Alyn Sparkes
LightNews LightNews
banner
alyn.social.swordandfiddle.co.uk.ap.brid.gy
Alyn Sparkes
@alyn.social.swordandfiddle.co.uk.ap.brid.gy
4 followers 2 following 29 posts
Company Director of Sword And Fiddle Productions Ltd. Often Producer or Exec Producer. Sometime Audio Recordist/Boom Op, sometime DoP.

[bridged from https://social.swordandfiddle.co.uk/@alyn on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Alyn Sparkes
edent.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Excellent post by @arya on the @frameworkcomputer mess.

https://crimier.github.io/posts/Framework-Omarchy/
October 11, 2025 at 10:07 AM
alyn.social.swordandfiddle.co.uk.ap.brid.gy
Incredibly tiring but rewarding two days just gone. As part of the biggest crew we've worked with so far (Director/Producer, Camera Operator, Sound Recordist, Drone Operator, Camera Assistant (me), Camera-Car driver, 2x "Hero" drivers and a […]

[Original post on social.swordandfiddle.co.uk]
A "studio" film shoot of a Dino gt in Ferrari red. Far left of frame is the cameraman with a large digital cinema camera on a heavy tripod which is itself on a tri-wheeled trolley. We are looking at the rear of the car and can just see down the right side. A small radio mike is taped to the rear bumper of the car to record the exhaust note. On the left side of the car is a hanging black cloth absorbing some reflected light while two LED light panels in front and behind the car actually provide the light. A large, sturdy metal door is in front of the car closing off the view to outside. A panoramic view of the inside of the workshop where we filmed the indoor shots of the cars. On the far left is the camera man with a large digital cinema camera on a heavy tripod. Behind him is an Italian sports car in dark red sat on a four-post car lift (in the down position). There's a caravan with an old SHELL petrol station sign in front of it, a square wheeled trolley with approximately 75 hammers on, a Dino GT in Ferrari Red with a Sun Automotive Disagnostic system behind it, some lighting systems (LED and Tungsten) surrond the car. On the far right is another Italian sports car, this time in mid blue with a scaffold tower in front of it that has camera gear piled up around its feet. A shot of the two cars being filmed parked up in the workshop. A Ferrari 458 Pista in dark red fills the front of the frame with a Dino gts visible behind it. On the wall behind the Dino are many items of motoring memorabilia - old oil cans, enamel signs, etc. Taken by the driver of the Dino, this is the two cars parked up outside in a moorland area. The top half of the frame is Hawthorne bush silhouetted against the sky. The Dino gts is in the foreground with the Ferrari 458 Pista behind it.
August 9, 2025 at 12:14 PM
alyn.social.swordandfiddle.co.uk.ap.brid.gy
As de-facto publishers of @amysparkes.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy new book, *The Players Act 1: All The World's A Stage*, we had an exciting "first" today.
Book distribution to retailers in the UK is handled by one of a very few companies, of which […]

[Original post on social.swordandfiddle.co.uk]
Multiple copies of the paperback version of "The Players Act 1: All The World's A Stage" by Amy Sparkes loosely piled in a cardboard box. A 3D rendering of the book "The Players Act 1 - All The World's A Stage" by Amy Sparkes. Around the book are some key features of the text with curved and swirling arrows pointing towards the book. The features are: Found family Grey villain Uplifting Strong Females Vengeance Marginalised Characters
August 4, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by Alyn Sparkes
amysparkes.bsky.social
It's always nail-biting when you send something new out into the world, especially a 'first'. #Players1715 is my 1st book for adults & 1st #historicalfiction. Grateful for encouraging words from early readers.
www.amazon.co.uk/Players-Act-...

#Shakespeare #BookReview #BookSky
Cover: Sarah Christie
July 31, 2025 at 7:03 PM
alyn.social.swordandfiddle.co.uk.ap.brid.gy
It's been "fun" actually getting deeply involved in the production process of a book. Getting cover art commissioned was a small learning experience, including licensing of fonts and images, and the second attempt at editing (thanks to Cat Camacho for stepping in) was much more effective than […]
June 29, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Reposted by Alyn Sparkes
amysparkes.bsky.social
Proof copies have just arrived! So happy to finally hold a copy. Thanks to my husband, Alyn, for formatting, Cat Camacho for editing & Ally Wilkes for proofreading.
Cover: Sarah Christie
🎭🎻🥁💀🎲⚔❤️‍🩹
Paperback available: 29th July
www.amazon.co.uk/Players-Act-...

