Cut Print Review » Interviews http://cutprintreview.com Australian Movie Reviews, Film News & Competitions Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:56:59 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Interview: Stephan Elliott, director of A FEW BEST MEN http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-stephan-elliott-director-of-a-few-best-men/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-stephan-elliott-director-of-a-few-best-men/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:26:44 +0000 Anders Wotzke http://cutprintreview.com/?p=20463 In 2004, Australian filmmaker Stephan Elliott fell from a cliff whilst skiing, breaking his back, pelvis and legs. He was given 20 minutes to live, but given that this is not a posthumous interview, live is what he did. The road to recovery was long, but this near-death experience renewed Elliott’s vigour to make movies, much of which he’d lost after a decade of disappointing followups to his breakout hit The [...]]]> In 2004, Australian filmmaker Stephan Elliott fell from a cliff whilst skiing, breaking his back, pelvis and legs. He was given 20 minutes to live, but given that this is not a posthumous interview, live is what he did. The road to recovery was long, but this near-death experience renewed Elliott’s vigour to make movies, much of which he’d lost after a decade of disappointing followups to his breakout hit The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

I doubt it’s a coincidence, then, that Elliott’s new screwball comedy A Few Best Men  is set against the backdrop of a sheer cliff overlooking the Blue Mountains, on the edge of which a bride and groom blissfully plan to unite. Of course, much like Elliott’s own cliff experience, the result is nothing short of disastrous. Only this time it’s hilariously disastrous.

Unmistakably written by Death at a Funeral‘s Dean Craig, A Few Best Men follows a trio of brash British groomsmen as they attend — and destroy — their best friend’s lavish Australian wedding. It’s a rapid-fire farce that rivals the snowballing absurdity of The Hangover and Bridesmaids, but as the film’s Australia Day opening suggests, A Few Best Men is uniquely and proudly a home-brew production.

Whilst Elliott was promoting the film in Adelaide, I was given the opportunity to sit down with the candid Aussie filmmaker and talk about the ins and outs of making people laugh, from filming one of the most dangerous and hilarious stunts of the movie, to his  traumatic teenage years as a wedding videographer where he saw it all, and then some.

You can watch our interview below:

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-stephan-elliott-director-of-a-few-best-men/feed/ 0 Interview: Johan Earl, co-director of FORBIDDEN GROUND http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-johan-earl-co-director-of-forbidden-ground/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-johan-earl-co-director-of-forbidden-ground/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:43:35 +0000 Katina Vangopoulos http://cutprintreview.com/?p=19866 There was a name change, long days and mostly good weather on set for Forbidden Ground (previously The Front), the latest film from Sydney-based Rebellion Pictures which wrapped up filming before Christmas. Cut Print Review caught up with Swedish-born co-director/writer/producer/actor Johan Earl on set in Wongarbon, NSW (18km south-east of Dubbo) almost midway into the 16-day location shoot, in an exclusive where we had a chat as Johan was in [...]]]> There was a name change, long days and mostly good weather on set for Forbidden Ground (previously The Front), the latest film from Sydney-based Rebellion Pictures which wrapped up filming before Christmas. Cut Print Review caught up with Swedish-born co-director/writer/producer/actor Johan Earl on set in Wongarbon, NSW (18km south-east of Dubbo) almost midway into the 16-day location shoot, in an exclusive where we had a chat as Johan was in makeup ahead of his next scene.

Cut Print Review: How many hours are you on set?

Johan Earl: It varies. I’m usually out here by 10am and I go home 2:30am so 16 hours or something a day, not everyone’s here that long but you know, it’s at least 13 for most people. A long day! Makes it a longer day that we’re in wet mud and fighting… the boots I’m wearing today are clean because I was in water yesterday but normally they’re caked up and dirt an inch thick on the bottom. All the days blend into one; we haven’t had a break so it’s been continuous filming. I don’t even know what day it is.

mg 0822 333x500 Interview: Johan Earl, co director of FORBIDDEN GROUNDCPR: The forecast during the filming was set for a bit more rain though, you must be happy that hasn’t come about?

JE: Yes, this weather really helps because it is set in World War I (WWI). When we first started we had a lot of sun so I had to set up these silks to try and make it look like a cloudy afternoon. Now it’s perfect, even light rain is perfect, and I’m hoping it stays like this.

CPR: Any details on the plot you can reveal?

JE: We’re keeping it pretty quiet, we don’t want to give away too much but we can say it centres around three British soldiers that are stuck in the middle of no-man’s-land in a French battlefield after a bungled charge from the trenches goes wrong. It leaves them stranded and it’s about their journey and their bonding while trying to get back to the British lines, all their little adventures along the way.

CPR: I’m disappointed that I missed most of the explosions; you did those in the first part of the shoot…

JE: Yes, you’re here on the last day of the battle charges, that’s been played over the last six days. There are more war sequences later but they’ll be done towards the end of the shoot as we move into night shifts.

CPR: You’ve filmed part of it already in Sydney, is there any shooting left to do there?

JE: No, that’s all finished, we only shot for about a week in Sydney and the rest of it’s all out here.

CPR: Had you visited Dubbo or Wongarbon before?

JE: Only when Sarah (Mawbey, cast member and whose family own the now-exploded property) dragged me out here to come and have a look for the film. When I was looking for a location, she said ‘come have a look at my family property, we have heaps out at Dubbo’, and I thought ‘no’ at first but it actually worked out pretty good. The trees around really sell the whole war zone; it’s kind of what it was like so I said ‘Dubbo, here we come’. And now that Sarah’s enjoying being home and done her acting we’re putting her to work behind the scenes!

CPR: You had another project that was postponed – has this been rewarding for you? Did you know a lot about WWI?

JE: I run another company, I’m an armourer and pyrotechnician so with weaponry and such I have had some exposure to stuff in different wars and researched them all but I never thought I’d be making a WWI picture! It’s kinda cool, and everybody loves it. Look at these guys (turning, I see a few ready ‘soldiers’ with big grins) – don’t they look happy? They’re not dead yet.

(A soldier chips in “10 more minutes and I’ll be dead again.”)

mg 0327 600x400 Interview: Johan Earl, co director of FORBIDDEN GROUND

CPR: You’re acting as well as directing; have you had experiences with both and how do you juggle the two?

JE: With great difficulty! I’m the leading actor but I had such a strong vision for this particular film. I have directed other things as well so I have a real passion for being behind the scenes and in front of the camera, so I do juggle the two. They blend, and they’re blending quite well here. With Adrian (Powers, co-director), we’ve worked on a few things together so his vision for things is very similar to my own so we’re the perfect combination. While I’m acting, I know that Adrian’s going to deliver the visions that I have for this. We’ve put a lot of time and effort and energy into making sure we were on the same page before we got here, we went through the script together, storyboards, and he’s doing a really good job. Together I think we’re a good team.

CPR: How long has this film taken to come to fruition?

JE: It’s a really short period actually – we were primed to do another film and already in pre-production for that, so for this it was just a matter of getting a script and moving into it. It was only a couple of months between deciding to do a war film and being here, so it was very short. Normally it takes about six months for pre-production, getting it all prepared and ready, but it’s come together. It’s been pretty hair-raising and stressful, sometimes we just want to kill each other and die but it’s all worth it. When you look at the rushes, the footage we’ve got so far it’s just so good. A really really good feeling so we’re stoked.

CPR: Thankyou for chatting to us!

JE: Pleasure.

Forbidden Ground will be released later in 2012. To keep up to date with their progress, visit the film’s Facebook page.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-johan-earl-co-director-of-forbidden-ground/feed/ 0 Interview: Chris Miller, director of PUSS IN BOOTS http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-chris-miller-director-of-puss-in-boots/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-chris-miller-director-of-puss-in-boots/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:10:03 +0000 Dan Gear http://cutprintreview.com/?p=19660 Director Chris Miller has been a story artist and dialogue writer for DreamWorks Animation since the studio’s debut feature Antz in 1998. Since then he has provided the voice for various characters in the Shrek series and other DreamWorks films. With Puss in Boots, Chris has also taken on the role of director, revealing the background story of a character that has emerged from the Shrek family to become a [...]]]> Director Chris Miller has been a story artist and dialogue writer for DreamWorks Animation since the studio’s debut feature Antz in 1998. Since then he has provided the voice for various characters in the Shrek series and other DreamWorks films. With Puss in Boots, Chris has also taken on the role of director, revealing the background story of a character that has emerged from the Shrek family to become a star in his own right. While Chris was in Australia winding down a world tour to promote the film, we managed to get our claws into him.

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Cut Print Review: Puss in Boots is actually a kind of origins story that ties in with the Shrek franchise.

Chris Miller: Yeah, he made his first appearance in Shrek 2 and immediately had a huge impact. I guess I could just attribute so much of it to Antonio Banderas’ performance. His presence, and his larger-than-life booming voice coming out of this tiny little furry package, was just instantly funny, and had an instant charm. The character was loyal, yet devilish, you know, a lover, a fighter – there was something attractive about that character across the board for everyone. It really just felt like it was a matter of time before he had his own film.

CPR:The story incorporates nursery rhymes that we all grew up with, but expands on them and adds depth to well-known characters. Were there any copyright issues involved with that?

CM: It’s funny – we’ve definitely encountered that in the past, especially in the Shrek films.

There were certain copyright issues, where you had to tweak something in a character or a design. On Puss in Boots, it’s ridiculous, but the character that gave us the most trouble in terms of copyright privileges was Jack and Jill’s favourite hog. We were just sitting around and having fun, you know, coming up with different names for a pig. We had to go through half a dozen names before we were allowed to use the name in the film. Everything we chose was already taken – either it existed in some other movie or, I don’t know, some pork restaurant, or some way that we couldn’t touch it!

puss in boots still041 600x255 Interview: Chris Miller, director of PUSS IN BOOTS

CPR:  I was quite surprised at the number of people in the legal department listed in the credits.

CM: It’s insane, right? I mean, your family is probably in there somewhere! It’s the largest credits roll I think I’ve ever witnessed. We worked in the city of Glendale, on the outskirts of L.A. I swear the entire city was on that. It’s a cast of thousands. It scrolls ten minutes long at the end of the movie!

CPR: There are a lot of references to films for adults, from stuff like the spaghetti Westerns, to Fight Club and The Usual Suspects. Is that how you keep adults interested in animated films these days?

CM: I can’t say there was any conscious effort on that level. We were certainly looking for inspiration early on, and Sergio Leone, that spaghetti Western feel – it’s a thread in cinema, it’s part of the fabric. But as we started to move forward in the process, the things that we gathered inspiration from came more from sort of classic, cinematic characters or actors, like Clint Eastwood, James Bond, Indiana Jones, Errol Flynn, Zorro – you know, sort of legendary figures. In terms of adult material, our focus was mainly: okay, it’s going to be a family movie, but at the same time, we want to make a movie that we’d want to go see, something we’d be entertained by ourselves. So we just naturally put that in and dial it on instinct, you know – if it’s gone too far or not. The key to it to me is still: give the audience respect and tell a compelling, truthful story. That’s what crosses generations.

CPR: Did you actually end up having to cut any dialogue that was –

CM: Too far over the line?

CPR: Yeah.

CM: There were some good laughs that we lost more for pacing than anything else. Most of our casualties came from that, not so much from stepping over the line. But there was a great scene, a confession by Puss, when he and Kitty are having their personal time. She’s telling him about how she lost her claws, and Puss makes this admission that he too lost his claws when he was young – although they weren’t his claws that he lost… It was kind of a strange little joke, and then she finally pieced it together that he was admitting that he’d been neutered as a child! Man, I loved it – some of the best animation I’ve ever seen. Kitty’s freaking out, and she tries to console him, and he says “I don’t want to talk about it”. And so the scene just ends and it was…

CPR: Poignant?

CM: It was poignant! Antonio wasn’t so into it. During the recording, he’s like “What? You did what? Hold on a second!” And we said, “It’s funny, trust us, it’s funny!” I would’ve kept that in there, but actually, the only reason it’s out is it was slowing the movie down at a time we couldn’t be slow. So maybe for the next one, if we have a chance, we’ll neuter the cat!

CPR: You’ve lent your voice to a lot of animated films up till now. What made you get into the director’s chair for Shrek the Third and now Puss in Boots?

CM: My evolution in terms of getting to be a director really came from working as a story artist, especially on the Shrek films. It was a great training ground for me for writing, staging, character interaction – all kinds of stuff that really came in very handy when I started directing. Looking at the story as a whole, instead of small tiny pieces. The voice work is just a side thing that sort of happened based on the fact that when we’re writing and storyboarding these movies, the first thing we do is make a temporary film – we put in a temporary voice for every character, and sound, just so we can see how it’s playing, and work on the screenplay that way. So you record so many voices that some of them just end up sticking. But all of our roles, it’s always something like “Man in Background”, or “Guard #3”, or “Little Girl in Pond”. But I highly recommend it as a career path. You dress in your pajamas to do it, and you don’t have to start until about two o’clock in the afternoon. It’s a good way to make a living!

111111111bt006 puss in boot 600x400 Interview: Chris Miller, director of PUSS IN BOOTS
Chris Miller, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Jeffrey Katzenberg at the Australian premiere. (Getty Images)

CPR: What about the famous actors involved, what were they like? Were there any big egos to deal with?

CM: The amazing thing is it was a pretty egoless group we had. Antonio and Salma Hayek were just so passionate and excited. Billy Bob Thornton had never done this before. He was completely open to it, actually incredibly easy to work with. It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere, just hanging out and being creative, coming up with stuff on the fly. It was great with all of them – Amy Sedaris, and Zach Galifianakis as well. If you break them down, they’re all a great group of filmmakers too – not only do they perform, but there are writers in that group, producers, directors, some that do all that, and they appreciate the art of storytelling. Everyone participates – not everyone’s sitting down writing, but they’re important, they’re part of that process. And you can feel it in the character. It all comes through.

