often called an enabler as he makes things happen. He has invested in many projects, has owned many post facilities and camera hardware and won various and numerous awards including Best Director.
The Hollywood reporter referred to him as a Tri-Hyphenate, highlighting he had written, directed and produced. But Stuart is best known for action and stunts. Two years ago, although technically not working on the set on a huge stunt day in Hungary, he was there when a explosion was allegedly much larger than the tests by many multiples and large enough to swell and burn him. Since then he has been sitting in the back ground and advising as his wife ran the business INDYUK FILMS. Under Jean they halted film production and just made a foray into the web. INDYUK saw the female lead web series Shades Of Bad, that might not have arisen if Stuart was in charge. Stuart was rarely on set, never interfered with Buster Blackledge's direction nor Jean's direction after Buster, nor and more recently Lynn's directorial debut. Stuart, as Jean's life partner just agreed with her to finance the show and permanent equipment it which means they never hire anything. He has then just sat back, watched, occasionally advised and as the others are heard to say, he often criticised. For his IMDB credits click here...

However, after what is almost a two year break from work he has now directed few episodes of Shades Of Bad in a move to get back in the swing. Shades hardly represent the big toys he normally organises and takes responsibility for, but he has started to down size and put his two Red Weapon cameras and the Scarlet up for sale on RedUser.

Shades Of Bad has evolved a lot as he has taken more notice. He pushed Buster to shoot outside at night, then in the woods. Then challenged the girls to write and direct. Now, he has taken a trip to Barcelona with actor Gary Keates and Jean who plays Doris. Starting at 10am, in 4 hours he had shot the 'to and from' the Jewellers shop and was having lunch in a bar. His attitude has changed a lot in two years. But as Stuart says, when you have nearly been killed you think differently.

Stuart then recreated a Jewellers office at actor Nick Simons' house where he shot the interiors of Barcelona. The other sections are in his and Jean's house where Jean makes most of Shades Of Bad. Where as Buster preferred the kitchen, Stuart pushed actor Oliver Degnan for an edgy performance style and a walk into a new area. Stuart likes scenes to be busy visually.

Whether there is visible a difference between the episodes is for the eye to see, they were both shot as fast as the older episodes. Whether Shades Of Bad has entered a new era, or signalled one, a few motivated well known actors have taken notice at the shooting possibilities. They are asking Stuart to look at advising on how they can make their own films with a micro crew. Shades Of Bad has now over 3 hours of edited drama and never had a make up or costume or continuity department. Actors work this way in Fringe Theatre, what they need is the assistance of an enabler to turn their art into film.

Episode 58 - Doris arrives in Barcelona. They started at 10am and were in a bar have shot two episodes by 2pm. The house inserts were shot at the end of the shooting of Derek Redmond's last episode and are actually just a few shots cut in. Click this text for the episode.

Episode 59 - interior jewellers, Stuart was experimenting with pushing the Black Magic PC Camera after reading the manual and blogs on photography because he did not use the camera as well as he could on a sunset episode in low light (ep 61). On the ship on the way home. The episode that was created in the bar before it was shot will still stand as episode 61, but in 59 with no crew and just three small lamps he has pulled the curtains and deliberately worked in the dark.

The music he has used is from the film he directed Bula Quo and his long time friend and composer Mark Blackledge. Again it signals a mood change in Shades Of Bad though the Bula quo music has been used before in the Cat Fight episodes. 
Jean represents Mark at INDYUK if you are looking for a great self contained composer, who uses real musicians as well as samples.  Click here for the great interview with Jean and Mark in his composing studio. Click this text.

Actors Nick Simons and Oliver Degnan are also represented by INDYUK, they both left the profession for proper jobs and a proper wage but are both still very confident infant of camera.

INDYUK can be found on most sites and via the home/contact page on www.DorisVisits.com

Enjoy......   

Doris & Wilma write and direct a Female Hot Crazy Matrix episode

When should the cast start to direct?

Well, the girls of Doris Shades Of Bad completely took over in episode 57 ..... here's the journey.

The day you think you have stopped learning you are in trouble, every day is a school day. But it is amazing how many people who are so new to the industry want to direct. Well, now is the time, there is no excuse. It has never been so easy to start; web is the new fringe theatre. 

