Latest news with #ConcreteJungle
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Former bouncer's Glasgow gangland drama becomes surprise smash TV hit
Anton O'Donnell came up with the idea for the six-episode pilot Concrete Jungle, which aired on STV earlier this year, as he worked on the doors of bars on Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street, talking with his colleagues about other hit shows like The Wire and The Sopranos. The 'gritty' gangland drama tells the story of emerging Glasgow gangster Jamie McGregor, who when double-crossed in a drug deal, must use any means necessary to repay a huge debt. O'Donnell said he spent all his free time, and sometimes even while working on the doors, writing his screenplay, which took around two years to complete. The amateur filmmaker said that after he completed the script, he sent it to a few competitions, but after getting nowhere with it he then decided he would film the series from scratch by himself. 'I sent it into the BBC writers' room competition, and a Channel 4 competition, and when I got the replies to say, 'thanks, you've been unsuccessful on this occasion,' I was like, 'no, I'm not letting this one go',' O'Donnell said. 'Like I do believe in this one.' Having zero experience in the filmmaking industry didn't stop O'Donnell from pursuing his 'passion project' which he said he was just 'obsessed' with and struck an unlikely creative partnership with cinematographer Bryan McIntyre, after putting an advert up on Gumtree. (Image: Supplied) After taking a week off work to shoot the first episode together, the pair realised that to fulfil O'Donnell's creative ambition, they would need to enlist more people to get involved with the project, so co-director and editor, Graeme Watt, was quickly involved too. 'Graeme would do the lights. Brian would do the sound. Then Graeme would do the camera. I would do the sound, holding the boom mics and all that stuff,' O'Donnell joked, retelling some of the chaotic beginnings of their first couple of shoots. Shooting over almost a decade did have its challenges with continuity between filming being one of them, O'Donnell made sure he was 'all over it' so that the scenes blended perfectly despite, in some cases, being shot months apart. 'I was all over the continuity in terms of clothing and things like that, but there were challenges because Ryan, who's in the opening scene, had to grow his hair long for a movie that he was in. 'So, he turned up with this long hair and I'm going 'Oh my, what will I do', so we had to get him a beanie cap in that opening scene in the robbery. 'So, he's wearing a beanie cap because he's got long hair, and he didn't have long hair in the rest of the episode. (Image: Supplied) O'Donnell added: 'Sometimes you just have to kind of think fast, and then there's actually scenes that get cut out because, like my weight, my weight was just kind of jumping all over the place. 'I was pretty consistent, but some scenes I'm a wee bit heavier, but there were a couple of scenes where I was unwell, and I lost a ton of weight and I actually had to cut those scenes out of the show, because it was so obvious I'd lost so much weight.' The trio spent around eight years shooting the series intermittently with a budget of only around £5000, with most of the funding coming out of O'Donnell's pocket. Concrete Jungle spent 10 weeks in the STV Player's most-watched list, claiming the number one spot when it aired back in March. (Image: Supplied) The broadcaster picked up the series following a chance encounter between STV's Jonathan Tate and O'Donnell at the first-ever Screen Writers Festival last year after the Paisley-based filmmaker fielded a question to Iain Smith during a live Q&A. O'Donnell said he was grilled by the legendary Hollywood producer after he asked: 'How do I get it out there? How do I take it to the next level, because I believe in it.' The exchange caught the eye of Tate, who then approached O'Donnell about the series during a break and asked him to send over the series, as he is a fan of crime dramas. 'As soon as I sent it over, he was like, 'By the way, I absolutely love this',' O'Donnell said. 'He said, 'I'm not gonna lie to you, it's a bit of a gamble for us because we've never had anything this gritty before, but I've watched it, and I absolutely loved it'.' (Image: Supplied) O'Donnell said he was overwhelmed with the amount of support he has received since Concrete Jungle aired on the STV Player. 'I honestly can't even put it into any words, and I don't even think its sunk in yet,' he said. READ NEXT: I saw Gary Barlow perform in Glasgow's Armadillo - my verdict READ NEXT: I saw Sophie Ellis-Bextor perform in Glasgow's Armadillo - my verdict The 39-year-old said that he believes that following the success of his series has helped 'open the door' to other independent talent in Scotland. O'Donnell added that Tate is a 'huge champion' of Scottish talent and that he is pleased to see STV backing more grassroots productions. 'I've actually seen people who followed me on social media making comments to me saying, 'you're setting the standard when it comes to filmmaking' and then a couple of months later, because they're doing their own thing as well, they're saying that they've now agreed the deal to have their stuff showcased in STV. 'I think Concrete Jungle has opened the door for other people to get the stuff on there as well.' O'Donnell said that he is now putting the final touches on his next pitch, which is to make Concrete Jungle's pilot into a full-fledged series or even a full-length feature film. He will also be joining Tate this week at the inaugural Glasgow Telly Festival, where he is hoping to retell his story in a bid to inspire more people to 'believe' in their own projects like he did.
