So here’s a bit of lunacy…
I’d never made a Straight 8 film before. For those who don’t know it’s a film competition with a twist. You can only use 1 roll of Super 8 film and once you start, well that’s it. You’re committed. It’s your one chance. You shoot the roll, editing in camera and in sequence on the fly. And then when you’re done, send it off to Straight 8 who process it.
You’ll hear nothing for ages. Weeks go by and all attempts to wrangle any information out of them fail. Questions like; “is there an image, hair in the gate or scratch?” are met with stoney silence, evasive comments, or cryptic replies.
Then you get the invitation to the screening. And you will, as I did, sweat along with an audience while that crazy shoot plays out on a big screen.
Sounds mad eh?
Anyway here’s my first, and probably only, attempt. Not that it wasn’t fun. It was. It was crazy. Maddening. Stressful. Hilarious. And utterly bonkers.
Thanks a million to everyone who took part, in particular Darren Machin and Simone Labarga, aka Lemmy Caution and Natasha Von Braun. And to Ben Liddel for his steady hand and nerve with not one but two faulty Super 8 cameras. Yes, it nearly didn’t happen at all.
Apologies to Jean Luc Goddard for taking half arsed scatter-shot liberties with his masterpiece. I’m sure he’ll get over it…