We are Martin Alexandre Alonso (Spain, 1992) and Jacob Brookes-Clayton (UK, 1993) are two artists-in-residence at Amsterdam’s WOW Lieven.

Martin graduated from the Rietveld Academie in 2018. Among others, his previous work consists in using installation art to convey fictional atmospheres.

Jacob, who studied film at Manchester Metropolitan University and went on to work in production at Tungsten Studio here in The Netherlands, has spent much of the last three years condensing ideas for films into short stories.

_>

-CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE – WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON
AT THE MOMENT?

Martin: I have been doing a bunch of quite different things in the last years. I was educated as a painter in Madrid, then I did some experiments at the Rietveld Academie and enjoyed Roberto Bolaño’s “Savage Detectives” during an internship at a laboratory on the Mediterranean coast. After a long journey, my practice still remains a complete mystery to me. However, literature, imagery and a lazy observation of everyday life always stimulate what I do.

Jacob: It’s film, most recently writing and directing but it has been a windy road. I never took education seriously as a youth, although I vaguely studied Film and Media at University I didn’t go to an art school or have an educational background that directed me so I stumbled around blindly until I found my own way.

My practice wasn’t my focus at all for a long time, I was mostly just curious about what was ‘out there’ and enjoyed a lot of adventures.

At some point, my priorities changed. Exploring felt like relaxing and instead, and my curiosity redirected toward a career in film. I like to imagine a colourful young-adulthood helps to provide material and perspective for movie making.

Here in Amsterdam, I began working in a film Studio with one of Amsterdam’s legends (in my opinion). During lockdown, I was pushed toward writing fiction in the form of film scripts and short stories. But most recently, as I have become focused and dedicated to a future in film, I combined the two into the making of ‘Wounds’ with my dear friend Martin.

I look forward to more films to come with the intent to make features in the not-too-distant future.

-WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?

M: For about a year we have been working on a film, Wounds. It’s a thriller that we have written together and co-directed. It all started with a short story that Jacob wrote about a couple falling out of love. We built the script around the event of the breakup and added a crime element to the mix. Martin wanted to reflect certain atmospheres and characters from the time he worked at a casino in Leidseplein.

J: Currently, me and Martin are working on a film called Wounds.This one we wrote, directed, and produced together so it really took us through the wringer and had us focused on every minute detail of the filmmaking process.

The film itself I hope is distinct. The hope is to make a real ‘movie’ in a short film format. By that I mean we wanted to get a complete story arc, multiple plot lines and a few twists and turns within a setting (crime) that will hopefully provide some thrills for the audience.

We want to make something that is accessible to a broad audience without sacrificing artistic or creative expression. Let’s see how we did on the premiere in a couple of weeks!

Wounds is a thriller, it follows a woman, her low-level criminal boyfriend, his business partner, and a corrupt policeman. We follow each of them over the same 24-hour period as they try to figure out who they can trust and who is in danger.

-WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE AMSTERDAM ART SCENE? DID WOW AMSTERDAM HELP YOU FACILITATE NEW CONNECTIONS? HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO COLLABORATE ON THIS PROJECT?

M: It’s amazing that Amsterdam can offer opportunities like WOW’s art residency. Covid soon interrupted it all but we were very lucky to have been in such a place. The covid hangover was a pretty sterile period for both of us, we were not working on any project at the time. One evening over the kitchen table we started bouncing ideas about film, about our cultures and… one and a half year later… we are about to screen the film!

J: For sure WOW Amsterdam facilitated new connections. Before moving into the residency I knew very little about the scene here and even fewer people involved in it. Now many of my closest friends and, of course, Martin with whom I have collaborated over the last year, are all people I have met through WOW.

This has of course opened all kinds of doors to a world of art I would otherwise not have accessed, exhibitions, people, and one or two parties of course…

-CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW YOU DIVIDE RESPONSIBILITIES WHILE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT TOGETHER?

M: We didn’t divide so much of the work until the final stages of the project where production needed a “divide and conquer” strategy. It may seem like double work but to have both of us do both the writing and the directing gave an extra dimension to our ideas; imagine your idea is an object in front of you, after a (not always harmonious) dialogue, imagine it rotated, enlarged or on fire…

J: It was super hand-in hand the whole way. We have really benefited from bouncing ideas and approaches off of one another. Usually one of us comes in all excited with a new idea or approach and that excitement rubs off on the other and we start working from that point. It makes a tough process fun.

-WHAT KIND OF STRUGGLES DID YOU FACE WHILE FILMING YOUR MOVIE? COULD YOU SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH CROWDFUNDING?CAN YOU DESCRIBE A MOMENT DURING PRODUCTION OR PRE-PRODUCTION THAT CHALLENGED YOU AND PUSHED YOU OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE?

M: Ehm… there have been many struggles. Maybe the most apparent was the realization that what works on the script doesn’t necessarily translate to film. Also it’s been quite a challenge to convey pathos, drama, you know what I mean?
The crowdfunding was an absolute learning experience in learning (as two millennials) how to approach people through social media…
During production we were supposed to film at Butcher’s Tears but it turned out on the shooting day — the equipment rented, cast and crew on a daily fee — that we actually didn’t have permission to shoot in there… Pablo from Ventilator at OT301 who was playing a policeman in our film, just put on his cap as producer and arranged for us to shoot that scene at Ventilator Room. We improvised a new set design in about two hours together with designer Laura Mrksa. Luckily we had the shop Mevius nearby to buy fabric and stuff… we also casted, Linda, the woman behind the counter for another role in the movie.

