Michelle Tofi

Work, Work, Work

Thought’d I’d post a little update about the projects I’m currently working on/starting, as it’s shaping up to be a busy couple of months for me so I’m not sure how many posts I’ll be writing in the next few weeks. 

Firstly, after next friday I hand in my final research paper as a graduate student at London Met to hopefully never return to adult education again. This is no discredit to higher learning, but more to the fact that we only get so many years on this earth to genuinely create and I’m anxious to get on with it!  After that as some visitors may know I’ll be involved with the creation and production of an original series for Iranian television. It’s a long story, but the company behind it it also has a whole host of equipment for wet and dry hire if anyone’s looking for a brilliant young DOP or a load of camera equipment :)

on the 28th of May I begin principle photography on just the trailer for a new and very exciting feature called ‘The Fifth Horseman’, from Sirius Pictures, and two days later have the first production meeting for a short about infamous exotic dancer/spy Mata Hari called ‘Birth of a Spy’. In July/August I’ll be shooting a short for promising young director Claudiu Pavel called ‘Above The Board’. It’s a film that’s being crowd-funded with some really excellent incentives for investors and I’ll be releasing more info about that as soon as I have it.  

Finally I’m hoping to be directing a short of my own that I’m co-producing with the excellent writer and actor Robert Feldman, who co-starred in my debut as a director, Sacrifice, which we’ve just submitted to Raindance and the Cornish International Film Festival. Fingers crossed!  I had hoped this short would be shot and wrapped by the 30th of June but with my schedule as it currently is we’ll have to see.  The film should be a fairly easy shoot, as it mostly centers around one character and will be told through a blend of photography/stop motion and video. I’m psyched for it. 

As always, if you have a project you’re looking to crew feel free to get in touch. In the mean time, wish me luck! I can’t wait to be able to post from these sets and let you know how the shoots go.

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The Ten O’Clock Live studio! (Taken with Instagram at BBC Broadcasting House)

Yes, we went to see the taping of Ten O’Clock Live (a channel 4 show shot in a studio at the BBC). As any filmmaker will tell you, sitting in the audience for the taping of a show is a pretty itchy experience. This show in particular is sent out live, so you’re really expected to be looking at the presenters, clapping along etc, but I couldn’t help but watch the crew interact instead. For example, watching the stage director orchestrate the multiple cameras was really interesting, especially observing the silent tension when one operator dropped his focus for a moment, forcing a cut to a different POV. Anyone wanting to get into TV work will have to get used to this kind of high tension environment, and the ability to anticipate the moves of the other camera operators around you. It’s something I’d relish. Anyone out there looking to crew a new TV show? I’m your girl!