Film-makers recreate New Jersey – in Balmullo

Low-budget movie inspired duo to tell story of Clerks

Film-maker Kevin Smith’s debut film Clerks cost just over $27,000 but turned him into a Hollywood star.

Now his low-budget comedy has inspired some Scottish film-makers to tell the story of how he made the movie – even if they had to recreate New Jersey in the Fife village of Balmullo to do it.

Clerks tells the story of two disaffected shop workers in New Jersey and the trials and tribulations they face during one day at work.

Released in 1994, the black and white film earned more than $3 million dollars worldwide and Smith, who featured as the drug dealer Silent Bob, went on to make hit films including Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back.

Rather than professional actors, Clerks used many of Smith’s friends in the cast.

Inspired by Smith’s do-it-yourself attitude, producer Brett Murray and director Chris Downie decided to create a film about the making of Clerks after graduating from Abertay University in 2014.

Like Smith, they raised all the money for the film themselves and cast their friends wherever possible.

And whereas the Clerks director filmed in the convenience store where he worked in New Jersey, they had to recreate the shop in the living room of Chris’ house in Balmullo.

Parts of Shooting Clerks were also filmed in and around Dundee, including at the Steps Theatre, where the movie will be screened on January 25 from 2 to 5pm.

A host of other actors who appeared in Clerks also have cameos – even Smith’s mum Grace.

Brett, who also appears in the film and worked as hair stylist on set, said: “We built a couple of sets in the director’s house in Balmullo – one half became Kevin Smith’s bedroom and the other the Quick Stop store from Clerks and the video store next to it.”

Brett, 25, is originally from New Jersey and moved to Scotland in 2005.

However, he was only introduced to Smith’s films at Abertay. He collaborated on some short films with Chris before they decided to make Shooting Clerks their first full-length feature.

“We did have kind of lofty ambitions for it,” said Brett.

“We wanted it to be kind of art-house while preserving the spirit of the original.”

Brett, who works as assistant digital content editor for Beano Studios, said they were able to show Smith the film in New Jersey last year. “He was pretty overwhelmed,” said Brett.

“When he left the theatre he had tears in his eyes.”

Tickets for the Steps showing are available from shootingclerks.com.

Picture: Gareth Jennings. A scene from Shooting Clerks, above, and producer Brett Murray, below.