Musician and film maker John Clay is seeking funding for his film in production Voodoonaut a science fiction film that takes you on a journey that throws up existential questions. Clay the director says “My main plan was to create a film with friends and then just release it for free. However, with the encouragement of friends and fellow filmmakers who helped create it, I proceed to wade into the unknown territory of pitching this film so that it might get into festivals. After the bottom fell out of a financing deal, I hope the public may like the trailer’s look and want to see the film finished. After working on it for three years, it would be a shame not to get it over the finishing line.’
Support the production here: https://gofund.me/91af92bc
Watch the teaser trailer for Voodoonaut here:
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Pic credit: Sofia Martins Gray/John Clay
(Subject: Sofia Martins Gray)
https://linktr.ee/sofia.m.gray
What’s it about?
John Clay: “Journeys change us, don’t they? Whether you’re taking a vacation with a new love or trekking alone across a bleak landscape, the notion of travel from A to B can change the traveller. The adventure can alter their perception of where they’ve been and where they’re going. Moreover, a hazardous expedition has the potential to prompt the big question: Who am I?
Voodoonaut is a science fiction film about such a journey.”
Pic credit: Sofia Martins Gray/John Clay
(Subject: Sofia Martins Gray)
https://linktr.ee/sofia.m.gray
“Lt Julia Earle is the latest pilot on an experimental space-faring mission to negotiate with a UFO that’s on a collision course for Earth. The mission is jeopardised when Julia’s communication with Earth is lost, and her mentality begins to break down. Populated with characters with designs on her agency, Julia is forced to engage with the unknown elements of her inner and outer space. She will never be the same again.
Meanwhile, in a shadowy gothic picture house, a young woman with no memory watches Julia’s exploits on screen, challenged by a mysterious caretaker to decipher the meaning of Julia’s journey so that she may be granted freedom beyond the picture house’s walls.”
Pic credit: Lou Smith
https://linktr.ee/lousmithphoto
“Audiences are challenged to play detective in a feature presented as a redacted version of events circa 1989. This story choice lends itself to a retrospective view of cosmic horror. This view is comparative to 21st Century existential dread courtesy of elite greed and toxic actions from male-dominated industries.”
Pic credit: Lou Smith/Aloha Dead
(Subject: ‘Dead’/Lars Chittka/Camille Alexander)
“The USP of this narrative is the experimental form of space travel.
The pilot is submerged in a liquid-filled chamber and hooked up to sophisticated headgear. Their consciousness is ‘thrown out’ into the void of space. All their observations are relayed back to the monitors at ground control.”
Pic credit: Lou Smith
(Subject: Camille Alexander/Lars Chittka)
https://linktr.ee/pansyisinsane
“The process relies upon cinematic depictions of the cosmos to portray Julia’s experiences in viewscreens. This fact presents unique complications, mainly in Julia’s discovery of a deity seemingly wiped out of history by early man. Is the goddess a creative interpretation of Julia’s encounter with the UFO?”
Pic credit: Lou Smith/John Clay
(Subject: Barbara Pugliese)
https://www.instagram.com/barbarapugliese_/
“There is one certainty: Interaction with the perceived divinity (referred to as The Prime) triggers Julia into questioning her life on Earth: is it worth returning to?”
PRODUCTION HISTORY
The venture has been self-funded by director John Clay and features the onscreen presence of the following actors/musicians: Sofia Martins Gray, Camille Alexander, Lars Chittka, Barbara Pugilise, Ashleigh Cole and Aloha Dead, to name but a few.
Pic credit: Aloha Dead
(Subject: ‘Mr Aloha’)
The film was shot by the director, the cast and supplemented by outstanding contributions by Lou Smith, Neil Anderson, Andras Paul, Shogo Hino, Sergio Angot, Ludovic Cairtey and Rob Homewood.
Pic credit: Shogo Hino
https://www.instagram.com/shogomedia/
The project has been in production since autumn 2019, and despite the pandemic’s disruption to the schedule, the team has continued shooting in Italy, Spain and on the remote isle of Hoy.
Pic credit: John Clay
https://heylink.me/Johnclayartist/
“The film draws upon the director’s concern with the constructs of race and gender, which are seldom addressed with nuance in speculative fiction, let alone from a black filmmaker. How has our collective imagination been subject to corporate forces and drive motivated by positioning the American lifestyle as normative?”
Pic credit: Ludovic Caritey
(Subject: Ashleigh Cole)
https://www.pond5.com/artist/ludoviccaritey
Pic credit: Andras Paul
(Subject: Camille Alexander/Neil Anderson)
https://www.instagram.com/polandris/
Video interview of John Clay discussing the film on Dexter Bentley’s ‘Hello, Goodbye’ radioshow, broadcast live on Sat 12th Nov 2022 (filmed by Julian Sander + Celia Liu of Astrakan): https://youtu.be/doI-BxEfpM8
Pic credit: Lou Smith/Neil Anderson a.k.a Wildblanket
(Subject: Camille Alexander)
The soundtrack consists of original work by cult experimental saxophonist Dee Bryne. Their freeform jazz via an array of guitar pedals echoes Eduard Artemyev’s score for Tarkovsky’s Solaris. The trailer features ‘Branches’ by Cave pop artist Coco Varda (their EP ‘There Are Worse Things On The Internet is out now).
Pic credit: Ludovic Caritey
https://www.pond5.com/artist/ludoviccaritey
Special thanks to Dee Bryne for the use of their music in this teaser:
Also, much gratitude to Coco Varda for the use of ‘Branches’ in the promo: https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2022/09/30/enter-the-world-of-coco-varda/
97% of the film is complete, with only a few critical scenes left. The current runtime stands over 112 mins (subject to a final cut of approx 90 mins).
Pic credit: Lou Smith/Ludovic Caritey
https://www.pond5.com/artist/ludoviccaritey
“The production has had a one step back, two steps forward momentum. Despite loss of crew members and a creative overhaul of the set design, the makers of Voodoonaut were able to film a significant scene on Nov 13th.
There are only three scenes left to film, and thankfully there is enough cash (and goodwill) to complete two of them. A further £150 would complete the feature. So, do give if you can so we can pay the crew.”
Pic credit: Lou Smith/John Clay
(Subject: Barbara Pugliese/Lars Chittka)
https://heylink.me/Johnclayartist/
Subject to editing and a distribution deal, audiences can expect Voodoonaut to be completed and available to view no later than Autumn 2023 and will be alerted of such in due course during an official campaign. More info on the characters and the film (plus more images) can be found here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/voodoonaut-feature-film
Featured image
Pic credit: Lou Smith/John Clay (Subject: Barbara Pugliese/Lars Chittka)https://linktr.ee/lousmithphoto
