Page 11 - 09_Bafta ACADEMY_Ali G_ok

MARC HAYNES & MARCUS HARBEN Everyone knows how useful the
Internet is for research and news.
But so far, it is a relatively untapped resource for comedy. Marc Haynes and Marcus Harben are hoping they can change that.
They have conceived a website called Hooray For Holloway, a mock newsletter detailing the not-so-exciting lives of the oddball residents of the tit- ular North London borough, compiled by ambitious local Brian John Jidd.
Both have a firm grounding in comedy writing, Haynes a former win- ner of The Daily Telegraph’s Open Mic Award, while Harben is a former stand- up and cohort of the 11 O’Clock Show’s Ricky Gervase.
And with the help of technical mate Fitz, they have created an all- too-real world. People have emailed the site saying that they are really happy Holloway has such an enter- taining newsletter, laughs Haynes, clearly happy the site has duped some of the public.
“It appeals to our sense of humour,” says Harben. “As a writing team, Marc tends to be creative and a bit esoteric, while I tend to have quite a mean streak. Together, we come up with the pages.”
And just as television classics like The Day Today and Alan Partridge began life on the radio, so the duo hope Hooray For Holloway has life beyond the webpage.
“Well, we are sort of developing a short film, in which Brian John Jidd (they always refer to him with his full name) gets some money to make a movie,” reveals Harben. “And we have written stuff for Dead Ringers on Radio Four and have written sitcom scripts, so it’s something that we reckon could work on television.”
Haynes grins: “Brian John Jidd is bigger than any worldwide web. ■
www.hoorayforholloway.co.uk
AIDAN WILLIAMS Movie producers just get younger
and younger. The latest is just
twenty, he’s called Aidan Williams and his project? Well...
“It’s a scary thriller called Mugged, about a man who pays the price for a previous crime,” says Williams, at a hun- dred miles a minute. “I had the original idea and then I met a guy called Thomas Veness who wrote the screenplay.”
Setting up the intellectual- sounding PHD Productions with Veness, Williams’ powers of per- suasion soon secured him £12,000 in development funding. When asked about the cast, Williams replies in typical producer-speak: “Jeremy Theobald, of Following fame, has confirmed interest in the lead role, while the script is with Lara Belmont (the abused
daughter) of The War Zone.” He then stops himself like a true pro with, “I really can’t say any more than that.”
After school which, he says, “was- n’t my strongest suit,” he soon decid- ed to crack the film business. But unlike thousands of others who dream of getting into the movies, Williams made sure he was fully versed in the commercial and grass-roots produc- tion side of the industry by working as a runner and production assistant.
“I read all the literature,” he says. “There’s so much out there. But you have to. So many people don’t know what they’re doing. I went out and got funding. But we are looking for another £45,000.”
With the money still due to arrive, Williams hasn’t wasted any time in continuing the dream, heading over to the Cannes Film Festival to try and schmooze some suitable money-men. So far, that remains out of reach. Perhaps they were put off by the recent spate of low-budget, British failures? “Well, I know that a film has to be commercial. So many Brit films aren’t.”
Still, he remains resolute. “I expect to have Mugged in the cinemas by next Spring,” he says, matter-of-factly. ■
ANNA RAJAN & PALOMA BAEZA Trying to juggle one job is hard
enough, but two? Well, that’s the
kind of sacrifices Anna Rajan (top right) and Paloma Baeza (above right) had to make in order to create their debut short, a twelve-minute off- beat comedy called Watchmen. “It was a nightmare,” admits Baeza, “but
luckily, people have been very understanding.”
After meeting at Bristol University, the pair, who are 30 and 25 respectively, soon became a creative partnership, while also carrying on their solo careers – Anna as a weather/traffic announcer on Radio Five Live and Paloma as an actress on productions like
the BBC’s recent drama, Rebel Heart.
But mak- ing their own
movie was
always high on
the agenda:
“This is our
first, but it isn’t
something that
has just come
about,” reveals Rajan, who acts as the producer, while Baeza co-wrote the screenplay and directs. “This has been in the works for some time.” Continues Baeza, “We knew that a short can be used as a calling card. So this is that too, but we hope that it can be shown
in a few cinemas as well.”
Filmmaking collaborations are all the rage these days, so
how do the pair work together? “Anna basically keeps me in check,” laughs Baeza. “As an actress, I’ve
been on a thousand sets, but never had everyone expecting me to tell them what to do. And you know, I can proba- bly get a little dramatic sometimes. Anna is my calming influence.”
“I’m suited to producing,” confirms Rajan. “I’m good at working with peo- ple and convincing people to do things. That’s my skill.”
With Watchmen in the can, thoughts may turn to another. “Well, we learned a lot, says Rajan. “We worked with great people.” Adds Baeza, “I looked around one day and realized that we were the least experi- ence people on set! I’d love to do it all over again.” ■
TALENTSPOTTING
TALENTSPOTTING
FOCUSING ON TOMORROW’S GENERATION OF MOVERS AND SHAKERS
COMPILED BY BEN IRVING
New Talent, New Media
9