So the new Level Army skate film is premiering soon at the Sallis Benney Theatre. Is the whole film produced by your good self?
Footage has come in from filmers across the country but the majority is filmed and edited by me yeah. I’ve had loads of help from Slim Jim who released ‘Brighten’ earlier this year and Nathan Cowdry seems to have self-appointed himself Assistant Producer which I guess is chilled.

I’ve seen you¹ve done a lot of films over the years on youtube and stuff, can we expect to see completely new unseen footage on the new film?
Yeah everything in LA is brand new surprise footage, we been filming for it for nearly a year now so my hard drive is pretty much overflowing with footage. Most of which probably will never see the light of day. Theres some shit that we spent hours filming ages ago that I look at now and think why did we bother.

Is your education in filmmaking or is just something you got well into?
I just finished a 2 year video production course but been messing about with cameras for years.

Is there much money to be made doing what you do? Do you care?
Ha nah not really much money in it. At the moment the whole vids being financed pretty much by the jobcentre haha. This vids main purpose though is too promote the scene and hopefully makes an enjoyable video.

What are your plans for the future? More films, bumming about etc?
After this is finished, I don’t know…maybe look for a job. It’s a lot easier to just sit at the level all day though and chill with the pikeys.

Is the level just a place or is it a way of life. Expand?
It’s just a place full of pissed off kids really. Nothing glamourous about it. I guess its quite an intimidating place for new comers, there is a kind of aggressiveness to outsiders.

In the teaser someone sets light to a tramps hair while he¹s doing a shit. Do you not think that¹s a bit cruel considering he probably doesn’t have a home?
Actually he was asleep. Don’t blame me; I’m just documenting level life.

Finally who, if anyone, do you think could make it big from the level?
Hard to pick one person out of them all as everyone’s killing it but the most obvious is Isaac Miller. Watch out for that name. Hopefully this video will get a few faces recognized on a more national level.

LA* will be premiering at the Sallis Benney Theatre on Saturday 14th November at 7pm. Tickets available at ‘Another’ Skateboard shop, 29 Gloucester Road (Underneath ‘Cool Hand Lukes’ in the North Laine) £3. Get down there and enjoy it.

Photo by Milo Belgrove

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The Lost Coin, collaboration with Dan Britt.

The quest to tromthamolon, part XVIII

TV Fun

Now, some of those animations you might watch and think ‘thats the most retarded thing ever’, but they are in fact quite clever.

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James Houston is really cool. He is producing some of the best and most original films and animations in this country at the moment. We first discovered him whilst sitting through hours of Vimeo videos one very stoned afternoon. ‘Big Ideas (Don’t Get Any)’ is an amazingly beautiful music video, cover of Radiohead’s ‘Nude’ played by a ZX Spectrum, an old Epsom printer, a scanner and an array of hard drives. Getting electronic equipment to play the instruments is genius in itself, but then the way it has been filmed is just the icing on the cake. Looking like across between the educational spoof ‘Look Around You’ and a Wes Anderson film Houston manages to create the perfect retro looking film, which just works so nicely with the electronic sounds. Last time I looked James had seven hundred and ninety-seven thousand plays for that video alone, which considering was his final piece for his degree show is not bad at all. We defiantly expect to see big things from him in the future.

Big Ideas (don’t get any) from James Houston on Vimeo.

P.s. A little bird told me that James Houston and ‘Procrastination’ animator, Johnny Kelly will be working together on a new collaborative project. You heard it here first.

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This is a lovely screen print by Rose Blake

I really like this print by Tom McCaughan.

This animation was created by Dan Britt and Joe Pelling.

The Colouring from joseph Pelling on Vimeo.

I’m quite liking these triangle prints which were a collaboration between Becky Sloan, Tom McCaughan and Luther Ivan Adams.

Check out their blog for new and interesting work. This Is It.

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