The latest developments at Bright Button Productions.
We're incredibly excited to be part of the judging panel for human traffcking charity Unchosen's short film competition. This competition is both for a great cause and a fantastic way to showcase new filmmaking talent.
The winning films will be used as a key tool in combatting the human trafficking that takes place today in the UK and Ireland and will be screened at a high profile awards ceremony in London. All winning films will embark on a roadshow tour of the UK & Ireland taking in film festivals and multiple other venues nationwide throughout 2014. The overall winner will be given a cash prize and half a day's audio mix time in one of ENVY’s studios.
We will post an update once the winning entries have been selected, in the meantime, click on the Unchosen image to visit their website.
August 2013
June 2013
We've been filming all week at the Chalke Valley History Festival, just outside of Salisbury, for the series of curriculum relevent documentaries we're producing. For more on these, and to view the first three which cover the Tudors, WWI and WWII, click on our 'CVHF' page in the menu above.
The festival is the largest of its kind, dedicated solely to history and showcasing some of the biggest TV and literary names in their series of lectures. Period re-enactors take over the Living History part of the site, with everything from sword-weilding Anglo-Saxons to First World War planes and trenches. Vintage aircraft take to the blue skies over the Chake Valley in the airshow, re-enacting dogfights and creating an impressive spectacle.
To visit CVHF's website, click on their logo above.
News
October 2013
On the 8th of October, we were very excited to attend the Unchosen Human Trafficking Short Film Awards at Rich Mix in London. We'd like to offer a huge congratulations to all the nominated filmmakers, their outstanding talent has impressed people both in the film and human trafficking charity spheres. We were able to chat to some of the filmmakers after the awards, and will upload videos soon.
The overall winning film was 'The Trip', directed by Prano Bailey-Bond, a moving and effective drama depicting life for victims of forced labour in the UK. Other award-winners included Li-Da Kruger's 'Let's talk about Sex', 'Katerina' by Anya Krasnikova, 'My Name is Georgina' by Michael Holley and 'Georgina' by Matthew Howsam. For a full list of nominees, take a look at Unchosen's website.
All the nominated films will now embark on a tour of the UK to help raise awareness of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labour and domestic servitude.
Unchosen Human Trafficking Short Film Awards
Unchosen Human Trafficking Short Film Competition 2013
Filming at the Chalke Valley History Festival
Boat Building with BW Seacat
We've been busy filming the incredible process of building a modern fishing catamaran at Fareham's Wicor Marina with BW Seacat. This will form part of a documentary in development based around coastal industries. Links to films and further information to follow!
November 2013
Documentaries to promote Dorset businesses
We love Dorset, it’s our home and where our business is based. Being a part of Dorset’s close knit community, helping to promote local businesses and arts is very important to us. For that reason, we’re launching a web video service especially for Dorset based companies and organisations, flexibly priced to suit your budget.
Video content on your website or social media feeds instantly adds another dimension to your business, making you seem more accessible and offering the opportunity to showcase your events, produce or people at their best! We don’t make adverts, we make documentaries, so what we can do for you is bring your business to life, highlight the human angle and show the world, your clients and customers, what it is you do. If you have an idea for a promotional film, or are intrigued to see what we come up with for you, just give us a call or email – we’d be very happy to hear from you!
freya@brightbuttonproductions.com / 07920 795 561
The Bright Button team are working on an exciting new documentary about the Normandy invasion of WWII for BBC 2. Providing production services for Maya Vision International, Bright Button’s Aaron Young will produce and direct, with Freya Eden-Ellis also on board as associate producer. The documentary, presented by writer and historian James Holland, will look at the whole operation from top to bottom, interrogating the tactical, operational and strategic layers of the invasion. The story will go much further than D-Day, examining how and why the Allies pushed forward into France in their bid for Berlin. More info to follow...
New documentary for BBC 2
January 2014
We’ve been filming with a genuine WWII Sherman tank and field gun and will be firing a Bren gun and an MG42 on the ranges at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham this month. Some exciting scenes analysing the Allied and Axis artillery and tactics for the Normandy documentary already in the can! The crew are going to Normandy in April to finish the shoot before heading into the edit. Watch this space for updates and news of broadcast dates.
Bright Button has also started production on two short commemorative documentaries for the local community, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The first of these films shoots later this month, and will bring to life the camp used by US soldiers prior to D-Day, situated in the village of Broadmayne. The second film will follow the village in its preparations for a huge commemorative event in June and explore its history and association with the D-Day invasion.
Tanks, guns and commemoration
March 2014
April 2014
In the news...
While on set with the re-enactors taking part in our Heritage Lottery Funded short documentary, which explores the village of Broadmayne's role in the D-Day preparations, we had a visit from the Dorset Echo. To read the full article, click on the PDF link.
