DiY sci-fi
District 9 director Neill Blomkamp dishes on his experimental new Oats Studios...
Aliens, intrigue and big ideas. These are just a few of the things powering Oats Studios, the new melting-pot helmed by District 9 mastermind Neill Blomkamp. “It’s creative and fun,” Blomkamp tells Red Alert. “There was always this idea to make films that I could somehow give directly to audiences. I’m endeavouring to be more creative and Oats is the result of that.”
The studio’s output is a series of experimental shorts, due to be surprise-released in volumes over the coming months.
“This first batch are very much in the sci-fi, horror camp and there are four pieces that are at the same scope of the first piece, Rakka,” he says. “Those are interspersed with more comedy, weird, strange pieces and all of those together would consist of Volume 1.”
Rakka is an impressive calling card, transporting viewers to a gritty alien-ruled dystopia with Sigourney Weaver in full Lt Ripley mode. “When Alien 5 failed to happen, Sigourney asked what I was working on and I explained Oats to her and sent over the script for Rakka,” recalls Blomkamp. “As soon as she read it she phoned me and was like, ‘I really love this. Can I be this character?’ I was like, ‘Damn, okay!’ It was kind of a cool surprise.”
Big-name cameos aside (Dakota Fanning also pops up in Vol 1), Blomkamp ultimately hopes to let audiences in on the action. “In a perfect outcome we would be able to source enough funds from the fans directly and make our own films,” he explains. “Part of that may be that they’re interested enough in the material that they download assets, make their own stuff and remix it. We have the ability to wait and see what audiences respond to.”
Right now though, it’s still early days for Oats Studios. “Physically, it’s an ex-kitchen appliance warehouse that has a bunch of fake kitchens still installed,” he laughs. “The biggest component would be visual effects and then we have a practical workshop for making physical props. There’s a shit-load of movie models all over the place. We’re working on stuff we all like. I feel pretty happy!”
Watch Rakka and Firebase now at oatsstudios.com