Film shot in Chesterfield has 'stunning potential'

Lights, camera, action!
Kai Undrell and Jake Sigsworth with actors Steve Dolton and Jeanette Barnes. Pictures by Jason Chadwick.Kai Undrell and Jake Sigsworth with actors Steve Dolton and Jeanette Barnes. Pictures by Jason Chadwick.
Kai Undrell and Jake Sigsworth with actors Steve Dolton and Jeanette Barnes. Pictures by Jason Chadwick.

A crew of young film-makers from Chesterfield is currently creating a production called Stand-Up.

When the short film is finished later this year, the group - which was shooting at the Avenue nightclub on Saturday - will approach several potential investors in the hope of producing a feature-length version of it.

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Kai Undrell, 18, from Chesterfield, is writing and directing the film.

Kai Undrell, writer and director of Limelight.Kai Undrell, writer and director of Limelight.
Kai Undrell, writer and director of Limelight.

He said: "Stand-Up is a short, proof-of-concept film about the perilous comeback show of a loathsome, faded comedian, and the relationship with his tyrant manager.

"I have always enjoyed being controversial in any way possible and a lot of that comes through in my work – raising an eyebrow or offending the audience is gold to me; if a film sparks disgust or offence within me, that is as amazing as lifetime supply of Horlicks for me.

"Some of the themes in Stand-Up are quite dark, however it might be one of the 'cheeriest' concepts across my work."

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Giving his inspiration for Stand-Up, Kai - who is in his second year of studying film and television at Chesterfield College - said: "I work for a charity which broadcasts musical artists to children in hospitals around the world.

"Through this, I have seen the difference in a celebrity persona from public to private, which propelled the urge to write something along those lines - that is really how Stand-Up was born."

Singer Dave Berry has allowed his 1964 hit The Crying Game to be used in the film and permitted Myles Henderson, from indie band The Voques, to do an acoustic cover of it.

Kai said: "There is a musical number in the film in which a couple of characters dance to a song.

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"When I wrote this scene, I didn't know what we were going to use.

"Then one day I was listening to the radio and Dave Berry's The Crying Game came on, which caused a spark somewhere within me.

"Before I knew it, I found myself on the phone to the man himself, discussing the film and how we wanted to use his song.

"Dave has been fantastic towards this project and has shown such an immense amount of support and interest within it."

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Kai added: "The cast and crew on Stand-Up are arguably the greatest set of people I have had the pleasure of working with.

"Those behind the camera are all either ex-Chesterfield College students or still studying and the stars are locally-based and fantastic.

"Steve Dolton, who plays the lead, has a certain intense-quality about his performance, which works incredibly well alongside the ever-wonderful Jeanette Barnes, who plays his manager.

"My first-assistant director Harry Bracken is my anchor - he grounds me when my head is above the clouds and attaches a million helium-balloons to my ankles when I am down in the dumps. He is one of the most incredible creatives out there."

Kai added: "This film has stunning potential and is a great example of how community can come together to pull off an otherwise unachievable goal."