top of page
-
When was Shooting Clerks completed?This film has been 5 years in the making to encompass 25 years of fandom with various members of the original cast joining at various stages of production between the UK, New Jersey, Florida, New York & Los Angeles. An early rough cut screening for the cast and crew was held at SDCC in July 2019.
-
How much involvement did Kevin Smith have in the film?Kevin serves as Executive Producer and acts in the film. The filmmakers received his blessing early on and he assisted with the crowdfunding campaign which gave the original Clerks stars the confidence to get involved. The script was written by Christopher Downie who scoured and assembled it from Kevin’s prolific podcasts and published works.
-
Has Kevin Smith seen the film?Yes, his private viewing and initial reaction were featured on Season 7 of Comic Book Men.
-
Did you really build the Quick Stop?Yep, right in the director’s living room. His wife was very accommodating, but was more than happy when we struck the set after wrap. RST Video was constructed in the spare bedroom, so it was less of a big deal. This was a much easier option than trying to find matching locations for both stores on either side of the Atlantic. 2 years later, the NJ crew was able to shoot matching scenes at the real locations - finally!
-
What was done in post-production?A lot of VFX shots were used to carefully match the nostalgia of an early 90’s aesthetic and restore the defunct RST. Video to its former glory! A little bit of movie magic helped characters interact with each other across the Atlantic. Shooting Clerks was crafted to recreate the trademark Black & White film look of the original Clerks, despite being made in the age of iPhones and DSLR’s instead of 16mm and VHS.
-
Where did you film?Principal Photography took place in Dundee and Fife, Scotland, in the UK. 2nd unit filming took place in the original New Jersey locations surrounding Kevin Smith’s hometown, with additional cameos filmed in Orlando, New York and Los Angeles.
-
Why Scotland?Director Christopher Downie was born and raised in Edinburgh, currently residing in Fife. His producer, Brett Murray, a New Jersey native, moved to Scotland during his teenage years, and attended Abertay University, where the duo met and produced several short films. In 2014, they launched their production company, Auld Reekie Media.
-
How is this different from the 2004 Clerks making-of, The Snowball Effect?"The Snowball Effect is a documentary, Shooting Clerks is a comedy based on a true story. By taking some artistic license in the dramatization of the story behind Clerks, we were able to create a more emotional and comedic piece of cinema to attract a new generation of filmmakers.
-
What’s the film rated?Shooting Clerks is not yet rated, although we anticipate an ‘R’ / ‘15’ rating, due the the use of adult language, brief references to sex and drugs, and one brief flash of male nudity (or the lack thereof if you‘re familiar with what the character of Jay is famous for).
-
What was the budget for the film?Well, what’s it worth to ya?
bottom of page