Episode 77 - With host Craig Norris and special guests Daniel Brooks, Edward Williams, and Xavier Direen.
First Broadcast on Edge Radio, 14th June 2024.
I chat with indie filmmakers Daniel Brooks, Edward William from Big Love Studios, and Xavier Direen about their latest project. We dive into the entire filmmaking journey—from pre-production to post-production—and share valuable insights and advice on self-funding a film from start to finish.
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TRANSCRIPT
This is an AI-generated transcript of the audio and it may contain errors. We may update or correct this transcript in the future. Please contact us if you have any questions about the information in this transcript. The audio is the official record of this episode.
CRAIG NORRIS
All right, welcome to Edge Radio 99.3 FM. This is media mothership. I'll be your host, Doctor Craig. And as always on media mothership, we broadcast out of Hidden underground studio. It feels like sometimes in. Lunar on the UTAS Sandy Bay campus in Hobart. TAS, I'm going to show we explore everything in and around the world of media in particular, how it can shape our understanding of the world around us. And today I'm joined by three practitioners of shaping the world around us through media from my left to right. I'm joined by Xavier the actor.
XAVIER DIREEN
Hello.
CRAIG NORRIS
Daniel, the thank you, Daniel, the director and writer.
XAVIER DIREEN
You have you.
DANIEL BROOKS
I like to practitioner better. Can you? Go with that.
CRAIG NORRIS
Practise. And Edward, cinematographer, and various other titles, right?
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Well, I mean. Yeah. Thank you. Hello. Yes, we all have multiple titles, I reckon. Yeah. Practitioner is probably a good consolidation of those terms here.
DANIEL BROOKS
Practitioner, who will have practitioners.
CRAIG NORRIS
So we are squeezing. I think this is the most guests. Had on 33 guests, so we'll try to to keep that audio exciting and live for everyone. I have got a buzzer that I've I'll use as soon as someone's off maybe, or an electric shock. I should set up.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm.
CRAIG NORRIS
But you guys are here. I've. Brought you guys in because you're at this auspicious moment in your indie filmmaking work. We've had you in the past talking about being of despondency, just humans, and so now the third.
DANIEL BROOKS
Just humans. This is our third feature production. I'm. Yes, that would be our.
CRAIG NORRIS
Third, yes. So I've brought you in because you're what stage is the post production.
DANIEL BROOKS
We're about to start post production, so about two weeks ago we finished properly filming. All of the yes. The stuff, all of the. Stuff. So yeah, we finished doing that about yeah, two weeks ago, giving ourselves a little bit of a break in about two weeks. We'll start editing. Excellent. So getting into. Yeah, post production. Great. Great.
CRAIG NORRIS
So I wanna dive down into indie filmmaking what you guys have been putting together from your particular backgrounds and how it all might come. So actually we might do the.
DANIEL BROOKS
Ah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Whole thing. We'll start pre production production post production. Ideas. Future plans, right? Maybe how people can access. And then maybe some reflective exercises we can do some reflection and potentially advice if I'm feeling like you guys are striking me as capable enough, I'm sure you are.
Speaker
Oh. Oh.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's going to be really. Great. We might get around to advice. I'll have that. Hopefully he'll be advice throughout it you know. Nuggets of wisdom. Things that go right, things that go wrong. So we'll embark down that journey here on Edge radio and we'll see how that all. Kind of shapes up. Alright, welcome back.
DANIEL BROOKS
I love your little transition tune. That's great. It's.
CRAIG NORRIS
I find it cleanses people's palates, it gets them hyped and ready to engage with Chapter 2 now of. The the broadcast. So let's start from my right to left. So well, actually no. I want to ask a question about the story first. So the story from your perspective. When was the writer? What inspired this story for the film? What? What is the story and what inspired it?
DANIEL BROOKS
Well, I actually was inspired by jump starting some guys's car. Ohh my goodness. Umm.
CRAIG NORRIS
Get close to the mic. I know you're in a different spot. My goodness. Maybe even. But yeah, move it slightly. Yeah.
Speaker
Perfect.
