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Final cut due Friday for short movie by Langley filmmaking twins

Fine arts school grads Graham and Nelson Talbot partner with another set of twins on Crazy8s film.
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Langley twins Graham and Nelson Talbot, partnered with Bowen Island twins Kailey and Sam Spear, to make one of six short films that were picked for this year’s Crazy8s film screening Feb. 24 in Vancouver. (Special to the Langley Advance)

Langley twins, who created a well-remembered flying pig Doritos commercial for SuperBowl 2015, are back in the limelight for their latest cinematography.

The pair, Graham and Nelson Talbot, are literally making last-minute edits, cuts, and tweaks this week to a film called CC, which they’re helping produce in conjunction with another set of twin (Bowen Island directors and writers Kailey and Sam Spear) for Vancouver’s #Crazy8sFilms18.

The Talbots, 28-year-old fraternal twins, have been active in film much of their lives. After graduation from Langley Fine Arts –where they concentrated on visual arts – the boys both went on to study film production at Simon Fraser University before launching their own company, Fortitude, about six years back.

While they’ve produced music videos, commercials, short and feature-length films – including a number of Hallmark movies shot in and around their hometown of Langley – there are a few bigger pieces that they boast about in their portfolio.

On the commercial front, the “biggest success” came when the boys entered the Doritos competition with their Frito-Lay ad featuring a flying pig. The commercial aired during the SuperBowl, one of the world’s biggest stages for advertising with millions watching the game.

READ: Pig flies in Aldergrove for SuperBowl ad

In terms of feature films – which Nelson said he enjoys the most of all the work they undertaken so far – the twins have credits on last year’s movie, Drone, starring actor Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, Golden Eye, and Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring).

They also worked on the 2013 movie Lawrence & Holloman starring Ben Cotton and Daniel Arnold.

And, there’s a feature film expected to hit the festival circuit later this year that they worked on with Walt Disney’s great nephew Tim Disney – known for his work on Where the Wild Things Are (2009), Predestination (2014) and Ghost Rider (2007).

In this current production of CC, they’ve taken on the role of directors of photography.

As Nelson explained it, they’re responsible for everything involving cameras, lighting, and actual shooting, while the Spear twins directed – meaning they were took charge of all the actors.

CC is a story about a nanny who assaults her employer and the investigative team that must determine what caused the attack.

This film, shot in North Vancouver and Surrey, features actress Jewel Staite of Stargate Atlantis and The Killing.

Out of the 228 original Crazy8s applicants, this short film is one of only six chosen to be produced and featured during the gala screening Saturday, Feb. 24.

Competitors have eight “crazy” days to make it happen. That translates to three days of shooting and five days in post production.

“It’s very quick,” Nelson said.

This is the fourth time in six years that the Talbot brothers have participated in the Vancouver’s #Crazy8sFilms, and Nelson said he loves the camaraderie and support that exists during this process between area filmmakers.

It’s not something normally seen within a very competitive industry.

“[Crazy8s] is usually an enjoyable experience,” Nelson told the Langley Advance.

“But it’s stressful,” he noted.

The tight timeline and small budget ($1,000 cash and a lot of industry favours) make these project challenging.

Pressures aside, Nelson insists their team will have the film turned in by Friday’s deadline, and he’s confident it will be a worthy contender.

‘I think it’s a great script which is the fundamental to any great story and ultimately any great film,” Nelson said, noting that’s the case whether you have eight days or half a year to shoot a film.

“If you don’t have a great script, there’s really no use in making the movie,” he added. “This script is very strong.”

The competitive component of Crazy8s is actually already over, with the large number of entries previously whittled down from 228 original applicants, to 201 teams who pitched with four-minute videos, to the 42 semi-finalists selected, to 12 polished scripts submitted.

After lengthy review and “heated debate,” the jury selected the winners in early January and sent the six teams off to make their Crazy8s short film of the year.

“You’re actually a winner by getting to make the film” and being given a chance to show it at the upcoming screening gala, Nelson said.

“It’s meant to be kind of a diverse selection of what we’re capable of in Vancouver.”

The gala is happening Saturday evening, Feb. 24, at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts (777 Homer St.) at 6 p.m., with an official after party to follow at Science World.

Last year, there were more than 1,750 people who attended the gala.

“To me, this is more of a celebration of Vancouver film, the film industry and the film talent we have here, and these six films are supposed to exemplify that,” Nelson concluded. “I’m looking forward to it.”

READ: Long-time friend and TV star adds profile to new album for Langley’s Derrival

The Talbot’s Doritos commercial:

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Langley twins Graham and Nelson Talbot, partnered with Bowen Island twins Kailey and Sam Spear, to make one of six short films that were picked for this year’s Crazy8s film screening Feb. 24 in Vancouver. (Special to the Langley Advance)


Roxanne Hooper

About the Author: Roxanne Hooper

I began in the news industry at age 15, but honestly, I knew I wanted to be a community journalist even before that.
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