The National
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Former bouncer's Glasgow gangland drama becomes surprise smash TV hit
Anton O'Donnell came up with the idea for the six-episode pilot Concrete Jungle, which aired on STV earlier this year, as he worked on the doors of bars on Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street, talking with his colleagues about other hit shows like The Wire and The Sopranos. The 'gritty' gangland drama tells the story of emerging Glasgow gangster Jamie McGregor, who when double-crossed in a drug deal, must use any means necessary to repay a huge debt. O'Donnell said he spent all his free time, and sometimes even while working on the doors, writing his screenplay, which took around two years to complete. READ MORE: Stirling charity running festival calls for 'Bravehearts' to join ultra races The amateur filmmaker said that after he completed the script, he sent it to a few competitions, but after getting nowhere with it he then decided he would film the series from scratch by himself. 'I sent it into the BBC writers' room competition, and a Channel 4 competition, and when I got the replies to say, 'thanks, you've been unsuccessful on this occasion,' I was like, 'no, I'm not letting this one go',' O'Donnell said. 'Like I do believe in this one.' Having zero experience in the filmmaking industry didn't stop O'Donnell from pursuing his 'passion project' which he said he was just 'obsessed' with and struck an unlikely creative partnership with cinematographer Bryan McIntyre, after putting an advert up on Gumtree. (Image: Supplied) After taking a week off work to shoot the first episode together, the pair realised that to fulfil O'Donnell's creative ambition, they would need to enlist more people to get involved with the project, so co-director and editor, Graeme Watt, was quickly involved too. 'Graeme would do the lights. Brian would do the sound. Then Graeme would do the camera. I would do the sound, holding the boom mics and all that stuff,' O'Donnell joked, retelling some of the chaotic beginnings of their first couple of shoots. Shooting over almost a decade did have its challenges with continuity between filming being one of them, O'Donnell made sure he was 'all over it' so that the scenes blended perfectly despite, in some cases, being shot months apart. 'I was all over the continuity in terms of clothing and things like that, but there were challenges because Ryan, who's in the opening scene, had to grow his hair long for a movie that he was in. 'So, he turned up with this long hair and I'm going 'Oh my, what will I do', so we had to get him a beanie cap in that opening scene in the robbery. 'So, he's wearing a beanie cap because he's got long hair, and he didn't have long hair in the rest of the episode. (Image: Supplied) O'Donnell added: 'Sometimes you just have to kind of think fast, and then there's actually scenes that get cut out because, like my weight, my weight was just kind of jumping all over the place. 'I was pretty consistent, but some scenes I'm a wee bit heavier, but there were a couple of scenes where I was unwell, and I lost a ton of weight and I actually had to cut those scenes out of the show, because it was so obvious I'd lost so much weight.' The trio spent around eight years shooting the series intermittently with a budget of only around £5000, with most of the funding coming out of O'Donnell's pocket. Concrete Jungle spent 10 weeks in the STV Player's most-watched list, claiming the number one spot when it aired back in March. (Image: Supplied) The broadcaster picked up the series following a chance encounter between STV's Jonathan Tate and O'Donnell at the first-ever Screen Writers Festival last year after the Paisley-based filmmaker fielded a question to Iain Smith during a live Q&A. O'Donnell said he was grilled by the legendary Hollywood producer after he asked: 'How do I get it out there? How do I take it to the next level, because I believe in it.' The exchange caught the eye of Tate, who then approached O'Donnell about the series during a break and asked him to send over the series, as he is a fan of crime dramas. 