Summer Diary’s 2012 Men On Tumblr Calendar (by Summer Diary Project)
pre-order @ summerdiary.storenvy.com
Our SDP 2012 CALENDAR Pre-Order Sale Ends Midnight Tonite with a Cyber Monday Special Bonus!
Introducing Summer Diary’s MEN ON TUMBLR 2012 Calendar (via SDP Online Store)
SDP WOLFPACK! Photo Trading Cards Giveaway // Enter to win a set of 4 WOLFPACK! photo prints of Scooter LaForge, Walt Cessna & Krys Fox.
Just REBLOG THIS POST to enter - Winner chosen at random & announced Monday, October 24
Visit the Summer Diary Online Shop for these and more items from SDP
PACK 1 | PACK 2 | PACK 3 | PACK 4 | SCRAPBOOK
Follow the WOLFPACK! artists on Tumblr:
Scooter LaForge | Walt Cessna | Krys Fox | Topher McCulloch | Devin Elijah
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SDP POSTER GIVEAWAY
REBLOG THIS POST to enter to win our double-sided 11x17 color poster from SDP’s WANDERLUST issue, featuring Tim O’Brien by Martin Korben and Quinnford + Scout.
5 winners will be chosen at random & announced on Monday, October 24th … Good Luck!
to purchase Summer Diary WANDERLUST:
> PRINT (small quantity now available)
> DIGITAL (iPad/iPhone/PC/Mac & most devices)
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just out in this week’s issue of triCityNews …
TCN editor Steven Froias graciously shared his weekly Rainbow Room column with myself & Summer Diary Project, as ‘Weekend’ releases nationwide … including a special one day showing here in Asbury Park this Sunday as part of our fave local theatre The ShowRoom hosts it’s 2nd Annual AP IndieFest.
click here to read the full TCN article online or pick up a copy this week anywhere in the Red Bank / Long Branch / Asbury Park NJ area …
visit the SDP homepage @ summerdiaryproject.com for links to all things WEEKEND from Summer Diary.
The Summer Diary Project. Follow us on Facebook + Twitter @summer_diary
One
weekday to go before the US release which is both exciting and scary.These are the latest dates and cities. Spread the word, loud and proud…
INTERVIEW: Setting the Tone for “WEEKEND”
with Colin Quinn, Oisín Share and Director Andrew Haigh
by Billy Mecca, Beachcruiser Media
[Originally published March 2011 in Summer Diary Magazine Issue 1 Wanderlust]
Andrew Haigh’s latest film WEEKEND is an honest portrayal of a one night stand that becomes something more - an unconventional love story between two young men trying to make sense of their lives.
In March, WEEKEND had it’s World Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, where the film was one of the most talked about breakout films. It won the coveted Audience Award in the Emerging Visions program and has just been picked up by Sundance Selects for both theatrical & video-on-demand release.
Thrilled as I am for Andrew and everyone involved with the film, I can’t say I’m surprised. Early on in WEEKEND’s development, a collaboration emerged with the ever fantastic Colin Quinn & Oisín Share of Quinnford + Scout, and their photography style helped Andrew realize the true-to-life, intimate visual style of the film. This artistic combination of Q+S with Andrew’s keen directing and master editing background was a strong one for success!
I spoke with the guys back in January while the film was just finished being edited by Andrew and Q+S were getting their on-set still photos back from the lab…
ANDREW, WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE AND TELL THIS STORY?
In it’s simplest terms I just wanted to tell a realistic love story between two guys. Alongside this I wanted to explore the ongoing struggle that comes from trying to live honestly and openly, authentically, when there is such pressure from the world to conform in all kinds of ways.
YOU’VE DESCRIBED WEEKEND AS A (SORT OF) LOVE STORY…HONEST, UNAPOLOGETIC…
I’m always frustrated with depictions of being gay on the screen and I wanted to address that. It seems so far removed from how I see the world or feel about being gay. I didn’t want to shy away from aspects of what gay people do and say or water things down in the hope that straight people will come and see it but at the same time I didn’t want to fall down the route of this becoming just a ‘gay film’. The tricky thing is tempting the straights to watch it. They will go and see films about fucking vampires or women being raped but a film about two men kissing seems to be another matter.
WHILE WE’RE ON THE SUBJECT…SINCE THEIR WEEKEND “BEGAN WITH A ONE NIGHT STAND”, I’D EXPECT THERE ARE SEX SCENES. HOW EXPLICIT DID YOU DECIDE TO TAKE THINGS?