The two actresses on Shades Of Bad get to do it all - write and direct - for one episode, episode 57 released this week on YouTube. Click here for the advance private Daily Motion link.

Web Theatre. Web is the new Fringe

The web has now made anywhere your theatre, you can film on the street, in the tube, in the woods and do not have to build a set. So, with the world your oyster and the phone in your camera, it is time to experiment. Those with a natural flair will become tomorrows enablers.

I often compare acting to football because it is such a grounding and obvious comparison. How many years is it before you allow a footballer to be either the captain, or the manager? But, do those who work that hard from the start get noticed right from the kick-off and are shaped for better things? Shaped because they are future captains? Yes, it is how our film stars are made just in the same way as footballers. Those who put the time in get the rewards.

I think some actors make great directors and I love watching old colleagues like Kevin McKidd be so successful in the USA where he has been a stand-out regular cast member in the medical drama Grey's Anatomy for many years and is now showing he is an excellent director. I worked with Kevin first on Small Faces, then Hideous Kinky and we crossed paths many times. 

Shows that get to run as long as Greys Anatomy, and it has now been running longer than ER, allow the team to learn and then expand by directing if they show the flair to be able to see the 'whole picture'. Shades Of Bad reached that at episode 56, because, Lynn knew she was leaving the show and there was a gap for another episode between 56 and the next. 

I suggested they look at the male Hot Crazy Matrix and work out how Wilma (who has stolen Doris's husband) tells her to find a man. Now, whether you like Hot Crazy Matrix or not - don't knock success, learn from it. The main original film was shot in ten minutes for a laugh and has over 15 million views and is in discussion with Hollywood Studios about how this might progress as a film or a TV series. There have been two or three female attempts to parody this, all have failed to even dent a respectable number of views. So, that is what I threw at them..... In our story, Doris is being sent to Barcelona which was to be episode 57, I can delay that a week if they come up with an episode. Plan it, shoot it. I managed to get Buster to come back and do camera and tech crew for them, but let them direct.....

Directing is a tough job managing a huge team of workers and technicians, managing time, respecting a budget (most directors are sacked on day three of a movie because they cannot do that time/money bit). Also they work with story and a couple of actors but seriously one would hope most of that was done before walking on the set. Now is the manufacturing time. It is a tough job to get right, and not until the producer walks on the set looks at his watch and says, 'what's the hold up?' do you start to feel the need for speed. PRESSURE. 

The producer might get the answer, 'no, not today, don't have a go at me today!' but, they expect that, they have done their job. As I said, directors who do not head it, find themselves sacked three days later.

I did walk on and say that after an hour of nothing, I was as un welcome as all producers doing that.

So, when you are at work, which are you?

Are you the crew member or actor that stands and chats or the one who watches every department and learns? Are you the next David Beckham who is sponge like; watching and learning.  How many Wayne Rooney's are there, very few. How many hours did David Beckham stay behind every day after training to practice placing the ball with passes and shots - it is said 2 extra hours a day. Greatness is thrust upon those whose dedication knows no bounds. If you are an actor who never trains and whose first question when arriving on set is, 'when can I finish only I have a ......' You might not be director material.

So, time and experience are the enemy when you are starting and have neither, and both are your friend to use and abuse when you have credits. Here is where the web series has opened the future. You have a chance to film and film. 

How many episodes before you can call yourself a series?

This is a great question and I upset a few people a year ago when I asked this. A series is at least 7 in the real world and that is a test. That is a shot comedy series like Mrs Brown's Boys. 13 episodes is a normal season for drama, 26 episode a more modern number in broadcast for US TV like Blue Bloods and Madam Sectretary. If you have only three or four, or five, that is normally called a 'five-part drama'. A four or five part drama can sit and do, in one week. It is not a series.

Now it is different. There are huge web series out there. A year ago there were fewer web series and very few who could produce content. Now there are huge numbers, far greater than Shades Of Bad which has shot 61 episodes thus far and has started a travel show with more episodes that 61 in a shorter time. Over 140 shows in a year, some great ones, some not so great. The travel show will outlive the drama, see a sample here.

Jean started directing when we lost the initial director Buster Blackledge at episode 43 when Derek Redmond joined. Buster was himself a brand new director and although he had over 40 episodes to his name with two well schooled actresses (and well schooled guests) he did not appear so keen on directing an athlete in his first acting role. Jean Heard who plays Doris was ideal to work with Derek redmond because she was not actually in the UK sections of Shades Of Bad in her house, because Derek sends her abroad to collect a package. Jean's work is mainly in Norway, leaving her free to direct the UK sections as well. See episode 44 onwards for Derek in his first role and Jean directing. Click here.

