Short film That Year They Were Bridesmaids suffered the usual Silly Season hold-up, where crew scatter for what feels like forever before returning to normal lives. Even then, other projects are lined up and people get incredibly busy. We still have some 8mm shots to pick up before the editing can be finished. I’m still hopeful for a February 2010 completion, but it might edge March.

Fellow FTI graduate Robin (who has been my First Assistant Director on two shorts now) has joined me in a web-based project Reel Thinker. We launched it December 1 2009 and will persist with it into the new year to see where it goes. We both love to discuss and crituique film, so a joint like this made sense. It’s a project outside of Quarter To Four, which makes for an interesting change.

Speaking of Quarter To Four, the new website launched showcasing some of the short films we’ve produced.  There’s also a facebook page – have you become a fan of ‘Quarter To Four’ yet? Look out for behind-the-scenes images and video clips of That Year They Were Bridesmaids soon!

Here’s a sneaky-peek at me discussing the frame with Danny Clark (Director of Photography) on location.

They will all be on DVD by December 9.

2010 will see the completion of my new short film THAT YEAR THEY WERE BRIDESMAIDS and (hopefully) a bunch of festival screenings. HER PARTY is also looking forward to some festival exposure while LIVING WITH BENJAMIN enjoyed some great horror screenings last Winter.

With completed films playing on screens and the others finalised on DVD it’ll be time once again to look forward to new projects. And baby, I’ve got a doozie in store for 2010. I cannot wait to get started!!

The audience was there to see the UK horror-thriller picture Mum & Dad (2008) and my local short film was playing as a bonus beforehand.

The lights dimmed, the curtains closed in (they had to mask the majority of the windscreen as the short is 4:3, if you can believe that) and away we went. Living With Benjamin was on the big screen.

While sitting in the darkness watching Benjamin stir his coffee and wash his mug, three hings became very apparent to me during those seven nervous minutes:

1. Kerry was holding my hand. She told me she was equally nervous — and she held my hand for every second it was up there. I appreciated that gesture.
2. In the final act, building up to the big finish, I could feel my heart pounding throughout my whole body. It felt like my chair was shaking. But I wasn’t panicked or worried anymore (the hardest parts were over) — it must have just been adrenaline.
3. The respect from the audience was first rate. Sometimes a screening like this is treated more like a trailer and there’s still occasional chitter-chatter and movement. In this case, the whole cinema went dead silent and watched Benjamin play out. A bonus of screening at an international film festival, I guess– you know the people attending are mostly film enthusiasts.

And so the credits rolled and the audience applauded. Just like that, it was over. The transfer looked fantastic on the big screen and the sound was magic. I’ve never heard it sound or look so good. Taking it from my PC monitor and TV screens up onto the cinema screen was definitely a wonderful experience and one I will always remember.  Best of all I got to enjoy it with my wife Kerry (thanks to ‘awesome’ Uncle Danny for watching the kids!!), Benjamin himself Clint West, and industry colleges including sound designer and co-editor Warren Money, Gemma Gittins and Sara Horvat.

I look forward to seeing more of our projects on the big screen in the near future.

I’m compiling the special features and menu for the Living with Benjamin DVD, which will be available soon.
Watch Living With Benjamin online now

The film now runs a comfy seven minutes as apposed to the original 12. Five whole minutes removed and it still feels like the exact same film. I’ve learned a great deal from shooting and cutting this — it will always remain dear to me.

This is the version that will be screening at the Perth Night of Horror Film Festival in October. I will be part of the audience and look forward to seeing it with a sizable crowd. That’s both a scary and exciting prospect!

This cut will also appear on the long-awaited DVD, accompanied by some beefy bonus material.

The task of directing a film in any format is always a challenging journey. This shoot ran for three solid days and pushed the boundaries of every emotion I could possibly muster. From sheer frustration to overwhelming exhilaration — not forgetting tiredness, anger, joy, and jealousy.
Jealousy because I have given the cinematography role a shot before (during film school) and here was Danny Clark, a good mate of mine, producing pure gold in every shot without a paycheque. I’m very happy with how good this film looks.

I got to work with an acceptional team on this independent project. Assembled by producer Sara Horvat, people were dedicated to their roles and delivered fantastic results at every level. Thanks to everyone who donated their time and be part of a wonderful filmmaking family.

Personally, That Year They Were Bridesmaids was all about exploring my abilities to direct some honesty to the screen.  The film deals with topics I’m close to and I felt confident I could tell the story accurately. I cannot wait to see the final product, scoop up everything I learned and muscle it into the next project.

What’s important for me now is to turn the film around in a timely manner.  A post production schedule is in place and some upcoming festival deadlines will keep us in check. Even before That Year They Were Bridesmaids hits screens, I’m already working hard on planning what to do next.  What do I need to practice? What do I need to learn? And how can we go about these things in an entertaining way?

Someone should write a book about this stuff…

The Exorcist Fansite

Auditions.

I have found auditions to be a tiresome process. Especially when the material — like my current short production That Year They Were Bridesmaids — is so close to home. There are lines of dialogue and certain beats within that screenplay that scream emotional truths to me. And to go through them every half hour over the period of several days starts to wear me down.

What makes it drag out worse is when the magical person I am looking for fails to emerge. Some look the part but can’t handle the material. Others can manage the material just fine but do not look the part (and seemed to have failed in reading the casting requirements, but booked a place anyway).

The film is being independently backed, and while I’m sending talent out the door with a polite handshake and a well-tempered “thanks for your time, we’ll be in touch…”, I’m continually turning to my Producer and getting reassurance that I’m not being too pedantic or picky. Because I really don’t want to settle. Not this time. Far too often I’ve ‘just settled’ on many varying aspects of my productions, and I have sworn that it is time to move forward properly and take it seriously. No longer do I want to say ‘that’ll do’.

There should be no reason why great planning of great ideas can’t deliver a great film. All of that can be tainted if you settle for second-hand options simply for the sake of progressing the film in increments that become incidental once you get the damn thing into post production. I need to remain honest with it. If I do that, I can do no wrong.

I always harboured a daydream that it would get easier. That, once was a paid gig was on offer (which Bridesmaids is) then the talent would come flooding through the door and it would be a struggle to choose who fits. Right now we’re a month from production, I need to start rehearsals in about a week and I still don’t have a main cast.

Wish me luck, won’t you?

I enjoy the feeling of finally being able to put a project to rest. The HOMECOMING DVD is absolutely complete has started distribution to those involved in the project (contact me here to request your copy). I’ve also handed a copy to FTI to keep amongst the stacks of student films they have produced. Hopefully the DVD artwork and disc menu helps it stand out a little against the masses.

So, that’s it for HOMECOMING. Watch it here (if you haven’t already) and also view some behind-the-scenes material!

I’m now putting the final touches on the DVD for HER PARTY, LIVING WITH BENJAMIN & HAIR DYE while also preparing the production of our next short film THAT YEAR THEY WERE BRIDESMAIDS.