In his own words: David Campion's Filmmaking Journey
I've been making low/no budget feature films for the best part of 15 years now. We managed to get a small release on our first scrappy horror film, "Patrol Men," when we were fresh out of uni. "Woodfalls" played some festivals and felt like a step-up, but it wasn't without its problems and eventually got lost online. In my late twenties, I made a serial killer film called "She Lived on Franklin Avenue," which was the most important thing I've ever made because we scrapped it once it was completed. It was the first time I worked on something that I couldn't get behind as it reflected the opposite of who I am: pseudo-intellectual, pretentious nonsense.
The Heart of 'STRAIGHT THROUGH CREW'
I needed to make something close to my heart, even if it would be the last... "STRAIGHT THROUGH CREW" is based on my past, present, and potential future. Set around my home village of Ludgershall, Wiltshire, the film focuses on a group of twenty-something friends preparing for a rave on Christmas Eve. The rave is based on a series of real parties thrown by a local DJ and friend, Planky, which culminated with a NYE rave in a chicken shed (2014).
Authenticity and Challenges
Most of the characters are based on myself and real friends. Jason Rosato, who plays Richie in the film, is actually just a close friend and not really an actor at all. Taking the lead is Charles Craddock (Aden), who grew up in the area before leaving for drama school. For authenticity, we threw a real rave. This helped us get more extras in and gave the actors a functioning playground to party. As you can imagine, this came with its own unique set of challenges.
Inspirations
I went to uni with DOP Tom O'Keefe. While I ventured into the world of no-budget filmmaking, he carved out a career shooting music videos. Having worked with the likes of Skepta and D Double E, Tom went on to shoot "Trapping," directed by Penny Woolcock and starring rapper Abra Cadabra. In terms of inspirations - real life aside, "STRAIGHT THROUGH CREW" is very much informed by British Social Realism, French teen cinema, and American indies/mumblecore. Films like "Dazed & Confused," "Eden," "All These Sleepless Nights," "Myth of the American Sleepover," "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," and "Heaven Knows What" were all major touchstones.
Outline:
STRAIGHT THROUGH CREW: A contemporary tale of rural hedonism unfolds on Christmas Eve as a group of friends prepare to attend a village rave. However, dynamics are challenged when substances and feelings collide.
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