CPR: That spontaneity ends up on the screen.

CM: Yeah, and when it works, it’s great. Some of the best stuff ends up being extemporaneous stuff that Zach added, or Antonio, or even Billy Bob – those are golden moments, when they work. A lot of it’s written, you know, but every now and then… Especially in animation, where you’re building every leaf on every tree, and every grain of sand, and it’s all a pretty contrived universe. Well, it is utterly contrived. So any time you can find something in a performance that feels like “Ah, that just happened, that was natural” – it keeps the whole thing alive.

CPR: Sure. I’m gonna hit you with a bunch of really quick questions now and I want you to just say whatever comes into your head.

CM: I genuinely suck at this, but go for it.

CPR: For the record, are you a cat person or a dog person?

CM: I’m a dog person. I love cats – I mean, I’ve had tons of cats. But, yeah, I’m a dog person.

CPR: So your next film’s gonna be called Hound in Heels or something?

CM: Yeah!

CPR: What actors would you most like to work with in the future?

CM: Wow, I have no idea. I mean, I feel like I just came off a movie that was a complete wishlist come true.

CPR: What’s your favourite animated film?

CM: Oh man, that’s a good question… Pinocchio. That one changes all the time, but that’s where my brain immediately went.

CPR: You get home from a long day at work. What do you watch – The Lion King or South Park?

CM: South Park!

CPR: What live-action movie would you like to see remade as an animated film?

CM: Oh, wow. Um… Meatballs! Meatballs 4!

CPR: Well, there’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

CM: But it’s not like Meatballs 4!

CPR: Last question. What animated film would you like to see remade in live action?

CM: That’s a good one. Let me think for a second… Let’s go for Toy Story. With puppets!

CPR: Like a Muppet Show kind of thing, a retro feel?

CM: Hey, I’m not making it – it’s up to them to pull it off. That’s their problem!

—

Puss in Boots opens  in cinemas nationally on December 8th, 2011.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-chris-miller-director-of-puss-in-boots/feed/ 1 Interview: Jonathan Teplitzky, writer/director of BURNING MAN http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-jonathan-teplitzky-writerdirector-of-burning-man/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-jonathan-teplitzky-writerdirector-of-burning-man/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:25:24 +0000 Anders Wotzke http://cutprintreview.com/?p=19508 Hot on the heels of its lauded premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, the sexually-charged Australian drama Burning Man starring Matthew Goode (A Single Man) and Bojana Novakovic (Edge of Darkness) is set to open this week across Australia. The non-chronological film tells the personal tale of writer/director Jonathan Teplitzky, who after losing his wife to a battle with cancer almost [...]]]> Hot on the heels of its lauded premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, the sexually-charged Australian drama Burning Man starring Matthew Goode (A Single Man) and Bojana Novakovic (Edge of Darkness) is set to open this week across Australia. The non-chronological film tells the personal tale of writer/director Jonathan Teplitzky, who after losing his wife to a battle with cancer almost a decade ago, has managed to fashion his grieving experience into a surprisingly life-affirming and effervescent film about a Bondi chef binging on the flavours of life in a bid to fill a void left by death.

Whilst touring the country promoting the film, I was fortunate enough to be able to sit down with Jonathan Teplitzky and talk about his experience making a film that hits so close to home.

 

Burning Man opens across Australia November 17th, 2011.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-jonathan-teplitzky-writerdirector-of-burning-man/feed/ 0 Interview (syndicated): Joe Nussbaum, director of Disney’s PROM http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-syndicated-joe-nussbaum-director-of-disneys-prom/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-syndicated-joe-nussbaum-director-of-disneys-prom/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:44:22 +0000 Anders Wotzke http://cutprintreview.com/?p=19249 With Disney’s Prom making its way to DVD and Blu-Ray November 2nd, director Joe Nussbaum (pictured top left) had a few things to say about the  film’s DVD release and recalls the casting process of the movie.

Prom follows a group of high school students as they learn the complex truths of growing up, balancing relationships and enjoying the most memorable time of their lives.

Note: This interview was conducted in-house by [...]]]> With Disney’s Prom making its way to DVD and Blu-Ray November 2nd, director Joe Nussbaum (pictured top left) had a few things to say about the  film’s DVD release and recalls the casting process of the movie.

Prom follows a group of high school students as they learn the complex truths of growing up, balancing relationships and enjoying the most memorable time of their lives.

Note: This interview was conducted in-house by Disney and not by a staffer of Cut Print Review.

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How much do you think about the DVD release when you start work on a movie?

I think about the DVD when I’m tackling all aspects of the movie’s production, although it’s especially relevant during the editing process. If we have to cut a scene from the big-screen version of the movie, it’s heartening to know that it’s not gone forever; it will carry on as a deleted scene on the DVD.

What can you tell us about the deleted scenes of Prom?

There are a number of fun deleted scenes on the DVD. Jordan and Simone never meet in the movie, but there was a scene where Jordan confronts Simone about her relationship with Tyler that you will see on the DVD. There’s also a great scene with Jesse trying on a tuxedo at a tux shop. Tyler and Jesse are another couple of characters that never meet in the movie, but they do in this deleted scene.

What other extras can we find on the DVD?

There is a blooper reel, which is really fun. And there’s also a short film chronicling the continued adventures of Lloyd, which is hilarious. Lloyd asks a few more girls to prom and things go wrong in typical hilarious ways. We also see Tess campaigning for him and trying to get him a date, which is really funny.

2011 prom 0031 e1319592901279 600x267 Interview (syndicated): Joe Nussbaum, director of Disneys PROM

How much involvement did you have in the casting process for Prom?

I was closely involved in the casting of the movie. I didn’t see as many people as the casting director, but I sat in on hundreds of auditions and I think we did extremely well with our casting choices. You know right away when you’re confronted with an actor who isn’t right for the role, and you know right away when you’ve found the perfect person. However, there is also a lot of gray in between where you hope that the chemistry will be there when you get an actor on set with the right co-star.

How does the casting process work?

Casting directors like to organize casting sessions where different actors come into the room every five or ten minutes. However, I like to spend a little longer with the actors because I like to talk to them and I like to get to know them. I also like to dig in and work the scene because I don’t want to let anyone out of the room if there is any chance they might be the right person for the role.

What advice would you give to actors walking into a casting director’s audition room for the first time?

The first thing to do is to try and relax because being nervous doesn’t help anyone. Most people don’t perform better when they’re nervous, so relax and try to do whatever got you there in the first place. Dig into the character and try to do what you think is right for the character because nine times out of ten that will be better than guessing what a casting director or a movie director wants.

Is there one question you always ask people walking into the audition room?

I always start with a simple conversation starter like, “Where are you from?” I like to get to know everyone, so that helps us ease into the audition – but then I always ask people what they think about the script and what they think about their character in the project.

What kind of response are you looking for?

I like it when people have studied the role and say what they really think about the character. Sometimes I’ll say to them, “That’s dead on. That’s exactly what I think.” Or sometimes I’ll say, “Well maybe you should think of it this way too.” I try to help people if I feel that they’re going in the wrong direction for the audition, or I might even end up saying, “Wow, that’s brilliant. I never even thought of it that way.” Sometimes the process is as eye opening for me as it is for the actor.

How important is it for actors to research each role?

It’s incredibly important to know as much as you can about the role and the character before you step into the audition room. Additionally, it’s also important to know about the director of the project if you can, so look them up online and see what other work they’ve done. Do your homework.

promdir2 e1319592721172 600x287 Interview (syndicated): Joe Nussbaum, director of Disneys PROM(L-R) Danielle Campbell, Joe Nussbaum, Nolan Sotillo and Cameron Monaghan on the set of Prom.

Homework?

Doing homework sounds like a chore but the more homework you do in life, the more successful you’ll be. Just look at directors like Judd Apatow. He’s a genius. He’s super successful and super talented – and he’s incredibly motivated. When Judd was a struggling comedy writer, a stand-up comedian asked him to write 10 jokes for him. So the next day Judd gave him a hundred jokes. That’s the kind of commitment you need in this business. You have to work as hard as you possibly can.

Is it important to be friendly when you walk into an audition room?

Definitely. You need to offer a good vibe and be positive because you want to be the kind of person that people want to work with. Try not to have a sense of entitlement. Most people don’t in their early career, but a few do and it’s a little shocking when that happens. Try to make a friend in the casting room, not an enemy.

How tough is the entertainment industry?

The entertainment industry is incredibly tough. The chances that you’re going to get the role are poor because you’re always going to be one of many people auditioning – but your chances are higher if you can make a good impression. I can’t tell you how many times an actor has walked out of an audition and I’ve turned to the casting director and said, “They are not right for this role, but they can act. Thank you for bringing me someone who can really act. I’ll remember them the next time.” It’s important that people make impressions like that.

What made Aimee Teegarden stand out from the other girls auditioning for the role of Nova in Prom?

Nova is such a tough part to play, but Aimee nailed it immediately. When you’re casting an actor, you usually want to see a heavy emotional scene or a comedic scene to find out if they have it. However, I added an extra scene to the Nova audition because I wanted to see how well each actress could handle a regular scene without any comedy or emotion. I chose to add the scene in the movie where Nova talks to the prom committee in the shed. I wanted to see if they could give this important speech about how great prom is going to be – and Aimee nailed it. She was perfect.

How did Thomas McDonell win the role of Jesse?

Thomas sent in a tape, and it took everybody by storm. The casting women went crazy for it and our female executives went crazy for it, so we flew him over to read with Aimee. When we saw the two of them work together, they were amazing. As soon as they walked out of the audition room, I turned to everyone and said we’d found our Jesse. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. It was an awesome moment.

Who else stood out at the Prom auditions?

Everybody that we cast stood out, but there were certainly some interesting moments during the auditions. Joe Adler came into audition for a character with one line in the movie, but the way he said that one line was so funny that it made me burst out laughing at the top of my lungs. He was hilarious. We were searching for the right person to play Rolo at that point, and we knew that he would be perfect if he could make us laugh with just one line. The rest, as they say, was history.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-syndicated-joe-nussbaum-director-of-disneys-prom/feed/ 0 Interview: Daniel Nettheim, director of THE HUNTER http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-daniel-nettheim-director-of-the-hunter/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-daniel-nettheim-director-of-the-hunter/#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:33:19 +0000 Anders Wotzke http://cutprintreview.com/?p=19012 Australian director Daniel Nettheim has helmed his fair share of TV episodes in the form of Rush and All Saints, but it’s been over a decade since he’s made a feature film. He returns to the big screen with The Hunter, a mystery drama about a US mercenary (Willem Dafoe) who is sent to the Tasmanian wilderness to track down the supposedly extinct Tassie Tiger.  Adapted from the novel [...]]]> daniel+nettheim+hunter+portraits+2011+toronto+fwdoxrlt2awl1 333x500 Interview: Daniel Nettheim, director of THE HUNTERAustralian director Daniel Nettheim has helmed his fair share of TV episodes in the form of Rush and All Saints, but it’s been over a decade since he’s made a feature film. He returns to the big screen with The Hunter, a mystery drama about a US mercenary (Willem Dafoe) who is sent to the Tasmanian wilderness to track down the supposedly extinct Tassie Tiger.  Adapted from the novel of the same name by Julia Leigh, the film co-stars Sam Neill and Frances O’Connor, the former accompanying Nettheim and Dafoe to the Toronto International Film Festival for the film’s debut..

Now that The Hunter is in cinemas across Australia, we spoke with Nettheim over the phone about his journey making the film, from the decade long pre-production process to working with Willem Dafoe, child actors and Mother Nature.

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Cut Print Review: First of all, congratulations on premiering your film at Toronto [International Film Festival] last month. Was that the first time you got to sit in with an audience and watch it?

Daniel Nettheim: Absolutely, I hadn’t seen the film for over three months! As soon as we finished post-production, I went off and worked on a television series, which was pretty time consuming. So I didn’t get to go to any of the early screenings of the prints. So yeah, I kind of came to it fresh at Toronto.

CPR: What was it like returning to the film some three months later with a fresh set of eyes? Was it a liberating experience, or was it more a case of “let’s go back to the editing room on that bit”?

DN: It was the opposite, actually. When we were finishing the film, I was so tightly focusing on every minute detail that I kind of lost track of the bigger picture. When I saw it after three months, I could just relax into it and enjoy the journey and appreciate all the smaller parts contributing to an overall whole.

CPR: The cinematic bible IMDb tells me that you directed a romantic comedy Angst over a decade ago, and since then have directed a wide range of TV shows until you took on The Hunter. Is there any particular reason why you took a decade to make another feature?

DN: Yeah look, it seems like a long time, but throughout that period, the film was always moving forward. At a snail’s pace, sure, but there was always something happening. I guess one of the things that holds you up is that you need to pay people to write drafts for scripts, which is difficult when you don’t have a ready source of money. So you apply to Screen Australia for development money and it takes two months to get that application in, to get it processed and then, you know, it can be up to six months for a draft to be written.

still 27272 e1318343047363 600x275 Interview: Daniel Nettheim, director of THE HUNTER

CPR: So The Hunter has been a decade in the making?

DN: Yeah, definitely. I think about eight years of it was just the development of the script, but you know, we’re always doing other things at the same time. But once Willem Dafoe came on board, then it was a very rapid two years.

CPR: Yeah, I bet! What exactly did snagging a big name like Willem Dafoe mean for you and the project?

DN: What it meant was that it because much easier to finance the film. We got to the stage where we had a really good script and we were going out to investors to try and raise funds, but the reoccurring question was: “Ok, but who is going to play Martin David?”

