So ‘The flight of the Flamingo’, pretty snazzy title for a film if it has ever been said, but will it ever reach our screens, or will we just have to keep dreaming about its reality?
The film itself is the brainchild of Oxford University student Nick Hilton. The story revolves around an anti-gangster theme in which a gang steal people’s dogs, in order to claim a ransom. From here the comedy element kicks in, one of their, what you could say ‘Prisoners’ decides to stay for the ride, bringing along some armed goons for good measure!
Nick had this to say: “It’s a dark comedy, set in London and though it’s definitely influenced by the British genre movies that have gone before, it’s a very different spin on that formula. Think Guy Ritchie meets Julian Fellowes at a cocktail party hosted by the writers of Mad Men, where Woody Allen is playing jazz clarinet in the corner, with Marty Scorcese on tambourine. That’s pretty much it”
Now from the onset it’s clear that the title has no major tie in to the story, which actually helps the text, as it is clear that is room for anything to happen during the production of the actual film.
The cinematography is set to come from German visionary Phil Arntz who is said to be one of London’s greatest upcoming cinematographers. There is one major factor that caught my attention and it’s quite possibly the most interesting factor, he’s only 16.
Now this isn’t actually a breakdown of their text, it is however a plea to spread the word of this production. In total the team need to raise a total of $7000 in order to cover set, cast, crew and several other elements which are key to the production process.
Now I have to admit that this isn’t the sort of thing I usually hear about, small directors and writers asking for donations towards their next project, but in a way it’s great to see that they are trying everything physically possible in order to bring their vision to the public.
Nick himself actually runs a blogging website known as The clapper bored, and knows exactly how to market these sorts of ideas, as the power of e-media and the internet can effectively make or break a career. I take my hat off to you Nick, you’ve got a lot of bravery to push forward with this project, and I’ll support you however I can, I may even make a small donation if I can!
Realistically what I hope you all do is pay his site a visit, or even send him a few emails asking about his project, and any other ways that you could get involved.
Nick had one last thing to say “Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about the project and how you can get involved. I’m, usually, a very responsive and friendly emailer so drop me a line at nick@theclapperbored.com or, if you’re totally modern and cool, contact us on Twitter. The project is @FlamingoMovie, I’m @TheClapperBored and Phil’s @PhilArntz. Are we young and trendy enough, yet?”
So in retrospect, if you love the British cinema scene, and really want it to push forward for further generations to enjoy, then get behind the latest scene of directors. It will pay off in the long run, and hey you never know you could have provided the push towards an academy award!
Written by Robert Mann
