VIEW CLIP

Written and Directed by Stuart Croft

Line Producer: Tom Dingle DEPICTION FILMS

LEAD CAST:
Stephen Eliot-Mcdonald

SUPPORTING CAST AND CAMERA OPERATORS:
Moyna Cope
Andrew Fallaize
Paul Fuller
Andy Greenhalgh
Jacqueline King
Roz McCutcheon
Gerry O¹Toole
Miwa Saeki
Michael Sheldon
Simon Shaw
Claire Vousden
Jacqueline Wood

PRODUCTION
Casting Director: Paul Fuller
Music: Mark Lo
Editor: Stuart Croft

Lighting: Joachim Bergamin
First Assistant Director: Harvey Somerfield
Camera Assistant: Moncho Aldamiz
Assistant Electrician: Lauren Irwin
Location Sound Recordist: Mike Hasler
Wardrobe: Susie Coultard
Assistant Wardrobe: Hannah Glossop
Make-up: Caroline Weston
Production Assistants: Erica Cheung, Lucy Rogers
Stills Photographer: Anna Lucas

Laboratory: Todd-AO
Telecine: Rushes Postproduction
ADR Recording: David Heinemann at VET
Re-Recording Mixer: Doug Haywood
Online: Mark Robinson
Colourist: Denny Cooper
DVD Production: Pink Pigeon Postproduction

Many thanks to: Sam Clark; Alan Doyle; Liz Moore; the staff at Ironmongers Hall, London.

Originating format: Kodak Super-8mm colour negative film
Master: Digital Betacam, colour, stereo
Edition: DVD PAL
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Running Time: 7 min 57 sec continuous loop

Financially supported by Royal College of Art Research
Assisted by Kodak
© Stuart Croft 2008

THE DEATH WALTZ
Stuart Croft
(due 2008)

6 min Colour Sound Super 8mm/Digibeta
Gallery Loop

At night, in a large dining room in a wealthy household, a group of formally dressed characters sit around a candlelit dining table, towards the end of a dinner party. One of the characters, a Scottish man in his late twenties, recites an endless ghost story to the rest of the party - all of whom remain silent throughout.

The eleven non-speaking actors shoot the film themselves. Each non-speaking actor sequentially shoots the lead actor from their point of view The film is entirely shot using one Super-8mm film camera.

The story, as told by the man, recounts the tale of Celia and Joe, a young couple who serve together in the army. The couple disappear and are untraceable. A year goes by. Out of the blue, Joe and Celia announce that they are returning home on leave. Their parents nervously throw a homecoming party. Celia and Joe appear as disheveled, shivering ghosts. They are both horribly disfigured. The couple dance a frenetic 'waltz' with each other to demonic music. With the dance over, Celia and Joe announce they are returning to active service and they leave. The couple disappear and are untraceable. A year goes by. Out of the blue, Joe and Celia announce that they are returning home on leave. The man¹s story is cyclical and continuous. It is written in an entirely circular format, and the piece runs on a seamless loop.

The Death Waltz makes reference to the genres of murder mystery and horror. Its verité style simultaneously exposes the method of its production while also exaggerating the drama of the situation. The film itself appears to be a section of a larger narrative, however the dinner guests find themselves locked within one gruesome cyclical moment.