Postproduction on James enters its final phase this week, following a very productive meeting with the project’s composer, Tom Kinsella, on Saturday. The directorial team have already set out their timetable for completion of the audio to the film – including several hundred sound effects, a fresh dialogue track and the original score – and are spending the next few days finding reference material for a soundscape to complement the allusions made to John Barry’s original Bond masterpiece.

Elsewhere on the production, final editorial notes on key pickup shots and the overall colour grade of the film await discussion with the team’s London-based editor Ashley Hughes. Two sets of posters – a teaser for the colleagues of the Keble College-based novice cast and a professional design for general release – go to print in just over a fortnight, as the group fits the final stages of the film around university examinations.

The first screening – and an accompanying party – is set for Wednesday 17th June.

After a second extended editing session with Ashley Hughes of ARTHAUS, the team are delighted to have reached picture lock on their edit of James, the forthcoming Oxford-based short tracing the early steps of one of English fiction’s greatest heroes. With director Lily Taylor close to confirming a composer for the project’s original score, and work beginning on the audio mix in the coming weeks, excitement is building amongst the members the dozen-strong team. Starring eight completely novice actors – including both leads – and with no budget to speak of, James is a triumph for advocates of the innovation needed for success in low-budget independent filmmaking.

A meeting to set a final screening date is scheduled for later this week – check back here for more news soon.

With 250 shots since work began on James in December, the early hours of this morning saw the team wrap on principal photography outside Keble College, Oxford. A second editing session tomorrow gives director Lily Taylor (Jerusalem) and producer Andrew Hall another chance to collaborate with long-time friend Ashley Hughes from ARTHAUS in steering the project through postproduction. There are still many challenges facing the team, including the ambitious proposal for an original score, drawing on some of John Barry’s iconic music, the colouring process, and the recording of dialogue and ambient sounds to bring the film to life in all regards.

The launch of posters, a trailer and promotional stills in the coming weeks keeps the excitement high as the team discuss venue options for their premiere, their planned route into the festival circuit, and future projects. Keep an eye out for updates soon!

Working alongside Ashley Hughes of ARTHAUS, director Lily Taylor and DP/producer Andrew Hall headed to London this weekend to begin the editing process on James. This marks a crucial step in the eight-week schedule for postproduction on the film, which begins with a picture edit before being sent to the project’s composer and sound technician for their input, and returning to Ashley’s studio for a final cut and colour work. A second weekend of editing, later in February, sees the team gathered again for their second session in piecing together the 220 shots captured on location across Oxford, and visual previews will be released along the way.

As always, watch this space for updates. Marketing materials and screenshots from the cutting room are on their way.

Completing their most challenging outdoor shoot for the project, a tense encounter between lead actor Jake Palmer and Leo Donnachie, pictured above, the James team are proud to have their 200th shot in the can. Progress is moving quickly, with just two more shoots remaining, before work on a visual edit and the film’s unique soundtrack begins at the end of the month. Watch this space.

Wednesday afternoon sees the James team of Lily Taylor, Andrew Hall, lead actor Jake Palmer and co-star Luke Martin resume shooting in the beautiful surroundings of Keble College, Oxford. Following the story of Ian Fleming’s eponymous James Bond in his humble beginnings at university, work on the short film this week includes the group’s first experience shooting a fight scene. With a cast entirely comprised of newcomers to acting, performances this far have been impressive, and the group expands this week with the addition of Leo Donnachie, as discussion also continues with editor Ashley Hughes (founder at ARTHAUS) and potential composers for the film.

James stars Jake Palmer, Luke Martin, Esther Hodges, Georgina Ndukwe, Ollie Robinson, Josh O’Shaughnessy, Leo Donnachie and Roisin Swords-Kieley, directed by Lily Taylor. A cast photoshoot is scheduled for the coming days, so watch this space for publicity materials and the film’s official trailer, coming later this spring.