He’s in almost every scene, so people really wanted to know. So once we could turn around and say “Willem Dafoe is The Hunter,” then they got it.  From there, it all kind of fell into place pretty rapidly.

CPR: Willem is hardly a stranger to daring roles, but you really put him through his paces both mentally and physically in this film. What kind of preparation and training did he undergo in order to convince as a seasoned hunter?

DN: One of the more specific things was learning how to make all those traps. So we spent a bit of time with a wilderness survival expert who taught Willem specific skills like how to move through the landscape, you know, without disturbing the animals. Also, how to walk with the softest foot possible, how to listen, how to observer and how to make some of those beautiful, primitive snares that you see! [laughs] No, but that process was a real eye-opener for all of us.

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CPR: Alongside Willem, the Tasmanian wilderness is really the star of this movie. You’re truly at the mercy of the elements when making a movie like this. Did Mother Nature play fair during the shoot?

DN: We were prepared for any eventuality with the weather. I knew that in certain locations, or in certain parts of the story, I wanted certain weather conditions. So we structured the shoot so that we could always be immediately responsive to changes in the weather; we’d always have standby scenes ready to go. For example, we were up on the top of Mount Wellington when we were caught in an unexpected snow blizzard, but since I had these scenes that I knew I wanted to shoot in the snow, we were able to go “Ok, let’s stop what we’re doing and go and shoot the snow scenes now.”

To help us be able to do this, we made a decision early on that Willem’s character Martin only ever has one wardrobe; one outfit whenever he’s in the wilderness. So we could stop and change scene at any point without having to worry about some wardrobe changes. But also, you know, once we were back in the edit room, we could swap things around without causing big continuity problems.

CPR: The Hunter also stars young Morgana Davies and Finn Woodlock, who you’ve asked to do some confronting things as both characters and actors. How does your role as a director change when working with child actors?

DN: Well, you don’t really get to fall back on technique or training with child actors. You’ve just got to find the right kids – it’s all about the casting in the end. You’ve got to cast kids who are actually, for me, pretty natural and pretty close to the characters they’re playing. That way, you’re not demanding too much from them, you know? You need them to work within the parameters of your story. So the kids were really at their best when they weren’t trying to act; when they were really just responding to Willem.

CPR: So did you shoot the scenes with Willem and the kids chronologically to make their rapport more natural and stronger as the film progressed?

DN: We didn’t shoot strictly chronologically, but wherever possible, we tried to for the reasons you mentioned. But on the other hand, it’s always kind of good to start a shoot like this with the less important scenes first, and then you work your way towards the big things like the ending or the beginning. But we shot – just because of where we were – some of the last scenes in the movie quite early on.

The challenge for Willem was that the kids were really charming! That made it harder for him since Willem’s character is meant to go on a journey from being quite distant initially to having a rapport with them later on. And that was quite a challenge for him because the natural response is to be really charmed by them and warm towards them. He really had to fight those urges.

still 27271 e1318342718611 600x286 Interview: Daniel Nettheim, director of THE HUNTER

CPR: I haven’t read Julia Leigh’s novel to which the film is based, so from your perspective, how faithful is your adaptation?

DN: We really tried to honour all the key elements of the novel; the premise, the setup, the locations and the tone. We did, however, make changes to the narrative structure because of the inevitable differences between a work of drama and a work of literary fiction.  You know, because in the book, it’s not so heavy on plot. It’s very much about the beautiful prose, the beautiful language, the mood and the sensation. The character’s journey is very internal, so we had to find an external dramatic arc that better lent itself to film. So the difference between the two projects — between the book and the film – is largely about the differences between the two mediums.

CPR: The Hunter has two distinctive storylines, one a mystery thriller about finding the Tassie Tiger and the other a more personal drama about rebuilding a broken family. How did you go about making sure the two components weren’t at odds with each other and made a cohesive whole?

DN: Yeah, it was a challenge. While working on the script, finding the balance was stressful, but we worked hard until we felt we got it right. Then, once we were in the edit, there was a whole other stage of finessing the balance.

CPR: Yeah, it’s easy to break a novel into chapters, but a film must flow more naturally. The two elements have to have a good rhythm and flow.

DN: That’s true, but there also must be a cause and effect so that every scene kind of leads on organically to the next.  Also so that the story is always moving forward. That’s very important.

CPR: Was the film heavily storyboarded to make the edit easier? Or was your approach to filming The Hunter more organic?

DN: No, it was not storyboarded by any means. We lost a lot of great stuff in the edit, mostly because we just realised we didn’t need it. We came about streamlining the story, prioritising based on what was important. So yeah, some of my favourite scenes are on the edit room floor!

CPR: Robert Humphreys’ cinematography is fantastic, but it’s the colour grading of this film that really stood out to me. Other than just making the film a joy to look at, was there a deeper rationale behind such striking colour palates?

DN: Yeah, absolutely. But it’s not just the colour grading; a lot of that was just the characteristics of the weather. We made a conscious choice never to shoot in full sunlight in the middle of the day. Ideally, I never wanted to shoot in the sunlight at all, but when we did it was early morning or late afternoon kind of backlight. But the luxury of shooting in that house and having five weeks in the one location was that whenever the weather was bad – like misty, rainy, foggy, snowy or whatever – we go outside and shoot the moody exteriors. Likewise, anytime it was sunny, we’d go inside and shoot the interiors. We’d black the house out and shoot the night interiors. So that was very much a conscious choice in conveying a particular atmosphere.

CPR: So how long was the shoot in its entirety?

DN: About seven weeks. We had a week in and around Hobart in the beginning, then five weeks based in Deloraine where we shot a lot of that house and occasional forays into the wilderness. And then we had another week at the end where we had finished with the rest of the cast and it was just Willem in the landscape setting traps! [laughs]

still 27268 600x375 Interview: Daniel Nettheim, director of THE HUNTER

CPR: I get the impression that you were adamant the film had to be shot in Tasmania, but was that something you had to fight for? Because I imagine it would have been financially and logistically easier to film in, say, the Blue Mountains or somewhere like that.

DN: Well in the end it wasn’t really. We did consider for a moment shooting in New South Wales, and we looked around — I did go and look at the Blue Mountains. But by the time you’re in the Blue Mountains, you’re already relocating your crew; you’re paying for accommodation for everyone and so forth. So for the cost of a few extra flights, you might as well go to Tasmania, where it’s actually set!

CPR: The Australian film industry, I would argue, has been looking a little worse for wear in the past few years, but I think the skies are just starting to clear up. What’s it look like from an insider’s perspective; are more doors opening than they are closing?

DN: I think the success of Red Dog is fantastic.

CPR: Isn’t it just!

DN: It’s great for all upcoming Australian films because it’s kind of reinvigorating local audiences in local products. So I think it’s a great time for to be opening.

CPR: If Hollywood came knocking, would you pack your bags or are you more inclined to keep working here in Australia?

DN: I’m really interested in the challenges of doing something overseas. It’s about finding the next great script, and if that happens to take place in the US or Europe or anywhere else, I’d happily go there. It would be a great adventure and it would remain a film by an Australian director regardless!

CPR: That’s true. Well, my time with you is almost up, so I best ask the burning question: do you think there is still a Tassie Tiger out there?

DN: Oh I’d love to believe there is still a Tassie Tiger out there! Having done this film, I can say there’s enough kind of untouched wilderness in Tasmania – such as world heritage areas with no roads – that if there was one still out there, he’d have plenty of places to hide. And when you travel around Tasmania and ask what the locals think, everyone is pretty keen to believe in this mysterious creature. So maybe. Just maybe.

CPR: Thanks Daniel for your time and best of luck to yourself and your film!

DN: Thanks!

–

The Hunter is now in cinemas across Australia.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-daniel-nettheim-director-of-the-hunter/feed/ 0 Interview: James Cromwell, star of SECRETARIAT http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-james-cromwell-star-of-secretariat/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-james-cromwell-star-of-secretariat/#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 03:26:18 +0000 Anders Wotzke http://cutprintreview.com/?p=18149 James Cromwell, the Oscar-nominated actor who famously said “That’ll do, pig” in 1996′s Babe, now plays millionaire horse trainer Ogden Phipps in Disney’s Secretariat. He stars across from Diane Lane as Penny Chenery, the courageous owner of the titular racehorse that has often been described as the greatest of all time.

Phipps was a wealthy and influential player in the racing world [...]]]> James Cromwell, the Oscar-nominated actor who famously said “That’ll do, pig” in 1996′s Babe, now plays millionaire horse trainer Ogden Phipps in Disney’s Secretariat. He stars across from Diane Lane as Penny Chenery, the courageous owner of the titular racehorse that has often been described as the greatest of all time.

Phipps was a wealthy and influential player in the racing world at the time the movie is set—the 70s, while John Malkvoich stars as trainer Lucien Laurin.

Below is a Q&A with James Cromwell conducted in-house by Disney. Secretariat is available in Australia on Disney Blu-Ray and DVD August 1oth, 2011.

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Q: What do you think is the overall appeal of this story?  It’s obviously a rousing, uplifting story.

A: There is the story of the horse, Secretariat, an incredible athlete who was given the opportunity and the training to accomplish what he was destined to do.  And the hero of the picture is Penny Chenery who was a housewife.  Penny’s job was to take care of her man, to do the laundry, pick up the kids, buy the groceries and cook the food. That was the way women in 1973 — and to some degree right now too — were seen in our culture. But Penny was also a formidable presence in horseracing and it is her struggle that is so interesting. So on the one hand you have the story of the horse, which appeals to everybody, young and old. On the other hand, you have the journey of this woman on the road towards her own fulfillment, at the risk of her own marriage and facing the alienation of her community. So it is a wonderful story of struggle and triumph.

Q: How did Penny Chenery get to beat Ogden Phipps at his own game in that crucial coin toss, even though he was the powerful and experienced player?

A: Ogden Phipps was damn sure of himself in terms of the decision he’d made in that coin toss. But these guys who had the best advice and the most money basically got suckered by a housewife. She made a great choice, took a risk, but had a better understanding of the bloodlines than he did.

Q: What did you find interesting about your character, Ogden Phipps?

A: What I didn’t realize before taking this role was that he was actually one of the richest men in the world; Ogden Phipps was a very influential man. So if you think rich people are inherently interesting [laughs] this man was interesting. His grandfather was a partner of Carnegie Steel and when Carnegie was bought out by Mellon; his share was $50 million and that $50 million would probably be worth about $500 million today. They invested it and the family was inordinately wealthy. His mother raised horses and he got involved in it too. He was always under the thrall of his mother, who was a formidable lady.

2010 secretariat 0561 600x439 Interview: James Cromwell, star of SECRETARIAT

Q: What was Phipps like as a man?

A: He was very quiet.  I understand from Bill Nack who wrote the book Secretariat: The Making of a Champion, that he was very shy, he never unbuttoned his coat, he   played perpetually with the change in his pocket, he was very soft-spoken. The movie depicts him as somewhat of a ‘good old boy’, if you know that expression. So I made him slightly Southern, because although   he was from the North, I think people from the North tended to pick up a little of the regional dialect in order to fit in, when they came down to the South. They did not want to stick out like a sore thumb. He was very, very knowledgeable. He surrounded himself with really knowledgeable people. He learned a great deal and become very sophisticated in the breeding of horses and was successful. He certainly was not in racing for the money.  He was in it because of the nature of the sport, the glamour, but I think primarily because of his competitive instinct.

Q: Was it also the exhilaration of the sport that he loved, do you think?

A: I am sure he was in it for the fun, but fun means something different to different people. Fun is only a mild interest for some people. You need to be extraordinarily competitive for racing. These are the titans of America who are competing in this rarified arena; these are the people who own America. And in order to find relief, they often create events like yacht racing or horse racing. You think ‘yacht racing, gosh how lovely, all the boats are beautiful’.  No no, it is ‘kill or be killed’. They will do anything to win. It’s all about winning, so that when you go to the club next time, you can say, ‘I’m sorry about that, old boy.  Better luck next time.’  So I think that’s what it was like with horse racing too at that time for Phipps.

Q:  Racing was really still a man’s world in the ‘70s wasn’t it?

A: It was. One scene in the film was primarily for me to tell Penny “you’re a woman and you don’t know anything and I know better than you and if your horse screws up, I’m going to take it away from you.” The whole scene is avuncular. He respects Penny but she is   not a member of the elite club. I think everybody in America was a chauvinist at that time, just like many people were racists.

Q: How did you prepare for this role?  Did you already have some knowledge about horse racing?

A: My father John Cromwell was an actor and director and he also had race horses in California so I learned quite a bit growing up. I don’t follow horse racing because I’m an animal rights activist and we activists have a little problem with horse racing; but I did my research. I went onto the Internet and I watched Secretariat’s races. I especially enjoyed watching The Belmont Stakes. I found it very moving. It’s pretty incredible actually. I can see why people did cry when they watched it.

Q: How closely based on fact is your own performance?

A: There’s always a problem when you do a piece of fiction based on a true story, because you really have to let the reality go. The writer has to let the reality go, because what actually happened is not always as dramatic as you need your script to be. So in my case, I can’t play my character as a shy, taciturn, retiring man. It wouldn’t be interesting, so you have to change things like that for the cinema.

Q: Can you talk about working with the director Randall Wallace?

A: He’s adorable. I’ve worked a number of times with directors who direct what they have written as Randall does, for example Frank Darabont on The Green Mile. It’s not always successful, but I think Randall has been very successful with the things that he’s done, this film is great and he’s delightful to work with.

Q: What singles him out?  Does he have any particular style?

