What is the film about?

Soho Nights is my living memoir of after-hours Soho—a collection of vivid observational vignettes capturing the area’s eccentric soul. Soho is a recently gentrified, once red light district, while some provocative history still glitters around the old market area.

The back streets are characterised by dodgy massage parlours, graffitied doorways, chewing gum finished paving and e-bike obstacle courses (new!). And in the dead of night, a certain breed of character re-emerges- those waiting for a night bus that will never come, a stripper taking a break, a client enjoying a massage, street cleaners and road works.

Its post nightclub pulse is experienced by countless dreary Uber-rideless revellers, who are unlikely to remember its magical dysfunction the morning after.

A little background information...

I love Soho. I have been in Soho for over 16 years- we have a studio called Seed on Brewer Street, and our windows overlook life passing by. The film was inspired by the strippers of Stringfellows. We shared the back street with them, and they would come out for a fag in their skimp.
The day we moved down in our white van we asked the doorman if he would watch the van while we unloaded. He said no. We got a ticket. The van makes an appearance in the film. The mouse is a reference to our first studio. We had mice, and so we positioned clients to look outwards so they couldn’t see them scurrying around at the back of the office. The person waiting at the closed bus stop is me, but I know others that have done the same thing.

I love Soho doorways, which attract collaborative graffiti artists. I like the ephemeral nature of the art form- one day it’s there, the next it’s gone- it’s virtually impossible to keep a record. Some of it is a perfect chaos- if only I could take it home. I included some genuine Soho graffiti in the film as its own small record. Our own studio’s door has been covered and recovered many times over the years.

I enjoy building worlds, and playing with styles- in this one I explored the contrast between harsh electric and neon lights and night time darkness. I attempted to represent these in a more graphical way.

How was the film made?

Simply CGI