Photo: Dorset Echo
May 2014
'Normandy '44: The Battle Beyond D-Day'
9:30pm, Friday 6th June, BBC TWO
The Bright Button team has been busy providing production services on a new one hour documentary for BBC TWO produced by Maya Vision International. Bright Button's Aaron Young has produced and directed, with Freya Eden-Ellis as Associate Producer.
As veterans gather to relive one of the turning points of the Second World War, historian James Holland moves beyond the D-Day beaches to reassess the brutal 77-day battle for Normandy that followed the invasion.
Challenging some of the many myths that have grown up around this vital campaign, Holland argues that we have become too comfortable in our understanding of events, developing shorthand to tell this famous story that does great injustice to those that saw action in France across the summer of 1944.
Including perspectives from those who fought on both sides, Holland examines not only the nature of the fighting and the higher aims of the campaign, but also the operational level - the nuts and bolts - and in so doing reveals the true complexity of this bitter and bloody battle.
This story is about the challenge for both sides to adapt to conditions in a campaign of carnage that has rarely been acknowledged.
More than just well trodden tales of heroic struggle, it is also the story of two competing military doctrines: one ill-prepared for the organisational demands of a long battle, the other in the process of building the greatest military machine ever seen.
Click on the PDF to see a compilation of press for 'Normandy '44: The Battle Beyond D-Day' and visit the BBC's programme site for more information and a gallery of images.
'Broadmayne: The Days Before D-Day' tells the story of Broadmayne's role in WWII history when this village of a few hundred people became a marshalling camp for 3000 US troops in the run up to D-Day.
You can learn more about Broadmayne and the wider Normandy Campaign at BroadmayneD5.info and can follow them on Twitter @BroadmayneD5 and Facebook.
On Saturday 21st of June the village will be holding a huge 1940s themed event with Living history re-enactors, a traditional village fete, a 1940s dance and much more. Take a look at their website for more information, check out our film and keep an eye out for the next one which will follow the village's transformation back into Camp D5 for the weekend!
'Broadmayne: The Days Before D-Day'
June 2014
We've been working with the Broadmayne WW2 Society to make two short films commemorating the incredible heritage of this rural village in Dorset. Funded by the Heritage Lottery, the first of these films is now available online via our home page or Vimeo site.
We’re excited to be in pre-production on a series of ten films for BBC Learning. The films will be made for the BBC's Bitesize revision website and will feature some fantastic musicians analysing their lyrics and performance as a way of exploring English language skills. Combining interviews with the artists intercut with live performance footage, we'll create a relevent, fun and accesible way into understanding topics including poetry, contemporary and pre-1914 fiction, stagecraft, scriptwriting, sentence structure, debate, re-drafting, and persuasive writing.
Filming will commence in early January and the films will be online for the spring. We’ll be posting regular updates and photos as we go… so keep checking in here, on our Twitter feed and Facebook page.
BBC Learning English Language Films
November 2014
Excited to announce we're filming with two uber talented musicians next week for our BBC Learning films. The first is Double S, a rapper and MC, also part of three piece grime/urban/hip hop group Marvell. He'll be performing and talking to us in interview about how he writes and performs his music. Also featuring Marvell member Shocka and DJ En-ay.
We're also filming with the wonderful Jem Cooke, a beautiful voice and huge talent. She'll perform some of her music with musician and composer Dave Cooke, and give us an insight into her writing... watch this space for behind the scenes videos, photos and updates!
Filming with Musicians Jem Cooke and Double S
December 2014
Happy New Year! It may be bleak and rainy, but we're about to transport you back to a glorious summer day in June last year. Our second Heritage Lottery Funded film for the community at Broadmayne D5 is finally here. Broadmayne D5: The Return to 1944 is a joyful look at the villagers of Broadmayne as we follow them through a weekend of events commemorating their history as a D-Day camp for 3000 US soldiers in 1944. Think sunshine, a very English West Country village, bunting, vintage clothes, ice creams, coconut shys, lots of beer and dancing...and a banjo. You can watch it on our Work page, or via Vimeo. Enjoy and remember those that fought against oppression and defended our freedom during WWII.
New Year, New Video! Broadmayne D5: Return to 1944
January 2015
Filming with country rock duo Pickering White
We kick off filming for our series of BBC Learning English Language revision films this week with musicians Double S and Jem Cooke, (see our December 2014 update), and we're very excited to add Staffordshire based blues/country rock duo Pickering White to our line up! Just like the others, they will be talking to us about how they perform and write lyrics, as well as playing us a few of their songs. Keep checking in for more info and behind the scenes videos as filming commences in the next few days...
