My Ashes

So I now have at least one character that I view suitable for film. And it's not like I have no other ideas for characters.

I find that I've always got rough ideas for characters, whether they're based on aspects of myself, people I know, or I've just fresh ripped off a character from something else (Matthew Kidman, anyone?) They're always there, I merely pluck them out of my mind every now and then. Really hurts.

But my mind is always a-whirring, developing something or other. Problem is that's it's oh so rare that it's something worth developing.

Sometimes though, something is there so long that it's always on my mind, maybe even if I forget it, it's always hanging there, subconsciously, like what happened the fateful summer of '97...

And that's what happened with ol' Buckethead.

I came up with him ages ago, but he was really just a name, rather than a charcter. Then suddenly I thought to myself, I make a film with an agressive cockney in it. And all the pieces fell together.

I've only really talked about films and TV shows that have inspired me thus far. But it's not only things on film that make me wanna write and shoot things. I've always considered music a large part of what makes me want to make films.

Not just a "I should be a music video directer, cus I get really strong ideas in my head when I listen to some stuff" sorta thing.

Everyone gets that. It's just a natural reaction that occurs when music affects you. And it's all well and good me saying that I have an ability that most don't, to go beyond getting the pictures in my head. But that wouldn't really be true.

And also I don't really want people be all "Who does this clown think he is, Spike Jonze?"

So let me get to the point.

I love Porcupine Tree.

REALLY love them.

You're probably asking yourself, "Who the hell are Porcupine Tree?" Well, all I have to say to you is find out for yourself.

Then buy the Deadwing album.

This band really opened me up to a new world of music. I'd always liked proggy stuff before. But the Tree just go places others are too commercially minded to tread. And listening the way they've developed over the years is really rewarding.

But theres more than them just giving me a musical hard on. Theres something about them that gives me a sense of identity as a British person.

I was never really proud to be British until I discovered Iron Maiden. I was just like "At last, heres something that the yanks didn't do better than us!" I'm sure a lot of people will be unhappy to read that. But get used to it; this country's crap.

Since discovering Maiden I've opened up to my British heritage much more, through films and all sorts, and discovering Porcupine Tree was like the colmination of that opening up. I'm there now. Full English. Bacon and eggs and what not.

I never used to want to make British films. I didn't think I could do the sort of things I wanted to do in a British film. Now I feel I can. Though, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are also partly responsible for that.

But I'll save that one for another time.

Video blog coming soon!!!

Alexanadu