DIGITAL DEPARTURES ANNOUNCE FILMMAKING FINALISTS

6 Northwest movie making teams have been named as finalists in the prestigious Digital Departures micro budget filmmaking scheme – and are now just one step away from securing funding of £250,000 to make their feature.  From an internationally-renowned director to top TV writers and up-and-coming new talent, the final 6 filmmaking teams now have just 8 weeks to produce a knock-out script – and convince a panel of top industry experts that their project should be 1 of 3 to be greenlit.

“It’s was incredibly difficult to pick just six projects from the hugely impressive shortlist of filmmakers,” says Lisa Marie Russo, Executive Producer for Digital Departures. “We’ve been able to attract some of the country’s finest creative talent to this initiative and as we near the deadline for choosing the final three films, the quality of the projects has just been phenomenal.”

Earlier this year, Northwest Vision and Media, together with its partners the Liverpool Culture Company, the UK Film Council and the BBC, invited writers, producers and directors from across the Northwest to get involved in Digital Departures. 

Chris Moll, Head of Funds for Vision and Media, which supports the region’s film, TV and digital content industries, says the final 6 filmmaking teams represent a diverse range of talent.  Included in the six is a proposal to make a documentary by Terence Davies, a revered cinema director, whose previous credits include Distant Voices, Still Lives. 

Also making it to the final stage is Salvage a raw and robust horror film to be penned by award-winning Liverpool writer, Colin O’Donnell, currently Story Editor for Hollyoaks and The Don ,a musical comedy drama, being co-written by Eastenders writer, Jeff Young, and Liverpool rock legend, Pete Wylie.

“The teams have until early October to deliver their scripts, and we hope to announce the final three soon after that,” adds Chris. More information on each of the final 6 teams can be found at www.northwestvision.co.uk.

THE FOLLOWING 6 FILMMAKING TEAMS HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS DIGITAL DEPARTURES FINALISTS

1:- TIME AND THE CITY

Genre:- Documentary
Writer/Director:- Terence Davies Essex based
Producers:- Solon Papadopoulos and Roy Boulter of Liverpool

2:- THE DON

Genre:- Drama
Writers:- Jeff Young of Liverpool
Pete Wylie of Liverpool
Director:- TBC
Producer:- Tishna Molla of London

3:- STARSTRUCK

Genre:- Drama
Writer:- Leigh Campbell of Liverpool
Director:- Lindy Heymann of London
Producer:- Andy Stebbing of London

4:- WHORES WITH GUNS

Genre:- Comedy
Writer:- John Bishop Manchester based
Director:- James Marquand of Birkenhead
Producer:- Philip Evers of Liverpool

5:- LEFT HANDED

Genre:- Drama/comedy
Writers/Directors:- Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor of London
Producer:- Julie Lau of Liverpool

6:- SALVAGE

Genre:- Horror
Writer:- Colin O’Donnell of Liverpool
Director:- Lawrence Gough of Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire
Producer:- Alan Pattison of Manchester

TRAIN TO GAIN GATHERS MOMENTUM IN THE NORTH WEST

NORTH West employers are leading the way when it comes to training their staff, according to recent figures issued by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).  LSC North West statistics reveal that more than 6,000 businesses in the region, accounting for 20% of the national total, have now benefited from the Train to Gain service. Furthermore 16% of all learners, including almost 4,000 people in Greater Merseyside, are right here in the North West.

Train to Gain is managed and funded by the LSC and puts employers in the driving seat by giving them access to a free Skills Broker service, offering independent and practical advice to match training needs with training providers. A key feature of the service is the flexible approach adopted, with training and skills advice offered at a time and place to suit the needs of business.  Through funding from the LSC, employers can benefit from free training to help employees over the age of 19 with low or no qualifications gain their first, full Level 2, Level 3 or Skills for Life qualification. For learners that are already qualified to Level 2, employers can claim two-thirds of the cost of gaining a Level 3 qualification. In addition, Train to Gain Skills Brokers will identify other subsidies that may be available for specialist training programmes.

John Korzeniewski, Regional Director at the LSC in the North West welcomed the news saying:- “We are delighted that the North West is at the forefront of the success of the national Train to Gain service. The compelling statistics, backed up with an employer satisfaction rate of 88%, clearly demonstrate the impact that Train to Gain is having on the region’s workforce.  The figures have been published in the wake of the launch of the national skills campaign, ‘Our future. It’s in our hands’, which aims to improve the nation’s skills. Train to Gain is integral to the success of this campaign, and is the most important service currently available to employers. All businesses, large or small, can benefit from Train to Gain by addressing their skills shortages with the help and guidance of a specialist advisor. And, as the region’s businesses are challenged with competing at national, and increasingly international level, there has never been a better time to tap into the wealth of free expertise available through Train to Gain.”

