Presence at the Table - A Film by Simeon Smith & Jess Hall

Community member and analogue lover Simeon Smith recently made a short movie using a Lomokino, Actionsampler and a Spinner. He worked with folk singer Jess Hall to create a beautiful and haunting soundtrack. We talked to Simeon about this project why he chose to use analogue cameras.

Tell us about this project?

Andy Hunter is a friend and collaborator and has been working for years on a project called Presence, an app for a monthly shot of art that inspires reflexion, mediation, and prayer. I sent him a demo I'd been working on with Jess Hall, a folk singer from London, and he asked me to produce a film for the app based around the song.

We ended up recording the vocals in a beautiful old church building in London that had amazing acoustics, and Barney, a cellist that Jess works with, added the last magical touch to the track. I then spent two days shooting a journey around the Gower Peninsula (where I live) ending up at the dovecot at Oxwich Castle.

Why did you choose to use the Lomokino for this?

There are so many reasons. It's a process that really slows you down, and makes you mindful of every moment which on a summers day in a beautiful location is a treat. The shots just look like summer. The jumping images add a rhythmic element to the track. I shot most of the film on Kodak Portra400 which adds a real depth of colour to the images. As well as the Lomokino I also used an Action Sampler, an old Lomo 135BC with the clockwork film advance, a Holga, and a Spinner 360 to add into the app.

What is it you enjoy about film?

Film just feels real. I'm a bit of an existentialist, forever in pursuit of a reality I'm not even sure exists. Anything I can do that sets my senses and emotions alight is a must for me, and film is one of those things.

What’s coming up in the future?

With my photography, I'm part of a local exhibition of photography of coastal photography opening at the Volcano Theatre in Swansea on November 22nd. Then on the music side of things I'm just putting the finishing touches to my new EP, All Is Undone, that should be out sometime before Christmas.

2016-10-25 #Gens #vidéos #music #film #video #soho #movie #london #uk #spinner #app #lomokino #simeon-smith