|
SmallTime Productions
include Braveheart actor James Cosmo, Musician Dave Stewart, Film Maker
Rick Wood and Financier Roy Davis.
James Cosmo:
James is probably best known for his role as the grizzled warrior
Campbell in ‘Braveheart’. His impassioned performance made it seem
possible that such a man as Campbell really existed 700 years ago. A man
who cared so much about his beloved Scotland that he could endure the bite
of an English arrow, break it off and continue fighting.
Cosmo grew up in Clydebank
in West Central Scotland and while most of his classmates headed for the
all too familiar shipyards or for a life at sea James opted for the stage.
And as they say the rest is history!
Although he’s now based in
London James real life love of his native country, pulled him up north to
help back Scotland’s’ first film studio in Inverness. He was inspired to
get behind the project after the filming of ‘Braveheart’ moved to Ireland
because it offered tax incentives. James was incensed: ’ I saw the
positive effect that shooting had on the Fort William area and was
determined to do something’
The £20 million Highland
Studio complex on the outskirts of the city will include a studio,
multi-media centre, 200-bedroom hotel, and 10,000 sqft retail unit and
visitor centre. Plus Scotlands first Film School offering courses in
writing, directing, camera work and sound and lighting.
Other films James has to
his credit ‘To End All Wars’, ‘Once Upon a Time in the Midlands’, ‘Emma’,
‘Last of the Blonde Bombshells’, ‘Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe’,
‘Highlander’ and as the voice of Thelonius the orangutan in ‘Babe: Pig In
the City’.
James is currently filming
for the BBC in Scotland.
Dave Stewart:
It’s almost impossible to keep up with all of Dave’s activities. A
true renaissance man he’s constantly involved in projects relating to
music but also to film, photography, television and the Internet. He’s
producing a new album for reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and has recorded an
album with Gary ‘Mudbone’ Cooper. His new Artist Network label releases
both albums.
Dave’s also a partner in
the Highland Film Studio in Inverness and is expected to co-produce the
studios first feature ‘Garden of Angels’. A £20 million pound project
based on the experiences of two women who founded the spiritual movement
the Findhorn Foundation.
Rick Wood:
Rick has worked in the film and television industry for over 25 years. He
began his career behind the camera at an early age in his native Aberdeen
and progressed with the help of a local amateur film unit. Later he
studied Film and Television Production at Aberdeen University Kings
College Television service. Following years of freelancing he finally took
the plunge in 1983 and started his own company TVP Film & Multi-Media and
he’s still producing films and commercials after 19 years in the industry.
Rick’s directorship is
shared with his two sons Ranald and Ricky who play an important role in
the running of the business and together they challenge new technologies
for the future.
Rick’s a qualified diver
and his adventurous spirit and hunger for film making have taken him to
locations like the Red Sea, Midway, Truk Lagoon, Scapa Flow and Florida
Keys.
He’s recently finished his
first Hollywood film as DOP (Director of Photography) on ‘To End All Wars’
starring Robert Carlyle, Kiefer Sutherland and James Cosmo (released March
2003).
Rick is also a partner in
the Highland Film Studios. A project he believes will change the face of
the Scottish movie industry by offering film makers professional
facilities with global links.
The studio has already met
with the approval of Hollywood directors Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese
and Francis Ford Coppola.
Other Films to his credit
include ‘A Fish Eye View’ for Channel 4, The Fishmonger (drama), ‘The
Ghost Ships of Scapa Flow’, ‘Shipwrecks of Truk Lagoon’, ‘Through the Key
Hole’ (BBC) and a host of commercial and industrial films.
Roy Davis:
Roy’s been the Managing Director of RDA Associates since 1990.
He was previousily Projects Director with Bovis Construction working on
the Heathrow Expansion project to a total of £60m. He was responsible for
the redevelopment of Harper Collins Publishing’s Hammersmith site with a
project value of around £8m.
In 2002 RDA assisted Dave
Stewart of the Eurythmics in the project management of the fit-out and
design of The Marquee. The first purpose built digitally enabled, live
music venue in the country.
Roy’s also a partner in the
Highland Studios located just outside Inverness. RDA is assisting in the
management consultancy and project management development of the 3 film
studios, multi-media centre, tourist attractions, restaurant, retail
development and 230-bedroom hotel complex.
RDA’s client base is
extensive, working on projects with companies like The Artist Network,
British Airports, Nat West Bank and Tarmac Construction.
As you can see the four men behind SmallTime Productions are diverse
characters but they do share certain passions - Scotland and it’s
heritage.
Their main objective is to
produce Scottish films for an international market of patriots who are
continuing to preserve the heritage of our Scottish forefathers.
They believe that despite
its’ size Scotland has a thousand and one historical stories to tell and a
wealth of courageous, creative and colourful characters to share with the
world.
Their first project ‘In
Search of Robert Burns’ was born out of a desire to reveal the ‘real man’
behind the poetry. Burns the traveller, the nationalist, the
revolutionary thinker, the excise man, the Freemason, the atheist and
‘heaven sent ploughman’. The team achieved this by visiting the places,
which inspired Burns to write. Places like Alloway, Edinburgh, the
Highlands, Killicrankie and Bannockburn. By delving into his relationships
with people like Mary Campbell (Highland Mary), Nellie Kirkpatrick, and
William Fisher (Holy Wullie) they were able to show what compelled Burns
to write.
Future projects for
‘SmallTime Productions’ include ‘In Search of Bonnie Prince Charlie’ with
a soundtrack by Annie Lennox‘, ‘In Search of William Wallace’ and a full
length special effects movie of ‘Tam O’Shanter’.
The dedicated team are also
planning to set up a tartan broadband channel that will screen quality
Scottish programmes.
To get your copy of ‘In Search of Robert Burns’ contact
sales@scotfilms.com
For more information about SmallTime Productions go to
www.scotfilms.com. Or call
01224-637596. |
