YOU SHOULD’VE BEEN THERE…
Derek Masterson recounts the official premiere of Clap ‘n Load Studios’ first three film productions at The Whale Theatre on November 28th.
Sunday (28th November, 2021) marked a most joyous occasion in Clap 'n Load Studios history as it was the official premiere screening of, not one, but THREE short movies in The Whale Theatre (Greystones, Co. Wicklow).
The hard work, perseverance and much perspiration of the teams behind each movie throughout the past two years culminated in a greatly anticipated event that, not only delivered on the promise of high quality films with great entertainment, but exceeded it.
Since its inception in 2019 Clap 'n Load Studios has aspired to making the most ambitious of movies that push the boundaries in terms of what is achievable on a low budget scale. Film Director of each film, Founder of Clap 'n Load Studios and MC for the evening, John Kelly, told the audience "According to Dublin City Council a micro-budget production is anything under €150,000...well we had a lot less than that!" as he effortlessly hosted the gala.
"Masquerade", a period piece set in England just before the 1916 Irish Rebellion, impressed the audience in terms of acting, narrative and costume, while "Visionaries", a short documentary about visually impaired Irish musicians (funded by Galway Film Centre), illustrated John Kelly's versatility as a film maker and was warmly received with intrigue as the audience connected with the subject matter and rapturously responded with laughter at intervals. The film’s creative visual recreation of the varying sight conditions of each of the film’s subjects was highly praised, and audience members commented again and again on how it opened their minds to a previously unexplored world and made them think about how those around them experience life. "Nevermore", the headline act of the evening, a Sci-Fi Irish drama with black Irish humour expertly sewn into the fabric of the story wowed the audience in terms of what Clap 'n Load could achieve in terms of scale and scope on even the most modest of budgets with impressive special effects, score and set design.
Each short film presented something very different to the sell-out audience and helped establish Clap 'n Load as an already prolific film production studio that's gone from strength to strength in its short existence to date and the 28th of November, 2021 will go down in the history of the company as one of great importance.
You should've been there...