#they also had to install a huge fucking changing outlet on one of the walls for him to plug his cables into while he's sleeping

[randomly--accessed--memories]

Vaguely trying to imagine what Vox's room at the hotel would look like. He's not in there very often, so it's mostly just the standard look, but it's also where he dumps all the things he deicides he wants to hold on to. Weird little bug creations Niffty’s made for him, random pieces of technology from his work with Pentious, fidget toys that he keeps forgetting to return to the group therapy box... It's very messy and most of the stuff just sits there, untouched, but it's undeniably his.

[thatfilmduderyan]

Death Studios: My studio space.

For a long time I’ve wanted to do a blogpost about my studio but it’s never materialised (mostly due to always being distracted by other more pressing matters in the world of work). That is until now. 

Death Studios began life in September 2016 when I came back from working on the All Fucked Up video for The Amity Affliction. From time to time a mutual friend of mine worked from a coffee shop I often frequented, and she turned up one day and said that off the back of brexit she felt a need to find “a new place to work from to change things up”. Immediately I got on board with the idea as I’d never found the perfect spot to set up a studio before. Previously I’d been accepted at a number of innovation centres but the problem was that they were often far too ‘office like’ for me. I probably could have moved into a studio space about 5 years ago but I’m someone that operates strongly off the back of their gut feelings. Nothing every felt right for me until I walked into this place.

The entire building was up for grabs and 3 of us ended up coming together with the same goal. The other 2 people were more ‘desk based’ (a graphic designer and an illustrator) and therefore they needed a lot less space than me, so they ended up taking the floor above and turned it into a shared desk studio. But I needed shelf spaces, work tops, storage areas and a host of other features, so this room had massive potential. There were a few structural changes required that included an overhaul of electrics, the recovering of all surface woodwork, new windows with an advanced security system, a couple stud walls, a new wooden floor and finally the painting of the entire place. My dad was a huge part of the work that went into this place and he came up with the idea to drop the strip lights from the ceiling and hang them by chains (which I loved so much). There were a lot of late nights spent working on the space as well as continuing to run other video/film projects. I have fond memories of my brother and me painting the walls and laughing until I sides hurt at old stories of us growing up. Originally I had wanted to keep things minimal but I soon realised this was near impossible with everything I had. I actually suffer with OCD, so once I’d made peace with the layout I began arranging things as I saw fit. A large part of inspiration for the room came from Casey Neistat’s studio (his youtube blog linked below but click his name for a studio tour) and various other interiors outlets like Rocket St George (some bulbs and the coat rack near the front door are from that store). 

The main aim for the studio space was for me to have a private working environment where I could do a number of things. The layout is setup for meetings, post-production work, pre-production work, team sessions, equipment storage/maintenance and physical product distribution. I actually want to create and release things that all get made and distributed from the studio at some point but I’ve yet to do this (it’s in the works though). The layout of the work surfaces means I can move to different points of the room depending on my mood. It sounds kinda crazy but my mood really does affect this and I’ve used pretty much all the different positions for different pieces of work. During the winter I often like to sit in the position picture 3 showcases. Picture 2 is often utilised for packing cases and the layout of the room means I can pretty much pack for any job within a 30 minute period. I have a large wall (not pictured) behind where picture 4 is taken but this is covered in post-it notes relating to the projects I’ve currently got going on so I can’t show it due to privacy requirements/NDAs I’ve signed. Originally the wall was covered with framed posters from various releases I’ve directed, but I felt like it wasn’t being used properly so these were taken down in favour of a wall where I could stick post it notes (this was partly inspired by the character Nathan in Ex-Machina, and the scene where we see a wall of post-it notes behind his work computer). There are a couple angles of the room I’ve not included due to me wanting to keep the location largely hidden, but there is also a tea and coffee area which has a picture of the Defeater boys hanging over it haha (thanks to my friend Josie Hoffman for that gift). The space can house about 4 people when working from computers but I’ve held a production meeting for a film here with about 12 people present.

The strip light you see above the shelves in picture 4 has a strange tale behind it. My parents bought an old derelict newspaper shop to setup their business in and during the renovations they found an old light that sat on top of a cigarette counter. The light sat in the loft of their business for years and as we approached the completion of the studio build my dad said “do you want that old cigarette counter light in here?” and I said “hell yes I do”. My plan was to have it on the floor previously and replace the old branded perspex front with my own custom one. I ended up going with a phrase that has stuck with me for years which is ‘fear mediocrity’. Mediocrity is of the the biggest threats to inspired and original art. Mediocrity is also a very big seller and it functions as the facilitating ground for many people looking to make money from creativity (it’s easy to accept and often doesn’t challenge the status quo). This is something I’ve always felt has to be avoided to achieve greatness in your work; so what better place to illuminate it than above my head every day. Either side of the phrase are a couple of aliens from the John Carpenter film ‘They Live’ who in the story are trying to capture and brainwash the earth. The strangest part of this light was that when we came to the installation it went perfectly into the gap above the shelf... there was no space either side of it to shift. It was a spooky moment because it honestly felt like that light was meant to be in that spot. If you look closely at the picture of it you’ll see a steel conduit right next to it with no space... this was fitted before the light went in, let alone was in the same building. 

The studio has become an integral part of my work routine and allows me to disconnect from whatever I need to and concentrate on the job at hand. This place was at the centre of all of the projects I’ve helmed over the last 2.5 years. Due to the nature of how I work and the routine I have I unfortunately can’t accept work experience placements, but Crashburn does accept them on shoots. My creative routine has become extremely private since moving into this space and I realised that I want to keep it that way moving forward into future projects. I’m currently writing my first feature film (off the back of a recently produced short) which is bringing new challenges but never the less is being aided by this custom made space. I really recommend people in the creative industries finding their own studio space and making it truly ‘them’. It’s a tall order to find a spot you feel comfortable in but ultimately if you don’t feel good your workflow will be heavily disrupted. My advice to would-be studio designers is.... don’t rush. Find what works and make it yours. That is the very crux of what Death Studios is for me. I think the most gratifying thing about owning a spot like this is that it has come from a place within myself. In filmmaking you’re often surrounded by many different types of people and eventually you end up realising that everyone is different and everyone has their own idea of what filmmaking is. The journey is never the same twice. I’ve always wanted to be independent and able to do whatever I want, however I want, and finally this studio is a step in that direction (just think along the lines of Neil Blomkamp’s ‘Oats Studios’). I’m here to create the films I feel need to be made while developing myself further as a feature film director. In this process there’s a wonderful gap to facilitate anyone who wants to collaborate and make great things. The process is natural, nurturing and it makes me feel strong. All parts fit together. Long live Death Studios. 

Rx

Links!

Casey Neistat Youtube Page

Casey Neistat Studio tour via Marcus Brownlee

Rocket St George

Ex-Machina ‘Post-it note’ scene

They Live movie