Filmumentaries | Ultimate 'Making Of' Documentaries By Jamie Benning

04/05/2012
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Film Festival

There’s nothing quite like hearing your film is part of the Phoenix Comicon Film Festival Official Selection to lift your spirits when you’re stuck at home with a virus.

It appears I’ve been incubating the Rubella virus for a few weeks since my journey back from Shanghai. Today is the forth day I’ve been shut in at home feeling pretty bloody awful. But this morning’s news that Raiding the Lost Ark is part of the Phoenix Comicon Film Festival Official Selection has really raised by spirits.

The film will be shown on 24th May at 6:30pm.

20/02/2012
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Inside Jaws, A Filmumentary

Today marks the first proper day of research, planning and pre-production on my new Jaws Filmumentary. The title is yet to be set, but I quite like “Inside Jaws, A Filmumentary”.

Tonight I am chatting on Skype with Jaws collector extraordinaire Jim Bellar. There is much to talk about the hugely documented movie. I want to make sure there is something new and exciting that I can do with a Jaws filmumentary. Its all a little daunting at this stage.

I am simultaneously reading Matt Taylor and Jim Bellar’s book “Memories from Martha’s Vineyard”, Carl Gottlieb’s “The Jaws Log” and three different versions of the script. This morning I logged the 50 minute version of “The Making of Jaws” on the anniversary DVD.

James B, who did animations on “Raiding the Lost Ark” is back on board too. Hopefully this will come together nicely!

13/02/2012
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DSLR Specialist Philip Bloom Comments on Raiding

I was amazed to find a tweet from Philip Bloom when I awoke this morning. If you don’t know Philip, he is an amazing filmmaker and has been at the forefront of using DSLRs to shoot gorgeous videos. He was recently hired by Lucasfilm Ltd to shoot with DSLRs on Red Tails.

Check out his lovely video of Skywalker Ranch below.

Skywalker Ranch from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

10/02/2012
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Raiding on NPR with comments from BBC, Web and Hollywood.

Thanks to the wonderful Beth Accomando (@cinebeth on Twitter) of San Diego’s KPBS, there is a piece about me and my filmumentaries on NPR this morning. The BBC Radio Film Programme presenter, Francine Stock along with online movie review guru Scott Weinberg also kindly talk about my projects.

The NPR site also has a very kind comment from Sam Longoria, a Hollywood producer.
I am yet to hear the full radio piece. It comes online at 2pm GMT, so I shall be checking it out in about 30 minutes.

TPM 3D Multimedia Premiere

09/02/2012 by filmumentaries | 2 Comments

Well, I was invited as a “plus one” by my pal Matt. And I thought it would be a good opportunity to hand out some promotional material for my filmumentaries. Is that enough justification? I am sad to say that the film has not aged well. The plot still incomprehensible. The characters are barely 2D. The dialogue is cringworthy. Basically, unlike a good cheese or wine, TPM has not matured over time. I actually left after the podrace, which I always thought was the best bit. It’s really not.

The best part of the evening was the the fun in the foyer.

DVD Design Cover By Grant Doyle

07/02/2012 by filmumentaries | 1 Comment

An old contact of mine, Grant Doyle, who created some wonderful Star Wars DVD covers for my personal DVD copies, has done a great job for Raiding the Lost Ark.

Please remember, I do not and will never sell DVD copies of these films. So please do not ask me. These are non profit making projects that I’ve made available on streaming online sites.

Take a look at his work below.

If you can’t see the gallery on your device, click this link to view it on Flickr.

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Creation of a Poster

07/02/2012 by filmumentaries | 0 comments

As you will know, my pal Pete Starling created a wonderful illustrated poster for Raiding the Lost Ark. In the gallery below, I’ve included some of his amazing concept art, which he was kind enough to give me last night (when he also presented me with a framed poster). Pete’s talent is just like magic to me!

If you can’t view the gallery on your device, click here to view on flickr.

06/02/2012
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Pete Poster Presentation

Friend of mine and wonderfully talented illustrator, Pete Starling (of Electrographica), presented me with my very own framed original of his fantastic Raiding poster design tonight. I was so humbled by his kind gesture, I really didn’t know what to say. I know one thing for sure though, this will be the first thing I hang up in the new house.

Raiding The Lost Ark Released!

03/02/2012 by filmumentaries | 7 Comments

4th February 2011,

RAIDING THE LOST ARK, A FILMUMENTARY

After the success of Star Wars Begins, filmmaker Jamie Benning embarked upon a new adventure. This time turning his attention to the first film in the Indiana Jones Trilogy (yes, trilogy!). Raiding the Lost Ark, A Filmumentary is the culmination eight months of reading, trawling, interviewing and editing. This time Jamie has sourced some of the interviews himself, with contributors from Wolf Kahler (Colonel Dietrich), Brian Muir (legendary sculptor), Mark Mangini (part of the Oscar winning sound team) and most surprisingly Sean Young (talking about her audition for the part of Marion Ravenwood). Raiding is available for your viewing pleasure on Vimeo from 4th February 2012.”

Raiding Poster Artwork

02/02/2012 by filmumentaries | 0 comments

No less than three fantastic artists have created artwork for Raiding the Lost Ark. Peter Starling of Electrographica created several graphical illustrations depicting combinations of Indy, George, Steven, Marion and even little old me! I’ve included a shot of the final poster below along with some of Pete’s early concept sketches.

Martin Schlierkamp , a German artist of amazing photorealistic renderings offered to make me a poster to fit with, not only his style, but the style of the period in which Raiders was released. Martin’s ability to capture likenesses is incredible as I think you’ll agree. Watch out Drew Struzan!

TokyoSexWhale (@tokyo_sexwhale), an artist that I chanced across on Twitter, thanks to his wicked sense of humour, was also gracious enough to ply his trade to the subject of my filmumentary. What he produced has had me laughing for days. I never dreamed that one day, my head would be depicted as the rolling boulder from the opening sequence of Raiders. Lets face it, why would I!

I shall be displaying work from all three artists on my home walls very soon.

If you can’t see the gallery – hit this link.

Its a Wrap. Raiding is Complete!

31/01/2012 by filmumentaries | 0 comments

Tonight I rendered the final timeline for Raiding the Lost Ark. This part of the adventure is over for me. You will be able to see the completed product on 6th February 2012, on Vimeo.com Until then, below are a few photos to whet your appetite.

If you can’t see the gallery, click this link.

This gallery contains 14 photos

24/01/2012
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Lunch With Film Royalty

As you know, I recently contacted Michael Ford, the twice Oscar winning Set Decorator, to talk about his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark. He kindly invited me to lunch to have chat. Yesterday I met not only with Michael but with other members of film royalty, his close friends.

Opposite me was Tom Priestly, the editor of Deliverance. Next to him was Peter Lamont, a veteran of eighteen Bond movies, plus two actors and a film construction manager. The name dropping, whilst normal for them, was absolutely fascinating to me. Stories with the names like Dahl, Connery, Barry, Ford, Williams and Loren were flowing easily. An amazing way to spend my afternoon. I don’t think I’ll end up interviewing Michael, as I hope to release Raiding on the 6th Feb. But he has invited me back to look through his film albums. I’ll definitely be taking him up on his offer.