When Jean started directing episode 43 episode 56 had been shot, like soaps and series we shoot out of order. The Barcelona sections of episode 58 and 60 were shot after episode 6 a year ago.

It is not fun, it is a job. A repetitive job.

OK, so I have been doing it for over 40 years, with a few major credits and over 26 years attached to a daily soap as a creative, so I can suggest that the creation, whilst wonderful is repetitive. That is where experience works. (I get to direct episode 58, the first one I have directed, see next weeks blog)

After 56 episodes, and episode 56 is a return for Buster Blackledge to direct the three girls in the woods on location. An opportunity he could not turn down and perform. Still only him on crew with me assisting moving three lights and car headlights for him. See 56 dumping the dead body by clicking here .......

Hot Crazy Matrix for Girls

So were the girls inspired by the hot crazy matrix?

There is no doubt when directing, you learn more about your own crafts and how important it is that the team all work together. They did, they are buzzing about how much they did learn which I find inspiring. In Shades the film crew is always one person doing lights and camera, the actors look after their microphones, place them test them and listen to them, then look after props. 

Their biggest downfall is marketing. They don't have the marketing thing yet and every actor is first and foremost a marketing machine. 1 for themselves, 2 for the production. Stars are locked in hotel rooms for days seeing journalists every 15 minutes on a film release. Dragged between every TV show, and tweeting to the fan base they have built. How big is your fan base. How important an acting commodity are you?

I do intend to sit them down and do a BTS interview, that is needed. Neither took stills while doing episode 57 so I have none to add. For now, be content with the episode. Click here for episode 57. It is  a good one.

Shades Of Bad, evolved from the Edinburgh Fringe

Fringe Theatre on the Web - Edinburgh week

You can be excused for not remembering many of the thousands of Edinburgh shows that are in the festival each year.... that is the point. If you are a performer, what will it bring, and is it cost effective. Too late if you are up there .... bit maybe not to get a little additional exposure. Read on.

This week the Edinburgh Festival kicks off, and if you are going for the first time click this text for a travel over view of Edinburgh to get you in the spirit. It is where actors, directors and comedians work their art, test new routines and experiment with new writing and their own ability. It is hard work, very hard work as the PR alone to convince critics, writers and public to attend your venue is endless. You can work every day of the week leafleting and promoting, from first thing to last, with a short break to perform.

Digs, that is where you stay, food and drink is expensive and you will probably end up losing a lot of money and gaining much experience. So, is it worth it. The years Jean Heard has done Edinburgh with both Mutton and her one woman show Royal Mistresses, she has been sponsored (by Tena Lady) so her Edinburgh was paid for. But that is not the case for most.

That moment on stage is so quickly gone and the myth of talent forgotten that she decided to make a web series.

Luckily Jean does own a film company that has made features and owns kit (they are actually selling their 2 x Weapon Cameras at £16,500 each ONO). So she devised Doris Shades Of Bad. So is the web series the new Fringe theatre and is it right for people to learn media skills and camera skills rather than live audience skills. They are advertised on red User or you can get us via the contact at www.DorisVisits.com

Guest Stars

Guests stars have included our Olympian turned actor in 10 episodes of Shades Of Bad. That is a longer stretch than most other web series ever get to. Derek Redmond was a world champion and Olympian in that famous 4 x 400m relay team. The 800m now a celebrity commentator and speaker is regularly on Sky, but also looks like he might have a great career as an actor. And he has a flowing and cache value which is a must to sell. He also came with his own Bentley! Click here for one of his episodes.

But where is your audience. Games, sport, drama?

To be honest, most TV is fly on the wall and watching one of her many guest stars to Shades OF Bad in CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER, it is obvious that the talent TV stations are looking for to gain audiences is not all Shakespearian. Click this text for the Shades Of Bad interview with James Whale.

A major night shoot in the woods for less than an Edinburgh venue

But here is the point, for far less money that a venture to perform in Edinburgh one can put a performance on the web and use that link to send to producers all over the world. To gain an audience. The show that started in a kitchen has this ambitious episode out this week, a night shoot in the woods as Doris and friends dump a dead body. Click this test for Episode 56.

