The Creators Of Raindance Film Dusky Paradise Speak To The Blog
15:10:00Good Afternoon Lovelies,
Earlier today I spent time speaking to the incredible makers of the Raindance Film Festival feature, Dusky Paradise. Director Gregory was happy to sit down and tell me everything we need to know about the film, the making of it and how the festival went. Enjoy...
First Off Congratulations On Being Selected For The Raindance Film Festival! How Did It Feel?
Thank you! It feels very strange and very great. Considering the record number of submissions of like 8000 films it’s crazy to not only be selected but also nominated for best debut feature. We feel extremely grateful and think it’s amazing that Raindance gives tiny films like ours a chance. And I believe lovers of independent film, the audience, appreciates it too.
What Was The Reaction Like From The Festival?
We were quite overwhelmed by the audience’s reaction to our film. Complete strangers started approaching me and explaining that throughout the days of the festival there was a little buzz growing around our film. It really seems to connect with people and stay with them for a while. This is my first film so feedback like that feels very special.
Could You Tell My Readers/Viewers What Dusky Paradise Is About In Case They Don’t Know?
Dusky Paradise is a film about an apathetic young man who is forced to move to a foreign country and take care of his parents’ house after they died. Along the way he meets his heartbroken neighbour, a lively but irritated girl and a turtle.
How Did You Find The Cast Of Your Film? And What Was It About Them That Stood Out To You?
Due to the low/no budget nature of our production we couldn’t afford to organize a proper casting. So I went on the internet and looked at waaay too many showreels of actors in England, France and Germany. I tried to avoid agents (they want money) and contact actors directly. In the end I was very lucky to find Kes Baxter, Martin Umbach and Charlotte Krenz, three extremely talented, ambitious actors who agreed to Skype with me. All of us met for the first time in person on set. The actor’s performances in the film is probably what I’m most proud of. After all I got the worst grade for dealing with actors in film school.
Is There A Scene In The Film That You Are Most Proud Of Or One That Audiences Should Look Out For? Why This One?
There is one scene in the film that I was asked about on numerous occasions. It’s a scene in which Charlotte Krenz character Zoe explains her world view whilst out for a drink with Jacob, the protagonist. This was Jacobs first ever date with a girl so I wanted to make it seem as surreal and intense as possible. So in the cutting room we decided to leave out all of Jacobs’s dialogue and keep the camera focussed on Zoe. Jump cuts then take us through the conversation and for about two minutes all we see is Zoe’s face. That’s all Jacob sees. Finally we cut to Jacob arriving back at his house, speechless, reliving the night in his head.
You Made The Film On A Small Budget, Did You Find This Made The Production Easier Or Harder?
We shot the film on a budget of 20,000 Euros (that we raised on Kickstarter) and I loved every second of it. Of course it’s not easy to shoot a feature film in a foreign country with that kind of money but I loved the creative freedom that came with it. I think i will never have this kind of experience again and I will miss it. The crew consisted of very close friends and we lived together for three weeks. Nobody got paid. It was beautiful.
Did You Catch Any Other Films At The Festival This Year?
I partially grew up in England so I still have a number of friends in London that I needed to catch up with. Therefore I sadly didn’t have the time to see many other films. I saw a documentary called the plastic ocean. My girlfriend is very passionate about the environment so it was a must see ;). The film wasn’t great but the topic is. Stop using Plastic!
Finally Can You Tell Us About What You Are Working On Next? Or What We Should Look Out For?
I directed a new film (a German comedy called Ostfriesisch Für Anfänger) and its coming to cinemas on October 27th. Currently I’m developing my next film. It’s about a film cutter.
Look out for Dusky Paradise lovelies!
Blog Soon,
Joey X
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