Author Archives: Vasco Phillip de Sousa

About Vasco Phillip de Sousa

Vasco Phillip de Sousa has been making up stories since he learned to speak. He has written for genealogy magazines, achieved an MA in Media Production, moved barrels in an ink factory, been employee of the month for directory enquiries, and started a string of businesses, in addition to other adventures. Vasco is currently writing a book (and a screenplay) about one of his more obscure heroes. He also makes educational and promotional documentaries.

We have expanded our team

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

Ptara proudly introduces the two newest members of our media production team.   On sound, or as an audio technician, we have John Renton. John has a music degree from Edge Hill and did Foley for his dissertation. He has … Continue reading →

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Why were prison riots so common in the 1950s?

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

In one month in 1959, there were four riots in the United States alone. Canada, South Africa, Algeria and even the UK seemed to frequent the papers with news of prison riots. There were two riots in American prisons in … Continue reading →

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Can you tell a good story statistically?

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

Statistics are useful for many things. Getting insurance for instance, or doing a health and safety report. If you know that ten percent of all shots attempted on a certain kind of ladder result in accidents, it may be an … Continue reading →

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Farewell to a man who raised the bar

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

Screenwriters who know their stuff must have loved Ray Harryhausen.  At a time when quick special effects were commonplace, Harryhausen set a new standard through his meticulous care. A new standard?  Well, he was mentored by Willis O’Brien, one of … Continue reading →

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Seven films where the main character is not the arching character

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

A naughty little boy once said the rules are made to be broken. Well, one of the unwritten rules of the movies, or stories for that matter, is that the main character (or hero) must undergo change.  This change is … Continue reading →

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America’s answer to bombs, then and now.

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

When I heard about the Boston bombing, I didn’t know what to think.  I was reminded of a high school history class, when we learned why Americans don’t like socialists. You ever notice that in the USA they don’t celebrate … Continue reading →

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How crowdfunding is changing the way we make films.

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

Big budget movies have long been about gimmicks.  Since the success of Star Wars, it seems that nearly every children’s movie starts with how well the character would play out as a toy. But the micro-budget movies we grew up … Continue reading →

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What should be taught at film school, or, would you hire a film grad?

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

If you’d ask me if you should go to film school, I’d say no.  If you ask me whether I regret going to film school, I’ll also say no. If you ask me if I’d hire a film school grad, … Continue reading →

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“unfair, unprofessional and dangerous”

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

“unfair, unprofessional, and dangerous”, that’s what Putin called the proposed new tax in Cyprus.  Now, I know this is normally a history and film blog, but this is not an event you see every day.  We are witnessing an historic … Continue reading →

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Ceredigion County Council gives Ptara staff “10 out of 10″

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Vasco Phillip de Sousa

In a score for a recent tender, the Ceredigion County Council rated the CVs of Ptara staff at “10 out of 10.” We didn’t get the tender, and the council has not gone into detail about why they didn’t like … Continue reading →

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