It was a week of high drama and low comedy, of crises resolved and challenges met and overcome. Everything that could have happened did. There were tech failures, location issues, projects delayed or rendered problematic by nothing more than their own daring ambition.
And we made Fifty-two films in seven days. Yep. Fifty-two films written, cast, shot, cut, scored, and screened within the space of a week. In the enclosed environment of the film lab, with the clock ticking away, our intrepid band of writers, actors, DOPs, sound techs and sound designers, directors, composers, musicians, animators, graphic designers, production managers, technicians, and random eccentrics bonded together over beer, caffeine and junk food, and proved just what is possible when their creativity is put to the test.
We had people turn up with solid ideas and concrete plans for what they wanted to do, and others who were happy to just improvise from scratch. We had films inspired by a silly prop or a found object, films spawned by an observed incident or an unlikely coincidence. We were serious about our craft, and we had fun with it.
And the screenings were a blast. We had everything from throwaway 30 second jokes to intense 10 minute dramas, and all of them were films to be proud of.
We’d like to thank the BBC Club and The Deaf Institute for being such lovely screening venues, Creative Industries In Salford, Let’s Go Global, and Arri for tech support, and all of the guys at the wonderful Kraak Studios, our base of operations for the week, who provided us with the perfect Lab space, and embraced the 24/7 lunacy of Kabaret with gusto. We could not have done this without your support. Above all, we’d like to thank those who took part and made this the best Kabaret yet.
This has set the bar very high for whatever we do next. We plan to rise to the challenge.
Watch this space.
