From today's evening telegraph (26-9-08) -
Young film-maker premieres at national film festival
From Zero to a film-making hero
By Ed O'Mara, Chief Reporter
AN ASPIRING young director from Peterborough has earned
a boost for his budding career after his "diabolical" movie
was selected for a national film festival.
Prolific film-maker Michael Watson (17) from Farcet, will see his latest work Zero Hour – a special-effects laden action short about a battle with the devil – premiered at the National Media Museum in Bradford next month.
The Co-operative Young Film-makers Festival helped launch the career of Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright, and Michael hopes it could provide a similar springboard into the movie industry for himself.
He said: "It's great news for me because it isn't easy to get your films shown at a national festival. I submitted a film to the same festival two years ago but was rejected so it's a personal ambition fulfilled for me.
"Any chance to get your work shown and to get involved with industry professionals will really help my portfolio and, hopefully, help get me noticed by other film-makers.
"
Michael fell in love with movie-making after creating a short film sequence for his GCSE art studies at Stanground College.
To view Michael's film for yourself, visit http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP3Y9ODB6S096bWZndEk=
Now studying A-levels at New College, Stamford, and hoping to take a course in film production at university, he has become a prolific director – posting 89 videos, including 21 short films on YouTube.
He enlisted friends Liam Dunne and Sara Plumb to star in Zero Hour, a six-minute film shot at Crown Lakes country park near his home.
Inspired by the supernatural thriller Constantine, which stars Keanu Reeves, it tells the story of an action hero battling the forces of evil to avert an apocalypse.
Michael admits the movie is "not his best work" but the special effects – including computer-generated lightning bolts, gunfire and ghostly apparitions – ensured it was the most challenging.
Now his dedication has paid off and the teenager is thrilled his film has been chosen as one of 100 to be shown at the two-day festival starting on Friday, October 10.
"Film-making is something I really enjoy and something I'd love to make a career out of," said Michael, who lists Ridley Scott and Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson among his key influences.
"It's not like a normal, boring desk job – there's a certain escapism to it. For me it means I can have fun doing what I love doing but have an excuse for it."