To find out how your business can get ahead with Train to Gain call 0845 60 20 062 or visit www.traintogain.gov.uk.

Lancashire born and bred sandwich eats up the competition

THE decades old tradition of serving fruit cake with Lancashire cheese has inspired local bakers Waterfields to create a sandwich that toasted rivals Marks & Spencer and Tesco at the British Sandwich Association’s ‘Sammies’ 2007 awards.

The sandwich combines Lancashire cheese with real ale chutney, mixed lettuce leafs and black pepper served on their own-baked fruit bread. Waterfields shops in Southport and the North West give people across the region the chance to taste this Lancashire born and bred champion.

Taking the top spot in the nation’s ‘Sammies’ is credited to Waterfields executive chef who developed the mouth-watering combination, and the company’s passion for the quality and taste of their products.

“The winning sandwich we created shows that the best traditional ingredients can be brought together to create something fresh, original and modern. We feel our customers want an original taste experience and in this case that is the fruit bread which comes from over 80 years experience in producing fresh, high quality bread,” said John Waterfield, Managing Director of Waterfields.

Thousands being mis-sold childcare vouchers

WHILE voucher providers emphasise the tax and National Insurance (NI) savings that vouchers can offer, they are less clear on how schemes can impact on wider employee benefits.

Brian Rogers, operations director at national law firm Lewis Hymanson Small, comments:- "Many voucher providers only present companies with basic information packs about how to set-up schemes. This leaves employers under the impression that they can easily manage the schemes, even if they are an SME without any HR and accountancy support, and means that employees are not provided with all the facts."

Childcare vouchers should be provided under 'salary sacrifice' schemes, which are recognised by the Inland Revenue. As part of a salary sacrifice scheme, an employee's gross salary is reduced in return for income tax and NI exempt voucher payments.

Rogers continues:- "Businesses are failing to fully appraise the potential pitfalls of salary sacrifice schemes including pension rights, state benefits and other salary related benefits such as maternity and paternity pay.

As a result, employees opting for childcare vouchers are losing out financially.  Some unscrupulous employers could also use the salary sacrifice schemes as a means of reducing pay rises by basing rises on the reduced gross salary. In addition, not all employers are properly accounting for voucher schemes in their payroll.

This loss of tax revenue could lead to the vouchers being withdrawn in a similar vein to computers for homes."

Childcare vouchers are one of the most widely used forms of employer-funded childcare in the UK. On average, employees taking up to £55 per week in vouchers (the maximum amount not subject to income tax and NI) could save around £950 per year.

Rogers concludes:- "Companies need to be provided with more support in understanding, implementing and managing childcare voucher schemes. This will enable employers to properly evaluate employee eligibility and effectively communicate how the schemes work.  Taking this approach will ensure that schemes are not mis-sold and employees are presented with all the facts to make informed decisions."

North West motorists get most stressed by bad manners

BAD manners were voted the biggest cause of stress for North West drivers ahead of speed cameras and road works, a recent survey revealed.  27% of the motorists questioned voted drivers who fail to apologise or thank fellow road users as their number 1 bug-bear, stating cutting-up, swearing, and not letting people out as the most common factors that constitute bad road etiquette.

The survey was carried out by expanding automotive services franchise, Mr Clutch Autocentres. Chief Executive of Mr Clutch, Joseph Yussuf, comments:- "It is interesting that with so much controversy surrounding congestion charges and speed cameras, it is bad manners that tops the poll of driving related stresses.  It doesn't take a lot of effort to be a polite driver. Simply following the Highway Code and being more considerate of other road-users can help improve road safety and reduce driving stress."

Other driving stresses voted for in the survey included cyclists who ignore the rules of the road, tail-gaters and breaking down.

Yussuf adds:- "We have enough stress in our everyday lives without having to worry about driving. There are a number of ways to reduce driving-related stress from simply listening to relaxing music, allowing enough time for journeys to making sure that your car is serviced regularly."

Top 10 Driving Stresses include:-

1. Bad manners i.e. people who do not say 'thank you' or 'sorry' (27%)

2. Speed cameras (17%)

3. Drivers who don't signal (14%)

4. Breaking down (10%)

5. Road Hogs (tail-gaters, under cutters etc.) (9%)

6. Taxi-drivers, bus drivers, and HGV drivers (7%)

7. Road works (7%)

8. Cyclists who ignore road rules (4%)

9. Lack of or misleading signage (3%)

10. Badly phased traffic lights that don't reflect traffic volumes (2%)