Yes, there are sex scenes and I would say they are honest rather than overly explicit. You don’t have to show erections for it to feel real. It was also vital to me that the sex is seen as equal in importance to other elements of the characters relationship. This is something you see in Quinnford + Scout’s photos. Spunk on a stomach is as important as having a coffee in bed. It is often the mundane elements of our lives that say the most about us.
SO THIS IS NOT AN “ART MEETS PORN” STYLE FILM, LIKE TRAVIS MATTHEWS “I WANT YOUR LOVE” AND OTHERS WE’VE SEEN RECENTLY?
I like what Travis Matthews does and I think it’s really interesting. The only problem with explicit sex in a film is that it tends to over shadow everything else in it. I had that problem with my last film Greek Pete. Almost all the reviewers (straight men most of them) got wrapped up talking about the sex scenes. Toby Young in ‘The Times’ opened his review by saying ‘it’s basically a porn film’ which the film clearly isn’t.
TELL ME ABOUT THE DP & THE FILM’S PRODUCTION…
We had the lovely Ula Pontikos as Director of Photography. She has a really natural unforced style that was perfect for the film. We shot on the Canon 5D which essentially a stills camera that shoots HD video. We shot for three very hectic weeks with an amazing crew of only about 10. It went remarkably smoothly mainly due to good organisation that had nothing to do with me! The budget was under £100,000 which seems like a lot of money but it doesn’t go that far.
WHY’D YOU CHOOSE NOTTINGHAM AS YOUR LOCATION AND WHAT TYPES OF VENUES & SETS DID YOU USE?
We shot in Nottingham mainly because we got money from the regional screen agency up there but also I wanted to shoot somewhere that wasn’t the supposed liberal haven of London. Being openly gay in Nottingham is different than hanging out in Vauxhall and that was important. In terms of shooting we tried to be as authentic as we could filming in a gay club, in the streets, at the fair etc. All the locations were real and nothing was a built set. We basically spent three weeks crammed into in a tiny flat.
YOU MENTIONED BEING INSPIRED BY THE BRILLIANT FILM “SATURDAY NIGHT & SUNDAY MORNING”, WHICH I WATCHED (TWICE) AT YOUR SUGGESTION AND THOROUGHLY ENJOYED. WHAT ELSE SHAPED WEEKEND?
I love that film in it’s sentiment and it was shot in Nottingham as well. My other infuences mainly come from US films and those that fit into the term ‘neo-realist’ - the likes of Kelly Reichardt who made ‘Old Joy’ and ‘Wendy and Lucy’. Gus Van Sant also always hovers somewhere in my mind when I’m thinking about how to approach a film.
AT FIRST GLANCE IT SEEMED THAT WEEKEND MIGHT BE BASED ON COLIN AND OISIN OF Q+S, BUT…
ANDREW: The story is not based on their lives at all but their work fits into what i wanted to achieve with the film, which is to give a fresh perspective on being gay and relationships.
OISÍN: We actually saw more in common between Andrew’s life and the storyline! But don’t tell him we said that. Whilst so much of their story looked from the outset so similar to ours, their story is as unique as any other couple. We saw so much in the sets and felt a lot in common with the scenes, which was at times a crazy feeling. There were big parts of their lifestyles, such as unsupportive friends or drugs or lifeguard jobs that didn’t match up. I guess it leaves room for a Q+S documentary! [laughs]
YOU’VE SAID FROM THE START ANDREW THE PHOTOS OF Q + S HAVE SET THE TONE FOR THE FILM’S ART DIRECTION AND PHOTOGRAPHY. IN WHAT WAYS?
ANDREW: Visually I love their work in terms of the intimacy that you feel when looking at their photos, it’s as if you’ve been invited into their house and allowed to spy on them. There is a poetry to their photos as well but it never feels forced or posed. Everything feels authentic and tender.
OISÍN: We had to think about this a lot, to make sure we did our work right. Qualities such as accessibility, a manual voyeurism alongside strong colour, unpredictable atmospheres and honest sexual scenes were what we highlighted as being suitable.
SO, HOW DO YOU ALL KNOW EACH OTHER & HOW’D THIS COLLABORATION COME ABOUT?
COLIN: We first came into contact with Andy, Andrews boyfriend, when he bought a few of our prints almost a year ago. From what we remember, Andy was buying the prints for Andrew’s Birthday, apparently Quinnford + Scout were no secret in their household. In fact, I actually sent Andy a wrong print and he was such a gent about the whole thing!
