From shooting to editing to projection, Blunt Productions is your one-stop shop for video jobs of all sizes. We have filmed shows and produced shorts and segments for the BBC and Channel 4. We also hire out and set up projection systems for parties, festivals and football match or movie screenings.
The History of Blunt Productions
Ben Slotover and Paul Elliott’s paths first crossed in the chaotic London film club scene, where Ben was running a Kung Fu film club called Shaolin and Paul was hosting a performance/film club called OMSK. At the time they were each filling the schedules of their shows with home made zero budget video shorts which they had both been making since first wielding the family super 8.
Recognizing a common interest, Ben and Paul collaborated on a short video together in 1997 called ‘Ilford Ninja’ which became a hit on the underground film club scene and caught the attention of Jill Sinclair, a producer for ‘Raw TV’, which was a show on the digital channel Carlton World. Their appearance as guests on the show led to a commission for a series of comedy shorts for Raw TV.
Following their stint for Carlton, Ben and Paul formed Blunt Productions as an umbrella organization for their various activities, including live shows in London and a website (www.bluntproductions.com). Their zero budget filmmaking background led to a commission by Iain Ross of BBC Scotland to make the “Zero Budget Special Effects” sections of a show called Bob’s DIY Film Club which was shown on BBC Choice. Following this they were also commissioned to produce a series of segments for BBC Scotland’s ‘Weirdsville’. A number of these pieces were also shown on the third series of ‘Adam and Joe’s Takeover TV’
In the spring of 2001 a selection of their sketches brought them to the finals of the BBC New Talent competition and were broadcast on BBC1. Following this they were commissioned to write a half hour sketch show for the BBC by producers Shane Allen and Sarah Fraser.
In April 2002 their half hour script ‘Captain V’ – a sci-fi comedy was accepted by Iain Morris and Robert Popper for Channel 4’s ‘Comedy Lab’ slot. Their first big budget production, ‘Captain V’ was produced by Nira Park (‘Spaced’. ‘Black Books’) for Big Talk Productions and aired on 14th November.
In January 2003 they returned to live comedy and started ‘The Blunt Club’- a regular night of Comedy films made both by them and by ‘guest filmmakers’, live comedy sketches with actor Jon Digby and whatever assorted fun and strangeness they could think of. From the outset ‘The Blunt Club’ was a success and has become a focus for underground and low budget comedy filmmakers both in London and elsewhere.
Slotover and Elliott continue to make films and develop their live shows as well as have their work shown at events around the world. In August 2004 they took a compilation of their films and sketches to the Edinburgh Festival and presented ‘A Blunt Sketch Show’ at the Bongo Club. Since then they have had films accepted for events in London and Manchester and have been invited to produce internet virals and shorts for The Viral Factory. In January 2006 their film ‘The Electric Bull Riding Contest’ was awarded the Vauxhall Auteur award at the Halloween Short Film Festival. They have written two feature film screenplays and continue to attract sell-out crowds to The Blunt Club.
In June 2006 they began work on the screenplay for ‘Mick’ –a feature film about their popular character of the Ilford Minicab driver from hell. Part of this screenplay was shot as a standalone short in 2007 entitled ‘Training Daljinder’ Since then they have been comissioned to make a series of Zero Budget Filmmaking tips, which they continue to make to this day
A Jim and Heinz feature length movie is also in the works…
Ben Slotover/Paul Elliott
May 2010- Jim and Heinz 3 DVD completed, entitled ‘Sleep well Jim and Heinz, For Death awaits you’
January 2009-present – ‘Zero Budget Filmmaking Tips’ series continued. ‘Zantrox and Stockbroker’ and ‘Critical Error = True’ shot for forthcoming Jim and Heinz 3 DVD
November 2008 ‘Shhh’ shown at the American Film Institute AFI Fest in Los Angeles
April 2008 ‘Fence’ – a 3D film in High Definition written.
May 2007 ‘Training Daljinder’ completed.
June 2006 2nd Draft of feature film screenplay ‘Mick’ completed.
January 2006 Awarded Vauxhall ‘Auteur’ prize at 3rd Halloween short film festival for ‘The Electric Bull Riding Contest’.
March – April 2005 Commissioned to write ideas and scripts for Viral advertising (By Ed Robinson at ‘The Viral Factory’). ‘Cucumber Man’ accepted for the Commonwealth Film Festival, Manchester.
January 2005 ‘Cucumber Man’ screened at the 2nd Halloween Short Film Festival at the ICA. Work continues on ‘Mick’ feature film screenplay.
September 2004 Short films shown at the Liverpool Biennial, The 0110 digital film festival in Delhi, and the ‘Britsky Kratky’ film event at Filmova Skola in Prague
August 2004 Produced, wrote and acted in ‘A Blunt Sketch Show’ at the Bongo Club in Edinburgh for part of the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe. Several short films also featured in the Edinburgh Film Festival
January 2003 Involvement in development of a sketch show with Hat Trick productions (prod. Simon Wilson) and another with Talkback (‘Crash’ prod. Shane Allen).
November 2002- Present Establishment of ‘The Blunt Club’ in Hackney for regular shows of new comedy and live sketches.
May 2002- November 2002 Half hour Sci-fi comedy ‘Captain V’ is accepted for Channel 4’s ‘Comedy Lab’. Produced by Nira Park for Big Talk Productions
March 2001 – August 2002 Comedy sketches produced and accepted for ‘Adam and Joe’s Takeover TV’ (Prod. Andrew harrison). Broadcast on Channel 4.
May 2001 Reached finals of BBC’s ‘New Talent’ competition. Developed a half hour sketch show for BBC new talent department (Prods Shane Allen and Sarah Fraser)
August 2000 – November 2000 Writing and producing segments for ‘Weirdsville’ (BBC Scotland, Prod. Iain Ross) Broadcast on BBC Choice..
June 2000 – September 2000 Writing articles and providing interactive content for website
of Hotdog Magazine (Web editor Adam Porter)
July 2000 Writing scripts and treatments for ‘Top of the Poppets’
(BBC Scotland, Prod. Angus MacIntyre.)
December 1999 – July 2000 Writing, acting and producing the ‘Zero Budget Film Making’ segments for ‘Bob’s DIY Film Club’ (BBC Scotland, Prod. Iain Ross, broadcast on BBC Choice)
June 1999 – February 2000 Developing Blunt Productions website (www.bluntproductions.com)
November 1998 – June 1999 Wrote, performed and produced comedy segments for ‘Raw TV’ (Prods. Kate Copstick and Jill Sinclair) Broadcast on Carlton World
May 1996- December 1998 Promoters and presenters of film clubs ‘Omsk’ and ‘Shaolin’ Core organisers of ‘Volcano Underground Film Festival’
Blunt Productions 