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First location shoot for ‘The Screaming skull‘ commenced today at Poltimore house; a house with a long and distinguished history. Indeed it was here in 1646 that the treaty of Exeter was signed which ended the civil war in the south west.

The house, which narrowly missed out on a lottery grant bid in the BBC’s ‘Restoration’ project, is now all but a derelict. For the purpose of the film however, Poltimore will represent the crumbling quarters of the Penraddon estate, whilst period photos kindly sourced by the Trust, will provide backgrounds for earlier sequences.

“As Keith Whedon (friends of Poltimore house) kindly gave me a run down of which areas of the house were safe to film in…and which definitely were not…he pointed out a room at the far end of a dank corridor and calmly told me that it had been the site of a suicide; a doctor had cut his own throat. He then left me alone with my camera…”– Ashley Thorpe

www.poltimore.org

South West based actor Ed Berry has landed the lead in Penny dreadful 3: The Screaming Skull.

Ed  debuted upon the scene last year in the self penned ‘The Parting’ , then followed with a lead in ‘Lost Moments’ and  as support in ‘A Funny affair’, all of which  were performed at Exeter University in May 2007 as part of the Action Drama programme . After his cameo as the cowardly Fop in the Ashley Thorpe Penny Dreadful ‘Scayrecrow‘ Ed performed in a showcase of Absurd Monologues and Duologues in the Northcott Theatre lounge, playing Rosencrantz from ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’ by Tom Stoppard.

Ed recently had this to say:

“It’s been an interesting year; a broke cheating businessman, a coma victim, a gay barman, Rosencrantz, a Fop and now a WW1 solidier! …. if you liked ‘Scayrecrow’ you going to love ‘The Screaming Skull’. Making this film  has been the best thing I’ve done in my brief acting career so far and i cant wait to see the end result. The look of terror i have in my eyes isnt acting but me being scared to move in those damn trousers which only got worse from all the eating and drinking we did in between takes. I only hope after wearing that gear i can still have kids one day who will be able to enjoy ‘The Screaming Skull’ as much as you all will.”

‘The Screaming Skull’ is currently in development and is due for completion October 2008 with screenings aimed for Halloween.

Penny Dreadful 3: Screaming Skull launches into production….

“Horror is the badge of humanity, it is who we are. We are led to believe that the crimes and deeds of wicked men are inhuman. This is falsehood. Atrocity is as human as art or prayer…Between the pen and the page…as night follows day….like the dark face of the upturned stone…Ghosts…are to be expected.” – Ashley Thorpe

Synopsis

Spencer Penraddon returns from the 1st World War to his ancestral home. His sister has succumbed to the blight that has cursed the family since the hall was erected in the 17th century…and symbol of the family curse is the mysterious ‘Screaming Skull’.
Legend has it that the skull belonged to the loyal slave of 18th century Magistrate Azariah Penraddon. Upon his death the slave wished his remains to be returned to the West Indies. But for reasons unknown Azariah did not grant the slave’s final wish and his remains were interred on the edge of the family plot. It was soon after that the disturbances began…
If moved the skull was believed to emit terrifying screams and terrible commotions would sound through the house. As a consequence few have dared to disturb it for fear of the terrors it will unleash.
Spencer however, already reeling from the horrors of the Western front, wishes to be free of the house and its ghosts.
But the ghosts of Penraddon hall are not ready to be put to rest.
As Spencer walks the halls labyrinthine corridors, he is assaulted by horrors; spectres of the past…and a grim epiphany. that perhaps the deepest parts of our hearts really are inherited…

The Penny Dreadful  project has won another bursary award: this time the Digital Animation bursary scheme 2008, funded by Animated Exeter / Exeter city council. The completed film will be premiered at ‘Two short nights’ 2008 and screened as part of Animated Exeter 2009.

The film itself tells the story of Spencer Penraddon, who returns from the trenches of the First World war to confront a family curse, symbolised by a macabre heirloom known as ‘The screaming skull’…

The film is due for completion Halloween 2008…

Project Greenlight Bursary open category award winner ‘Scayrecrow‘, gets top billing tonight as it receives its first screening.

Venue is the Exeter Phoenix arts centre (at the end of Gandy street, Exeter). Screening commences at 8pm. Tickets are £3 (with £2.50 concessions). There is a licensed bar and limited parking facilities.

Box office: 01392-667080

“For anyone who can make it, I would personally love to see you there.” – Ashley Thorpe

Penny Dreadful number 2: The Scayrecrow is now complete (in a festival length edit just under 12 minutes)… and has been handed over to Exeter Phoenix and Devon County council. Screening dates will be posted shortly.

Huge thanks to everyone who has aided its completion; especially Mick Grierson and James Harrod.

Following initial costume shoots and preliminary background work, the following images are available to provide an idea of the finished short. Also included is the first poster design.

From here on in its nose to the grindstone…with November dates set for preliminary edit and sound work with Mick Grierson.

Short teaser trailer now available online (see trailers via film clips). The trailer was created as publicity for the Project Greenlight project and features footage that will not appear in the finished short.

Performers from the Dymchurch ‘Day of Syn’ re-enactment society help out in redcoat and pub tavern cronies duties for ‘Scayrecrow‘. Many thanks to all the people who kindly consented to be photographed in period costume to be used as extras in the animated short. Thanks especially to Heather (who featured on horseback as Dr Syn / Scayrecrow) and whose willingness to gallop up and down the beachfront will aid towards the dramatic chase finale.

www.dymchurchdayofsyn.org.uk/

‘Scayrecrow‘, second short animated film in the Penny Dreadful project, wins the Project Greenlight bursary award.

Co-funded by Exeter Phoenix arts centre and Devon County council, the award aims to allow South West based film makers to  develop and produce a short film which will subsequently be screened at the Exeter Phoenix during 2008.

As with the series first entry ‘The Vampire‘, ‘Scayrecrow’ will be a blend of photographed / roto-scoped images and hand painted cells and backgrounds. Location shooting will be based in Devon and also around Dymchurch, Kent (home of the Thorndike character ‘Dr Syn’). The film itself is a tragic love story, stylistically inspired by Hammer’s output in the early 60’s.