It is hard to tell when thedownlowconcept producer Jarrod Holt is being serious. Is Jeremy Corbett really still waiting for his wedding video and did the boys at the Auckland based production company really buy a greyhound, who can't turn corners, for an upcoming comedy series?

Read this transcript of an online chat with Holt (pictured far right) and decide for yourself. What we can tell you is thedownlowconcept's short film Water as a Metaphor took the top $10,000 prize for the recent Red Bull Reel Life competition.

It is hard to tell when thedownlowconcept producer Jarrod Holt is being serious. Is Jeremy Corbett really still waiting for his wedding video and did the boys at the Auckland based production company really buy a greyhound, who can't turn corners, for an upcoming comedy series?

Read this transcript of an online chat with Holt (pictured far right) and decide for yourself. What we can tell you is thedownlowconcept's short film Water as a Metaphor took the top $10,000 prize for the recent Red Bull Reel Life competition.

The Big Idea: Tell us about the thedownlowconcept
Jarrod Holt: We're 3 guys who left our average jobs working for rural radio stations, infomercial producers and golf shows to live on a farm and write average radio quiz shows. Then a Tongan joined us after we won some money.

TBI: What was your first project together?
JH: Off the Wire, a radio NZ satirical news quiz show, where we stuck it to the man every week. It had a lot of puns in it.
JH: We had a lawyer assigned to our show. He took out all our smutty puns. But then they got sick of paying for the lawyer, so they cancelled the show.

TBI: You've done a few radio shows since then - your latest is 'The Asian Radio Show' (on Radio Live).
JH: Yeah, it's a current affairs type show that deals with Asian issues in NZ, and NZ Asians overseas.
TBI: How serious is it?
JH: Not too serious, we interview film-makers and comedians. We try to keep it light, but we did have John Key and Helen Clark come into the office last week. Their security detail checked our office out for weapons and bombs and things, very exciting. They didn't find Nigel's miniature samurai sword though so they can't be that good.

TBI: What other work do you have on at the moment?
JH: TV3 just greenlit a comedy series, and we're developing a couple of feature films with some very talented producers, then there's the wedding videos side of the business. Jeremy Corbett is still waiting for his a year after the happy day. He's pretty angry.

TBI: So - you get most of your work by word of mouth then?
JH: Nah, we have to do a lot of pestering. We send out our movies and skite reels to a lot of advertising agencies and are constantly bugging the networks with our half-arsed ideas. I think the only thing we got from word of mouth was a bartercard commercial which had dirt bikes and stuff in it, but they never paid the bill, they went out of business. Still, we got to realise our dream of filming dirt bikes in an abandoned park with used condoms, a urine soaked mattress and a shitload of discarded tires.
TBI: Nice ;

TBI: Can you tell us about the comedy series or the feature films?
JH: The comedy series is about the world of greyhounds. We shot a short film at the track and thought there was so much good stuff there that we pitched the idea to TV3 as a 6 part series, and they seemed to like it. They funded a pilot with NZOA and then after a bit, said they were keen. We're just waiting on full funding from NZOA now.
JH: We bought a greyhound as well, but he can't turn corners.
TBI: Like how Derek Zoolander can't turn left ....
JH: Exactly, but our dog can't turn right. He gets into some pretty big crashes with the other dogs. Its kinda embarrassing, but we love him. We're getting body shots of the 4 of us with him next week. Just to treat him.
TBI: So he's not a ambiturner ...
JH: Unfortunately no, those dogs cost big bucks.

JH: The film is about the last man on the sinking island of Tuvalu, like Castaway, but without Tom Hanks.
TBI: Is it the downlowconcept's first feature film?
JH: Yeah, hopefully. Still a wee way off though. Have a lot of work to do on the script, but we're keen to get it all sorted in the next couple of months, so our producer can start finding money for us.

TBI: You guys won the 48hour film fest in 2006 - was this a springboard for your video production work?
JH: Absolutely, before then it was pretty tough getting any work with a video camera, we were just doing radio stuff. We'd send the film out to everybody, then bug them for work.

TBI: What other short films have you guys made?
JH: Another 2 for the 48 hours, one was about a serial killer roadtrip, the other a p-lab in a motel. Then there's the greyhounds one we did, and finally the latest one for the red bull comp called 'Water as a Metaphor'. Its about water, and has many, many layers.

TBI: And Water as a Metaphor won the big $10,000 prize too - what do you plan to do with the grant?
JH: No idea yet. Ummmmm, maybe another short film, that would be pretty sweet, it'd be nice to pay actors and the music people for once.

TBI: Tell us about the work, cast and crew that went into making Water as a Metaphor?
JH: We made most of the film at a caravan park on the north shore run by a horrible man from South Africa, who kept on saying "I'm going to shut you boys down, if you make any noise". When we trashed the caravan in one of the scenes, we had one of us stand guard, because we were making a lot of noise. He'd hear the noise, and waddle down, but he had a gammy leg, so it took him ages, so we could get another quick take in. Then we'd cool it, wait for him to move on at a leisurely pace and have another crack. He was the only bad thing about the shoot and we will hate him forever, him and his gammy leg.

TBI: How much did it cost you to make?
JH: About 600 or 700 bucks. Most of that was for food, and renting a camera. We had a delicious meal at a Japanese restaurant on the last day. That kinda blew the budget.

TBI: Did the cast and crew volunteer?
JH: Yeah, all for free, we feel pretty bad, but we fed and watered them, and most were friends already, so it wasn't too bad.
TBI: So was the win one of downlowconcepts highlights for the year?
JH: Definitely, we don't win much, so it was very exciting.

TBI: What were your other highlights - getting a music vid banned from TVNZ? (Headlights by The Hot Grits)
JH: Yeah, that vid just got nominated for a Handle the Jandle award in Welly so we're all taking a roadtrip down.
JH: Working with 30 kids was pretty mental though, they made my ears ring, and one kid punched me in the nuts.
TBI: Why did it get banned?
JH: They banned it for 'inappropriate content' because it showed kids drinking irresponsibly.

TBI: Here's a couple of standard TBI Questions
TBI: During what hours of the day do you feel most inspired?
JH: 6-10pm.

TBI: How would a good friend describe your aesthetic or style?
JH: Average but trying hard.

TBI: What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?
JH: Seeing something you've made on a big screen with your friends.

TBI: Do you like to look at the big picture or focus on the details?
JH: Details. It's all in the little bits n pieces.

TBI: What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?
JH: Work on the business, not in the business. And don't buy a greyhound that can't turn corners.

TBI: Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?
JH: The last one. Its always the last thing you did, that you love the most, even if its rubbish.

TBI: You are given a piece of string, a stick and some fabric. What do you make?
JH: An average prop for an average music video.

TBI: Last Q - What's your big idea for 2009?
JH: Somewhere Between Big and Small - our Tongan psychic detective series.

thedownlowconcept

Related story

Water as a Metaphor wins Red Bull Reel Life

10/11/08

ADVERTISEMENT