DANIEL BROOKS
Ohh, I was actually inspired to write this based on. A. A strange instance of. Apathetic help that I gave to somebody, yes.
CRAIG NORRIS
Apathetic health seems like a contradiction.
DANIEL BROOKS
It was a well, you know, I I sort of went. OK, I'll help you. OK. Two guys I know were having trouble starting their car, and I had just gone home from work. But they were intending to leave and go home. And I was like, oh, I suppose I can go down and help them because they're asking nicely. And I got there. They weren't in distress at all. They were laughing and having a good time and jumping around. I'm like. The spirit of youth, I thought to myself, and I, as I drove off. And that's a good. Movie. About someone being a. Not annoyed, but sort of baffled by the the youth of battle, baffled, baffled by the youth when they themselves are not very old.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yes, because here you are two work colleagues having problems with their car. I know that type of experience would make me frustrated. Irritated. And and not jovial yet when you encounter them. They they were.
DANIEL BROOKS
Were.
CRAIG NORRIS
Jovial and and and kind of laughing it off.
DANIEL BROOKS
Oh, they made up this fiction in their head that they were about to run away from a gang.
CRAIG NORRIS
And having a really they entered into this whole, you know, like half cup full narrative of kind of, oh, this is my big sign. Imagine if this was happening and and the car broken down and wow it's very mentally healthy it's it's kind of healthy.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm.
Speaker
Yes.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah. It's exactly and I I was. Yeah, it was it. It's very good. It's very inspiring. Yeah, I was. I was like, ohh, that's good. I was just tired by the whole thing I was.
CRAIG NORRIS
Extend. Like oh, this is you were worn out by life. You. Very much older. The older person in this situation.
DANIEL BROOKS
I was. I was. I'm like, what, seven or eight years? Older than ancient ancient I.
CRAIG NORRIS
Know because we're talking about, I guess that that kind of slightly more compressed. Speed of life that goes by when you're younger. Yes, right. I mean, when you're 14. Like, I imagine, like for a. A 20 year old, the experience of COVID is ancient, right? That happened like 1/4 of their life ago or something, right? So that that's kind of like that's that's history. Yeah, if you're 40 plus or 30 plus. It's like, no, no, no. That's recent history. So again.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's it's one of these. Moments. You're you're a bitter.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah. Older individual bitter old man for like 30 seconds and I thought it. Would be interesting to explore this. Of I I guess the the micro how the micro changes of someone who's 20 and someone who's 28 where where the difference is there and that there's a sort of switchover at some point in that that journey between those two ages that.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
I guess put someone in a new position.
CRAIG NORRIS
Did everyone chair that kind of kind of anecdotal view of of life that, you know, the the, I guess the generation gap, but a particular generation gap 20 to 28?
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Well, in my experience. Umm. It it there is, there is quite a big difference and. It comes from different access to technologies and different experiences like growing up with COVID and stuff like that like. Growing up, I mean it happened for about a year or two, so.
CRAIG NORRIS
Oh, it's a black plague, I mean.
Speaker
Yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Well, you know and and and that was very disruptive to a lot of people school. Right. So for me, who had a job, it was just an annoyance and really a really big annoyance. But for for these younger people as they were, you know, going through the final years of year 12 final years of their schooling or. You know the university. All these important things like exams and proper tutelage and and stuff like that was heavily disrupted.
DANIEL BROOKS
It's. Formative experiences were disrupted, I suppose, yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Whereas for us. They weren't really formative experiences.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. So in that way, yeah, it's it's it's one of those real life experiences which I guess when you're young, you might not necessarily forecast forward too much. But as you get. Older and you encounter people for whom their sense of time is very, very different. Yeah, from your. Good, good. All right. So going on with the script writing process, how was it this time around given you've written a number of scripts, was it the process and insights writing this go?
DANIEL BROOKS
It. Smoothly. Yeah, I was. When I I think was when when that I wrote this September, October last year it was pretty quick. It was, it went through a bunch of draughts, obviously, but the actual core of it was out relatively quickly.
CRAIG NORRIS
So it started with that anecdote and that.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, it it does, but not as a part of the the core plot of the film. It's in there as like a as a separate.
