A LOOK BEHIND THE MASK : MASQUERADE
With Clap 'n Load Studios about to drop the official trailer for their first short film "Masquerade" this Friday we decided it would be an appropriate time to reflect on the origins of the project and the unexpected adversities it had to overcome in order to come to life.
John Kelly, the film's writer and director speaks to me over Zoom on a particularly wintry December evening. His affection for his first production is infectious as his warmth for it is transmitted down the camera lens. "I was on a flight coming home from DC and had been thinking about writing a story that focused on what people present to us rather than what they are, and the imagery that came to mind was of a masquerade ball. So I wanted that to be the focal point of the film." he candidly explains giving an insight into the background of his idea. "So I spent the flight Googling images of Masquerade masks and costuming, which wasn’t easy with the awful internet connection." he laughs.
Initially an idea for "a three minute showpiece without dialogue" it quickly became apparent to the young writer-filmmaker that this idea could expand far further than he initially imagined as he began to realise a much larger world within the germ of his idea. So much so he tells me that creating it as a short movie became a task in itself.
“There’s the basis of a TV series here, and we have the plot points and outline of that series already written. Masquerade is just an excerpt of that longer story.”
However, it being a Kickstarter fundraising film it was decided to keep the project, an ambitious period piece set in England prior to the Irish 1916 rebellion, to under fifteen minutes. "Its a situation story about power and the tenuous position of power. There's a whole lot we haven't gotten around to talking about in this pilot, but there's a lot of stuff going on." He isn't wrong. In the trailer for the film he shows me we meet a staunch Duke, his power-driven wife, their cowardly Physician, and learn of the dangers looming for each of them when the actions of the Duke’s headstrong son come to light on the night of their masquerade ball.
Of course, the production wasn't without its issues. The primary one: being a film with a low budget means less access to crew and equipment. Calling upon friends, family and volunteers the film was shot at a breakneck pace over a single weekend in Kilruddery House in Wicklow. Undaunted and undeterred by a lack of budget the production steamed ahead and where glitches arose creativity overcame. Frustratingly, after production wrapped further delays on the project were met as the the post production team working on the film were forced to work from home due to the pandemic resulting in a lengthy delay.
John Kelly’s enthusiasm for his film assisted him in overcoming each issue stating "Where problems arise I like to see as an opportunity". After the lengthy wait for post production to finalise, John using the time in-between to work on future projects for Clap 'n Load Studios, the film was released to competitions around the world and has been a resounding success receiving awards and nominations for Best Actor and Costume, to name a few. The delays in seeing his project come to life were no doubt disheartening at times, but the end result (which is slated to be released on Christmas Day) and trailer that will be released this coming Friday are a testament to his passion for film-making.
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