Rough Cuts builds new community as Philly’s only open mic for filmmakers

Rough Cuts is a monthly “DIY” meetup for Philly-area filmmakers. The first Wednesday of each month, the group congregates at Huddle art gallery in Fishtown for an “open mic” style night of presentation: anyone who signs up as the event kicks off has the opportunity to present their current video work-in-progress to an audience of peers and receive feedback.

The rules are simple: each presenter gets 15 minutes (including time for feedback). Beyond that, there is no constraint on genre, form, or content. Justice serves as emcee, alongside friend and filmmaker Ryan Scott, who runs projection. Following presentations, the group ends each meetup over drinks at Standard Tap, a nearby bar.

Show, don’t tell

“Rough Cuts was organized by Dave Gloss, who moved away a couple of years ago,” Justice says. “Everybody was kind of like, ‘Well we should still do it, and Nic and Ryan should run it’.” It was then that Justice and Scott shifted the group from a simple filmmaker meetup to the unique open-mic feedback loop.

“Showing is easier than just having everybody explain what they’re working on,” Justice adds. This approach built a new form of community among the city’s filmmakers and videographers. “The point is to stop trying to make movies by yourself, which is what the industry tells [low-budget filmmakers] to do,” he explains. Worthwhile art takes teamwork, and it’s hard to build a team, so Rough Cuts became a space to do it.

“Great creative relationships”

The group’s unique blend of mixer and showcase has left a mark that stretches even beyond the limits of Philly. Tyler Woolsey, 24, has been commuting into Philly for the event from his home in Collegeville, PA for more than a year.

Woolsey says there isn’t any other group quite like Rough Cuts: “It brings people together and connects them. Getting that feedback really helps you build yourself up as a filmmaker, but the community aspect is what I really enjoy about it.”

When Woolsey first began visiting Rough Cuts he was working as a production assistant, but has since ventured into making films of his own. He has made friends there and gotten work through the group: “it builds great creative relationships.” He credits feedback received at Rough Cuts for helping him venture into directing. “It gives me confidence because I know I’m surrounded by a community of artists who’ll be honest with their feedback, but also just want to see you succeed.” Woolsey’s newest film, HUNT!, will be screening at the Oaks Center Cinema in Phoenixville on September 12.

Confidence in community

The meetups also continue to draw in newcomers. Dreon, frontman of neo-funk band Ogler, discovered the group in a similar way to Justice after recently relocating to Philly from LA.

“I was looking for film resources in town, and friends told me about Rough Cuts,” he says. His favorite thing about the group is the wide range of people it attracts, including “people who are very green, people who do editing for a living, even artists … You never know who you’re going to meet and what you’re going to see when you go.”

Dreon showcased two of Ogler’s music videos, including one for “It’s Quiet on Set”, the lead single from their new album PRESS UR FACE TO THE BACK OF MY HEAD. Both videos utilized “data-moshing”, a form of deliberate memory glitching that creates what Dreon calls a “disintegration effect” in its visuals.

“I think it’s important to be sure of yourself with your art,” he says, “but there’s always going to be someone who knows something you don’t, or has done something you haven’t … I definitely feel like if you need to test your project out in a room full of strangers, there’s no better way than Rough Cuts.”

The bravery to share your work

“I’m constantly humbled by the talent that shows up each month,” Justice says. “It’s a brave task to show work you’ve done to other people, whether it’s finished or unfinished. I hope people take away that there’s a lot of talent here in Philadelphia, that [fellow artists] are right here and approachable.” Rough Cuts continues to meet the first Wednesday of every month. For more information, visit their website or Instagram page.

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