CRAIG NORRIS
Anecdote appears in the. Uh-huh. Incident, but the core aspect is still that kind of.
DANIEL BROOKS
Buddy. Yeah, it's kind of a I, I suppose you could call it like a. It's a buddy cop movie, but it's not like.
CRAIG NORRIS
A cop movie. There's no cop park, but.
DANIEL BROOKS
No cop part but the but there's it's a buddy movie. It's a road trip movie. Yeah, it's a buddy road trip movie, basically, where where there is no car for most.
CRAIG NORRIS
There is a buddy. That. Kind of opposites. Yeah. Yeah, right.
DANIEL BROOKS
Of it, yeah. Because obvious, well, the plot is essentially that. Some. These two guys get lost in the Bush at once, who's 20, and one who's 20.
CRAIG NORRIS
8:00 here in Tasmania identifiably.
Speaker
And.
DANIEL BROOKS
Uh, yes, yeah. I wouldn't say identifiably was.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Other than through the the foliage.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, I suppose.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. Yes. If you're in foliage fan, you say that's the you could just start typing this only native to the Upper Glen, OK area.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm.
CRAIG NORRIS
Gotcha. OK.
DANIEL BROOKS
Is that is that a real?
CRAIG NORRIS
Tree. Hey, I've got many arbiter used fans always dropping some knowledge.
DANIEL BROOKS
I I do have a I have a a friend who's very intrigued by plans. I'll ask him if that's a real.
CRAIG NORRIS
There is a drinking game that goes along with watching the show, including when I do call outs to various ecliptic varieties ecliptic, so going on, I'm throwing up on the tangent so you found the process of writing.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
It very straightforward.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, actually.
CRAIG NORRIS
How about the process of casting it then? Was that equally easy?
DANIEL BROOKS
Actually call casting Xavier was pretty easy because I'd already had that in mind when I was writing it, so that was.
CRAIG NORRIS
Because Xavier stepped in as the main yes, one of.
DANIEL BROOKS
The mains? Yeah. The the co-star was a little bit more difficult, but we had a few ideas in mind of people we'd met semi recently. And it was initially going to be one person with and then we switched to a different person because of someone that first person wasn't available. Well. To do it so we.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Well, well, they they even said that this other person would do a better job.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. So the other person was Hugh. Jackman, which was a surprise to me.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yes, yes, yes, Hugh Jackman. But he was he was we we put him through a time capsule thingy and he just changed into a 20 year old.
CRAIG NORRIS
Said wow.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Playing a 20 year old, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
He's got range. Yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah. But he he. Yeah, he did a wonderful job in the end. So we're. Happy that we. Got him in the end. Yeah, not.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Hugh Jackman. Yeah. So, Xavier, what does it feel like?
CRAIG NORRIS
Not here. Were you told immediately? Hey I've modelled this character on you or when I was writing this story, as Daniel said, I had you in mind. Were you told that or did you find that out later?
Speaker
No.
XAVIER DIREEN
Trying to remember the exact conversation we had to be honest, but like I. As soon as he.
CRAIG NORRIS
OK.
XAVIER DIREEN
I just because I mean, I'm not quite 28 yet, I'm 26, but I'm in the latter half of my 20s and kind of going back to that question from before about do you notice the difference between the gap? Yeah, absolutely. Like I'm five years makes a difference. I'm certainly not an old man by any means yet. But like it, it does make a difference. Feel very different at 26 to how I did it, 20.
CRAIG NORRIS
So I wonder if there's a certain I. Mean if I. Was told. You know, hey, here's a script. And I found out or was told. You know, I had you in mind when I wrote it, I think. Ohh wow. Kind of deep psychology or therapies this for me like like like. Well, I. I mean it seems like you identified with it which is great.
XAVIER DIREEN
Well, I actually I did have a fair bit of actual input into the character, so the character wasn't really fleshed out yet, so it was just like the overall idea for the movie was there. And then I.
