From an art studio to the big screen, Live! At The Cinema blends music and film in a way Kingston hasn’t seen before.
The Screening Room saw audiences immersed in a visual and auditory experience on May 18. The live event starred the Indie-folk-funk band Bent Neck and The Joints and was directed by Lauren Thomas, creating an atmosphere never seen before.
“I’m really passionate about being a filmmaker but doing it my own unique way. For me, a movie is all about how it’s being shown and how people are enjoying it together,” Thomas said in an interview with The Journal.
Her love for film blossomed while working with The Journal as an Assistant Video Editor for Vol. 147 and Senior Video Editor for Vol. 148—it was an opportunity for her to grow and see film through a different lens. This lens was one through which she saw the beauty of filmmaking, which stems from being immersed in the community and not from chasing “big bucks.”
“I’m looking to be an individual and that character was strengthened at The Journal,” Thomas said in an interview. “There was no reason for me to be pushing myself to put 50 hours a week into making these videos other than my own passion for wanting to make a great video.”
The show came together in an organic way which was made possible through the vibrant Kingston community. Thomas was able to connect with Bent Neck and The Joints and the owner of The Screening Room, Wendy Huot. It was them believing in her vision which brought Live! At The Cinema to life.
“There were no auditions for this, there were no tryouts, and there was no casting call. I didn’t even have the roles exactly to fill. I knew the people who made me feel like I am being the artist I want to be—I invited them to be a part of this,” Thomas said.
While she had plenty of support cheering her on, making the film come true was not short of its challenges.
“The more personal a story, the more universal a story,” is what Thomas kept reminding herself when she was faced with the challenges of storytelling, and the relatability of the film to a wider audience.
Creating a story a wide range of audiences can enjoy is an aspect of the filmmaking process Thomas described as challenging, but by using relatable scenarios in the film such as driving, seeing things blow in the wind, and overcoming challenges when goals go awry, a strong audience connection was able to be forged.
Thomas describes these experiences as “very personal” and those personal and universal connections is how she overcame the challenge of storytelling. For those with filmmaking aspirations, Thomas urges people to take the leap.
“If you want to be a filmmaker, that means you want to be yourself. It doesn’t mean you need to figure out what a filmmaker is, or figure out the definitions and the rules and change who you are to try to fit these step-by-step criteria of the idea of a filmmaker,” Thomas said in an interview with The Journal.
Live! At The Cinema! invites audiences to think about the importance of individuality, selfhood, and our inability to memorize a way of being. Thomas describes this as “the best advice” she could give to anyone.
“We cannot memorize how to be,” Thomas said.
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