'As soon as I sent it over, he was like, 'By the way, I absolutely love this',' O'Donnell said. 'He said, 'I'm not gonna lie to you, it's a bit of a gamble for us because we've never had anything this gritty before, but I've watched it, and I absolutely loved it'.' (Image: Supplied) O'Donnell said he was overwhelmed with the amount of support he has received since Concrete Jungle aired on the STV Player. 'I honestly can't even put it into any words, and I don't even think its sunk in yet,' he said. The 39-year-old said that he believes that following the success of his series has helped 'open the door' to other independent talent in Scotland. O'Donnell added that Tate is a 'huge champion' of Scottish talent and that he is pleased to see STV backing more grassroots productions. 'I've actually seen people who followed me on social media making comments to me saying, 'you're setting the standard when it comes to filmmaking' and then a couple of months later, because they're doing their own thing as well, they're saying that they've now agreed the deal to have their stuff showcased in STV. 'I think Concrete Jungle has opened the door for other people to get the stuff on there as well.' O'Donnell said that he is now putting the final touches on his next pitch, which is to make Concrete Jungle's pilot into a full-fledged series or even a full-length feature film. He will also be joining Tate this week at the inaugural Glasgow Telly Festival, where he is hoping to retell his story in a bid to inspire more people to 'believe' in their own projects like he did.
Glasgow Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Crime drama written by Glasgow doorman to screen at TV festival
The festival, which runs from May 29 to June 1, is the creation of Scottish author, producer, and screenwriter Claire Duffy. It aims to spotlight Glasgow's TV talent while driving change to help the crisis-hit Scottish TV industry. Now, a new event has been added to the festival line-up. On Saturday, May 31, there will be a Q&A and special screening event of the Glasgow crime drama Concrete Jungle. The drama, which has attracted a large audience on STV Player since its release, was written by former Glasgow doorman Anton O'Donnell. Anton will appear at the special Glasgow screening to discuss the creation of his hit show. Some of the cast of Concrete Jungle, including writer Anton O'Donnell (Image: Supplied) Read more: Gritty Glasgow gangland film available to watch for free on STV Player This adds to the long list of events planned for the festival, including the Glasgow Telly Legends Pick of the Pilots Event on Thursday, May 29, from 7.30pm to 9pm at Maison by Glaschu. A host of Scottish TV talent, including actors Colin McCredie, Blythe Duff, Sanjeev Kohli, Jordan Young, Karen Bartke, Chris Forbes, Siobhan Redmond, and Maureen Beattie, are involved in the festival activities and events. The festival will feature a series of events across the city, spotlighting Glasgow's writers, producers, directors, and actors. The Glasgow public, known for its direct feedback, will be key to spotting potential TV hits through an innovative audience feedback app. The festival opens with a panel discussion from stars and creators of some of the most iconic Glasgow series. The final cast has also been revealed for the TV Pilot Open Mic Night, taking place at BAAD on Sunday, June 1, from 2pm to 4pm. Read more: Scottish TV stars back first-ever Glasgow Telly Festival Claire Duffy, founder and organiser of the festival, said: "The level of interest in the festival has been incredible, and quite overwhelming. "From TV talent who want to be involved, to people supporting from behind the scenes, it's been wonderful to see the strength of community that exists within the Scottish TV industry. "The whole idea behind all of the events is to give actors, directors, and writers - all at any stage of their career - the chance to showcase their work, and to really bring audiences into the fold to share their views. "I have no doubt that, collectively over time, we can bring creativity, opportunity, and prosperity back into the Scottish TV industry, and the Glasgow Telly Festival is just the start of what will be a very exciting journey."