J: Oof where to start? This was a real bootcamp for us so it was a challenge all the way through, learning and doing at the same time for about a year was really draining, balancing that against full-time jobs made it exhausting, that was the toughest element.

At the same time, we were both extremely motivated so I never felt at any point that we couldn’t do it or we wouldn’t find a way.

Having such little funds and working on our first film was kind of a freedom, the only way was forward.

Having said that… I will always remember the challenge of the shoot days. We had 5K, so many actors, so many locations, so many scenes and had no choice but to cram it all into 6 days in order to make it as budget-efficient as possible. We were working 20-hour days over that week and had to be utterly focused on set at all times. It was hilarious and delirious at the same time. I would do it again tomorrow if you asked me.

Crowdfunding was a challenge personally. I was extremely humbled by the donations people gave, I was so surprised and flattered by how many people stepped forward and offered their help. The challenge with it though was the actual asking for money. It felt very hat-in-hand and I was embarrassed throughout the whole month.

Not one piece of feedback I received from those who donated matches that, however. It was just a personal battle I had and I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone from crowdfunding themselves, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to see your project through.

-WHEN CAN WE EXPECT THE PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED AND SCREENED? WHAT REMAINS TO BE DONE TO FINISH THE FILM?

The movie will be screened on Wednesday February 28th at Lab111!
The colorist and the sound designer are currently busy giving the project a great look and feel.
THERE ARE TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE, SO COME IF YOU WANT!

-ARE THERE SPECIFIC THEMES OR MESSAGES YOU AIM TO CONVEY THROUGH YOUR ART?

M: Art with an entertainment value?

J: There isn’t a theme that runs through them all no. I make fiction and for me, fiction is an escape. Inevitably a theme materialises, I think that’s just how people work and a theme, concept, or idea is just the source of a lot work and ideas. It just takes a little mining to find sometimes.

-HOW DO YOU FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN PART-TIME JOBS AND YOUR ART PRACTICE? 

M: We both have full time jobs. We work on the project in the evenings and weekends.
Martin: I write every morning, mostly on the train, on my way to the office. That’s my moment to reflect on what I dreamed the night before, or to brainstorm or simply to organize my head. And then in most evenings after dinner and once the baby is put to sleep I carry on with the project.

J: Just heads down focus. I work full time and work on our project in the evenings and weekends. My head is in the film a lot throughout the day and as we reach the end of this one my mind is already gravitating to the next. It’s addictive in a way, and I’m glad I have something to keep me alive.

-PLEASE NAME FIVE ESSENTIAL ASPECTS NECESSARY TO KEEP YOUR PRACTICE SUSTAINABLE. 

M:

1) Stop working in this way as soon as possible.
2) Maybe do it once more after a break (because we can’t afford quitting our jobs, yet). 3) Give myself a bit more time to work on the project even at the expense of going slower.
4) Consider applying for a development grant to work less at the office and dedicate more time to my art/film.
5) Successfully pitch the idea at Netflix.

J:

1) Make filmmaking my full-time career, that means getting paid so I don’t have to balance two jobs.
2) I try to keep a mental attitude that working double now is worth it to get to where I want.
3) Switch off? It’s not always possible but I try to find a moment to be mentally somewhere else, whether that be through socialising or just a curry and a crap film at home alone.
4) Exercise
5) Sleep

-HOW DO YOU ENVISION YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE UPCOMING YEARS? DO YOU HAVE A PLAN, OR DO YOU TEND TO FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS?\

M: Uff.. certainly continue digging the connection between literature and film. Perhaps even just writing? Writing images… I guess it sounds cooler if we say follow our instincts.

J: Generally I am an instincts follower but as I have become more focused that has changed. In a perfect world, I’d go (almost) straight into another film, hopefully with Martin. Afterwards I will assess my options and choose my next step from there. My goal is to make features. Maybe it’s hopeful and ‘a perfect world’ scenario but that’s what I’m aiming for.

-WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY FOR RECHARGING? 

M: To take long walks with family, friends, or alone… often without a clear destination or in the event of having a clear destination then it’s necessary to ignore how to get there. Another one is (temporarily) hunting insects, reading, visiting exhibitions, to end up a long day out at the movies. Cooking paella. Partying?

J: As I mentioned earlier, switching off. Just do something that enables me to disconnect from work. Socialising is good, socialising with alcohol is better, but to be honest usually what I pine for is time alone at home and a bit of exercise.

-IF YOU WERE TO BE REINCARNATED AS SOME OTHER PLANT OR ANIMAL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

M: A monkey, definitely.

J: Domesticated cat. Hear me out… You can go anywhere, explore every nook and cranny of a city, walk into any building, even a person’s home and watch their interactions unfiltered. Then at night you go and hunt for your own food, have a screamy fight with another cat in a back alley then climb to the tallest point you can see.

When you’re done, you just go home to a warm bed and food. Even if you’ve been gone weeks no one will really question it. Perfect.

Interview & photos by Roman Ermolaev