A: He is very particular about the language. I always change my words in everything I do. I make the language fit, because I know the character from the inside out. Often character actors are not in a position to do that, but I do it.  I don’t change any cue and I never change anybody else’s lines, but I make my own words fit my mouth. In this film I changed one word and Randall came up to me.  He called me out [laughs]. I said to him:  “well, don’t you think it’s better this way?”  He said, “no, I think it’s better if you simply use the words that I wrote.” So he has a very particular take on the language that he’s written, which is good, and he has a feeling for the story as a whole, the story that he wants to tell and the story’s emotional weight, its effect on him and the effect that he wants to have on an audience. When you’re just part of a picture, especially with a smaller part, you tend to think in terms of your own small participation and you sometimes miss the whole story. So Randall keeps on reminding everyone, especially background people, about their roles and importance in telling the story. You can see that in the way he shoots, the depth of the shot, how he is always creating the atmosphere of the horseracing community.

Q: What is it like working with Diane Lane who stars as Penny Chenery?

A: Well, Diane is a consummate actor. Everybody will tell you that. As an actor you look at somebody’s craft and what they do and you acknowledge what is wonderful about them. She reminds me of my mother who was also a wonderful actress. Diane does so many things like my mother that it’s sort of bizarre to me. I adore her acting. There is something familiar and warm and approachable about her.

Q: Why do you think this story has resonance everywhere?

A: I have a little bit of cynicism here. At that time in the 70s we had the Vietnam War, which was winding down; it was a disaster, with 50,000 American casualties. We had Richard Nixon as the President, we had the Watergate break-in, we had his resignation, we had the trials, the impeachment, so everybody in power and in the media was looking for a diversion that would inspire people. I do think that Secretariat diverted people’s attention away from the grim reality of what was happening in America at the time. It is a very interesting story for people everywhere I think. Now that is not to say that Secretariat didn’t inspire people. He did.

Q: Why was Secretariat particularly inspiring?

A: Although he was a horse, he was also a great athlete. He has actually been voted one of the hundred greatest athletes in American history; he’s the only horse to be named in that list of top athletes. That’s because what he accomplished as a horse was unique. The way he won, coming from so far back, the speed with which he covered the distances and the spacing between himself and the runner-up in the Belmont was amazing. This was an extraordinary animal. When he was brought out before the jockey came up, he used to turn his head to the photographers and pose. So he was a highly intelligent, uniquely gifted animal, sort of the Lance Armstrong of horses and he captured everybody’s imagination. They put him on the cover of Time and Newsweek magazines.

2010 secretariat 0171 e1312199161372 600x305 Interview: James Cromwell, star of SECRETARIAT

Q: Your career has been formidable, wonderful roles in a variety of films.  What do you look for at this point?

A: Luckily I don’t have to audition anymore but I do not do what a lot of people do in Hollywood, in terms of   hiring managers and press agents, I could never do that. I have been inordinately fortunate. You have to show up of course, which I do, but after that, all the roles and opportunities that I have been given have been gifts from the universe.

Q: Do you have a favorite or career-defining role that you have done?

A:  It is interesting. The kids know me from Babe, but usually it is L.A. Confidential that people remember, which was the second film I did. I have worked with some really good people and the films that I’ve done for the most part have been good. What is interesting is that when people stop me in New York, they never say “you’re in the movies”, they always say “I like your work”, so they see me as a working actor, they often say they know they will like the films that I am in.

Q: How fulfilling, exciting and satisfying is your career?

A:  It varies. I recently made a film in Rome: Pope Pius XII.  I didn’t think it was going to be great, but then I got there and it was just magic, because the director was magic and the crew was magic and I think it’s an important story. You often think films are not going to work out and then they do actually succeed. I want to do more films, I have a lot of stories to tell and I want to do more producing.

Q: Having grown up in a family of filmmakers, was it a natural progression for you to act?

A: No, I was going to design sports cars but my father came to my college to visit me. At the time he was making a picture in Sweden and he took me there with him. I got to see Ingmar Bergman’s company and I thought ‘gee filmmaking is a lot more fun than sports cars’, so I decided to follow him and go into acting.

Q: What would you say your passions are?  What makes you tick?

A: I think the obligation of an artist is to make a difference in the world. That is what matters most to me. I think that artists are the leaders of the world because they do not have a connection to the industrial complex, the day-to-day short-term survival that most people are involved with. Artists are dreamers; they have the ability to see the story behind the event, to tell that story, so that we begin to understand and appreciate each other and our differences and to celebrate those differences. We also have the ability to recognize the similarities between people, so that we are not at each other’s throats. As Shakespeare said, we have to hold the mirror up to nature so that we see ourselves, and how we could and should be in the world, and that’s my passion.

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Secretariat is available on Disney Blu-Ray and DVD August 1oth, 2011.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-james-cromwell-star-of-secretariat/feed/ 4 Interview: Frank Lotito & George Kapiniaris of BIG MAMMA’S BOY http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-frank-lotito-george-kapiniaris-of-big-mammas-boy/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-frank-lotito-george-kapiniaris-of-big-mammas-boy/#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2011 01:52:17 +0000 Dan Gear http://cutprintreview.com/?p=17988 We caught up with Frank Lotito and George Kapiniaris, the stars of the Australian comedy Big Mamma’s Boy, which opens nationally today, July 28. With no-one’s mother in sight, the boys were free to speak their mind.

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Cut Print Review: I have to start by asking: are you guys both mamma’s boys yourselves?

George Kapiniaris: I guess I was a mamma’s boy until about 26. I just [...]]]> We caught up with Frank Lotito and George Kapiniaris, the stars of the Australian comedy Big Mamma’s Boy, which opens nationally today, July 28. With no-one’s mother in sight, the boys were free to speak their mind.

—

Cut Print Review: I have to start by asking: are you guys both mamma’s boys yourselves?

George Kapiniaris: I guess I was a mamma’s boy until about 26. I just couldn’t live at home anymore because… I couldn’t shag anyone, really! You know, without your dad or your mum still waiting up for you, or getting home smashed, or getting up at 4 o’clock when you’re with your girlfriend to come home.

Frank Lotito: It’s so easy to stay at home, because our mothers just do everything for us.

GK: I’d still take my washing to my mum’s house.

CPR: What – now?

GK: No, then. I’ve got a wife now.

CPR: It’s a much shorter trip, isn’t it.

GK: That’s right. And still, we might be married and have kids, but we rely on my mother-in-law. She comes down from Sydney and stays for three months. She does the gardening, fixes things, changes the oil, lubes the car… I don’t know if they’re hyperactive or they’ve got thyroid problems, but that generation of immigrants, they’ve got a lot of energy to burn.

FL: They love doing things for us.

GK: And they really hold onto their traditions and values.

FL: When they came here, the problem was they couldn’t speak the language, they didn’t know anyone, so they really kept to themselves and tried to protect their kids. They didn’t want to let us out. And they’re still very protective. It took me five years to make my mum stop calling me when I travelled, to make sure I was alright.

GK: “Mum, I’m in Shepparton. I’m alright.” And once you’re married, you call your wife and go, “Honey, I’m in Shepparton. I’m alright.” And hopefully she’ll ring your mum and pass on the message!

CPR: It sounds like the interrupted date scene in the film.

FL: Yes, that’s right. And it still happens today, even after you get married and have kids.

GK: Well, that’s the thing – we haven’t made any of this stuff up in the film. Some of it has actually been watered down!

CPR: And as crazy as the mother is, she’s very sympathetically portrayed.

GK: Right. Rocco’s mum doesn’t think she’s evil. She thinks she’s doing the right thing.

CPR: Frank, you’re the star, you’re the writer, you’re one of the producers…

FL: A bit Mel Gibson, isn’t it. Without the budget!

CPR: Or the controversy.

FL: Well, it is my baby. It’s been a very long process that’s taken up five years of my life. The biggest challenge for me was the acting. At first I didn’t think I could do it, especially having these other roles as writer and producer.

still 23963 e1311816915218 600x292 Interview: Frank Lotito & George Kapiniaris of BIG MAMMAS BOY

CPR: It was your first time on the big screen, wasn’t it?

FL: First time, and very scary!

CPR: The music in the film is very evocative – shades of Nino Rota at times.

FL: Yeah, that was a big influence for us. I’m a big fan of that era, and those types of films. And also the Doris Day and Rock Hudson films.

GK: That was the look that was decided for it too. I was excited about that, because I’ve always been a fan of those ’50s and ’60s movies. And that’s the feel that we got. Playing the boss in this movie, I felt like I was in Bewitched or I Love Lucy or something.

FL: Also it was also a real buzz getting everyone dressed up. We don’t have that enough in films – when a film has a certain style and look, and you create something a little different to the average film. And those old movies still stand up today.

CPR: Big Mamma’s Boy has that nostalgic feel, and it uses a very traditional style of storytelling. How are modern audiences going to react to that kind of movie now?

FL:  I think it works. It’s a very simple story; it’s not brain surgery. Going with the reaction we had last night – it was amazing. People really respond to that nostalgic theme.

GK: It’s a real feel-good type of movie. You can forget your problems and your worries. Compare this movie to something like Snowtown. People stay watching this movie till the very end of the credits.

CPR: So how was the reaction at the Adelaide premiere?

GK: We got a standing ovation! It turned into a bit of a party.

CPR: That’s good to hear. Going back to the cast, what’s Osvaldo Maione (who plays Rocco’s grandfather) like offscreen? Does he wear pants?

FL: He does, actually! He was a real trooper; we got him to do so many things that he would normally never do in real life. He did a lot of Italian theatre in his day, but not a lot of film. So I think he was overwhelmed when he saw the film for the first time and saw his name in the credits!

CPR: So are Italian-Australian audiences going to get more out of this film than regular audiences?

GK: It’s just the flavour of the characters and the story.

FL: We’ve had screenings with a lot of Indian and Asian people in the audience, but they really loved it too. When I came out of the theatre, the Asian girls just went wild. I felt like Tom Cruise! Whatever culture it is, people are going to relate to it.

GK: We’re all in the same boat, really!

CPR: It’s probably safe to say that anyone in Australia is going to relate to it. What about overseas?

FL: There was actually a segment on mamma’s boys on 60 Minutes in the US recently, where they interviewed all these people in Italy who still lived at home with their parents. There were incidences where the parents were trying to get rid of them, because they wouldn’t leave home. It happens a lot in Canada and the U.K. as well. It’s a universal story. Especially because of the economic climate of the world at the moment.

CPR: So it’s kind of timely in a way.

FL: Yeah, I think so. It’s also important that people get behind it and support Australian film, if we’re gonna survive – and stick it to the big U.S. films.

GK: We want Big Mamma’s Boy to make Harry Potter disappear.

FL: That’s the headline: Big Mamma’s Boy Makes Harry Potter Disappear!

still 23926 e1311817253523 600x289 Interview: Frank Lotito & George Kapiniaris of BIG MAMMAS BOY

CPR: Big Mamma’s Boy Slays Harry Potter!

FL: That’s even better! It’s funny you should say that, because the owner of a cinema in Sydney took out a Harry Potter session for a special screening of Big Mamma’s Boy. He said, “Now Frank, it’s very important that you come. Just to put it in perspective, I made $30,000 out of one session when it first came out.” I thought, “Oh my God – this guy’s giving up a session of Harry Potter for our film, so I better go!”

CPR: You didn’t have any angry Potter fans in wizards’ hats waiting for you outside?

GK: Imagine that! “Where was Harry Potter?!”

CPR: George, I heard something about you being in a disco band called The Flares…

GK: And speaking of big mamma’s boys, my mum made my outfits for The Flares. She made me a red velour waistcoat and pants set, a crimson satin version of the same thing, a green velour version, and a John Travolta white suit.

CPR: Velour – that’s very classy!

GK: That’s where big mammas come in handy, you see. You can check it out on YouTube. And I’m doing the “Il Dago” show here at the Arkaba at the end of August. It’s a stand-up show, but at the end we always include a musical parody or medley or something.

CPR: Awesome. Frank, your character in the film treats this wonderful girl like crap. He lies, he covers things up, he’s a bit of a prick – but she still keeps coming back to him. Is that the way to get the girls these days?

FL: You know, I’ve always found it hard to get the girls. Before I got married I really struggled, because I was always Mr Nice Guy. It was always the bad boys that would get the girls. And no matter what they did, they’d still come running back. And I was always intrigued by that. Because I was really nice to girls, I didn’t want to have sex with them on the first night…

GK: You wanted to have sex with them, but you didn’t want to make out that you wanted to.

FL: So there’s a touch of that in the film, but obviously there is that journey, and he does come good in the end. But yeah, I wanted to play the bad boy, without making him a total prick.

CPR:  What about Theo? When do you stop being a womaniser, and start living vicariously through a younger guy?

GK: Theo probably went straight from living at home with his mum to an arranged marriage or something, so he’s never really had a sex life, apart from with his wife. And because he’s a pretty traditional sort of guy, he doesn’t want to do the wrong thing. So he’s living his fantasy life through Rocco.

CPR:  Is there a general age when –

FL: No, it never stops.

GK: When you stop thinking about sex?

FL:  When you stop thinking about other girls!

CPR: When you stop being involved yourself, and you start looking at a younger guy who’s getting it, and live your life through them.

GK:  Well, I’m married with kids, but I’m touring with “Il Dago”, and one of the boys is very single. So we kind of live through his experiences. He comes back, shares the stories with us, and we go “Oh, that’s great!” But the thing is, we know we’ll still get sex at home.

FL:  Once a month.

GK:  If you behave.

CPR:  One last question. Have you got any advice for young guys in similar situations, trying to break free?

GK: Just do it. You’ll feel much better. Get out there, experience life, iron a shirt, cook yourself a meal. It’s hard work, but you’ll be fulfilled. You gotta eat, you gotta wash your clothes. You can try not to for a while – I remember when I first moved out of home, that fridge just stunk. There was food in there for who knows how long. But to survive, you’ve gotta learn how to look after yourself. I know a guy who moved out of home, and all he ate was steak, cream cheese on toast, and bourbon. And nothing else. That was his whole diet.

