About Me

Welcome to a blog about a film-maker, one who could be described as a story teller with an experimental approach to technology.

Hello, my name is James Tomkinson and this is my microscopic slice of the world wide web which should give an idea of what I do.

I think we can agree that people make films in a number of different genres. Mine is drama, a human story of either fact or fiction recreated in a gripping performance. Although that isn’t a dictionary definition it is what I write and capture either ‘in camera’ or on-stage.

An interest in building things has stayed with me throughout my younger years. I have to admit my DIY skills could use a little polishing yet that didn’t stop me from designing and refining the designs for my stereoscopic 3D rig since 2010 the results of which are on my YouTube channel.

Feel free to have a look around.

Thursday 29 March 2012

Molly Sweeney



#0001


My first theatre lighting job outside of school productions gave me little in the way of technical challenges. As I was just the lighting technician the lanterns were set up for me and the operation was fairly strait forward. Nor was it a social challenge. On the contrary I was welcomed with open arms by the drama group and its members and I would be a have been a fool if I had ignored such warm sentiment in this day and age. No, what I was given on this production was time to think. Not about the worries and musings that intrude upon the mind of an eighteen year old man, no. Just time to think and appreciate what I was watching.

Each night after I helped to set out the stage and the actors had retreated to their final preparations, I would take my place behind the lighting desk. The audience bustle in. The house lights darken and the actors began to recount three months of brilliantly remembered mind stirring craftsmanship. And I. I watched and admired them, for this play in one of the most line-intensive I have encountered. A total of thirty-seven monologues divided between the three characters left me with a profound respect for the performers portraying them. They had chosen to take on these monumental parts in which all three characters were on stage throughout the production yet never interacted with other therefore they couldn’t rescue each other if they messed a line up. Having seen them play six times across rehearsals and performances I can say that they delivered a truly astounding performance for which all of us involved are in awe.



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