Hot Crazy Matrix

If you need to understand audiences and performance then you need to look no further than the Hot Crazy Matrix. That has now hit well over 15 million views which will have made the owners very rich. Plus they are in talks with Hollywood producers as to how to harness that into a movie or TV series. The web is amazing if you can go viral. Wilma parodies the Hot Crazy Matrix in Shades Of bad's next week's episode as she convinces Doris she knows how Doris can find a man. See next weeks episode early by clicking here.

MCN

An MCN is a multi channel network and all the majors are now starting to have them. This is like a record label or publisher ..... an MCN becomes your label and aids you. Shades Of Bad YouTube channel signed to Makers Studio / Disney. You still output still goes on all the many many platforms from YouTube and DailyMotion down to the smaller ones and future ones like OPERA TV app as we move back towards the TV. For us the MCN had not really worked, they do not even answer our emails to them. Also YouTube has not been our best responder, so where to pitch your venue will take time to learn.

Web Series and Content owning

What comes out of the web live theatre is your audience are real, they react and you get feed back. You can research watch trends and change to fit their requests. Doris Shades Of Bad saw the show reach number 2 in the US charts and Jean be voted best actress twice last year in the USA. But this takes time so you realise that the word series means just that, you need content, regular content. one, three five is not a series. That is a four parter. A series needs to be longer, released at regular intervals so the web spiders can see you are a content provider and will work with you.

Spin offs and Ideas

We were not expecting a spin-off travel show, but that has become bigger that the drama and we have already had an IP purchase enquiry. Being able to provide content that the audience may want to consume becomes worth money. So, Doris now Visits. Click here for just one of over 60 travel films we have put up in just two months on Daily Motion. The whole of next year is now booked up with trips far and wide.  We never got that from Edinburgh or any film festival.

OPERA TV, went have a TV channel

So we have moved onto the OPERA TV store as an app, like Netflix. You would need a very new TV or new Samsung or Sony to have a TV smart enough to freely find all apps and not just listed pre-installed ones. Click here to see what our TV channel looks like.

Your Films on Our TV Channel

We are soon going to move into a version of our web site and Daily Motion output to house other people's videos. These are travel videos aimed at a style. Hi Doris, I thought your Doris Visits viewers would like to see (where ever). So, if you want to make a film of where ever you go, see the style and follow the directions on the page. Any exposure is good exposure, learn how to use it and build numbers. Click here for the page. The example on this page was shot on an old phone camera.

Celebrity Big Brother star James Whale is in web series SHADES OF BAD ... web series do make waves

Celebrity Big Brother kicks off, and Doris Shades Of Bad guest star James Whale is in there.

The new big brother house revealed it's initial celebrity guests, and it has the usual mix of controversial guests. The spoon to stir them all up could be chat show host and broadcaster James Whale, especially if the new guests to arrive are politicians as rumours have it.

James Whale, actor, broadcaster....

James, apart from being a guest star as Detective Inspector James Whale in episode 32 of Doris Shades Of Bad (original coffee break versions), is known for the Sunday paper reviews on Sunday Morning Television and his breakfast show on BBC Radio Essex. For many years he had his own late night TV show in the UK with had millions of viewers, figures shows just cannot get nowadays. James has had long stints on LBC, Talk Radio and Talk Sport. Click here to go to the site which will have the interview between James and Stuart.

The Connection ....

James Whale used to be the Late Night presenter on Metro Radio in Newcastle back in the 1970's, and it was there he became friends with Stuart St Paul who was then the breakfast show DJ on Metro. Stuart is now the executive producer on Shades Of Bad who has dragged in some interesting guests. Here in this interview, James and Stuart chat, head to head in the garden of Doris Shades, which is his house.  Click here to go to the site which will have the interview between James and Stuart.

The Episode

Episode 32, a lofty number very few web series achieve, is the one that James Whale appears in. The role made for him is Detective Inspector James Whale, who comes into the made house to arrest someone for murder. The series is not to be taken too seriously, it is a very light hearted humorous but very dark show about Doris Shades Of Bad, a woman who has needs, and revenge is amongst them.

Click this text for the episode which is on daily Motion so Blogspot does not support it as a film box.