DANIEL BROOKS
I think when I came up with it. Cause when I told you about it and then you put your two cents into how you wanted it to sort of work, and then I'd written it in that September. That's right. Yeah. So. And then when I finished writing it, that's when I took it to you and was like. Here, here it is. Read it. That's right, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
And with it like you know, I guess some of the most memorable characters you might see. In a movie. Have laws. And and did you? Did you feel comfortable with, with with that whole gamut of kind of the flaws that the there?
DANIEL BROOKS
Are there flaws?
CRAIG NORRIS
Of the character. Did you say no, no this.
XAVIER DIREEN
Oh yeah. Oh.
CRAIG NORRIS
Character's perfect Daniel he he's super hot with the.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Ladies, I want.
XAVIER DIREEN
Definitely.
CRAIG NORRIS
No. So yeah, you really actually kind of enjoyed having a character that that. Yeah, you, you. You didn't really have to act then because you. Were the character right, it was just you.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yeah, I mean, I yeah, I do kind of play my I play I. I guess if I could sum it up in a nutshell like kind of how I gave input into it as I'm I play a more pessimistic version of my self in real life.
CRAIG NORRIS
Because you're planning the bitter older.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yeah, bitter older 28 year old. Who's not where? He's where he wants to be by the age that.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right.
XAVIER DIREEN
He's at and he's.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm has has 22 higher expectations room himself and.
XAVIER DIREEN
Just he's all the. Yeah. Yeah, all all these, right? Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
UM, but we won't spoil the third act, but I imagine you know you. You you seem happy and well adjusted individuals. So I imagine if it was based on you and if you had Xavier in mind, you know, you end up not in a bad. Spot. No. You find out a lot about each other.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Speaker
And.
CRAIG NORRIS
You know it's not well. It could be Thelma and Louise. I know you mentioned. There was a car.
DANIEL BROOKS
Involved in yes, yes, no. Why?
CRAIG NORRIS
This is this.
XAVIER DIREEN
That's a very good comparison. I never, never made that connection before.
CRAIG NORRIS
I'm thinking of cars that involve significant third act moments. Yes, and I guess there's mad Max's car, right, which always gets destroyed around the 2nd.
DANIEL BROOKS
Definitely used the same way in this.
Speaker
Is it?
DANIEL BROOKS
100% it's not like I I used it as my actual car now.
CRAIG NORRIS
Select yes. Well, yeah, I hope you do. Do you do you use it? You do use it.
DANIEL BROOKS
I.
CRAIG NORRIS
And and it's it's.
DANIEL BROOKS
My my previous car.
CRAIG NORRIS
Value has gone up a lot. Now I mean it's.
DANIEL BROOKS
Well, yes, why wouldn't I keep it? You know, it's a it's a profit.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's a it's a real prop. So on casting, what else were you looking for with casting you said? You had a bit. Of a problem with the ohh and full confession here. I should say that. I I I guess I I. Could say cast I was an extra. Would I? I had a.
DANIEL BROOKS
I suppose the the lead character of one scene.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, I had a speaking role, yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
A a significant speaking role in one scene it was probably.
Speaker
Yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Fun as they like for me personally, filming it was actually probably the most fun I had on the set in a very, very long.
DANIEL BROOKS
I enjoyed it. Too, yeah, very, very good day, that one.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Time.
CRAIG NORRIS
Because, yeah, I mean the way it was explained to me in terms of the small contribution I made was that within the movie, there are cuts to like TV episodes or something or adverse advertisements.
DANIEL BROOKS
Oh. Yeah, like sort of.
CRAIG NORRIS
Some kind of?
DANIEL BROOKS
Fake fake advertisements for anybody who watched just humans in that we had intermissions, and there were about eight of those where it was a. Of an extra little bit that we just plonked in here and there and for this I wanted to do that again because I think. That's fun. So you feel that, that fun because. Yeah. But I but I wanted to. Yeah, I I they break up the movie a bit and there's a so. And I thought in this case since it's a lot of it's two guys walking around in the Bush. You kind of want to break it up with a few different other little bits and pieces. Give it a bit of some different colours every now and.
CRAIG NORRIS
Again, I'm trying to think like I'm trying to think like it's just Starship Troopers. There are films which will break to an ad that.