#BookSky #HistoricalFiction #Players1715
A smiling Amy Sparkes stands in front of a green curtain, holding a copy of her new historical fiction book: THE PLAYERS ACT 1: ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE. One proof copy is closed and rests on a green curtain. The second copy is opened showing the title page, THE PLAYERS ACT 1: ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE, Amy Sparkes. Two copies of THE PLAYERS ACT 1: ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE rest against a green curtain. The cover has a parchment-coloured background with the title spiralling down on a pale ribbon. Five commedia dell'arte character in purple are dotted around. There are various objects such as a hammer, a skull, a pocket-watch, the theatre masks and a fiddle visible on the cover. A grey proof copy ribbon runs across the cover saying 'Not for resale'.
June 28, 2025 at 6:29 PM
alyn.social.swordandfiddle.co.uk.ap.brid.gy
A year ago today we filmed "Things We Do For Love" with Sarah Lidstone, Josh Alexander and Molly Jackson. It was a lot of fun, shot in half-a-day and brings a little fun to a debate that still rages to this day.
spectra.video/w/v8m5tUh6VgAdtC5UYYCzBm
Things We Do For Love
A loving couple meet with a counsellor to resolve a seemingly insurmountable problem in their relationship.
spectra.video
June 10, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Reposted by Alyn Sparkes
reiver.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
@_elena

Wow!

That the quality of @_elena 's Fediverse promo film is amazing!

It is really good.

#fediforum
June 6, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Alyn Sparkes
jaz.toot.wales.ap.brid.gy
I just witnessed the world premiere of an amazing four minute fediverse video.

I am maniacally reloading the page where I expect the video to be made public, I cannot wait to share this.

I'm not ashamed to say, I cried a little bit.

Stay tuned.

#fediforum
June 6, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Reposted by Alyn Sparkes
amysparkes.bsky.social
The characters stand behind the curtain, waiting for their turn on the stage... While they wait, here's a little teaser we made.
🎭🥁🎻⚔️💀🎲❤️‍🩹

Curtain rise: 29th July
Cover: Sarah Christie
Fiddle: Philip Belsham
Filming: @swordandfiddle.co.uk
adults.amysparkes.co.uk
#historicalfiction #BookSky #HistFic
June 3, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by Alyn Sparkes
robertafidora.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
This went up two weeks ago. That’s 191 sheets of paper scanned in, over 400 assets and objects made and a whole lot of Fusion compositions! :blobsweats:

https://youtu.be/-nP-nIF_SrU

#video #videos #music #musicvideo #davinci #davinciresolve #musicvideos #visual #visuals #paper #papercollage
May 24, 2025 at 9:50 AM
alyn.social.swordandfiddle.co.uk.ap.brid.gy
OK, realising I've done a few of these "this time last year posts," but I still find them educative to put together.
So a year ago, we were filming some parts of our short film "Booted." Still in post-prod while we sort some sound and VO (we know who we want, but availability is the thing).
An actor and cameraman in the process of setting up an outdoor shot on short, rough grass. We can only see the actor from the waist down and they're wearing brown walking boots with red laces and black cargo trousers. The cameraman (Me) is facing away from the shot and we're looking over his shoulder at the camera on a thick neckstrap with a shotgun mic mounted above it. The camera is pointed at the walking boots. An actor lacing up walking boots viewed from above with the actor sitting and facing towards the camera. We can only see the boots, trousers, hands, and forearms of the actor. The boots are brown with red laces that have little flecks of black in them, the trousers are black cargo-style and the arms are bare - one thumb has the remains of some black nail polish on.
May 9, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Reposted by Alyn Sparkes
nonilex.masto.ai.ap.brid.gy
Moron did what now?

#trump announced a 100% #tariff on #movies produced outside the #us, saying #hollywood was dying a "very fast death" due to the incentives that other countries were offering to draw American filmmakers.

"This is a concerted effort by other Nations &, therefore, a National […]
Original post on masto.ai
masto.ai
May 5, 2025 at 2:26 AM
alyn.social.swordandfiddle.co.uk.ap.brid.gy
This time two years ago I was doing pre-production information gathering on our first paid commission - a documentary short film celebrating 50 years of a horse-drawn canal barge offering passenger trips in Mid-Devon.
While there were challenges […]

[Original post on social.swordandfiddle.co.uk]
On the tow-path of a canal. In the background, a decorated canal barge is pulled up under a short, steel fabricated bridge with stone abutments. In the foreground (and slightly unfocussed) is a pushbike handlebar with an orange plastic case open in front of it. Visible inside the case is a small camera with a extended zoom lens, and a nylon carrying bag - presumably full of other equipment (I think it was my sound gear).
May 3, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Reposted by Alyn Sparkes
amysparkes.bsky.social
A big thank you to Mary Ward and Bethany Malcolmson at Writers Online for inviting me onto the podcast today, talking about writing life, emotion, and what happens when you go digging up your Grandad's garden...
Episode coming soon. Catch up with previous episodes here:
rss.com/podcasts/wri...
Write Club Podcast | Podcast on RSS.com
Welcome to Write Club, the ultimate podcast for anyone passionate about the written word. Brought to you by Writers Online, in each episode we'll give you an insight into the world of writing, creativ...
rss.com
April 30, 2025 at 10:43 AM