Watch Shades Of Bad from the start

Click here for the very first episode of the coffee bite series on our new Daily Motion Channel.

Other Guest Stars ....

Almost all the web series shows nominated for awards in the USA were American, but guest star Richard Beaumont was nominated for his guest appearance. Ricky was a child star in many films like Digby the Dog. Now, as we head into the Rio Olympics period World Champion and Olympian Derek Redmond becomes a huge presence in ten episodes ... episodes 43 to 53. Derek was hugely nervous in his first acting role and due to his packed diary he often had to change days, arrive late and on one day had a Sky Sports camera team arrive at the house to take over and interview him during a lunch break. Take a look at his entrance and maybe lay bets on him being in the house next year.

Where is Shades Of Bad now?

Good question. There is no doubt that the tail is now wagging the dog.  The spin off travel show Doris Visits has become an instant huge web success and has been selected and put onto the Opera TV channel already. The web site went up a few days ago www.dorisvisits.com (click this text) and already has over 60 pages loaded and schedule to release at two each day, then one a day. 

Take a look at just one show, Doris is very different in the travel show and it makes for a very friendly and engaging presentation.

This weeks episode is number 55

Fifty five episodes of a web series and still going is quite a fete. The girls, Jean and Lynn who play Doris and Wilma just wrote and directed their own episode which Buster came back and patiently did camera from. That will slot in between episode 56 and 57 and delay the next guest star from arriving by another week. This week, episode 55 is called the garage where the three girls load a dead body into the car to go and dump it in the woods (next weeks). Three leave, only two come back is all the hint we will give you. Next week in the woods was the first UK exterior location, and a night shoot. Did they have a crew and lights.... did they heck. Total crew was doubled from one to two ! And a hand generator was borrowed to work their 3 x LED light panels. 

Manuel Martinez

Is a name you might not know unless you are involved with the live cabaret circuit. He is a comedian / magician who just played at Stephen Hawkins even in the Canaries, and is well known on the cruise ship circuit. He comes in and goes and comes back and.... well, that is the future. A glimpse of him is in the behind the scenes video explaining how Doris Shades Of Bad shot in Norway and Barcelona.

The future of Doris Shades Of Bad

Ex INDYUK Films producer and then assistant to Duncan Heath at ICM, Philip Kennan has been brought back with the remit of turning the series on its head. The series will start and timeline Doris Shades post arrest and in treatment, and all that has been shot will be used as flash backs. He has free reign to explore all possibilities. There is no time line on this as there are no less that 6 cruises booked and a number of other trips for Doris Shades to take as Doris Visits.

Doris in Russia - the filming was easy ....

Click the text to see the films - not the pictures.....

The first thing that hits you about Russia is that it is just the same as everywhere else, people and places and the Roman old religions form part of their history. We had considered shooting an episode there but then we would not have been able to shoot the travel films, so travel won and the story of Doris taking over the world goes from Barcelona (due out in August) back to her kitchen...

Filming in Russia - Sure there is passport control, but of all the Baltic stops we were also told to carry passports in Belgium and Germany, which are / were supposed to be one with the UK. Those of us that cruise regularly will know that in most countries around the world, some in extreme corners, only require the cruise card.

Whilst Russia needs a visa to visit, if on a cruise ship  you take an excursion from the ship into St Petersburg, at this moment that allows you a visa waiver. Then once the coach drops you off you are remarkably free to explore.

The tour company gives you a very simple card whether guided or on your own, which says in Russian the equivalent of I am lost, please ring this number. That goes to the tour operator's office and they will get someone to you. Given the huge number of tours all over the city, like Uber taxi's, there will be someone near you.

Passport control in and out is a little longer than landing at say an airport in Portugal, but not much, and far less intrusive than arriving in India. So, it is not much of an inconvenience.

There is a lot to see in St Petersburg and the Emperors and Assassinations tour is an old favourite because it rounds a part of the city and gets to the Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood. Walking you down through the Fields of Mars to the Canal in the lands which Peter The Great took from Sweden, you come up through the fountains and statues and arrive at the Mikhailovsky Palace before going into the church on a group ticket. The coach is collected in Art Square by the tourist office which has a lap dancing club below it and is surrounded by theatres offering tourist shows, concerts and Ballet Evenings. Click anywhere in this paragraph for an overview of a very comprehensive walking tour.

