Making of Diary - 2018 - The Year So Far
January 2018 - Did nothing. Panicked that I was doing nothing. Got busy.
February 2018 - Made a self-funded movie called “Lost and Found” with the genius plan that Steven Spielberg would see it and offer me to direct Indiana Jones 5. The plan did not work. It went crazy viral on Reddit and a lot of people said nice things about it. It really helped my get a project funded with Screen Ireland. So a success. Still really want to make Indiana Jones 5 however.
March 2018 - Edited some corporate videos for money. Lost will to live. Went through a “what the fuck am I doing?” phase.
April 2018 - Played “God of War”. Will to live was restored. Read up on the making of the game, the creative director took a massive risk with changing the franchises’ direction. His ballsy risk was super inspiring. Became less despondent about what the fuck I was doing with my life. Started writing a horror film called “Stephanie.”
May 2018 - Pitched an amazing script written by my bud Ged to Screen Ireland (Irish Film Board). I was super nervous, and when I get nervous I start to shake uncontrollably (for reals). Pitch went well and they laughed a lot. Waited for four weeks staring at my emails while re-playing God of War. I got the call we got funded when I was drinking a coffee outside a shopping centre that had the Raiders March from Indiana Jones playing on their speakers. I took this as a sign. That was a good day.
June 2018 - Met Moe Dunford about potentially starring in my script “Stephanie”. To say we hit it off instantly would be an understatement. Once we’d both agreed that Metal Gear Solid 3 was the best of the series we decided to make “Stephanie” together. Shot it in a farmhouse near my family home in Carlow. It’s the film I’m most proud of, even though it came from a pretty angry place. Felt like an exorcism to be honest, for me.
July to August 2018 - Made corporate videos. Decided to enjoy the work and not resent it. This worked. Enjoyed the work. Post-production on “Stephanie”.
September 2018 - Played Spider-Man PS4. Loved it. Thought it got right what so many of the movies got wrong. He’s a hero that ENJOYS being Spider-Man. Nice emotional story too, well told. Had a meeting with a big channel in England. Really hoping that goes somewhere. Directed a big campaign for Standard Life, enjoyed that process a lot. Post-production on “Stephanie”.
October 2018 - In prep for the Screen Ireland short. We’re fully cast, location-ed (That a word? It’s a word if it works I say) and costumed. The cast are amazing, super excited. Going to make a warm-up short before that called The Wight that I meant to make last year but I got really sick. That hasn’t happened this year yet so I’m paranoid I’m going to get sick right before the Screen Ireland short. Fun. “Stephanie’s” finished, deliberately took longer than normal to work on it. Want it to be as good as it can be.
Sent “Stephanie” to a few trusted contacts and some high-profile people who’s email I guessed (cheeky!) for their feedback, C. Robert Cargill, the writer of Sinister, Doctor Strange and more called it “Fucking Fantastic!” so there’s something that gives me hope.
Tony Cantwell in “Something Doesn’t Feel Right”
November 2018 - Wrapped my new short film with Screen Ireland. The cast and crew absolutely KILLED IT. I went into it apprehensive, hoping it’d go well, then once we started rolling it was the most pleasurable experience I’ve ever had making anything.
December 2018 - Directed Paddy Power’s Christmas Special which was a behemoth of a production, tough but very satisfying. Christmas came, then played Red Dead Redemption 2 until my eyes hurt. Then played it some more. So incredible.