DANIEL BROOKS
Stuff like that, yeah. And I I sort of, I thought to myself. Well, instead of just having them be very just random kind of like they were in our previous film when they weren't random, they were about the characters from the film, so that there wasn't that much of A separation between. The intermissions and the actual scenes in that movie, like you could just not have mentioned that they were separate, and it wouldn't really mattered. But in this I thought, well, how about none of the characters from the actual movie appear, or if they do, it's incidental and they'll have each of them be about a different character who sort of reflects the ideas of the movie in a different way.
Speaker
Right.
CRAIG NORRIS
Ah.
DANIEL BROOKS
And I sort of and I made one that was based on that scene that I described earlier with helping someone start their car. And I thought, oh, that's good. And then I made a few more. And I thought, oh, this is all very cool, but two of them ended up as fake advertisements for things, including the one that you were in. And then I thought, ah, well, that's interesting. So I then I sort of remade the malt all be ads. And the fact that their ads is some. Sort of A twist in each of them, I suppose, but some of them aren't, but some of them are obvious, but.
Speaker
And.
DANIEL BROOKS
I thought that was an interesting way to sort of unify them that separate them from the movie. They could be watched on their own totally fine and I just think it's fun to have little extras sprinkled throughout to break up the movie.
Speaker
Yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
It also it also helps expand our network as well like cause to get near strangers to commit to a. Several months process is a lot harder than to go. Hey, you wanna come in for for half a day? It's going to be a bit of fun, you know?
DANIEL BROOKS
And you can get that one person who's starring in just that one scene, and that's their thing. Yeah, they can really take ownership of it. And you can in the lead up to doing all of it every with each of those I'd met up with most of those people to.
CRAIG NORRIS
That's quite clever.
DANIEL BROOKS
Give them. Like a really good insight into what I wanted out of it. Took them out for lunch and all that sort of stuff just to. Get it into their heads of what they were doing and they all took a lot of ownership of their particular scene, which.
CRAIG NORRIS
Fantastic.
DANIEL BROOKS
Was quite nice.
CRAIG NORRIS
Well, which which brings. Us around to to topic 2. Production. Yes. Hey, so we're talking now a little bit about the process of actually making this film. So what were some of the the challenges that you faced really well, how did weather get in the web? It was a long.
DANIEL BROOKS
Weather. I mean you. Film shoot right? Or six months? Yep. From the 17th of December to about two weeks ago.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. So we're starting. Summer, the middle of summer and then pushing through till are we in middle of?
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm. Winter now. Yeah. So sort of middle of winter, I guess, yeah. Yes. The cause the original it. Was. 21 days all up, all up over however many.
CRAIG NORRIS
Weekends because yeah, you're finding time mostly in the weekends. Sometimes like a Friday night, not really. Weekdays were pretty surprising.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
No. Not all week. Yeah, yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
So you need a lot of time to really make it work I suppose. So you wouldn't want to try and squeeze something in on an evening.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
But.
DANIEL BROOKS
But initially I thought I I'd I'd imagined that those 20 days would be up by the end of February.
CRAIG NORRIS
Really starting to right? Seems optimistic given that it only wrapped up.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm. But what? Hmm. Yeah, well, it wouldn't. It would have been totally fine, so long as the weather had played nice for consistently for weeks and weeks. Yes, because even on the the second day, we had to cut short because it rained.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. Yes, right.
DANIEL BROOKS
And was like.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
And then we tried to refill that scene. And then we had to cancel that. And then we had to postpone it again and again, all because.
CRAIG NORRIS
Of the weather and the problem with the rain for that seems just the noise it was making.
DANIEL BROOKS
It's. Ohh it. No, it was just that it didn't fit. I'm like, I can't have it raining in this. So the that's that particular scene didn't get filmed until two months after it initially was supposed to. Yeah. I mean, there was a few little instances like that. That's probably the.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Biggest so yeah, I mean.
