Balaton method was the most fun and playful film I ever had the chance to work on. A bunch of musician friends playing their songs at my favorite place - Lake Balaton. Since the concept was based on recording every song live in one take, these limitations were actually liberating creatively; it was exciting to play around with different approaches and always try to come up with new ideas for a one-take shot. We wanted it to be both a cinematic and a musical adventure.
Balaton Method
Balaton Method is an experimental musical journey around Lake Balaton, featuring 19 bands and hundreds of musicians playing live with captivating one-take shots and visually stunning, creative concepts.
Story
Balaton Method was created as a continuation of the Kodály Method video blog. Based on the original concept, the videos feature Hungarian bands performing their songs live—usually acoustically—complemented by additional musical elements (such as choirs, brass bands, drumming groups, and symphonic orchestras) and eccentric visual ideas that play with the concept of each video being filmed in a single take. The settings would often capture a familiar, relatable feeling. This concept is expanded in Balaton Method, a full-length feature that takes viewers on a journey around Lake Balaton, and its unique atmosphere. It was the first Hungarian feature-length film financed through a crowdfunding campaign. Balaton Method premiered at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival, though it is not strictly a documentary but rather an experimental music video concept built around live performances at Lake Balaton.
Director Bálint Szimler Cinematographer Marcell Rév Concept Bálint Szimler, Marcell Rév Lead Sound Engineer Viktor Lente, Péter Benjámin Lukács Mixing and Mastering Gábor Deutsch Editor Zsófia Ördög, Áron Mezei Production Manager Veronika Nemes-Jeles Producer Gábor Osváth, Gábor Kovács, Árpád Szirmai Co-producer Attila Faragó, Gábor Rajna Executive Producer Tamás Csutak, András Pires Muhi Associate Producer Krisztián Flautner Production Designer Nóra Takács 2nd Unit Cinematographer Zágon Nagy Music Coordinator Imre Kiss, István Mráz Assistant Director Xénia Fekete, Zoltán Rozgonyi Focus Puller Péter Böszörményi Bands Elefánt, Fran Palermo, Hó Márton és a Jégkorszak, Akezdet Phiai & Amoeba, Jónás Vera Experiment, Grand Mexican Warlock, Kamikaze Scotsman, Bin-Jip, Dirty Flow Club, Subscribe, Quimby, Stubborn, Middlemist Red, Punnany Massif, Mindenkinek Meg Van a Maga Története, Napra, V.H.:C, Soerii & Poolek & Bajdázó