Bellstone Pictures

Bellstone Pictures is a UK based independent production Company founded by ex Hurtwood student Finn Cardigan Bruce in 2012. They have released four Feature Films one TV show and three Short Films. Bellstone Pictures says they `oversee and lead projects from conception through financing and production into sales, distribution and exhibition.´ Bellstone Pictures describe how they work through four key terms; IP Creation highlighting their Focus on good and meaning full storylines/ ideas. They are Abel to `green Light´ projects the next key Term is `Physical` Production as they are heavily involved in not just financing the project but shooting it as well as in the end Publishing it. They `Sell´ the Pictures. The First Feature released by Bellstone Pictures was `Tank 432´a psycho horror Film from the year 2015 written and directed by Nick Gillespie who also directed Bellstone Pictures newest Film `Paul Dood´s Deadly Lunch Break´. While not being critically well received the film was a success. They sold the picture to different streaming platforms enabling a greater audience to watch the Film. The New York Times called the movie `a high-concept tease that slogs its way through a morass of barely differentiated characters and visuals before reaching an unsatisfying conclusion.´ While this review might not be very positive it is a review by the New York Times on the First picture they released, which is a success on its own. Bellstone Pictures also released Tracks a comedy Film and `Tucked´ a Drama both Films were Directed by Jamie Patterson. 

 

`Tank 432´ or originally `Belly of the Bulldog´  the name was changed for marketing reasons as 

`Belly of the Bulldog´ was hard to translate. It was released to Netflix in the us making it available to a wider audience. `Tank 432´ was marked as a dark action horror film. This is reflected by the green and grey to beach poster. These colours imply sickness, danger and linking to the military. 

 

Tracks was marketed as romcom. This is suggested due to the reason that nearly only the two main characters are featured in the trailer but especially on the posters. They highlighted the trip the main characters take through prominent displaying of characteristics of different country’s like the Eiffel tower. 

 

Tucked has been marketed as a glamourous movie with a dramatic background. The Glamorous parts are implied through the purple extravagant text. While the dramatic story is teased through displaying the sickness and age of one of the main character. His age contrasts the youthful design, implying a the story of man who doesn’t want to give up his youth.

 

 `Paul Dood´s Deadly Lunch Break´ hasn’t been released yet and there is no trailer and only a few stills from the movie as well as a poster. Which shows a man with Katana in front of a orange fading to yellow back drop. Highlighting a fun fresh side of the movie through the orange backdrop and the brutal part of the movie creating a comedic effect. 

 

The Same People are often involved in a production of a Bellstone Picture for example their four feature films have all been directed by two directors. Actress April Pearson well known for her role on the hit show Skins has been featured in three Bellstone Pictures. She is recognizable while not being to popular which would result in her being probably not available and affordable for a UK indie production. Her appearance especially  in `Tank 432´ and of course also in `Tucked` and `Tracks ´ made the films more interesting to a potential viewer. Bellstone Pictures operates mostly on a low to mid sized Budgets. This effects the Stories they are telling most scenes of ˋTank 432´ take Place in the tank. Saving money because they don´t have to spend a lot of money on locations also cast and Crew do not have to Drive around the hole Country. `Tucked´ was approximately filmed in only 5 indoor Locations (there were also several outdoor locations) again enabling a production on budget. One person often has multiple jobs on set of a Bellstone picture. For example, CEO of Bellstone Pictures and Producer Finn Bruce also appeared as an extra in `Tucked´. 

 

Although Bellstone Pictures recent Feature Films were a success they are still a small indie production company witch limits the kind of media they produce to smaller productions which is something that bigger studios like Disney obviously do not face. An advantage of being a indie UK production company is that they are able to produce and market their films to more specific target audiences. Bellstone pictures can tell different Stories for example a more complex Horror film which as shown through the reviews might not appeal to a large audience. In 2018 Searchlight Pictures released ´Love Simon´ the first Film by a major studio about a openly Gay character. This was propagated as smoothing huge a milestone. Bellstone pictures released `Tucked´ also in 2018 without a huge media circus but offering more detailed queer representation. Indie company´s like Bellstone Pictures are often able to tell different story’s. This is amongst other things also due to the smaller scale of the production. This is one of the main advantages of Independent productions. 

 

Bellstone Pictures has been a successful indie production company. Its new picture witch hasn’t been released to the public yet (although it has been released at Festivals) features a quit famous cast highlting Bellstone Pictures success.

Sources:

https://www.belstonepictures.com

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6773126/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?companies=co0582726

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5249994/?ref_=adv_li_tt

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4475992/?ref_=adv_li_tt

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5486648/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr2