Boomtown: Chapter 9.

Chapter 9 saw the loss of the revolution’s figure-head. The Masked Man was no more, but the sense of dissent was still rife through the streets of Boomtown. This year saw an immersive maze that led punters from one venue to the next, across all districts; chasing hints, characters and equipment to enable them to help overthrow the Bang Hai Industries regime.

We had Clockwise Media at the helm, producing all video content and managing the 31-strong team. I was directing the after-movie, and undertook the edit alone.

There was more area, music and theatrics to cover than previous years, but the enthusiasm of the Boomtown crew & our production team ensured we hit the muddy ground running. The set-design was looking incredible, with the new Bang Hai Towers looming over downtown. Old Town had a face-lift with new alleyways to explore and a brand new stage dominating the middle of the district. New balconies hung off every corner of each district, full of actors and performers each night. Banks were robbed, horses patrolled the Wild West and Bang Hai Industries were threatening to regenerate all of Uptown.

Aside from the theatrics and stunning set-design, the line-up was as strong as ever and including Skindred in the soundtrack was a genius idea. Not only bringing metal in and reminding viewers of the heavier side of Boomtown, but being able to sync a whole crowd singing along to the soundtrack was so satisfying. One of my favourite parts of the whole edit is the DJ to guitar ratio. Watch again and keep count. I’ve spent too many years shooting close-ups of mixers & decks, this one’s payback.

Boomtown is usually my biggest, and favourite job of the year. Getting to shoot some of my favourite acts, alongside an awesome crew, surrounded by incredible sets full of hilarious actors is going to be hard to beat. The only thing that can top this shoot is Chapter 10…