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
New York Liberty receive 2024 WNBA championship ring ahead of season opener vs. Las Vegas
New York Liberty receive 2024 WNBA championship ring ahead of season opener vs. Las Vegas Show Caption Hide Caption Best WNBA games to watch this 2025 season USA TODAY's Meghan Hall breaks down what the best WNBA games to watch this season are. Sports Seriously The New York Liberty are looking to repeat as WNBA champions in 2025. But before they moved forward with a chance to become the fourth WNBA franchise to ever repeat as champions, they celebrated last season one more time. The Liberty received their 2024 WNBA Championship rings during a banner-raising ceremony ahead of their 2025 season opener against the Las Vegas Aces at 1 p.m. ET Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Liberty, one of the original WNBA franchises, won their first WNBA title last season, which marked the first professional basketball championship for New York City since 1973. The ring was designed by Jason of Beverly Hills, as well as by Brooklyn-based designers Dynasty and Soull Ogun of L'Enchanteur. "The Liberty's 2024 WNBA Championship reflects the tenacity, determination and greatness of the team and of New York City itself," New York Liberty Governor Clara Wu Tsai said in a news release. "Our goal for the ring's design was to honor our players while also incorporating the spirit of Brooklyn. We were fortunate to find collaborators equally dedicated to the same mission. The craftsmanship of Jason of Beverly Hills combined with the artistry of the Ogun sisters brought to life an exceptional piece of jewelry." Soull Ogun designed the ring with Liberty's signature torch and symbolic motif of a leaf rising from the concrete to pay tribute to New York, "The Concrete Jungle." "In creating the 2024 WNBA Championship Ring, the New York Liberty reflect on our story on and off the court ― our commitment to pursuing the dream of a WNBA championship for 28 years and the pride we take in bringing New York this championship," Liberty CEO Keia Clarke said. "This ring is a tribute to every fan, every player who believed in the New York Liberty and shared in our unforgettable 2024 title run." REQUIRED READING: What is a Valkyrie? Everything to know about Golden State Valkyries WNBA expansion team The ring is designed to tell the story of the Liberty. A single diamond in the trophy commemorates the first-ever WNBA championship, while the 28 stones in the leaf symbolize the 28 years of the franchise. Over six carats of the white diamonds represent the six years of ownership of Joe and Clara Wu Tsai. The 11 black diamonds represent the 11 playoff wins, while the 32 points of black diamond honor the 32 regular season wins. The square at the top of the ring opens to reveal a pair of earrings, which were specifically designed by Jason of Beverly Hills. The earrings are an everyday wear item that ties the players to the championship and the ring. "This wasn't just a ring, it was a responsibility," Jason Arasheben of Jason of Beverly Hills said of the ring. "The New York Liberty waited 28 years for this moment, and we knew the jewelry needed to reflect every ounce of that journey. From the torch to the concrete motif, every detail in this design was carefully chosen to honor the legacy, grit and passion behind this historic win. Collaborating with Dynasty and Soull Ogun allowed us to create something truly unique, merging our craftsmanship with their powerful artistic vision and deep ties to Brooklyn. "This is the first time we've done earrings inside the ring too, which is really special. At Jason of Beverly Hills, we pride ourselves on creating rings that tell stories, and the story of the 2024 New York Liberty is one of resilience, purpose and transformation. This piece is as iconic as the championship it celebrates and we're proud to be a part of it." "We're honored to be part of such a historic moment in sports with the New York Liberty, bringing the championship to our hometown Brooklyn," Dynasty and Soull Ogun, Founders, L'Enchanteur, said. "A diamond in the rough, also growing from the concrete."
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Panama City Center for the Arts unveils three new spring exhibitions
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Three new exhibitions will be coming to the Panama City Center for the Arts this spring. The Main Gallery will offer a sneak peek into the Second Annual Redfish Film Festival. The Miller Gallery will feature 'Exploring Connection,' a multimedia collection of works by local ceramicist Kelly McLendon and artist Jen Honeycutt. Panama City Beach sets special event zones for spring break weekend In the Spotlight Gallery, a student of Gulf Coast State College, Alberto Spirgatis, will showcase 'Concrete Jungle.' The public is invited to the opening reception on Friday, April 4 from 5-7 pm. at the Center for the Arts. Visitors can meet the artists in the galleries over light hors d'oeuvres during this free event. The Center for the Arts is open Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm, Fridays 10am-7pm. The exhibits will be on display through April 26. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