CPR: Is he still with us today?

GK: Well, he cut the fat off his steak!

CPR: Thanks for the advice.

—

Big Mamma’s Boy is in cinemas now.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-frank-lotito-george-kapiniaris-of-big-mammas-boy/feed/ 0 Interview: Bill George, VFX Supervisor for I AM NUMBER FOUR http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-bill-george-vfx-supervisor-for-i-am-number-four/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-bill-george-vfx-supervisor-for-i-am-number-four/#comments Tue, 05 Jul 2011 03:52:29 +0000 Anders Wotzke http://cutprintreview.com/?p=17842 I doubt Bill George is a name that springs to mind when you think of blockbuster movies franchises such as Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean, but in an age where visuals effects are king, it probably should.  For over 30 years, George has helped create a bevy of cinema’s most magical moments as both a Model Maker and Visual Effects Supervisor [...]]]> I doubt Bill George is a name that springs to mind when you think of blockbuster movies franchises such as Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean, but in an age where visuals effects are king, it probably should.  For over 30 years, George has helped create a bevy of cinema’s most magical moments as both a Model Maker and Visual Effects Supervisor for pioneering effects studio Industrial Light and Magic (ILM). From Star Wars to Star Trek, Ghostbusters to The Goonies, and Harry Potter to Twilight; George’s  IMDb credits read like a bulleted list of Hollywood’s most iconic visual effects.

Recently, George has served as the Visual Effects Supervisor for the action-packed thriller I Am Number Four, a movie about an extraordinary teenager who learns that a deadly alien race has been sent to destroy him. The film, which stars teenage heartthrobs Alex Pettyfer (Beastly) and Dianna Agron (TV’s Glee), is set to be released on Blu-Ray and DVD in Australia on July 6th 2011.

To discuss his pivotal role in making I Am Number Four as well as to reflect on his remarkable career, Bill George participated in a virtual roundtable interview where members of the press from across the globe were invited to pick his brain during an online discussion hosted by DreamWorks Studios. During the interview, I was lucky enough to put forth some questions of my own that George insightfully answered. You can read the full transcribe of the Q&A below!

—

Q – How do you decide which movie you are going to work on?
A – Bill George: Our executive staff reads a script and assigns a supervisor to it who they think is best suited for the project. Many times a studio who has worked with a specific supervisor in the past will request him or her.

Q – If you had to pick one scene that you liked the best, that you worked on for I Am Number Four, what would it be?
A – Bill George: I really was happy with the destruction of the Mog commander. You can see in the special bonus features section of the Blu-ray “Becoming Number 6″ how little was shot and what was added. We shot practical explosions and sparks and bombs and there is nothing more fun than blowing stuff up! When we work on our shots we don’t have the final sound effects that are added right at the end and the sound design for that sequence was rockin’!

Q – There are tons of sci-fi movies out there. What did you try to put into I Am Number Four that would separate it from all other alien films?
A – Bill George: Cute teenagers in love!

Q – How closely did you work with DJ Caruso?
A – Bill George: On set the ILM team met with him every day. We kept him updated on the construction of Bernie and the Piken and I would discuss with him his plan for any of the plates we were shooting. Early on in post, we would travel down to LA for creative meetings and later at the end when things were super crazy we had video reviews. Early on I told DJ to think of Steve (The animation director) and I as the Piken. Give us direction the way you would an actor and we’ll give you a performance. DJ directed every performance from the Piken and Bernie and he seemed to be having a blast doing it.

Q – What initially got you interested in visual effects? Was it a particular movie (i.e., Star Wars) or were you always interested in art/design?
A – Bill George: As a kid I was into sci-fi TV shows like Lost in Space and Star Trek. When I was in high school Star Wars came out and blew my mind. I knew then what I wanted to do!

Q – The camera is always moving and the creatures really interact with walls, furniture etc. – how were the scenes in the school shot to help you add the creatures later?
A – Bill George: All of our tools are set up to make shooting the effects plates as free as possible for the director. It used to be that you had to use special cameras and motion control rigs that stunted progress and felt different. Whenever we can we want to make our shots to use the same techniques as the surrounding production footage. We also add into the shots additional camera movement to match what the creature ends up doing in the shots. A good cameraman has an innate ability to follow action and compose shots that they just do naturally. Of course it’s sometimes hard for them when there isn’t anything in frame!

Q – You have a background in matte paintings and models. Do you miss that tangible type of special effects creation?
A – Bill George: I am still able to use matte paintings and models in my projects; I just don’t do the actual work myself. I feel so lucky to have these amazing artists that are assigned to my shows. Going to dailies near the end of a show it feels like every day is Christmas! You never know what cool shot is going to be there.

Q – What, in your experience, has been the movie that presented the greatest visual effects challenges and/or was you’re proudest to have overcome them?
A – Bill George: One huge design challenge we faced was on Potter 3 and the Dementors. The challenge was to get across emotions and intent from creatures that didn’t have a face! In the long run I think that is what made them creepy. We had to rely on their body language and the action of the tattered fabric that trails off of them.

2011 i am number four 0101 e1309837643964 700x357 Interview: Bill George, VFX Supervisor for I AM NUMBER FOUR

Q – Do you worry about what the critics may have to say about your movies, or do you strive to please your intended audiences?
A – Bill George: It’s always nice to get positive feedback form critics but really the only people I “worry” about are the director and the producers at the studio. They hire us to create the shots for their movie and my goal is to make them happy.

Q – The film is based on the novel of the same name, which was written by Jobie Hughes and James Frey. Did you read the book before you began shooting the movie, and did the novel influence your work in any way?
A – Bill George: I only read certain parts of the book that dealt with our creature work but our blueprint was the script and DJ’s direction. Also, the book came out about halfway through shooting. One day on set I got to hang with James Frey and chatted about the books. That was a really unique experience for me, an effects goon.

Q – Do you ever approach a model/miniature with no clear vision in mind and just start putting parts together until you find a configuration you like?
A – Bill George: Never. We always work out designs ahead of time in the much cheaper “sketch” form. At least this is how any major assets are handled. What does happen sometimes is we will ask for some background vehicles or ships and will tell the model makers “just wing it”. Having no clear vision sounds like trouble. These days more and more directors are super savvy about effects and WANT to be involved.

Q – The creatures initially are fast and only shown in glimpses before we get to the end of the film – was it challenging to reveal them slowly like this?
A – Bill George: This was a decision that DJ made to keep them more mysterious. You don’t want to give everything away too soon. So much of what you see and perceive comes down to lighting. It was fairly simple to keep the Piken Dark so you didn’t see much. The editors had ultimate control over how much the audience would see but keeping the shots short.

Q – “Number Four” featured some of the best photo-realistic creatures I’ve seen in a while. Why do you think your creatures look so real while those in other films don’t?
A – Bill George: I would say that you have EXCELLENT taste! The main determining factor in a shot’s realism is how long the artist gets to refine it. Everyone uses the same basic tools but on many of the lower budget shows don’t have a lot of time to polish their shots. On average we usually do about 25 to 45 takes on any shot. We also have some AMAZING artists who work here!

Q – We’re now in an era of “all CGI”. How do you react with that?
A – Bill George: The thing we used to dread hearing was “it looks like a model”. Now we dread “It looks CGI”. I really LOVE working with miniatures but working with CG gives you a huge amount of control that is hard to beat. Personally, I like mixing up techniques on a show to keep the audience guessing. In the shower scene in “Number Four” we used both CG water and practical water shot against black.

Q – What is your favorite sci-fi movie? And the latest one you watched?
A – Bill George: I love 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s unmatched in its technical and artistic achievement. Thor was the last sci-fi movie I saw and thought was awesome. BTW I usually enjoy other people’s films a lot more than the ones I work on because I can just sit back and enjoy them.

Q – You worked on some Harry Potter movies. Now that the saga is quite over, what memories do you have of this experience?
A – Bill George: Creating Dobby was such an amazing experience because he was a major character in the second film. After we were done with the show I felt a real connection to him. One of my favorite memories on Potter 2 happened when we were shooting Daniel on his broom against a blue screen for the Quidditch game. The stage hands were helping him get on the broom with a ladder. For some reason there was a label on the ladder that Daniel pulled off and did a little commercial for the ladder. “Hello, I’m Daniel Radcliffe, when I need to get on my broom I prefer “Kingsley” ladders! Kingsley, when you need a lift”

i am number four 191 e1298197020337 600x256 Interview: Bill George, VFX Supervisor for I AM NUMBER FOUR

Q – Have you heard anything about a possible sequel to I Am Number Four?
A – Bill George: I heard a little squeak, but nothing concrete. We’ve got the Pikens standing by just in case.

Q – You’ve had many different positions with ILM over the years. What has been your favorite part of creating and executing film effects? Further what department do you think you’ve learned the most from?
A – Bill George: Being an effects supervisor brings with it so many lessons and experiences. Dealing with the clients, team building, coming up with creative solutions, shooting plates and elements. It’s a role that requires a great variety of skills. It’s a challenge.

Q – You’re working you Star Tours 2. What could you tell us about it? What will we see?
A – Bill George: It opens this Friday! I’m heading to Orlando tomorrow and I’m really jazzed. The new ride is in 3D and has a branching story line that changes randomly for each ride. The whole ride experience has been amped up. The only bad thing will be the lines…

Q – How has CG evolved since you started?
A – Bill George: The concepts have remained almost unchanged. The difference is that things like match-moving that used to be super hard have gotten easier. As machines and software get faster the shots have gotten more complex. Tools are always changing and getting more robust and our work has gotten more demanding.

Q – Considering DJ Caruso hadn’t done a CGI-heavy film prior to I Am Number Four; did that put greater pressure on you to deliver the goods when it came to the effect sequences?
A – Bill George: Part of my job was to make sure that DJ felt comfortable with doing creature effects. He is a super smart guy and has loads of post-production experience, so he didn’t have any trouble at all directing the Piken. In fact he really seemed to enjoy it. DJ was very clear about what he wanted in all the shots and that sure made my job a lot easier.

Q – Despite the technology constantly improving, audiences are starting to grow savvy as to what is real and what is CGI in blockbuster movies. Do you see in-camera stunts making a comeback in the near future?
A – Bill George: Most of the stunts in “Number Four” were done practically. There was a lot of wire work but they also had these AMAZING parcour guys who could do mind blowing stunts on their own. What you mention is so true though. Audiences are very sophisticated and they are looking to figure out our tricks. They certainly keep us on our toes.

Q – I’ve noticed you’ve yet to do a 3D film. Is that something you’re interested in doing? Does the added depth of 3D make stunts and effects harder to pull off convincingly?
A – Bill George: Actually, I have been working on Star Tours for the past 3 years that will be presented in 3D. I was drawn to the project for that reason, wanting to do something in 3D. It’s a very interesting project with a branching storyline that changes from ride to ride. My feeling is that doing a project in 3D means that you have another level of design you must consider. That fact that a project is in 3D will inform your choices as far as composition and focus. It’s a great payoff though for the extra effort.

Q – Do you think the advent of CGI has depreciated your profession or made it more imperative than ever?
A – Bill George: Based on how many big money making films rely on effects work, I would say that effects have become even more important. Modern CGI is a tool that can help any director put his or her vision on film. The tools make almost anything possible.

Q – Where do you keep your Oscars? What about your Emmys?
A – Bill George: The Oscar sits on a shelf, kind of out of the way. The best thing about the award was it allowed me to move out of the ILM model shop and explore other departments, leading me to becoming an effects supervisor.

Q – Who are some of your mentors and do you still refer/consult with them very often?
A – Bill George: There have been may people who have influenced me through my career. By just working with these people I was able to learn so much. Dennis Muren is one of them and he is still here at ILM. On “I Am Number Four” Dennis viewed the shower room sequence for us with fresh eyes and gave me a lot of great feedback for making the shots look better.

Q – One of your specialties used to be physical models (and damned good ones): Are miniatures now obsolete in modern special effects?
A – Bill George: Sadly they are on the decline. Whenever I can I use models I will, because I thing you can get a great result. BTW I still build models at home for fun.

Q – What’s a specific example of something you do that’s actually much harder than most people realize?
A – Bill George: I believe that most people don’t realize the tremendous time and budget pressure we are under to deliver our work. People will comment “they should have done this or that…” not knowing that we do have limitations. Our goal is always to maximize our artist’s time, to stay on track and get the most out of the effects as possible.

Q – Bill, any final thoughts on I AM NUMBER FOUR?
A – Bill George: I am Number Four was a really fun project to work on. DJ has such and infectious enthusiasm that pushed us all to do our very best work. It was a real pleasure to be a part of.

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I AM NUMBER FOUR arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD July 6th, 2011.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-bill-george-vfx-supervisor-for-i-am-number-four/feed/ 0 Interview: Kyle Chandler of SUPER 8 http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-kyle-chandler-of-super-8/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-kyle-chandler-of-super-8/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:40:03 +0000 Anders Wotzke http://cutprintreview.com/?p=17726 Despite being the face of two prime-time TV shows, Early Edition and Friday Night Lights, 45-year-old Kyle Chandler has only had a modest presence on the big screen, perhaps because the hustle and bustle of Hollywood doesn’t gel with the actor’s laid-back, small-town upbringing. But that’s set to change with his co-starring role in Super 8, the highly anticipated monster movie from the brilliant mind of writer/director J.J. Abrams — the [...]]]> Despite being the face of two prime-time TV shows, Early Edition and Friday Night Lights, 45-year-old Kyle Chandler has only had a modest presence on the big screen, perhaps because the hustle and bustle of Hollywood doesn’t gel with the actor’s laid-back, small-town upbringing. But that’s set to change with his co-starring role in Super 8, the highly anticipated monster movie from the brilliant mind of writer/director J.J. Abrams — the director of 2009′s Star Trek reboot and co-creator of TV’s LOST — and executive producer Steven Spielberg (who surely needs no introduction).

