When the team at Clockwork Films was tapped to produce the opening film for this year’s OASIS Ball, we knew we had to create something worthy of its 700-strong audience and glitzy ‘On Broadway’ theme. Enter director duo cowboys, bringing with them a bold vision: to reimagine WA’s advertising icons as backstage characters, caught in the chaos and charm of opening night.
Set in a fictional theatre moments before curtain call, the film plays like a meta-narrative, layering the Ball’s key messages into a cinematic world of stagehands, divas, and last-minute nerves. The narrative culminates with the curtains rising in our final scene, just as they did in the room, seamlessly launching the night.
“It was a privilege to have access to His Majesty’s Theatre to create our behind-the-scenes theatrical world. We also really appreciated our cast of industry legends getting into character, some of them even going full method,” says Hackett, one half of the director duo.
But the ensemble effort wasn’t just in front of the camera.
“From the onset crew to the live jazz musicians that played the score, it was a real team effort with everyone giving their all in the name of a good cause,” says Gibbs.
One of the biggest creative and logistical challenges was shooting thirteen unique scenes, each with their own cast, in just a day and a half. Our solution? Photogrammetry. We sent a small team into His Majesty’s Theatre to scan the entire premises. From there we were able to build a 3D model, and were able to map compositions, block performances with digital stand-ins, simulate lighting setups, and time out the entire film before we’d even gone back into the venue.
3D Modelling of His Majesty’s Theatre with avatars
cowboys crafted the script to suit a mix of seasoned performers and industry legends new to the screen. For longer scenes, cue cards were cleverly hidden in props or baked into the set, making it easy for our cast to deliver lines naturally and confidently.
EP Katie Trew said “Thanks to the legends at Panda Candy and Fable, we were lucky enough to collaborate with live musicians on an original score. The Clockwork team were blown away by the generosity of Perth’s production community, who donated their time, gear, and talent to bring this vision to life.”
Eloise Cribb, Oasis Committee member and Senior Account Director at The Brand Agency, said: “From the outset, Alex, Luke, Anouk and Katie all showed an incredible amount of passion and care for the work. As a committee we were overwhelmed with the investment not only from the Clockwork team, but the wider WA production industry who donated their time and expertise to bring this to life. A big thank you also goes out to our 22-industry talent who stepped out of their comfort zones, and into the spotlight.”
The result? A backstage world that feels expansive, connected, and completely alive, just like the industry it celebrates.