ANDREW: I contacted the boys while writing the film just really to tell them how much I liked their work and ask if I could use their photos as a way to express the tone of the film to potential investors. From there we met up and began to talk about collaborating on the flm.
COLIN: It was in April that we met in Hoxton Square in London and had an incredible picnic! A picnic so great we still look back on that food and smile.
COLIN & OIS, HAVE YOU WORKED ON A FILM SET BEFORE?
OISÍN: I have a strange history of vague extra work in small budget Irish things as a teenager, but this was thefirst one I was actually more than just a blurry shape in the background for! It was intimidating at first as we had no idea what to expect from the sets or crew. I had many images of us crashing through lighting or eating some props by mistake. Luckily there weren’t (too many) incidents.
COLIN: No, I’ve never had a professional role amongst so many other people all doing their own thing.
ANDREW: Having them on set was a delight. They became everyone’s favourites as they lurked in corners popping out with their cameras.
HAHAHA ANDREW, I CAN JUST SEE YOU BOYS… HOW DID YOU APPROACH TAKING THE STILLS? DID YOU APPLY THE SAME PROCESS IN SHOOTING AS IN YOUR Q+S WORK?
COLIN: We tried not to get in the way too often, but when we needed to, we would step in and ask Chris & Tom to run through their scene again for us. When we fell into the habit of taking more Q+S type shots they would tend to include the crew, and lots of Andrew too, so doing things that way didn’t produce many usable stills for the feature. We had to focus on photographing Chris & Tom from the perspectives of their relationship which quickly became great fun. It was challenging, and baffling, I would have slept easier if one of the characters in the film actually carried a camera.
OISÍN: Many times, I got to take photos I had taken of Colin in the past but with two men in the viewfinder, with Colin taking a different angle. it was incredible, and upon seeing the results it was almost like we’d outdone ourselves! The photos blew me away and it was hard to remind myself that I was looking at an imagined couple. But I guess that’s it, we brought along a ‘couple’ sensibility and got to use our instincts, but simultaneously!
HOW ARE THESE SHOTS DIFFERENT FROM QUINNFORD + SCOUT’S?
COLIN: They aren’t, but that was the best part. I forget so easily though, just how difficult it is to take a photograph of somebody other than Oisin. We’ve become so used to it, not that Chris & Tom weren’t used to having a camera in their faces, but my taking up their time while they posed was intimate and something Oisin and I usually only share with one another. Shooting in the bedroom really brought our the voyeurs in both of us, which was really unexpected. As Tom wasn’t used to such intimacy with another man, we sometimes had to do some retrospectively hilarious art direction. If we ourselves had a physical reaction to the finished result, then we knew we were going about it right!
If we had had more time on-set we would have captured a greater variety, so in this way it’s different from Q+S… it’s already over, but who knows what I’m going to photograph Oisin doing tomorrow.
WERE COLIN & OIS INVOLVED IN THE STORYLINE OR CASTING?
COLIN: No, we weren’t, but had we been I don’t think the production company would have seen it through to the end. But we joked more than once with Andrew, offering our very own acting abilities, I’m glad Andrew saw through that idea! He did manage to find us a role in the film, playing a couple, we struggled with that concept so I hope his kind gesture doesn’t let that particular scene down! Chris & Tom were astounding both on and off set so Andrew really made all the right choices. He said they were attractive before we booked the train tickets to Nottingham.
ANDREW: There is some similarity but I think that is more down to me liking scruffy boys with beards rather than the casting being influenced by Q+S. The actors in the film, Tom Cullen and Chris New, were great and did an amazing job. They have a really good chemistry together which was essential for the film to work. I did however have to order them to not didn’t shave for a while or get rid of any chest hair.
I CAN DEFINITELY SEE SOME SIMILARITIES IN THE BEDROOM/APARTMENT SHOTS. WERE THERE ANY TIMES YOU FELT YOU WERE WATCHING MOMENTS FROM YOUR LIVES?
COLIN: It didn’t feel like that at all, not to me anyway; Oisin?
OISÍN: The ending had a lot of emotion that I really thought was hacked out of my mind. But I wont give anything away or Andrew will kill me. I did also start to think the kitchen that was so, so, so like our own, down to the smallest details, was indeed ours. I’ve already menioned eating the props…
COLIN: We have many more dull moments in our place than I got to witness on set, and being surrounded by heaps of lovely people was something we don’t have much of at home in Manchester either.