Set in small-town Ohio during the summer of 1979, Super 8 follows a group of kids as they endeavor to shoot a scene for their amateur Zombie movie — shot on Super 8mm, of course — at a local train station. While the camera’s rolling, an oncoming military train spectacularly derails, allowing for some dangerous, top-secret cargo to escape. As the US Air-force take control of the investigation, Sherrif Deputy Jackson Lamb (Chandler) is left to address the sudden influx of calls from distressed locals who claim their dogs and family members have inexplicably gone missing. The kids, along with Deputy Lamb, take it upon themselves to get to the bottom of the mystery before their once-peaceful township descends into chaos.

Chandler, who was recently in Australia to promote the film, shared with us his experiences making SUPER 8, from the daunting audition process to the challenges of working in front of a green screen. You can listen to our full interview below!

SUPER 8 hits Australian cinemas June 9.

QUESTION TIMESTAMPS:
0:07 – How are you enjoying Australia?
0:37 – Was signing on to Super 8 a no-brainer?
1:10 – Is auditioning the hardest part of being an actor?
2:00 – How did you get to the emotional core of your character Jack Lamb?
3:15 – Did you see yourself as a father figure, a mentor or just another actor toward the younger cast members?
4:22 – We’re seeing a lot of blockbusters nowadays starring relatively inexperienced actors. Do you think there’s a point where you can become too famous to be a sought-after actor nowadays?
5:00 – What was the relationship between J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg like on set?
5:54 — J.J.’s a very secretive director when it comes to publicity, but does he also conceal any information from his actors to keep you guys guessing too?
6:34 – What’s it like acting in front of a green screen?
7:51 – There is a strong sense of childhood nostalgia to this film, and since JJ and yourself are of a similar age, does this film reflect upon your childhood as much as it does his?
8:42 – So what films influenced your childhood? What films made you want to become an actor?
10:43 – You tend to play old-fashioned good guys roles, but is there a dark side to Kyle Chandler you want to let out on screen?

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-kyle-chandler-of-super-8/feed/ 4 Cannes Interview: Daniel Tenni, writer/producer of Restare Uniti http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/cannes-interview-daniel-tenni-writerproducer-of-restare-uniti/ http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/cannes-interview-daniel-tenni-writerproducer-of-restare-uniti/#comments Tue, 31 May 2011 04:07:09 +0000 Katina Vangopoulos http://cutprintreview.com/?p=17649 It’s not only filmmakers with officially selected films that have a chance to come to Cannes; many make their way to the Cote d’Azur to market their films for international distributors and gain advice from their industry compatriots. I talked with Australian Daniel Tenni, writer/producer of Restare Uniti about the help Cannes can provide, Heath Ledger and Africa.

Cut Print Review: As the scriptwriter of Restare Uniti you’re at Cannes in [...]]]> It’s not only filmmakers with officially selected films that have a chance to come to Cannes; many make their way to the Cote d’Azur to market their films for international distributors and gain advice from their industry compatriots. I talked with Australian Daniel Tenni, writer/producer of Restare Uniti about the help Cannes can provide, Heath Ledger and Africa.

Cut Print Review: As the scriptwriter of Restare Uniti you’re at Cannes in 2011 to network?

Daniel Tenni: Yeah, it’s just been networking and setting up meetings with as many big players as you can find. It’s been good, really interesting and important to meet the right contacts and tell them where we’re heading in the next year… the mission is to have a script ready so we’ll be able to go and get the money to make this feature.

CPR: Ok, let’s go back: explain the premise of the film for us.

Daniel: It’s about the internment of Italians during 1940; there was about 4 or 5,000 Italians taken away and put into internment camps… there was a lot of racial tension around towards the Italians then. The 14-minute short film is the story of one boy Gianni, and his experience of what it’s like to live in Australia and then be taken away. It’s what we’re using as a teaser for the feature.

CPR: This is in Australia?

Daniel: Yeah… no-one’s really heard about it, it’s a pretty untold story – it was kind of swept under the rug by the government and the Italians are pretty tight-lipped about it, they won’t talk about it because they kind of want to get on with life. People do know about it, but not many… there’s been one book written about it ever, there’s only two copies in circulation and I’ve got one of them. So there’s really nothing on it – we want to get the story out.

CPR: What happened in these camps?

Daniel: That’s what we’re talking to them about… they weren’t like Nazi camps but they were held under armed guard and they lost their freedom. They were taken from their families, where women and children would be left by themselves so it was hard for them.

CPR: So it’s almost like a version of the Stolen Generation you could say?

Daniel: Yeah exactly, it was very similar. The same thing happened to the Japanese as well. Most of the Italians fled Fascism from Italy to get away from it; they came here and got locked up because they were accused of being Fascist. It caught up with them.

CPR: Why choose the title Restare Uniti (Stick Together)?

Daniel: It was kind of fitting — that was what they would do in that situation I guess; lost and young and trying to help each other through it.

CPR: And why the focus on such a young (seventeen-year-old) kid with Gianni? Was he based on a story you’d heard about?

Daniel: No, he was a fictional character. I just thought it would’ve been the best way. And 14 minutes; there’s a lot to fit in so to show one boy’s experience of what happened worked best. In the feature we can fit more characters in and tell more stories. Gianni would be the focus though, we’d still keep it through his eyes. It’ll be a prison movie – he’ll be taken away and we’ll see him in there. You know, there were Italian nationalists in there that were big Fascists, civilian Italians and POW Italians – all these divisions. Even Germans they considered Nazis, they were held in some of these camps.

CPR: Did you have anyone you knew involved in this?

Daniel: Yes, my great-grandfather was interned — and I only found that out when I started researching. I went down to the monument in Hervey (Western Australia) and I saw my family’s name on there and I was like ‘what the Hell?’ so I went back home and asked questions about it and found out it was my great-grandfather. They hadn’t really said anything about it.

CPR: That must have been a shock for you…

Daniel: A little bit. I actually found out about the whole event in a doco class at uni, someone mentioned it in conversation and I starting asking around about it from there… found out it was pretty unheard of and started researching and wrote the script.

restare uniti screenshot 2 600x337 Cannes Interview: Daniel Tenni, writer/producer of Restare Uniti

CPR: How long did that take?

Daniel: The script itself only took a few days to write but the actual story in my head, getting that right, took maybe five or six months, and I had the idea to write something on the internment story for a couple of years. We shot it in five straight days out in Hervey.

CPR: And is this the first short that you’ve written?

Daniel: Yes it is… my first go at writing and producing a film. I really enjoyed the process, especially because my main focus is actually acting!

CPR: Oh okay! How did you go about finding a director for Restare Uniti?

Daniel: He (Julius Christian Telmer) was on a Study Abroad day with me at uni… he was there from Denmark. I found he was the strongest director by a long shot; he’d just had so much experience, done a lot of stuff so we just formed this team and decided to make it.

CPR: How did you finance it?

Daniel: We did a bit of fundraising, and then the rest out of our pockets. We’ll be doing some more fundraising when we go back home, for the feature, a documentary and other things – a few more big screenings.

CPR: You want to do a documentary?

Daniel: Yeah, we’re thinking of doing a documentary in between now and the feature. We’re going to try and approach Screen Australia or Screen West and get some funding and to travel around Australia to interview these people; the people in the camps, the guards, the people around at the time. It would help with the feature because I could get more stories.

CPR: Now it’s your first time getting to know Cannes but Restare Uniti’s done well elsewhere, particularly at the Ridgewood Film Festival (New Jersey, USA)…

Daniel: Yeah it won Best Short Film at Ridgewood, got selected for the Montreal World Film Festival, Norwegian Short Film Festival and we just got selected for one of the biggest festivals in Africa which is really humbling because they connected with the whole racial theme and tribalism there is still a huge thing over there. They really connected with the story… it travels around South Africa, Swaziland and around the south so it’s great. Unfortunately it depends on the budget as to whether I can go but we’ll have a few screenings and try and raise some money, one down in Hervey probably.

CPR: Were you inspired by the work of any other scriptwriters or Italian-Australians when you wrote the script?

Daniel: Probably my grand-dad, I always think of stories he would tell me about first coming to Australia and how hard it was when they got here.

CPR: How do you see the Australian film industry at the moment, as an actor and scriptwriter?

Daniel: I can’t comment too much on the country as a whole, but I know the Perth industry is struggling. There’s a lot of talent and potential, but there’s no money around. There needs to be one or two big features to kick it off… we’ve got wicked locations and talent, it’s just a shame that there’s no money there and when people get to that certain level they just have to leave because there’s no opportunity.

CPR: Heath Ledger’s a case in point there isn’t he? He went with $200 in his pocket or something to Sydney to get his start…

Daniel: Yeah something like that… but there is a revival in the industry with some of the films coming out. It’s just Australian films don’t make money, they lose it. A lot of Australian films are targeted at Australians, and our national market is nothing on the distribution scale.

CPR: But are they? People aren’t going to see them!

Daniel: Well… that’s the thing isn’t it?

CPR: Do you have any other features in mind?

Daniel: Down the line we have a feature we’re thinking of doing, about Australian POWs escaping camps in Italy during WWII and helping other escapees flee to Switzerland… it’s a great story but we’re not thinking about it in detail for some time. Much later down the track!

CPR: Is there anything else you’d like to add about your Cannes experience or the film?

Daniel: I just think Restare Uniti‘s a really important story that needs to be seen, it’s a part of history that Australia’s forgotten about. (Lowers voice) Also, if you could put the Facebook page on it that would be cool!

CPR: Thanks for talking to us, all the best with the film.

Daniel: Thankyou!

Visit the Restare Uniti Facebook page here.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/cannes-interview-daniel-tenni-writerproducer-of-restare-uniti/feed/ 0 Cannes Interview: Nash Edgerton, director of Bear http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/cannes-interview-nash-edgerton-director-of-bear/ http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/cannes-interview-nash-edgerton-director-of-bear/#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 02:14:42 +0000 Katina Vangopoulos http://cutprintreview.com/?p=17643 Nash Edgerton is already recognised in Australia thanks to the likes of The Square, but in 2011 he makes his first Cannes appearance with his short film Bear as part of the Official Competition. We were lucky enough to talk with him about the experience, why he wanted to create a sequel and putting directors in front of the camera.

CPR: You had a good reception at the press screening…

Nash: [...]]]> Nash Edgerton is already recognised in Australia thanks to the likes of The Square, but in 2011 he makes his first Cannes appearance with his short film Bear as part of the Official Competition. We were lucky enough to talk with him about the experience, why he wanted to create a sequel and putting directors in front of the camera.

CPR: You had a good reception at the press screening…

Nash: Yeah, it went pretty well.

CPR: How long was the shoot?

Nash: Three days… one was at the house, one outside with all the bike riding and then the third day was the aftermath.

CPR: Where does the character of Jack come from?

Nash: Jack will always be a part of me… like, I’m not as bad with my pranks and things as he is but I did some stuff as a kid.

CPR: Things you did as a kid? Can you elaborate?

Nash: Have you seen Spider (Jack’s first appearance)?

CPR: I have.

Nash: Well, I used to have a toy spider and I used to hide it in the kitchen for Mum. It’d be different every week, do something new to freak her out. Once I put it on the oven handle and she went to grab the food before we heard a shout. She didn’t see it until she was halfway out… smashed the dish. I got in a lot of trouble.

CPR: So that’s your inspiration?

Nash: Yeah that, and Joel and I had an incident in the car with a spider. We were on the freeway and it crawled up his pants and he lost control of the car before stopping and jumping out – he didn’t get hit though. It’s interesting how people would risk their lives to get away from a spider so that’s where it came from. I guess I like scaring people. But it’s all in humour you know, not actually setting out to hurt anyone. With Jack, he just can’t get it right.

CPR: Why did you want to bring him back after Spider?

Nash: For a number of reasons I guess… so many people would ask me what happened, whether they stayed together, whether she survived, and then I started thinking about what would happen – whether he learnt his lesson. But for some people it takes more than a needle in the eye. You know, Spider was so popular and I kind of liked the idea of asking myself if could I do something that stood up to that but stood alone. A film that could work as a follow-up though, to take on a different challenge that could also be humorous.

CPR: So did you enjoy the process of revisiting the characters and ideas?

Nash: Yeah of course, when you’ve got something as good or better than the last idea you had it seems to have an extra element of nostalgia to it because it’s linked to Spider you know?

CPR: But the audience here got a kick out of it without realising it had a predecessor…

Nash: Well it totally works on its own, it’s pretty solid because Jack’s known. Because of the events of Spider, he has two different coloured eyes now, and his ex offers the opening quote in Bear.

CPR: How did you get Teresa Palmer and Warwick Thornton on board?

Nash: Oh you know, I’m just good friends with both of them for a long time and they’d both seen Spider and were fans; I loved the idea of putting Warwick in a film. I’ve actually put a lot of my friends, and a lot of directors that I really like in my films.

I don’t know whether Warwick’s been in a film before… I think it’s good to see him try out being on the other side of the screen though (laughs).

0396592 600x242 Cannes Interview: Nash Edgerton, director of Bear

CPR: Speaking of collaborations, what can you tell us about your company Blue Tongue Films and how that’s helped you get here?

Nash: It’s helped a lot – I have a good bunch of friends; my brother, Kieran (Darcy-Smith), Luke (Doolan), David (Michod). We encourage each other and help each other. Bear was written by David and myself, we went through the shoot and storyboards together. Whenever someone makes something we just collaborate with each other.

CPR: How do you feel about the Cannes selection? It’s a big deal!

