Matt Lambert wears many hats: editor, director, writer, maker of intriguing fashion films and curator of Bare Bones, the low-brow, lo-fi video zine with regular events and screenings – mainly in New York, London and Berlin. We super love platforms for young filmmakers to have creative freedom to do whatever they like so following our earlier post, we caught up with Lambert to find out how Bare Bones is evolving…
http://vimeo.com/22692499
Much of the video side of Bare Bones has evolved organically and in parallel to my movements and relationships. Although the majority of our shows, founders (Harry Malt and Chris Bianchi) and photo editor (Niall O’Brien) are all in London, we are eager to work with contributors from around the world.
After leaving London, I lived in NYC for three years and am now based in Berlin — prior to that I lived in LA for 21 years. Spending much of my time on the road, I get a chance to meet a wide-range of young directors that embody the spirit of Bare Bones. It’s hard to say what that exactly is, but it’s rather something intuitive that Harry and Chris set the tone for with the Bare Bones mag and our shows, that I attempt to carry on into its video component.
With the first round of videos, it was hard to explain what the actual purpose of Bare Bones was. So, I ended up making four of the films for the first series and invited some other trusted friends to join in (Ross McDonnell, Niall O’Brien, Sean Pecknold and Matt Smithson).
When it came time for the second batch, it became easier to attract more great talent. I had existing relationships with most of the directors, but have always made a point to bring on someone I’m just a fan of and have never met before. Our second and third installments were seen at our 5th and 6th London shows at the RED Gallery on Old Street. Despite the scope of the shows, we’re not precious with the films, still treating them in a raw, haphazard way that fits with the paper and the rest of the work the guys put out.
In addition to our immersive shows, that involve live performances, projections, illustration, photography, textile work, etc. I’m always on the look-out for one-off screening opportunities for the films. Our next steps are to find ways to find funding and potential distribution for the work. We do it as a labour of love, but would love to be able to put on shows and take our work on the road as much as possible!