Norwich film-makers in internet debut

The three stars of Tempting Fates - Lisa McDonald (Chloe), susanna Fiore (La) and Reena Lalbinari (Attie).

JON WELCH
18 October 2009 07:48



A city-based production company has bypassed the TV networks to broadcast its own drama series on the web.

Tempting Fates is a black comedy aimed at 16- to 34-year-olds, made by Red Eye Pictures and shot at City College Norwich and in Lowestoft.

Based on Greek mythology, it tells the story of three apprentice fates, attractive young women sent to Earth by the gods to control the fortunes of ordinary mortals and kill them in ever more inventive ways.

The show, described as "a kind of celestial Big Brother meets The Apprentice", will be screened over eight weeks in 40 segments of about five minutes each, but not on conventional TV.

Viewers can watch it for free online, and it will be shown on student TV network Freewire. Extra material is also being generated on websites YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Three other websites are dedicated to the show, allowing viewers to learn more about the characters, blog with them and even help create interactive games.

The series, which teamed professional actors and film-makers with student volunteers, was all shot in the East of England. City College Norwich provided not only the main location but several members of the crew, post-production edit suites and accommodation.

Other locations included Asda in Lowestoft and Epic Studios in Magdalen Street, Norwich, where Red Eye Pictures is based.

Series producer and director Frank Prendergast said he had found the whole process refreshing. "We've taken a group of graduate students, teamed them up with a small core group of professional writers, crew and actors and produced four one-hour dramas in a matter of months.

"By working with the cast to shoot the majority of the series themselves and breaking each hour-long episode into 10 segments, we've got a drama series that will play out to its audience over an eight-week period."

The programme was made for a budget of £186,000, with funding coming from Screen East, a private investor and Red Eye's sister company Eye Film and TV.

Executive producer Charlie Gauvain said putting the

drama online was a response

to cutbacks in TV drama programming.

"We're very passionate about drama but there's a limited market in terms of the number of companies that let you do it," he said. "We have to be even more inventive in the way we shoot and produce shows. I don't think putting it online harms the series at all. Broadcasters are searching for a way to make cheaper drama."

Mr Gauvain said he hoped the series would become a word-of-mouth hit and that it would be watched by 50,000 or more people, ultimately attracting commercial sponsors.

"We're going live to prove a point. Is this the way the future's going? Nobody's sure how this type of show can make money, so we're aiming to find out," he said.

"The first series is quite fun and relatively light. The cast are great, and moving it forward we'd like to get bolder and darker. We have been talking to a number of big players, including MSN and Virgin, about running it on their portals.

"The way people watch TV, and will watch in the future, is changing. Kids are already watching something on the computer, while doing something else and texting at the same time. They seem capable of consuming an awful lot more."

Ü Tempting Fates can be seen from Monday at www.temptingfates.com. You can watch an online trailer (which contains adult language) at http://tinyurl.com/yg3zk59

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