Nash: Yeah it’s awesome, I’ve always wanted to have a film here! It’s always special to be recognised; you know, there were over three thousand entries so to get here is great. Shorts are a good stepping stone, they lead to big things and I’m hoping that’s what this film will help me do.

CPR: Well, you’re having The Square released in the UK this month aren’t you?

Nash: Yeah, it premiered at the Film Forum two days ago so that’s really good.

CPR: Back to Cannes… now that you’ve seen your fellow nominees’ films, who would you pick to win if you couldn’t pick yourself?

Nash: Oh I don’t know, I feel like I want to see them all again, it’s the first time I’ve seen them… it’s a strong year. I don’t know if I can answer that?

CPR: No comment?

Nash: (Laughs) I don’t know… I really enjoyed Meathead (New Zealand) and Ghost (Japan). I liked the shoot of that one.

CPR: Would you go for another film to complete a trilogy?

Nash: Yeah, I have an idea of what I might do…

CPR: Any details?

Nash: Nah not yet! I think there’s more to do with that character. Maybe I’ll just do it every four years, revisit Jack and see what he’s up to. I was saying to someone the other day that it’d be fun to keep going back until when he’s 60 and find he’s still causing trouble and hasn’t figured it out; scaring some old lady.

CPR: Like the 7-Up documentary series, except it’s Where’s Jack?

Nash: Yeah exactly! Sporting his injuries from the previous events.

CPR: And what about your next feature film?

Nash: There’s no title, but it’s an action-road type of film, bit of a crime movie. Joel and I are writing it, it’s only a draft at this stage. I have a few ideas about casting but nothing definite.

CPR: The action-road crime movie isn’t something Australian cinema has much of…

Nash: I just wanted to do something a bit bigger than I did before (with The Square) – you know, with set pieces, being able to play with toys and money!

CPR: Anything else you’d like to add on your experience here at Cannes or about Bear?

Nash: I haven’t had much sleep! No, I’ve been able to meet a lot of people here, like Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter) and discovered how everything works which has been great. Seen some films too – I really loved Snowtown, it was a very hard film to watch. People were walking out — it’s very powerfully done.

CPR: Thank you for taking the time to chat, and good luck!

Nash: Thanks!

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/cannes-interview-nash-edgerton-director-of-bear/feed/ 2 Cannes Interview: Sam Holst, director of Meathead http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/cannes-interview-sam-holst-director-of-meathead/ http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/cannes-interview-sam-holst-director-of-meathead/#comments Tue, 24 May 2011 02:54:55 +0000 Katina Vangopoulos http://cutprintreview.com/?p=17606 Competing for the Short Palme d’Or at Cannes alongside Aussie Nash Edgerton’s Bear, Sam Holst is flying the flag for New Zealand with Meathead. Cut Print Review caught up with Holst after the initial press screening to discuss his sentiments on the festival, TV commercials and the fact that he’s from Melbourne.

CPR: Meathead’s based on the experience of your friend… how much of that did you use in your [...]]]> Competing for the Short Palme d’Or at Cannes alongside Aussie Nash Edgerton’s Bear, Sam Holst is flying the flag for New Zealand with Meathead. Cut Print Review caught up with Holst after the initial press screening to discuss his sentiments on the festival, TV commercials and the fact that he’s from Melbourne.

CPR: Meathead’s based on the experience of your friend… how much of that did you use in your story?

Sam: Well the idea was that I’d use that as the basis; it was the central idea of the film, the essence of the story, so it went from there and that was the main thing. Then everything else was part of my narrative… I’d say it was 50/50 between his story and the elements of my imagination. A lot of it also adapted to the place we were filming in and that brought more creative elements and ideas. Of course we’d written the script as to how we do things…

CPR: So was there any flexibility in filming?

Sam: No, not with the sequencing but a bit with the location… at the place we filmed the people were extremely helpful and welcoming but the place is what it is, they just told us how it worked… it’s a narrative driven film with a strange way of unfolding, in a world that isn’t like in a documentary, and it took time to adapt to that world and then change back.

CPR: Was it a challenge for you?

Sam: Yeah definitely, you know, being on location… not everyday, but six months of visiting places, the photography, floor plans, the logistics and creative planning, to work out how we could make it work technically and creatively. That’s all the parts of the charms and process, even going to the local areas and stuff… that’s another part too, the habitat to the story.

CPR: How long did it take to shoot?

Sam: Was it five or six days?… I think I’m going to say five.

CPR: Did you feel Meathead benefited from having non-actors? Why did you choose that path in the process?

Sam: Just the authenticity, the truth to it, where it was based. It became really clear that I needed it to be as real as I could to make it work; it’s important to attempt to make something real. That was the main reason and then it’s what the characters are doing, the way they carry themselves, how they dress. There weren’t any actors available or they weren’t able to re-create that. And then same with the lead kid of the story; actors in New Zealand, young actors, aren’t from that area and that part of the world to experience it the way that kid does.

CPR: So did your lead work there?

Sam: No, he was just from a school about half an hour, an hour from the location, through the region called Waikato into Coromandel, and we filmed through there. We went to all the schools… actually, he was at the first school we went to but we went through a lot of other schools and then went back.

CPR: Did you have any particular influences or inspirations while making the film?

Sam: You know, we discussed a lot of references in pre-production and they were very eclectic, very small though, like opinions on framing, genre, lighting… we were looking at 1970s anamorphic films, like scenes in The Deer Hunter. Things that were in a cinematic field but were very real, then taking that reality and crafting it. Shooting and treating it in the heightened experience of that world.

CPR: You’ve been quoted as saying you wanted to fuse neo-realist principles with filmic expression… can you elaborate on that?

Sam: I just wanted — it’s like what I was saying with the real location and environment, taking that and through expression, ambiguity and style really using all of those when behind the camera. So it’s just an intention to not have it structured like a documentary, and it was an intention that you know, you’re doing something that’s interpretative as an expression and point of view, rather than just observing life as it is.

0416211 600x400 Cannes Interview: Sam Holst, director of Meathead

CPR: How did you react to your selection in Official Competition for Cannes?

Sam: Oh it was a big shock… reeling for days afterwards. But very pleased and joyous – it’s exciting and overwhelming really. You don’t really come to terms with it until you’re here and it becomes real that you’re screening your short. I’d love to be here but you never really expect it.

CPR: I think it’s the same regardless of what area of the industry you’re in – first-timers at Cannes can really only best describe it as overwhelming…

Sam: Yeah definitely, for sure.

CPR: To your fellow nominees, and if you had to pick a short to win that wasn’t yours who would you pick?

Sam: Probably Nash Edgerton’s Bear. I just really liked it. There’s a handful of others that I could pick maybe but I’d probably stay with that.

CPR: He picked you during his interview too…

Sam: (surprised) Really?

CPR: Yes he did (laughs) – sticking together!

Sam: Oh that’s nice. I really liked Ghost (Japan) and It Is Nothing (Canada) as well. Very unique with a bit of a strangeness… there’s amazing competition and what people don’t understand is that for us getting in is the important thing… just being here is the amazing part. Not winning, but just being at Cannes. It’s not something you can really comprehend, being here’s just enough!

CPR: But winning would be a bonus right?

Sam: Of course. (Laughs) I have a friend Louie who’s made a couple of short films and been here, and he’s been emailing and helping me out and saying I should do this, and look out for this area… it’s been great. But then he writes ‘PS: you can’t win the Palme d’Or because I haven’t done that yet!’

CPR: Do you get the chance to watch any films yourself while you’re here?

Sam: Yeah I’ve seen a few. Not as many as I would’ve liked to because of the balance between that and the Market (such as the Short Film Corner area used to promote films). I’ve seen mainly English ones… I really liked the Dardenne brothers’ film The Kid with the Bike.

CPR: What can you tell us about what you have coming up next?

Sam: I have a couple of features I’m working on; in the draft stage of writing… they’re set in two countries, each project different. Trying to figure out how to make that happen at the moment, to make it work. There’s a documentary project in New Zealand that I really believe in; I want to get that happening… to have it shot by the end of the year would be nice. I haven’t nutted out the subject yet; it’s someone that I want to approach to make it about.

CPR: It’s interesting you want to continue working across the Tasman – considering you’re from Melbourne!

Sam: Well I originally went over with a chance from a company called Sweet Shop to direct a few TV commercials – they look for directors that are creative and want to do something different with their approach. I went there after shooting a short film in Melbourne… they have offices there and elsewhere so there was an international element that appealed as well. When it came to Meathead, the process came after having done some work over there… I’d heard the story from Mike and two months later I’d written the story. It happened really quickly; the process of making it – pre-production, shooting, then post-production were all done before I knew it.

CPR: But you found it rewarding working over there?

Sam: Oh yeah, I had the opportunity to make this film, and six months of going into that world, travelling and meeting all these kids, and working with these people in this way and everyone being so generous and amazing. Plus a few commercials with that… it’s been fun.

CPR: What do you find is different between filming a short film and TV commercial? Do you approach them differently?

Sam: Um, I try not to do wanky little films that don’t have a quality about them… the casting, the way it’s told, the elements are all important and I like exploring that. The approach can be different, but commercials are very short, they’re made sometimes fairly generic at the forefront but it’s usually a collaborative type of shooting. Whereas shorts have a very self- perpetuated process. They are different but they can complement each other.

CPR: I’m looking over at the Chanel store now and I can’t help but think of Baz Lurhmann’s commercial with Nicole Kidman. That’s definitely a mix of the two.

Sam: Yeah, that was pretty extravagant.

CPR: Is there anything else you’d like to add about Meathead or your Cannes experience?

Sam: It’s a really huge honour to be here, for the film and everyone who worked on it… they worked so hard on it and it’s great to get a kick out of being here for the festival.

CPR: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Good luck!

Sam: My pleasure, thankyou very much.

Meathead was selected in Official Competition (Shorts) in Cannes 2011.

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For more of Katina’s coverage of the 2011 Cannes film festival, click here.

HEADER VARIANTE 1 FINAL 600x73 Cannes Interview: Sam Holst, director of Meathead

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/festivals/cannes-interview-sam-holst-director-of-meathead/feed/ 2 Interview: Lucas Pittaway, star of SNOWTOWN http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-lucas-pittaway-star-of-snowtown/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-lucas-pittaway-star-of-snowtown/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 12:08:42 +0000 Dan Gear http://cutprintreview.com/?p=17447 In one of those rare success stories that sounds like something out of a movie itself, eighteen-year-old South Australian Lucas Pittaway was approached in public and asked to audition for a role in an upcoming film. Without any acting experience or even aspirations toward a career in performing arts, Pittaway not only landed the role, but has since received a lot of attention and acclaim for his performance – [...]]]> In one of those rare success stories that sounds like something out of a movie itself, eighteen-year-old South Australian Lucas Pittaway was approached in public and asked to audition for a role in an upcoming film. Without any acting experience or even aspirations toward a career in performing arts, Pittaway not only landed the role, but has since received a lot of attention and acclaim for his performance – kick-starting an acting career in the process. Snowtown, which was filmed in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, has received praise at both Cannes and the Adelaide Film Festival. Pittaway plays Jamie Vlassakis, a young boy befriended by his sinister new father figure: South Australia’s notorious serial killer John Bunting. We caught up with Pittaway over the phone while he was working on a short film in Sydney, just before the national release of Snowtown.

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Cut Print Review: Congratulations on winning the Audience Award at the Adelaide Film Festival. How did you feel when the film received all that praise?

Lucas Pittaway: I was quite excited about it, really. In a way, I wasn’t too surprised, because the first time I watched it I felt this sense of weight on me – I realized, “This is quite a heavy film, and I’m going to be representing it!” I didn’t think we’d get into Cannes though. That is just unbelievable.

CPR: I heard that you were actually discovered by the filmmakers in your local shopping centre. Is that true?

LP: Yes, I was in The Reject Shop and I saw this lady talking to my brother, so I walked up and she said she’d like to have a quick interview with me. And so I had an interview about living in the area, what it’s like there, and then they asked me to go for an audition at the local civic centre. And the audition wasn’t reading lines, it wasn’t anything like I’d ever heard of. It was just me and Daniel [Henshall, who plays John Bunting] sitting in a room in front of the camera just having a chat with a little bit of an agenda, seeing how we responded to each other, and how I felt in front of the camera.

CPR: That leads into my next question, about improvisation. Was that something you found difficult, not having any acting experience?

LP: Well, it wasn’t really even improvisation, it was just kind of reacting like you would in real life at points. Growing up in a big family myself, we did a lot of things like all sitting around the Commodore 64, or going out for bike rides together, and just hanging out – doing nothing, really.

CPR: Have you actually had to deal with any criticism for being involved in a controversial movie like this?

LP: Not as such, but I guess when it comes along, I’ll have to be prepared for it.

CPR: You didn’t have any trouble with the locals when you were filming?

LP: Every now and then you get someone driving past tooting their horn. We had this one lady who walked past and was like, “Get lost! Go back to Victoria! We don’t want you here!” She did that about every day or so. But we were kind of expecting it, so we knew just to leave it be, really.

CPR: What can you tell me about the atmosphere on set? With such serious material, did you feel the need to try to lighten things up?

LP: In between takes you knew you could always crack a joke and just be stupid with each other. We would always have a hug on set, we knew each other like the back of our hand. We were so close, and even off set – we hung out all the time together, and you’d go for a drink after some heavy scenes, then you’d go home and get a phone call saying, “How are you feeling? Are you alright?” It was the biggest family I’ve ever been in.

CPR: Was there anything about your character that you found you could really relate to?

LP: Yeah, most of the things, like having a big family, and just hanging out. Like I remember pushing shopping trolleys around as a kid, or having crash derby. Me and my little brother, we used to do stupid things, we’d make up little games of our own.

