Festclown -lyhytelokuva
We participated in the Northern Script short film project, which is part of the Oulu International Children’s and Youth Film Festival. We had the opportunity to choose our favorite script out of ten and create a short film based on it.
The IDNR (Ihmisten Demokraattinen Nosiryhmä, ‘’The People’s Democratic NoSI-Group’’) production team consisted of Paavo Salonurmi, Lenni Laine, Miia Mahlakaarto, Miika Siuvatti, and Milja Vuoti. We selected ”Festklovn,” written by Lasse Krintel, which tells the story of 16-year-old Charlie at his class’ house party, where he doesn’t feel welcome as himself. The script is visual and concise, allowing more time for pre-production. In pre-production, we planned locations, sets, costumes, and created schedules and a shot list. We also started casting actors right away. We carefully planned the lighting to emphasize different emotions with colors.
Shooting Days
Before the first shooting day, we prepared the set. We used colorful lights, smoke machines, balloons, and cans to create a party atmosphere. The shooting days lasted from 18:00 to 22:00, during which we aimed to capture as much footage as possible. We managed to shoot everything in four days, leaving enough time for editing.
Not Everything Went as Planned
Although everything else went according to schedule, we faced challenges in casting actors. We secured actors for the roles of the mother and Noel only a couple of days before shooting, and one of our actors had to cancel on the day of shooting. Fortunately, we quickly found a replacement.
Additionally, we had to add an extra shooting day more than a week later for the remaining outdoor scenes because the actor couldn’t make it on that day. By that time, there had been snowfall, so we had to move the scene indoors and shoot the necessary outdoor shots in a way that didn’t reveal any ground.
Despite the challenges, the team spirit and enthusiastic work remained intact throughout the production, and we are all very satisfied with the end result.
FESTCLOWN
FESTCLOWN BTS
Text: Miia Mahlakaarto
BTS: Lenni Laine
Article layout: Milja Vuoti
