Tony Hill

 Downside Up (extract)

This is an extract from an experimental film by Tony Hill made in 1984.

Much of Tony's work explores the relationship between the viewpoint of the camera and the ground using purpose built equipment, in this case a rotating camera mount. The commercial appeal of his films was realized and he has since had success directing pop promos and commercials.

The simple yet hypnotic idea behind Downside Up would also transfer well to use within a feature film, maybe as an interesting way to transition between scenes. Quite often I find that the most interesting parts of films are the indulgent bits that don't necessarily move the story forward but allow the audience a moment of reflection and give the film room to breathe - like the sequence I cut last summer for The Soloist. Sadly these are often the first scenes to be cut when a studio is putting the pressure on a director to get the running time down.

One of the best films of last year Steve McQueen's Hunger shows how powerful it can be to leave in those artful moments.