DANIEL BROOKS
And because it's quite a sequential movie, especially in the middle of it, so you can't really have. The different scenes have been totally different weather and it would.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah, like 5-5 minutes later. Suddenly they're all dry, you know.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, it just doesn't hurt. We got away with it once, and we actually used it wasn't originally supposed to be a rainy scene, but, and we changed it into one. Yeah, as part. We were there. So that kind of. Right.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
The speaking Speaking of the weather, there was a a day when we were filming down the channel and there were some. Of. Multiple fronts of of rain, and so we'd be driving to the location through the No no cause we had a we had a little weather weather app. So we're looking at the at the rain, the radar, we're looking at the radar and so we drive to the location.
CRAIG NORRIS
I think, Oh no, it's raining, said one need. Amp. Yep.
XAVIER DIREEN
Right up.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
We we get everyone out. Quick, quick, quick. Film, film, film, You know. And then we're done in 5 minutes and then the rain. Then the next front comes in and starts raining as as we're packing up. And we we drive through.
CRAIG NORRIS
Oh my gosh.
DANIEL BROOKS
We're driving again.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
That one, and we repeat that about four or five times.
DANIEL BROOKS
So it was drive. Ohh it's not raining. Get back in the car. It's raining again and then just taking it. Taking advantage of those pockets of sun just to.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
And it. So happened.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Get just so happened to sync up with how long it took to film those scenes and how long it took to drive to those locations, which.
CRAIG NORRIS
Is so tricky. Because you've not only got yourself being involved, but then you know the actor is the actors, it's.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah. On that day, it was, it was lucky that we were only dealing with three people who were in front of the camera, so that. Was. Alright, but and it wasn't, there was no audio for those days either, because it's a it's a musical montage segment that we were filming that day, so.
CRAIG NORRIS
So big challenge was the weather. Any other major challenges that you ever came or it was an alarm, wasn't there an alarm? That went off.
DANIEL BROOKS
Ohh yeah, yes, no that did happen.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Oh yeah, that was that was quite funny so.
CRAIG NORRIS
Police Michael. But nevertheless, a big blaring alarm because you're filming on the weekends. So obviously one of the problems there is getting access to locations and having them opened up and.
DANIEL BROOKS
No, that was quite new. Yes. No, we. So forth our. Production manager Ailey, who has been on the. Show before.
XAVIER DIREEN
My sister.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. Yeah. Ailee's doing great work. Yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
She she organised for us to use a school because she works in that sort of field and she. Had contacted the right people and did all. Of that stuff sounds. Good. Yep, that's fine. And then we got there in the morning. She. Goes to open it and. Well, I've got and like. Ohh. OK and so she. Had to call up you.
CRAIG NORRIS
So the full on security alarm system. Yeah, went off because you opened the door.
DANIEL BROOKS
Usually because you yes. Because we put a key.
CRAIG NORRIS
In a keyhole which really yeah, right. But that's how the ARM system works.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yep, you gotta disarm it before you do that. And it turned out that the person just had not.
CRAIG NORRIS
Wow. Disarmed it. Yet because it's Saturday and the.
DANIEL BROOKS
Saturday and they they had to be reminded, which was totally fine. The whole situation was. Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
That funny? Yeah. And it got resolved before police were called or the open neighbourhood came in.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah. Oh, yeah. No, no, no fines or anything like. That no plenty, yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
That was good. Just a just a mistake on the part of the. Wow. Yeah. Mild annoyance, exactly.
CRAIG NORRIS
Modern dance, mild annoyance. So just those main challenges, everything else.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Actually, a bit of an obscure one, but I think it's still pretty relevant. Is looking after yourself.
Speaker
Hmm.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
I think that's the it's it's, it's very disruptive. Production is for your mental health and for your physical health. If unless you've got something in place to kind of help you maintain.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. Yes. That like maintaining motivation, like addressing imposter syndrome, concerns that postback or.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
No, no, no, no for. For for me, no imposter syndrome or no, no loss of motivation, and it was more just. Stress. You know, and not from the production itself, just from everything else and the production and it was like. What? What is that?
CRAIG NORRIS
It's a stress metre. Ohh. OK, it's my phone. I have to drink. Ohh, there we go. Yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
Was it was. Let's telling me that. Water now.
CRAIG NORRIS
So how yes?
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah, but it it's it's. So I think if you're going to take on a big production like that or a lengthier production, just make sure that you're taking a moment to look after yourself as well.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm.