CPR: So a lot of that fed into the way you approached the character.

LP: Yeah, because Jamie had brothers as well. I have five brothers in my family. Jamie had the same sort of brother upbringing, just hanging out and doing nothing together.

CPR: Five brothers? That beats Jamie, doesn’t it!

LP: Yeah. Mine was a bit happier than his, though!

CPR: What about the darker side of the film – have you had many experiences that that you could draw on to help you understand Jamie’s character?

LP: Well, growing up, like any kid would, you have your fights with other kids, and things like that. And for the heavy scenes, you’d put yourself in the same sort of place and pretty much just let yourself get a feel for the situation the character would be in, and at times it felt like you were living the life. But you always knew as soon as they called “Cut!” you’d hug people on set and just talk about it.

still 20912 e1305806501631 700x368 Interview: Lucas Pittaway, star of SNOWTOWN

CPR: Even though you’re one of the stars of the film, your character doesn’t speak very much, and he’s obviously bottling up a lot of energy. How difficult was it for you to keep in character – did you ever feel an urge to let that energy go?

LP: Well, there were scenes where I could just let the energy go, like when Jamie sees his mate’s dead body. I’m quite a quiet person myself at times, but I can also be quite talkative, so it’s more like you kind of just found a part of you and an attitude inside you that you could relate to the character, and you just used that and let yourself be in that world. And between takes I could talk all I wanted.

CPR: You could get back into that mindset really quickly when you needed to?

LP: Yeah. We had two weeks of rehearsals beforehand, where that was one of the main focuses – working out how to go in and out of those attitudes and mindsets, like turning a tap on and off.

CPR: So, looking back on everything, what was your biggest challenge during the shoot?

LP: When my character saw his friend’s body. It was quite a hard thing to do, because that was one of the first really heavy scenes that I did in the film. And when that scene came along, because of the gravity of the situation my character was in, it had affected me a little, and I felt like just saying, “I quit. Let me go home”. I didn’t want to do it anymore. But because of the family feeling on set, they just talked to me and we made it through the scene. Then they had a chat with me, and I went back home, watched some TV and went to bed.

CPR: So did you ever go home and find that doing the film would affect the way you and your own family interacted with each other?

LP: Well, I never actually felt any of the emotions at home, because of the family feeling on set. It felt like I could just talk it out and have it sorted out after each scene. And so when I’d go home – I lived with my brother at the time – if there was anything I was still thinking of, I’d have a chat with him about it, and he’d understand.

CPR: Snowtown is your first experience with acting. Would you like to have a career in film?

LP: Yeah, I’ve already started down that track. I’ve got myself an agent, and while I was in Sydney, just this week, I worked on a short film [ARC] with Max Doyle, a photographer for Vogue, as the director. And I’ve been auditioning for some other things as well while I’m here.

CPR: Excellent. So it gets easier each time, I guess?

LP: Well, you get a wider range of experience the more you do it, so it was quite good to play a different role from Jamie when I was in the short film.

CPR: Yeah, I’ll bet. So what are your impressions of the director of Snowtown, Justin Kurzel?

LP: He’s a great guy. He’s almost like a father figure in another way to me. When I come up to Sydney, most of the time I stay at his place. He’s got this great relationship with all of the actors, and you felt like you could tell him anything.

CPR: And did you learn anything from your co-star, Daniel Henshall?

LP: Definitely. He’s a great actor. I pretty much learned how to act from him, really. From understanding how he views each scene and things like that. Also, I learnt a fair bit of new music from him, and he taught me how to cook a steak! He’s a great guy. I’d love to work with him again.

CPR: It sounds like there was a kind of father/son relationship like there is in the film

LP: Yeah, you could feel that going on off-camera as well.

CPR: Well, thanks very much for your time, and all the best for the film’s national release.

LP: No problem. Thanks!

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Snowtown opens across Australia on May 19, 2011.

Click here to read our interview with Daniel Henshall who played John Bunting in Snowtown.

]]> http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-lucas-pittaway-star-of-snowtown/feed/ 5 Interview: Daniel Henshall, star of SNOWTOWN http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-daniel-henshall-star-of-snowtown/ http://cutprintreview.com/interviews/interview-daniel-henshall-star-of-snowtown/#comments Wed, 18 May 2011 07:00:52 +0000 Dan Gear http://cutprintreview.com/?p=17399 Daniel Henshall has been performing in theatre and television steadily since graduating from Actors Centre Australia in 2006, appearing in series like “Rescue Special Ops” and “Out of the Blue”. For his big-screen debut, he chose a career-making role in a controversial film whose title alone will make Australian audiences nervous. Henshall plays South Australia’s notorious serial killer John Bunting in Snowtown, a dramatisation of events [...]]]> Daniel Henshall has been performing in theatre and television steadily since graduating from Actors Centre Australia in 2006, appearing in series like “Rescue Special Ops” and “Out of the Blue”. For his big-screen debut, he chose a career-making role in a controversial film whose title alone will make Australian audiences nervous. Henshall plays South Australia’s notorious serial killer John Bunting in Snowtown, a dramatisation of events that came to be known as the “bodies in barrels murders”, leading to Bunting’s conviction in 2003. On the eve of the film’s national release, we caught up with Henshall over the phone from Sydney.

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Cut Print Review: How did you feel at the Adelaide Film Festival when you got such a good reaction?

Daniel Henshall: Well, prior to it I was incredibly nervous, because we hadn’t had a public audience before the first screening. And also there’s that bit of trepidation that was obviously because it’s very close to the heart of Adelaide, and there are still people grieving. We had no idea how the response would be, so to be received so well was a relief, and also very exciting that the city which the story came out of responded so well.

CPR: On the other hand, have you had to deal with any criticism for being involved in such a controversial project?

DH: I personally haven’t. That may or may not come. And everyone is entitled to their opinion, obviously. But I’m aware that may happen and I’m hopefully going to be as respectful as I can, when that comes.

CPR: Your performance is very magnetic and even charming. Did you guys ever feel there was a risk of glamorising the killer you were portraying?

DH: Oh no, definitely not. I think the actions speak louder than the man, you know? You can be as charming as you want to be, and likeable as you want to be, but still, at the end, the events speak volumes. I don’t think we ventured into that territory of glamorising the violence or the menace of John Bunting.

CPR: You were obviously going for a very three-dimensional characterisation.

DH: Yeah, definitely. That was one of the things that was so exciting about working with Justin [Kurzel, the director] and having the potential to work in the way that we did. It was never going to be a half-assed two-dimensional character. We took that risk of trying to make it as fleshed out as possible.

CPR: So how do you react when someone calls Snowtown a horror movie?

DH: I think there are people out there who love the horror genre that are going to be disappointed by it, because it’s not that by any means. I don’t think anyone who’s seen it can call it a horror film. It’s hard to put in a genre, but if anything, I’d call it a psychological drama, or a psychological thriller. Of course there are some extremely vivid and visceral moments. But I don’t think you can call it a horror film.

CPR: Sure. Were you ever drawing on any inspiration from a particular actor or a film or anything like that?

DH: No, it was more of a style, to begin with. A very, very raw and real style. I watched a few films that had first-time actors in them. A film called Ballast that did quite well at Sundance a few years ago. And a couple of Dardenne brothers films, the Belgian filmmakers. They worked with first-time actors, and there was a style and some performance sense that gave me an idea. But that was very early on and once we had that, we moved on, and our rehearsal period was all about getting to know each other and forming relationships that were so familiar by the time we got up there and started shooting. We also formed a family out there and the agreement between us was that if anything went wrong or was too hard or too fast or too harrowing that we could all be there and support each other through it.

CPR: When I spoke with Lucas [Pittaway], the way he described you was just like a father figure. Did you try to take him under your wing during the shoot?

DH: We all did. But I guess, me playing the role that I played, I was… I wouldn’t say a mentor or father figure, but maybe caretaker and friend. There was that power that was given to me, that was then transferred to the character in each scene. Especially with the little boys – I went camping with them and Lucas for a weekend, and spent a lot of time with them, and their father gave me the okay. “You listen to this guy. He’s your dad when you’re with him, okay? You listen to him and do what he says”. And we came up with rules and games on set to make it work. There’s some golden moments within the film where both boys are reacting to me like I’m the disciplinarian, and that just came out of the relationship that we formed, you know?

CPR: But it must have been difficult for you, being a professional actor in the middle of a non-professional cast.

DH: Not really mate, to be honest. I was the one who had to scrap everything and start again. I mean, these guys were so immediate and wonderful and giving. I’m a Sydney boy – I’m not from that area, I’m very much an outsider, so I spent twelve weeks out there, getting to know the community and learning how to relate. Justin kept saying “These people are being real, these people are relating how they do out here because they know it, better than you, so you’re the one who has to drop everything you know and learn that.” So that wasn’t frustrating. It was a gift, an absolute gift. And I think the performance that you see is so much a part of what they’ve given me, and vice versa.

snowtown61 e1305701866821 600x277 Interview: Daniel Henshall, star of SNOWTOWN

CPR: So what was the atmosphere like on set?

DH: It changed every day depending on what scene we did. In between all the dark stuff there was a lot of love and humour. I mean, not to take away from the sensitivity of the story that we’re portraying and the events that took place, but there was a lot of humour. We joked around a lot, I guess to blow some steam. And there was a lot of understanding and caring for each other, that if anything felt like it went wrong, or you weren’t feeling up to it, that you could have a conversation. The whole crew and cast embraced that, and I think there was a non-verbal agreement when we went in together, that that was how it was going to be. Not to sound wanky or a cliché, but that’s exactly how it was. There were hard days, don’t get me wrong. There were days when you just wanted to go home for the week and sleep. But you’d get up and do it with everybody the next day, and everybody was there for you.

CPR: On those days when things didn’t go well, how did you deal with it?

DH: You know that you’re playing a character in a dramatised interpretation of events. And also, like I said before, any time that anyone felt a certain way, we went to the pub and had a beer, had a conversation, had a laugh, and just debriefed. And then some kind of sanity came back to you and you realised that it was okay.

CPR: Snowtown is your first feature film. Has the experience made you eager to pursue a career in movies?

DH: I’d love to, mate. If I was given the opportunity, if I could do a film of the calibre and risk and bravery, and work with someone like Justin and the team again every two or three years, that’d be a dream of a career.

CPR: Is there any actor or director in particular, besides the ones you’ve already worked with, that you’d like to work with in the future?

DH: Oh, I got a handful. Steve McQueen, the guy who directed Hunger – I’d love to work with him. Or the Dardenne brothers in Belgium. And there’s up-and-coming Australian actors who will be making their foray into feature films in the next two or three years that I know and really respect. I’d love to work with them.

CPR: How about your impressions of the director of Snowtown, Justin Kurzel?

DH: A wonderful guy, and a very passionate man. Hard at times, but unbelievably supportive.

CPR: And how were your experiences with the locals while you were filming?

DH: Generally really good mate, to be honest. I mean, because the community embraced us, they were very much a part of the film, the authenticity. We shot on the locations – the locations are another character in the film – and through the conversations that we were having with people in the community, we learnt things about the characters. I think it was a strongly positive response. I mean, there were a couple of times where people would yell and say “How dare you make this film!” and then walk off. But the majority of people were really interested and took an ownership in that. “Why would you make a film out here in Davoren Park or Elizabeth? You’re putting us out there and telling our story – this is great. I can actually have input into how it is. You don’t know what it’s like, but I can show you.” But of course it’s not as dark and bleak as the film. I mean, that’s that family’s story, and then there’s the story of John Bunting, and it’s not necessarily all like that at all.

CPR: The negative people were basically just venting?

DH: We did auditions all around the community, and there was one woman who walked past the audition room and just yelled something and walked off. And then we were in the shopping centre and one person yelled at us as well. But that was it. I was out there for three and a half months, and those were the only two times I experienced.

CPR: So, not being a local boy yourself, what do you think of S.A. and Adelaide?

DH: Well, I can only speak for where I lived, really, which was out in Elizabeth, and I have to say I’ve never felt so invited and welcomed into a community before in my life. The majority of people were just so welcoming and warm.

CPR: Great. Going back to your character again, was there anything about Bunting that you felt you could really relate to, when you were figuring out your approach to the character? Anything you’d learnt through your research?

DH: There was not a lot known about him. Debi Marshall has a book called “Killing for Pleasure”, which is one of the books that the events of the film are based on. And in her first five or six chapters she attempts to describe possibly why John is the way he is – sort of her interpretation of his childhood from what she’s heard. And there was a vulnerability, and some sort of love that he missed as a child – I’m not saying that I missed out on that, but there was a key for me there – someone who wanted love, I think we can all relate to that. That was something that I could empathise with.

CPR: Sure. Were you ever worried that as an actor you might always be known as “the Snowtown guy”?

DH: You know, I never thought about that. I mean, you try not to think about the outcome before you do the role. All those things that could happen that you have no control over you try not to think about, you know? You just want to do the best job you can.

CPR: If you’re approached to play a serial killer or a psychopath again in the near future, would you be interested?

DH: Depending on the director and the story, for sure.

CPR: So you’re not afraid of typecasting or anything like that?

DH: Oh, look mate (laughing), if I get typecast, I’ll buy you a beer! Usually I play very jolly characters, you know – the loser, the laughable guy, so I don’t think that’s going to stop. But hey, maybe it will. That’d be great. I’d love to get my teeth into a dark role. Maybe not another Australian serial killer, but there’s some fascination with playing those roles, so far removed from yourself, you know.

CPR: Yeah. Well you never know where these things end up.

DH: Yeah, stranger things have happened!

CPR: Thanks very much for your time. It’s been very enlightening.

DH: No worries. Really good to talk to you.

—

Snowtown opens across Australia on May 19, 2011.

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