Oulu Superhero Satire at International Film Festival
A spoof superhero movie made by a group of Oulu electronic smokers is to be screened at Helsinki International Film Festival.
It’s an unlikely setting for a production company. But ‘Mutant Koala Pictures’ have put together their lampoon of superhero movies, ‘Dr Professor’s Thesis of Evil,’ from a nineteenth century ‘aitta’ (storehouse) in Oulu’s market place.
‘We are the only company that has an office in an aitta,’ laughs the movie’s director and co-writer Jukka Vidgren, 28. ‘We love the place. The only downside is there is no heating or bathroom!’
But the lack of mod cons has not stopped the production company – many of whom are Media graduates from Oulu University of Applied Sciences – from raising 100,000 euros to produce and distribute their 25 minute satire of superhero films.
‘The film is a social comedy about the media,’ continues Vidgren. ‘Our hero is actually a super-villain. Superman is a bit boring but it’s the villain that everyone digs. Everyone likes the bad guy,’ he insists. ‘Look at American gangsters or rappers – they are huge celebrities!’
‘For the media, evil is interesting. So the movie looks at how the media takes hold of this and exploits the whole idea of evil being popular.’
‘I’ve worked on short films and commercials,’ explains Vidgren. ‘This film actually started as our thesis work at the University of Applied Science. It grew larger and so we set up our own company to produce it.’
‘Mutant Koala’ received backing from various sources, including the Finnish Film Foundation, and they have been working on it for the last two years. The Helsinki International Film Festival (this year entitled ‘Love and Anarchy’) heard about it, having seen the trailer, and actually asked them to show it there.
The group, which includes co-writer and director of photography Juusso Laatio, 29, upload a part of the movie to ‘give you a feel for the atmosphere.’ The atmosphere in the room itself is odd. Not only are their surroundings idiosyncratic for a production company but they almost all seem to be smoking. Vidgren sucks on a pipe (with a lid on it) while three of the other four seem to suck on large cigarette holders. According to Laatio, who got hold of them, these are ‘electric cigarettes’ and they cost 40 euros for two (though you’ll make a saving in the long run). They also mean you can smoke in the workplace with impunity. All that comes out is a little bit of steam.
‘They vaporize (the tobacco) so you get the nicotine but without any of the nasty effects,’ enthuses Laatio. His colleague Katja-Maaria Kilponen, in charge of PR and Marketing, adds that, ‘It’s a really effective way to smoke at work because you don’t have to take breaks,’ though she doesn’t partake herself.
We watch a clip from the film. It is voiced in English by what sound like American actors. Highly atmospheric, the noticeable thing about it is not only that it combines animation with actors but that the actors are stills rather than animation.
‘It’s a motion novel,’ explains Vidgren. ‘It’s called Motion Novel Animation.’ The company used Oulu-based actors, shooting the scenes in Oulu studios. For the voice actors, they found people in Toronto and San Francisco.
According to Vidgren, the voice actors were in sound in studios across the pond and he directed them via SKYPE. ‘We just went through the lines. I gave feedback and comments. It worked really well,’ he smiles.
They wanted to set the story in a ‘USA Metropolis’ because that is the standard setting for a superhero film. Being resident in Oulu actually helped them to organize the casting in the USA. The director was friends with 2008 World Air Guitar Champion Craig ‘Hot Lixx Hullahan’ Billmeier. They enlisted his assistance in finding actors.
The film will be the 15th showing at this year’s festival, being screened on 18th and 21st September. It will then be launched on 25th September and they hope to distribute it as I-Pad Ap.
