Karma

July 02, 2009

Karma

A Stakeout. A Tale Of Revenge. A Saga of Violence.

And a need for Crisps. Lots of Crisps.

"KARMA" is based on a true story, the story of McDuff, who (drunkenly) sticking up for his brother on a night out, after a pot collector was causing them trouble, was tricked into going outside, and subsequently beaten up by the pot collector and his doormen friends.

Our tale picks up a fortnight later, where McDuff and his best friend Mike are staking out Pot Collector to enact their revenge. When he finally appears, all is not as it seems...

(Colin Warhurst; writing in 2011)

I consider "Karma" very much my 'first' film in a lot of ways. It was certainly my first 'technical' film.

Sure, I'd done music videos, and even a feature film, but though it was a feature, "Mancattan" was shot almost entirely in a documentary style, and certainly without crucial bits of film-making kit which we did not have access too on a budget of about £5.00 (Tripods, lights, grips, even tape was hard to come by!)

So in a very true sense of the word, I consider Karma to be my "first" film; which is why I haven't released it until now.

My first time using HD (specifically the Sony HVR-Z1E in HDV mode). My first time lighting my own set, lights were a previous luxury I could never afford! My first time using a wally-dolly/track of any kind. My first time casting an entire film using only professional actors. My first time grading a film. And my first time writing and directing something on my own, entirely from start to finish.

Made back in 2009, Karma stayed in the archives until recently because as it was my first 100% self-written film, I was new to script writing, and subsequently the script about two guys waiting in a car for 20 minutes... became a film with two guys in a car that was 20 minutes long. Not a great length for a short film.

Although the entire cast & crew were aware of this as my 'first' film, I still felt bad that at the end of the process I hadn't had confidence in releasing it online. I must stress this is nothing to do with the cast or crew, but purely in my own writing and editing. I didn't realise, at the start, that I had simply conceived of a film that was far too long.

However, two years later, I feel I have enough other work now (check out my website please folks!) to confidently unveil Karma, albeit with a slight re-edit. The film is much better graded, and now runs at a modest 15-ish minutes, without losing the essential "boredom" of what is a very British stake-out.

My thanks go out to Jonny, Joe, Trevor, Hazel, Errol, Leo, Sarah and Anthony for never once demanding to see this "black sheep" in my film family, though they had every right to. I hope now Karma can be welcomed into the fold publicly, and that this slight re-edit better shows off the hard work we all put in, and what was a valiant "first" attempt at proper film-making.

Hopefully the years have been kind, and you enjoy our humble movie film, backdated here on my blog, but at least now present for your viewing pleasure.

Col