Coming up with the look of BackSpace was a tremendous amount of fun. As we explored the style, we started off in Cinema 4D, Photoshop, and After Effects. When we were ready to head into production (virtually) we jumped into Unreal Engine 5. We’d never used Unreal Engine before and it blew us away.
Below you can see the style frames we created with the models and the stills from the completed film. The final results almost feel like an amazing graphic novel and the live action adaption :)
Great new article on BackSpace over on Shoutout LA where we talk about the film and our inspiration in creating it. We chat about those first moments seeing Return of the Jedi and the behind the scenes on Raiders of the Lost Ark and of course those wonderful John Williams’s scores that we find so inspiring.
Article Excerpt:
Nick: I can clearly remember going to see a film for the first time at a theater. It was Return of the Jedi and I was 3 years old. It was like the gates of heaven opened before me and heaven was weird! It was filled with Robots and Bounty Hunters, Jedis, Darth Vaders, Ewoks, and Stormtroopers!
Needless to say, like so many other kids, Star Wars changed my life forever. At the time though – I wanted a lightsaber. It wasn’t until I saw the Behind the Scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark on TV one night that things would change again. They were playing it in between commercial breaks of the film itself. I saw Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Harrison Ford laughing and hanging out on set.
Up until that moment, movies just happened. They were beamed into theaters or televisions from some unknown place. But this was amazing. This meant people made movies. People! I was people. So did that mean that maybe I could make a film one day too?
As we get ready to release our upcoming short film, BackSpace, we wanted to release a sneak peak at some of our favorite images! BackSpace is a fully CG film, with the Voice Talents of Paul Haapaniemi, James Brinkley, and Holly Standbrook.
Here’s a handful of our favorite shots from the film.
Absolutely over the moon that BackSpace has been picked up by Dust and Gunpowder and Sky! We’re super excited to be working with the Dust team to release the film to their huge audience (millions!) of sci-fi fans!
DUST IS THE SCI-FI DIVISION OF INDEPENDENT STUDIO GUNPOWDER & SKY, with cutting-edge short films, daring new series, innovative podcasts and award-winning feature films, DUST is the world’s premiere sci-fi destination.
For more info, make sure to check out the Dust website below!
As with all of our films, it’s always a special moment when the project lands on IMDb. BackSpace is now listed with the rest of our films and we couldn’t be happier! And if you’d like to check out the official poster, we’ve included it in the Adventure Company Posters Gallery below. So exciting to see each of the releases lined up together!
More announcements on BackSpace coming soon!
We are SO EXCITED to announce our newest project is a sci-fi adventure titled BACKSPACE! Shortly after we wrapped on Tales from Black Manor, we wanted to return to crafting entire worlds. This new world is BackSpace.
We’re thrilled to be working with Paul Haapaniemi, James Brinkley, and Holly Standbrook again, a cast who we worked with on our other projects including feature films Danger! Danger! The West and the Ruthless, Tales from Black Manor, The Umbrella Factory, Jack the Ripper, and Around the World in 80 Days!
Here’s the Official Logline:
BackSpace
In the farthest reaches of BackSpace, Hunter and Mono search for a lost pod containing the coordinates to a black hole.
More on BackSpace coming soon!
Tales from Black Manor will be screening at Webfest Berlin next week and we’re thrilled to be a part! The festival is getting some great press right now.
“Potential breakouts from the fantastic banner include two horror anthologies: American production “Tales From Black Manor” was put together using archival and stock footage during the recent lockdowns”
Read the full article here:
Tales from Black Manor will be making its premiere in Germany this December! The Premiere will be a part of Webfest Berlin Dec. 13-15.
We’re so excited for all of the amazing festivals and premieres the series has had. We just wrapped the festivals in Rome, Utah, Brazil, Colombia and New York!
Tales from Black Manor is a Fantasy / Horror Series directed by Nick + Lexie with the talents of James Brinkley, Paul Haapaniemi, Donnla Hughes, Briony Rawle, and Holly Standbrook.
For more information on Webfest Berlin, check out the official site:
We’ve had the opportunity to work with some incredible studios and brands this year! One of our favorites was creating designs for this year’s Academy Awards! We were able to work on the initial pitch for Imaginary Forces to Steven Soderbergh this year. Imaginary Forces went on to create some incredible graphics after they won the pitch for this year’s ceremony - knocking out some awesome work (as always)!
It was an absolute blast attending the FilmQuest Film Festival this year! Not only did we get to take a few pics on the red carpet, but our daughter did too! (Her first red carpet :)
Watching Tales from Black Manor with the audience at the festival was also extremely exciting. You watch your own film a thousand times, but the second the lights dim and the main title comes up, your heart starts beating and you notice every breath (or gasp).
