As we near a month of being a nation in lockdown, many of us are starting to miss the halcyon days of 5 weeks ago, where we could still go out clubbing and dance with other people. Thankfully, London creative studio Raygun have the perfect antidote, in the form of their latest short film: Open Till Late. Featuring dance artist Simon Donnellon, the film ” is about the freedom you get when you step onto the club dance floor surrounded by the people you create with, the energy that comes with that and how that impacts the work we make,” according to one half of Raygun, Director Robbie Kilgour.

“Simon, who is the protagonist of the piece and a movement director and choreographer living in London talks us through how the queer clubbing scene in London has dramatically influenced his work and personal creativity. We always wanted to create something timeless, that made you think of the disco clubs and hedonism of the 70’s but also felt totally like it completely fits in with the environment today, bringing in Simon’s own experience of disco nights in Dalston at places like Superstore and his own contemporary style of choreography and merging it onto film.”

The video ostensibly relishes its heady aesthetic, something which was important in the minds of its directors throughout the process, particularly as pertains to the fashion. “In how it was styled, shot and coloured, we wanted it to give you a feeling of nostalgia, but also make it feel current as well,” Kilgour continues. “We always look back and relish the best nights we have been to and the most fun we have had, so it was important to get that across, but also make you feel like you are there in the moment in the film with Simon. Another element to this was using Super 8 to build the world when Simon is not performing for us, and when he’s just in his own headspace; it gives you another layer of intimacy and we wanted to give you that deep connection to him outside of this performance.”

Overall the video is “a visual exploration of the link between the scene, persona, creative outlets and how all of that feeds off each other when people enter this super intense creative fun and expressive environment,” Kilgour explains. “It’s constantly influencing music, fashion, art and creativity for all who are around it, and even for those who aren’t. The name comes from the lists on venues and nights which haven’t set an endpoint, we wanted to capture the freedom that comes with the open-ended nature of this and put that onto film.”