SWAT - When Opportunity Knocks

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir
(Disclaimer: This article may contain words and phrases that some people may find offensive. Please do not continue if easily offended)


One thing I've come to realise is that opportunity presents itself in the most subtlest of ways. It doesn't (usually) pop out of thin air and go "Yo, ass face, here I am on a plate ready for you to devour!" A little OTT, but I think you know where I'm coming from.

About a week ago I came across a casting call tweet looking for an Ex US Military person living in London. I'm not an Actor, shit like that doesn't interest me. I could've EASILY scrolled along my timeline BUT, my brother-in-law to be met the criteria. He's not an Actor. I just thought, why the fuck not, maybe he'd be interested. Long story short, he asked asked If I'd help him film something to send over to the casting peeps. Of course I said yes (turns out it was for a major studio movie).

Here's what we came up with. Best to watch first (process and blooper reel below).

THE SOLDIER - Did That Just Happen?

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir
(Disclaimer: This article contains words and phrases that some people may find offensive. Please do not continue if easily offended)

Directing Actor Oliver Park

Where to begin...

OK, let's take it from the top. The Soldier is a script I originally wrote for the Virgin Media Shorts competition (2013). I'd entered my previous short film 30 Seconds 2 Late in 2012 but had zero intention of entering this year. That is until around 4 weeks before competition deadline. I suddenly had this idea about a lone British soldier who makes a last stand against enemy forces. I knew I could make it work, shit, even make the tight deadline if I just kept things super simple. One location. 2 actors, max.

INDIE BUZZ: PROMISED (2013) PREVIEW & TRAILER

Emma Knock over at The Horror Hothouse has put up this excellent blog preview for our supernatural short film 'Promised'. Check it out!

FULL REVIEW HERE!

"Hailing from The Horror Hothouse’s home town of London, comes an exciting new supernatural short film entitled Promised. Written, directed and edited by Bulent Ozdemir, Promised focuses on a broken promise between Archangel Michael and Lucifer, which brings forth a threat against the birth of Man."

'DINER' - A Pulp Fiction Inspired Short Script

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir
(Disclaimer: This article contains words and phrases that some people may find offensive. If you are easily offended then please do not continue)

1994, some friends and I found ourselves at the BFI Southbank for, if memory serves, a Q&A screening of The Madness of King George. We went up the lobby escalators and onto the first floor. Bearing left, on the corner of this hallway was a cardboard cutout of 4 well known actors standing side by side. Underneath them, the title of a film called 'Pulp Fiction' accompanied by the words 'Coming Soon.' Instant reaction: "Bullshit. There's no way in hell all these actors are in the same movie. Must be a spoof."  Turns out they were all in the same movie... and what a fucking movie! 

Bulent Ozdemir Filmmaker Showreel [HD]

Q&A for '30 Seconds 2 Late' - The Albany

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir

12/02/2013 - Attended a public screening of my short film 30 Seconds 2 Late at The Albany, London. An interesting night made even more interesting when the presenter called me up for an impromptu Q&A! It went a little something like this:

Presenter: "Will the filmmaker, Bulent Ozdemir, please make his way up here for a Q&A."

Me: "Whaaa...?"

ALL NEW 'PROMISED' TRAILER!

A broken promise between Archangel Michael and Lucifer threatens the birth of Man.

Official Site
Facebook
IMDb

Promised Film Poster #3: Evil Is Just A Perception

And finally, the third and final poster. Hope you've liked them as much as we have :)

Links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

FACEBOOK PAGE




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Bulent Ozdemir is a self taught Writer, Director and Filmmaker who left his day job as an insurance broker back in 2010 to pursue a career in film.

website

twitter

instagram

e: bulentfilms[at]gmail.com

Promised Film Poster #2: Evil Is Just A Perception

Here's the SECOND of three Movie posters for Promised. The remaining will be released tomorrow night (September 12th) at 9pm GMT!

Links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

FACEBOOK PAGE




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bulent Ozdemir is a self taught Writer, Director and Filmmaker who left his day job as an insurance broker back in 2010 to pursue a career in film.

website

twitter

instagram

e: bulentfilms[at]gmail.com

Promised Film Poster #1: Evil Is Just A Perception

Delighted to showcase the first of three Movie posters for Promised. The remaining two will be released over the next few nights.

Links:

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

FACEBOOK PAGE



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bulent Ozdemir is a self taught Writer, Director and Filmmaker who left his day job as an insurance broker back in 2010 to pursue a career in film.

website

twitter

instagram

e: bulentfilms[at]gmail.com

30 Seconds 2 Late - Virgin Media Shorts 2012

*** Northern Nights Film Festival 2012 (Official Shortlist) ***

Originally made for the Virigin Media Shorts competition 2012.

Synopsis: 

If you made the mistake of leaving the one you love, would you not run to get them back? Jake must reach Keira before she leaves forever.

Written, Produced, Cinematography, Directed and Edited by: Bulent Ozdemir

Starring:
Kevin Leslie (Jake)

Sammi Elston (Keira)

Makeup and Camera Assistant: 

Annarita Melina

'PROMISED' - A True Collaboration

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir
(Disclaimer: This article contains words and phrases that some people may find offensive. If you are easily offended then please do not continue)

From left to right: Bulent Ozdemir, Remie Purtill-Clarke, Annarita Melina, Alan Stenson & Andrew Dowbiggin

3 out of the 5 people in the above picture are actors. The remaining 2 (Plus the person taking the picture) are crew. We had a shoe string budget for food, a donation that I made personally to the location and balls the size of monkey fists.

But none of the above matters. The reality is that no one really cares about how your film is made or the blood, sweat and tears that goes into the process. It's all about end result. The reason I mention these numbers is because I feel my super small team deserves to be highlighted for their efforts.

The Cast:

Alan Stenson
Andrew Dowbiggin
Remie Purtill-Clarke

Controversy is a Short Script Called 'PROMISED'

Article written by Bulent Ozdemir

(Disclaimer: This article contains words and phrases that some people may find offensive. If you are easily offended then please do not continue)

Photo by: A_Mel5 | Property of Bulent Ozdemir

faith/fāTH/

Noun:

Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

Faith is a highly sensitive subject matter and one that to this very day causes wars, acts of terrorism and inhumane violence. It also forms the basis of the most controversial short film I will probably ever make - 'PROMISED'

The story is set in a real world environment and touches upon a certain promise one Archangel made to another before the creation of Man. A moment that would change the fate of these two 'brothers' for eternity.

Let me enlighten you a little further with a fictional back story:

SETBACK - Journey from Script to Screen (Pt2)

 Article written by Bulent Ozdemir

(Disclaimer: This article contains words and phrases that some people may find offensive. If you are easily offended then please do not continue)

©Wolf Valley Films 2011

An Idea, a germ of an Idea forms. It lingers. Asks questions. Born out of the beating my brain's taken from the Sci Fi script I'm writing, it grows by itself. Something completely different. Grab a pen. A pad.

Words spew out onto white space and bleed into each other as my hand tries to keep up. Not sure if it's me writing the story or the Pen. It screams across the pages like a crazed dog with a hot pepper shoved up its ass. To take a breath would be an insult.

16th May 2011. 24 hours after the initial Idea the first draft of Set Back is complete. Not a long script by any standards. A mere 5 pages. Still, 4 days later the final draft is in the bag. The slug hits my ears as quickly as the words hit paper:

" A man finds himself locked up & protesting his innocence over the brutal murder of a young female "

And so the Journey begins..