Context
Sacta started life while I was working as an art and drama teacher at a high school. When the pandemic hit, I started work on a script with a central idea: A play about a play. When it became clear almost all of the yearly activities of the school had to be cancelled, I set up a meeting with the school director to turn this script into a movie. She decided to trust me with €10.000 and I started working on building the sets, sketching story boards, arranging light and sound, training the actors and in april of 2021, we had a 7-day shooting schedule. Time was short since we had to deal with a COVID-curfew and most of the actors doing their final exams but miraculously, all the scenes were shot even though we usually had about 45 minutes per scène to film.
Vision
I wanted Sacta to be a light-hearted comedy with some sharp edges around the corners. Focusing on a doomed play saved by a single member of the dysfunctional team. I love stories of projects falling apart and being saved by the people that care. I filmed it handheld and zoomed in to make it feel more like a documentary but most of the shots are carefully lit and put together to try and give it a cinematic quality (hence, the 2.35:1 aspect ratio) . Four months, I practiced with the actors as if it was going to be a play so they knew the lines by heart and that saved a lot of time during shooting. In editing I tried to make it as fast paced as possible, only the first shot being longer than a few seconds. My biggest regret is the script not being focused. It tries to balance the plot of the main actress and her dad, the co-director saving the play and an evil corporation ruining the play. It turned out tto be very confusing. I also regret communicating too much with the costume and set designers and not enough with light and sound. A lot of shots could have been improved if I would have shared my ideas with them beforehand.
Video submission
(English subtitles available)
To be honest, I'm most proud of is the scope of the production. I spend a lot of time making it as big as it could be. The full film is 65 minutes long. So I made a shorter clip that gives more of an overview impression. I you have time, I would really appriciate it if you could take a fast impression from the full film as well.
Link to the 5 minute version: https://youtu.be/Ty4EAY1HN2k
65 minute version: https://youtu.be/U6pUVhaXyjQ
CREDITS
Crew
Cast
Made possible by
Directed by
David Lvov
Written by
David Lvov
& Tim van Kaam
Editor
David Lvov
Lightning Technician
Pim Besseler
Cinematographer and Story boards
David Lvov
Sound designer
Pim Besseler
1st Assistant Sound
Emma Roetman
Sound editors
Pim Besseler
& David Lvov
Recording Leader
Boris Mulder
Script Supervisor
Marit Stienstra
Set Design
René Kouwer,
David Lvov
& Noa Jorritsma
Costumes
Eugenie Kips,
Sylwia Nikolaas
& Rieneke de Pater
Hair & Make-up
Madelein Pico,
Willemijn Brouwer
& Noa Jorritsma
Composed by
Tim van Kaam,
Mark Kloeg
& Wouter van Kaam
Technical assistance
Theo van der Kraai
Photography
Casper Stienstra
& Madelein Pico
Boom operators
Tim van Kaam,
Wouter van Kaam
& Jeroen van der Stel
Crew
Nova van der Lecq,
Gabriël Jozwiak
& Noa Jorritsma
Additional photography
David Lvov
& Casper Stienstra
Musical Band
"After School Groove"
Special thanks
Christine Lvov,
Christa de Jong,
Fabio Palomba
Starring
Nina Tsoutsanis..................
Mohini Ramtahalsing .......
Julia Lauf...........................
Ia Cator.............................
Boris Mulder.....................
Arnout Vos........................
Elina van Niftrik................
Jeske Korevaar..................
Anne Boone......................
Axel Labordus...................
Feline van Hensbergen......
Jamie van Zuylen..............
Laura Teixeira Pijpers........
Bart Jol.............................
Esther Overbeek...............
Jelle de Hoog....................
Jorrit Driessen..................
Veerle Terlouw..................
Celine Thoen....................
Charlotte Verdonk............
Ella Mourik......................
Laura Tudor......................
Sanne Kneppers...............
Siena Pedrini....................
Sterre van Wijk................
with
Terence Notenboom........
and
Gabriël Jozwiak...............
"Camilla"
"Fiep"
"Lana"
"Hella"
"Dex"
"Meneer Tiggers"
"Viviènne"
"Karlijn"
"Agnes"
"Djordy"
"Marie-Claire"
"Amy"
"Alexa"
"Otto Vos"
"Beau"
"Dylan"
"Rikkie"
"Shirley"
"Bianca"
"Linda"
"Scarlett"
"Kate"
"Lizzy"
"Suze"
"Isabella"
"Dirk-Simon"
"Albrecht"
CONCEPT SKETCHES
STORY BOARD EXCERPT
Here are some of the story boards I drew up prior to filming. In total there were about 500 images drawn.