The Ballet Evening is one of many available excursions for an overnight stay, there will be a concert and a traditional evening. 
We were hoping to have gone to the Mikhailovsky Theatre but our show was changed to a smaller theatre seen on the video, a hall which looked like an old concert hall but had space for a 40+ orchestra and  well equipped surround sound system. We obviously can't show the whole Ballet so there is just a clip. The lead Ballerina stood out. Click here to see the evening.

The St Petersburg Explorer is a new excursion, and one which if it were politically allowed might be called St Petersburg on your own. The coach loops you round the city and has three stops or centres. The first is by St Issac's Theatre which is sadly well before it opens at 10.30 so if you want to see inside you need to loop back later, but that is easy. 

Back with our coach trip we headed for stop three which was the Nevsky Prospect. Here we had three hours on our own, and the provided map showed a suggested route up and down the 4.6km main road. You will see we went to a few places, left some of their suggestions out, and added a few others. They also suggest a canal boat trip with times, which would have been an additional cost but the currency is time as well as roubles and we were taking in an overview of the city. We went down into Palace Square as you will see, but the buildings themselves are closed on Mondays. With these two tours we now feel we have a handle on St Petersburg, so when we go back we will try to get into some of the places and museums and share what you can expect. It is all covered in this film. Click here for the film.

We have omitted the second stop of the Explorer as it is by the Field Of Mars to the Church (entrance not included in this tour). We had done this yesterday with the above tour Emperors and Assassinations, so, we left the group and went rogue. Only to find we were not the only ones who crossed the bridge to the Peter & Paul Fortress. We had just enough time for an overview and to know that we will go back there on our next trip to see the Fortress in more detail.

Although we didn't do the Church of Our Saviour on  the Spilled Blood as the tour suggested on this day, which was a Monday, (and although it said the church was closed on a Monday it was open), we covered the church the day before quite extensively as you will see from this film (click anywhere on this paragraph). 
Please beware of pickpockets in this church.



Tips...
1. The Audio Pen is a spoken commentary hearing aid, and it is highly recommended.
2. Take something to eat and drink or schedule a stop, the day is long and can be tiring.
3. Do not carry a wallet or bag you do not need, do not talk to hawkers or people handing out leaflets unless you are aware of the situation and someone is watching your back. Pickpockets work with leaflet givers and book sellers.
4. Walking Shoes.
5. Share your pictures with us and share these films with other cruisers.

Don't forget we have films from all over the world......  DORIS VISITS, please
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The Baltic Cruise ! Doris Shades has been allowed to visit Russia !!!!

The Baltic Cruise !
Arcadia J612 in August, and Britannia B716 in June 2017 will cruise the Baltic. They will stop at
these ports, so these videos will help you choose your excursions or plan what you are going to do.

P&O Aurora R621 & Arcadia J620 both sail at Christmas and will have the wonderful Christmas Markets to enjoy in the many countries who really celebrate Christmas. The Silver Wind and Silver Whisper also travel these routes.

Aurora R705 then goes back to the Baltic in May 2017, Arcadia again in June 2017, Aurora R710 goes in July, Arcadia J713 in August, then December 2017 the Christmas markets are the joy of the Aurora going there twice; R722 and R724.

Denmark, Copenhagen
Let us start with Copenhagen.

The Little Mermaid statue is just that, a statue of a little mermaid and it is between town and boat, so unless you have a burning need to see it, the town offers so much more. Look at the film. Click here for the harbour walk LITTLE MERMAID to PALACE.

Take a look at our film of Copenhagen City, and then you can decide the best way to spend your limited time there. See how far you might have to walk if you do it by foot. Jarrad says his oldest walker was 103 yrs old! Click here for CITY TOUR.

With information like this you can decide for yourself and choose an excursion to suit you.


Sweden, Stockholm
Sweden is another city with so much to do and cover, you need to have a plan and study the available options and excursions. It is spread over 14 islands and although there is a metro and bus service the problem is connections and getting lost. The Abba Museum and other museums and parks are away on an island. If you were around in the 70's and 80's this might just be a must. Click here for TRIP TO AND INSIDE ABBA MUSEUM.

The Town might be accessible from the shuttle bus, but again you need to consider the amount of walking. 
The old town is fantastic with the Royal Palace and the town square and Nobel museum. The old town has much to offer and many photo opportunities. A tour will release a lot of information. 
Click here for a CITY TOUR.

