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| Still from the movie 'Penitent' |
*How did you get into making films?
did some stage plays and short films and preferred the entire
creative process from start to finish
*What inspired you to make your movie?
Penitent started out as a short film with a very different storyline
but when lead actor, Michael Linehan, and myself started to make
notes on the character, we felt we had enough material to create
an arc for the character, this required a longer story so we
brainstormed the core idea fleshing it out to an 80 minute film.
*How has your style evolved?
Huge fan of Ken Loach and other filmmakers who put story first,
I have always had one "must" at the centre of my films, I must believe
the character in order to believe the situation. I have done a couple
of turkeys and I'm glad I did, wouldn't have learned the valuable
lesson "just because you like it now, doesn't mean you'll like it
when you make it" so I always give a project some time before setting
out to make it. I recommend allowing the actors to hold a script for
a day then remove it as quickly as possible, you'll be teaching them
to act without a crutch.
*Tell us any strange or funny stories while making the film?
We had two great instances where the public attempted to interfere
with the shoot. The accident scene. An off duty doctor hurriedly
parked her car and ran over to lend assistance to the actor on the
ground. The later scene where the mother of the dead child assaults
Jason (lead), a passer by grabbed Ann Dorgan, the actor playing the
mother, in an attempt to stop her hitting Michael, I left a segment
in the final cut, you will see a man heading towards the mother.
*The Misrule Film Movement & Pink8 manifesto bring what to mind?
The sex pistols did it with music, now filmmakers can do it with film,
make truly independent stories with no regard for the rule of money.
Its an exciting time for independents, next step is to create a means
of getting our work to the jaded masses,
*What can we expect from your next film?
Fighting, violence, neglecting responsibility and a moral message.