WHEN COLIN AND I FIRST SPOKE ABOUT DOING THIS INTERVIEW, HE DESCRIBED TO ME A SPECIAL BONDING…THAT THE FILMING EXPERIENCE WENT BEYOND WHAT YOU NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH…..
ANDREW: I think that’s true and for me it’s incredibly important. My producer and I spent a lot of time trying to get a really good group of people together. Making a film can be a hideous experience if people don’t get on. Film sets have such strict hierarchy that it can be really depressing so we did what we could to break that down. Everyone is working so hard and for so little that the least we can do is try and make it enjoyable for everyone. Plus you have to remember that you are only making a film, you’re not saving babies, so you need to lighten up a little bit.
OISÍN: It could have been the cocktails but many tears were shed upon the wrap in Nottingham. Even though we were only on set for about a third of the filming, it was nice having a role capturing not only the stills but the beautiful behind-the-scenes moments all along side it. We were surrounded so often by a big group of hard working, enthusiastic people who admired our photos quite a lot and that was something we’d never experienced before. Our relationship with Chris and Tom was one that was hard to come away from, and it was even harder to stop photographing them. There were many times photos of them together off-scene were just as touching as those on set. We miss everyone!
COLIN: We really carried this thing off on professional terms though it turned into something astounding, the feelings shared in such short space of time was epic, between ourselves and the cast and crew. It really came into it’s very own and I’ll never forget Andrew for inviting us into that.
ANY ANECDOTES FROM ON SET GUYS?
OISÍN: Ha! So many. I particularly liked that during the stills photographing of the the ‘post sex’ scene, us and two other gays were standing around Tom deliberating as to whether the ‘cum’ should be more on his chest or on his stomach. It was a new thing to be called in as an expert for! I’m not sure how the rest of the crew felt during those moments – I’m guessing awkward.
HAVE YOU KEPT IN TOUCH WITH ANY CAST & CREW YOU MET?
OISÍN: We harass Andrew on what seems like a weekly basis about something or other. We should really tone that down, but not before we sit next to him by the fire in Norwich and go on that promised beach walk. Aside from that, we luckily got to meet up with Chris and his real-life boyfriend David when we were in London in November. Though it was only for about 20 minutes. We’ve missed out on countless other meetings and parties as a result of never being in the right place at the right time. We’re counting the days til our first screening!
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR ALL THE STILLS YOU PRODUCED?
COLIN: There’s going to be an exhibition of not only the stills but lots of the behind the scenes as well. We can’t wait for that, we hope to get them printed quite large-scale.
OISÍN: Maybe we’ll get to make big cardboard cutouts for the cinemas or something INCREDIBLE like that!
for trailers, photos & the latest news on WEEKEND visit weekend-film.com quinnfordandscout.eu & summerdiaryproject.com
Summer Diary Issue 1 Wanderlust digital download available on lulu.com
© 2011 Beachcruiser Media
Skatepark: A Brotherhood Celebration by PORNEGRAFO from Summer Diary Issue No. 1 WANDERLUST. PREVIEW HERE - DOWNLOAD HERE
Morning Meme 4.14.11: AfterElton.com
“The Summer Diary Project is a ‘zine that does stunning photographs of beautiful men. It’s one of my favorite Tumblr blogs to follow…..”
Ed Kennedy, Morning Meme - today on AfterElton.com
Summer Diary Issue No.1 Wanderlust
DIGITAL EDITION PREVIEW: Download the full version in PDF format for $4.99 @ http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/summer-diary-magazine-issue-1-wanderlust/15377768
Tim O’Brien editorial by Martin Korben for Summer Diary Issue #1 Wanderlust. Download the full issue for $4.99 in color here
[BLOG] Don’t Be a Dumb Ask: Tumblr Manners & Themes
Awesome social media feature about the SDP tumblr & brand written by Billyburgwick Contributor Justin Stone-Diaz
Social Networks are a dynamic experience most of the time but the lack of basic design standards & the ignorance of basic online etiquette by many users can be frustrating and disheartening.
By creating an easy to navigate Tumblr stream and are mindful of the frequency of posts and how you engage with the community via notes or comments you will be sure to attract like minded individuals who will wait with bated breath for your next posting.The Print magazine The Summer Diary Project’s online blog is one of the best examples of a Tumblr Stream that has built a strong following through it’s clean design and great online manners.