The Changing of the Guard is spectacular, no doubt, but it is smack in the middle of the day and to get a good view you will need to be at the rope by 1130hrs. The guards start around 1215 and you will be standing for an hour and half. It has to be considered as it means you will be there at the middle of the day. If you like the Military, it will be on your list. Click here for the CHANGING OF THE GUARDS.

Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn has one foot in the 15th century and one foot in the present and the Honeydew beer should come with a warning. 
This charming city instantly becomes a favourite and there is more than enough to feast eye and camera on. Doris climbs the St Olav's tower as well as the sites from the hill and a walk of town.

Actress Jean Heard who plays Doris in Shades of Bad and presents Doris Visits,

also visits the church with 100 coats of alms.

In this tour Doris Visits also goes underground into the medieval tunnels, refurbished for the 2nd World War and then again for Russian nuclear bunkers before becoming the punk party scene of the later 1980's. Click here for the video. It is a must.

Helsinki, Finland
Another Baltic Cruise stop in Helsinki and you start to realise just how much sight seeing a Baltic Cruise has, and how much it needs to be planned to take the harder work out of the hard work. Helsinki is an easier port with normal huge shopping centre and markets and an esplanade, or you can go to the beach or visit a cathedral. There maybe things you think you can omit. take a look. Click here for Helsinki. 

Bruges, Belgium
The chocolate and mussels stop on the cruise. Or was it the chocolate and chocolate visit, for chocolate gets it's very own film with every shape of chocolate from spanners to bosoms.

Doris meets with Gino Lasoen at the shop he owns with his wife Sofie, Chocolates and Happiness and gets to try a chilli chocolate.

The canals in Bruges should seriously be considered because the tours cost only a few euros and only take 30 minutes, that means you see a lot in a small time for a small cost.

The restaurants near the canal station seem to have a slight premium on those away from main areas.

Finally the city has the usual fantastic buildings and churches with shops also featuring Christmas and lace. The chocolate is probably the purchase you take home. There is also a horse and carriage ride that starts in the main square. Maybe we will do that next time as time is always a problem which is why we help you plan with these films. Click here for the general Bruges City tour.

St. Petersburg, Russia
It is unlikely any ship goes to St. Petersburg and does not do an overnight stay. As a tip, that is the night the fine dining might offer a free bottle of wine on board ship. Even with two days it is not enough time to see all of St.Petersburg so choose your excursions to hit the spots you wish to see most. Book early, book on line if possible before you leave. Russia is a place where a visa is needed unless you leave the ship on an organised tour where a visa waiver has been agreed.

The first stop on most people's list is the highly ornate Church of the Saviour on Spilled blood. It has the pavement where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated, and where his blood was spilled. That is why the couch is there and has the name. Beware of pick pockets everywhere in Russia, but in this church it is a serious problem. Click here for the video of the must see church.


During the overnight, you will have a number of excursions offered. There will be a traditional night, a concert and a Ballet Evening. Doris took the Ballet Evening as she was a dancer and dance examiner. Click here.

As a tip, the fine dining restaurants on ship often offer a deal or a free bottle of wine on the over night stay evenings.

Kiel Wocke
OK, so Kiel is in Germany, best known for the canal, but few people stop there. EXCEPT this week, Kiel Tall Ships Festival week. The place is heaving, seriously full of food and beer stalls and people partying. If you ever plan a journey through this way try to clash with the Tall Ships festival. My brother and many friends filmed Hornblower in Yalta, a cruise I wish to make sometime, and they all still have firm connections with Tall Ships. Something in the water ... forgive the pun. Kiel film click here.

More films on St Petersburg and Bruges and compilations are in the edit. They will follow.

The Baltic cruise packs in a lot and as you can see can be a lot of work for you as a guest, so it is best planned with a little knowledge, and in at least a few stops you will want the excursion coach to take the strain. Check in again with us to see the newest films.

Check back on this post for more videos as they come out of the edit, there is a queue at Doris TV which includes the Shades Of Bad web TV series, the Status Quo behind the scenes series from Bula Quo, as well as the Dubai Top ten Doris Visits favourites, but they will be up soon.

If you have never cruise, know your ship, we have tours of two that will help you visualise as you compare what the brochures say.