extraordinary lives
hippoboy & jeremy tapsill
Extraordinary
Lives is the latest Troika+ production. A series of six spoof
‘shock docs’. Written by David & Tom Howell and directed by
Ricardo Lacombe and Lee Civico-Cambell.
The series explores the lives of some of the strangest and most shocking people found in Britain. The Extraordinary Lives test material has now been completed. Combining two shortened episodes into one compelling pilot.
‘Hippoboy: The Worlds Most Modern Freak’ is the story of John
Carter, a 15 year old boy suffering from a rare condition known as Neurofibromatosis
more commonly referred to as ‘that thing the Elephant Man had’.
John just wants to be normal and have the life changing surgery that modern
medicine can offer him. The only problem being the magazine deals and TV
documentaries his parents are arranging. Johns father assures the doctors
that John has fans to think off and surgery is unthinkable, but with social
services becoming involved in the case can their profiteering last much longer?
Just as Johns plight appears to be improving, a sinister figure known as
the Circus Master Seamus O’Reilly makes contact with the Carter family
through an underground ‘freak’ chat room. Before long the Circus
Master announces himself as Hippoboy’s agent and arranges an appearance
on Britain’s third best daytime chat show – The Jeremy Tapsill
show. How this illiterate Irish freak master and Tarmac operative manages
to arrange an appearance on national TV with such ease is a baffling question
for everyone concerned.
‘Jeremy Tapsill: The World's Most controversial TV Host’ is an undercover investigation into the Jeremy Tapsill show and the people pulling the strings behind the scenes. During the making of the Hippoboy documentary a researcher on the show approached the production team offering to blow the whistle on the dubious methods and deception used to con the viewing public.
Kate Martin is the undercover journalist chosen to infiltrate the team
behind the show. It all seems so easy when she applies for a job as Jeremy
Tapsill's PA, but when, during her interview, she is invited to “get
really lesbian” with another researcher on the show, she realizes this
could be the hardest thing she has ever got her teeth into.
As Kate shamelessly flatters Jeremy’s ego she manages to get some
amazing confessions of alcoholism, parental neglect, fraud and other criminal
activities. Who is really behind it though? Is it Jeremy himself or ‘King
of Extreme TV’ Scottish producer Alex Phillips?
Kate's investigation
is abruptly interrupted when Jeremy’s uncle receives
a tip off that she is an undercover Journalist. Her cover compromised,
Kate attempts to take her evidence to the relevant authorities. A Flymo wielding
Irish psychopath is the only thing that stands in her way.
Gaylon peglegg - 30 mins
The pilot episode of an in-development spoof sit-com show. Based on a character
created by Lee Civico-Cambell and written and directed by Ricardo Lacombe
this visually ambitious and surreal mock sit-com displays many layers of
comedy, religious debate and remarkable situations that have NEVER been seen
o film before.
The film is currently being hotly touted amongst some major TV production
companies and broadcasters and will also be taken on a tour of film festivals.
Gaylon Peglegg was testament to Troika+Ltd’s methods of reducing costs
and working on minimal budget with NO compromise on production values and
turned heads in displaying what CAN be done by ambitious independent filmmakers.
All this after less than a year’s filmmaking experience!
Outroads - Music Video (2007)
Troika+Ltd
were honoured to have collaborated with the legendary Sheffield group
Outroads, headed up by the brilliant songwriter and musician Geoff
Walsh who can be found at (www.myspace.com/outroads).
The video broke new technical ground for
Troika_Ltd as the production schedule gave only two weeks to make the
entire video. Conception, development, pre-production, shoot, post production.
Two weeks! Not only was this done UNDER schedule but featured some highly
challenging steadicam work, digital visual effects, and pin-point choreography.
A stunning effort and also established Troika’s relationship with Geoff, which
continues to fruition to this day on other film projects.
Backyard Wrestling – (Aired 2007)
The
first of two commissions for Troika+Ltd by Current TV, the major online
and TV based channel created by Al Gore. Troika+Ltd were originally
commissioned for up to 10 shows but due to other commitments produced two
shows.
This documentary film followed
the stars of a UK based Backyard Wrestling federation and highlighted
the unique talent of undercovering sub-cultures within the UK that many other
filmmakers cannot gain access to. Troika+Ltd negotiated exclusive access
to this highly closed, visually stunning form of entertainment and
produced a documentary that once again raised eyebrows and turned heads for
both it’s
content and production values.
It follows the passion and commitment of the
most daring, ambitious Wrestling crew in the UK. The stars of piece
were also developed into further film work, being used as stunt performers
in a film by Troika+Ltd friend Theo Cane Garvey, special effects make
up genius. Demonstrating the development programmes
Violent Tendencies – (Aired 2007)
The
second Current TV commission for Troika+Ltd, this documentary delves
into the underground world of the UK Fight Club. Ricardo and Lee risked
equipment and personal harm to bring to the screen this hard hitting, no-compromise
report of a group of bored youths who live out media-fuelled violence
in their own fight club.
Metal bars, glass, fists and chains all are
on display in a show which the channel considered initially too hard-hitting
for TV, having to be edited and cut for broadcast! Showing once again
how committed Troika+Ltd is bringing new, exciting content to the
screens of UK and US TV.