straight8 "art" screening - Chiswick

Finally, nearly six months after delivering the completed film and soundtrack to an office in Soho less than a week after Anna's birth, "One Across", my entry for Straight8 2007, premieres. This is the first film I've had selected for exhibition after three years of trying.

We arrived in Chiswick with five minutes to spare, delayed by roadworks on the outskirts of Cambridge. Happily, three different groups of friends are already there. Not knowing (or recognising) each other, they are spread around the auditorium. Should I invite them all to sit together or leave them where they are? The films start soon - there isn't time.

A selection of seven all-time straight8 greats sets the scene. Nick Scott's "Earth To Earth" leads off with its amusing story of a man growing electrical appliances on his allotment. Diego Arredondo's typically impressive stop-motion-with-actors piece "Tequila Chamuco" follows.

The tension mounts as we're called to the stage for a round of applause, though sadly only four of the directors were able to attend. Then it's back to our seats for the first showing of the 2007 "art" selection.

"One Across" shows third and it's difficult to concentrate on the images and sound when I'm so aware of how the audience in the room are reacting. There is a slight sense of anticlimax after - I need watch it again to see if it really succeeded. Organiser Ed kindly compliments the colours and asks what camera I used (Canon 514 XL-S).

I enjoyed Matteo Pizzarello's "Knots" with it's Comedia Del'arte touches. Along with Mathew Tucker's "The Embrace" and Sam Giles's "Portrait (I May Not Know What I'm Doing)", all made great use of light, which made me feel my effort lacked some dynamism. I'm not the only one who notices forests and trees feature frequently.

Bill Rodgers's "Clapham" was cute. He later admitted to me that his actor had bailed out shortly before he was due to start filming, so he abandoned his original film. but his and still made the top 20% of films! He even used the alien mask we used in our 2006 submission "Normal".

Duncan White's "Itch" was unsettling, but it's violent conclusion wasn't universally liked. In contrast, everyone I spoke to enjoyed Coral Aiken's "Last Night, After Sex, Ali and Jerome Broke Up", with it's air of unrelenting tension. Ian McAlpin's "The Shape Of Pills, Powders and Pellets Proved Unreliable" featured a great setting and a real sense of foreboding.

The "art" selection will show again on 26th October in Nice, along with the Cannes 12 at Regard Independent.

Now we just need an idea for 2008 which will be good enough for Cannes..!

"One Across" premiering at Straight8 "Art"

My short film about Cambridge's Carter Bridge will be shown for the first time as part of this event at the end of the month:

"30 sep 2007 - straight 8 'art' - 12 loose films to pin down from the s807 crop

these films have never been seen before. be there with the filmmakers and have your questions answered in the bar. plus a few extra films, (not the cannes 12)

4.30pm the back of: george iv pub, 185 chiswick high road, london w4 2dr. it's a great venue - we used it last year"

Tickets are available from straight8.

The pub is a short walk from Turnham Green tube - and a much, much longer one from Hammersmith.

Hallam no!

Hugh Macleod recently drew attention to preview screenings of Hallam Foe.

As Hugh says, the trailer looks great. So I was pleased when I heard back from The Film Factory saying I had two places reserved at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse screening. Until I realised the screening had taken place earlier this evening and the confirmation e-mails ("be there at 6pm for a 6.30 start...") at 5:15pm..!

Even if I'd been at home and happened to see the e-mail, I would still have needed to get my skates on to be ready and get there in 45 minutes. Someone have an off-day at The Film Factory..?

All wrapped up: Oedipus Rex - Night 6 (Friday)

It's been a great week, sometimes hectic, occasionally stressful and finally, exhilarating.

Now it's the last night of in situ: Oedipus Rex and we finish with another sellout. Beforehand, director Richard Spaul is scurrying around to find additional seating, saying "Some people have turned up on the door and I don't want to turn them away... it's not a problem we usually face with in situ:."

Simon and Katrina's wedding has meant some rearrangement to the week-long run. Productions usually open on a Monday night with an intimate performance to an audience in the high teens. Numbers build through the week to capacity crowds at the weekend. Opening on Saturday gave us a greater sense of occasion, which helped the the cast pull out all the stops.

The final night seemed smoother. We tighten things up so it's shorter than the previous last night. Ian amends "...I wouldn't have ended up... c-c-c-c-c-c-copulating with my mother..." in his climactic speech to "f-f-f-f-f-f-f-FUCKING...!" on Richard's suggestion. Though since I wasn't at last night's aftershow party, it came as a complete surprise to me. I kept dwelling on the cue I failed to get, making it appear as if I'd forgotten my line (Jane later admits she saw her family in the front row and thought about the grief her sister would give her if she screwed up!), but few noticed.

I feel more relief than when our previous one-off performances were complete. After the one-term, one-performance piece "Metamorphosis" I felt sad that we'd never do it again. A week starts to seem a long time - particularly with a full-time day job and a young daughter - and getting it right has meant a lot of preparation, but we did ourselves justice with the performances we gave.

Now... the wedding tomorrow followed by a week's holiday in Orford, Suffolk. I think I'll need it.

Oedipus Rex - Night 5

Another healthy crowd ahead of Friday night's sell out.

This one was slow, we all agreed after. Why was that? There was no lack of energy, there was plenty of drama. Strange.

Only one left now...

Gaining momentum - Oedipus Rex: Night 4 (Wednesday)

Twice as many in the audience tonight as on Monday and Tuesday, which makes it feel as we're building up to something, with the same expected tomorrow night and a probably sell out on Friday. And then..? After 15 months work, we're going to miss it when it finishes.

It didn't occur to me until afterward how well it went tonight. The cast arrived on time and did a much better warm up than last night, which seemed to improve concentration. I still don't think I've nailed my prologue speech about "Chinatown", but I wasn't worrying about that once we got inside The Leper Chapel. The performance level seemed more consistent, the energy seemed better channelled into the performance, there were no injuries and no strained voices.

More young neighbourhood theatre critics turned up to watch the ending outside, but refrained from offering commment.

I must admit my unfamiliarity with the story of Oedipus. My assumptions were originally based on a limited knowledge and understanding of Freud's Oedipus Complex (something we explore in one of the choruses). It wasn't until I did Robert McKee's Story Seminar that I found out Oedipus's crimes were unwitting. This reminded me of the myth of Narcissus. The definition of narcissism gives no hint that Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection without knowing what it was.

I wonder what else I don't know?

Poke Paul II - Oedipus Rex: Night 3 (Tuesday)

Another good performance, despite some lateness in the cast which affected our warm-up. My concentration was wandering ("and my thought went missing") slightly during the first scene where I have most of my lines. I managed to bring it back without relying too much on Katrina's prompting (which is part of the performance). Just as well - she later confessed she was giving me completely the wrong lines.

Ian arrived with his voice thankfully recovering, but Paul reported having been poked in the other eye last night. This prompted some safety advice from Mr. Spaul.

Each night, people stay afterwards to tell us how how much they enjoyed the performance. It's always good to hear this from in situ: members from other projects. They know how much work is involved and make useful observations on particular aspects of the performance.

Even more gratifying are the comments from those who come along not knowing quite what to expect. Every night I've spoken to people who are genuinely surprised how good the production is, how powerful the performances are, what an atmospheric venue we've chosen. How can we turn these people into supporters and advocates for in situ:?

The only witnesses to our final scene this evening were a woman, her cocker spaniel and a cloud of midges. The woman and her dog paused for half a minute, read the information signs outside The Leper Chapel and moved on.

Will they return?

(The woman, I mean. The dog I am less interested in and I will no doubt be reacquainting myself with the midges at the same time tomorrow.)