We also had a chance to speak about what inspires us to be filmmakers and creatives as part of the Directors Panel Discussion. The other films that screened at FilmQuest this year were absolutely incredible (as always!) and we’re already looking forward to the 2022 fest.
Tales from Black Manor will be making its European Premiere in Rome this November at the Heroes International Film Festival!
The film festival will take place November 20-22 at the Casa del Cinema, Rome with talks and Masterclasses by some incredible industry professionals. Previous years have included Industrial Light Magic discussing their work on the Mandalorian and many more!
For more information on the festival, make sure to check out the Official Site below with more info coming soon!
We’re thrilled to announce the 4th Film Festival for Tales from Black Manor! All 3 Episodes will be screening at the Penitente Film Festival in Colombia this fall!
The Penitente Film Festival focuses on Sc-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror from around the world.
For more information, make sure to check out the Official Site here:
Episode 3: “How To Live Forever”
When Anastasia Black finds out she’s dying, she uses the secret of immortality found in her grandmother’s Book of Death. To live forever you have to kill something you love.
The Last Legend
In the final episode of Tales from Black Manor, we see the damage being done to the family as they attempt to learn the secrets of Death and live forever.
Director’s Nick + Lexie were so excited to bring the series to a (potential) ending - weaving the final pieces of the story together. Although, there could always be more Tales from Black Manor yet to come.
We’re thrilled to announce Tales from Black Manor just received award nominations for Best Web Series and Best Editing at the upcoming FilmQuest Film Festival!
The film festival will be held this October - November. For more information on FilmQuest, make sure to check out the official site. And if you haven’t already seen Tales from Black Manor, you can watch Episodes 1 & 2 right now. The the third and final episode arrives on Friday.
A brand new interview just went live about the making of Tales from Black Manor! We also discuss wanting to make a horror film set in the Harry Potter universe.
You can read it right here on Uphill Both Ways:
Tales from Black Manor is a 3 Episode Series. Episodes 1 & 2 are available now, with Episode 3 arriving in October!
You’ll also be able to see Tales from Black Manor on the big screen this fall at FilmQuest, the World Independant Cinema Awards, and the South American Premiere at the Festival Boca Do Inferno!
Here’s a sneak peak at the upcoming third and Final Episode of Tales from Black Manor, “How to Live Forever.”
Tales from Black Manor is a 3 Episode Series from directors Nick + Lexie. You can watch Episodes 1 & 2 (“Legend Has It,” and “The Book of Death”) online right now! Tales from Black Manor will also be making its way to the big screen at FilmQuest, as well as the World Independant Cinema Awards in New York, and the Festival Boca Do Inferno in Brazil.
Along with FilmQuest and the South American Premiere of Tales from Black Manor this fall, the series will also be featured at the World Independant Cinema Awards in New York!
The World Independant Cinema Awards is an annual International award ceremony created to honor the year's best Films, TV Shows, Advertising, Paintings, and Photos. We’re really thrilled to be a part of it this year!
Tales from Black Manor is a mini-series directed by Nick + Lexie. The first two episodes are available to watch now, with the final episode coming this October.
For more information on the Awards Ceremony check out the official site here:
We’re thrilled to announce that the South American Premiere for Tales from Black Manor will be held at the Festival Boca do Inferno!
The Film Festival will be held in Santo André, São Paulo just a few days after the FilmQuest Film Festival in Utah.
Tales from Black Manor is a Fantasy / Horror Series directed by Nick + Lexie with the talents of James Brinkley, Paul Haapaniemi, Donnla Hughes, Briony Rawle, and Holly Standbrook.
For More information on the Film Festival please visit the Official Site:
We are so exited to announce that Tales from Black Manor will be screening at the FilmQuest Film Festival!
The Film Festival will screen All 3 Episodes (Legend Has It, The Book of Death, and How to Live Forever) back to back on the big screen! We’re thrilled to be an Official Selection of both the 2020 and now 2021 Festival!
When 2020 happened, FilmQuest rallied with a May Edition this year and our feature film Danger! Danger! was an Official Selection, and with the 2021 Festival happening this fall - the festival is happening twice in one year. FilmQuest has been voted as one of the Top 50 Film Festivals in the world, and number 1 in Utah (looking at you Sundance :)
For more information make sure to check out the official FilmQuest site below:
Episode 2: “The Book of Death”
Grandma was friends with Death, hunting together in the tanglewood behind Black Manor. To show his affection, he gave her a book: One of the Seven Books of Death.
Return to Black Manor
As we return to the world of Black Manor in the second episode, we learn that Death has grown fond of the family so interested in learning his secrets. Directors Nick + Lexie had always planned Tales from Black Manor as a series and were delighted to return to the world and continue the story.