CRAIG NORRIS
Any tips for that? Is it is it just breathing exercises stressful?
EDWARD WILLIAMS
No, no, no. I don't have any tips for that.
DANIEL BROOKS
I think it's deep psychological evacuation of the soul.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. Got a therapist there. But actually I've heard this was one acronym called. I think it's temp or something. The T stands for temperature like a good way of of shocking yourself. Out of Exxon, ICS is.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Splash of cold. Water, like an extreme temperature change to yourself.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah. Well, yeah. I mean, unfortunately for me, because I I have a sort of philosophy of, well, you go through life and. Something breaks and either you let the world decide what breaks or you decide what breaks. And I didn't decide for myself what broke. And so I basically just resorted to eating a little bit more than I probably should have.
DANIEL BROOKS
That is the the number one. The disadvantage of doing it is you just eat kind of worse when you do. It yeah, yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
I mean, yeah, like dinner. Ohh, it's been a long day. Can't be bothered making a proper dinner. So I'm just going to have, you know, fast food. Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yes, yes, and but yeah, I mean, you're aware of it. And again, it's it's you understand the the psychology of what's driving it, the stress and it's a way of coping with it and it's.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm. And that's not to say that the production was stressful. I actually thought. It was quite. Ohh yeah, no, but it was I guess as you said it was the it's the extent. And or pressures cause cause leaking into the.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, there are suffering and and no one likes that feeling of stress. And so yes.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
You. Well, for me the the actual production was the least stressful aspect of my life at that stage. The most stressful aspect was juggling a sock. The life and work and you know, I would prefer not to have gone to work and just focus on the production and my social life and my yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Well, and again, John, I suppose it's one thing that's great to have you guys on to to recognise the huge effort that goes into. Doing this to achieving this I mean a lot of people would get halfway through or a third of the way.
DANIEL BROOKS
Through and or just not start at all.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, it just leave it as an idea. Ohh, I really want to do that and.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
But I think also the other thing about life is that you've got to confront this. Things that are going to cause you stress otherwise you don't really grow or evolve as a person that I I believe.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
I mean and like the The upshot of going through that stress is I've gotten to the other side of it and gone, hey. I can do what I want in life. I I'm there's there's a level of confidence that I've got which I've never had before and there's sort of self assuredness. That. Wasn't present before. Now I sort of have this calm outlook of Ohh well this is this is something that would be cool to do. I'm going to do it. You know, there's no hesitation about doing it. There's no sort of putting it off. It's just. Yeah, I want to do it so. I'm going to do it.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yes.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
OK. And all that is because I went through the stress of this production. So it's not stress. I I I don't think stress is something to be afraid of. I don't think it's something to be avoided, but I do think that I personally need to do a bit of a better job at managing it.
CRAIG NORRIS
It is challenging and and on that point of challenge, I guess the other point that can be difficult. Is is is managing that that budget and the equipment and resources. How did you find the equipment resources budget go for this time around any experiments you were doing with?
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm.
CRAIG NORRIS
You know, turning.
DANIEL BROOKS
Other. Other than the fact that we bought a car for it, I don't think there was anything too extraneous.
CRAIG NORRIS
About it. So the buying of the car, yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
Got. That.
CRAIG NORRIS
Like normally you'd you'd try and use someone's car, but there this this had to be a specific car that you.
DANIEL BROOKS
Couldn't specific vibe really it was more that.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
I think.
CRAIG NORRIS
What is the car? What model?
DANIEL BROOKS
Say 1992, red Toyota Corolla.
CRAIG NORRIS
Wow. Yeah, I owned one of those 92. There it is an iconic car. It's it's one of those. Yeah. Kind of. There's tonnes of them out there.
XAVIER DIREEN
It's very angular.
DANIEL BROOKS
And I I'm I'm glad that we did buy it, because if I didn't, I probably won't have a car at the. Because my car had.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. Is a fate had bequeathed. This. Yes, the series of events.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yes, no. And actually when I when we bought it, people were going like you keep it. Did you sell your other one? I'm like. No, no, I won't do that. And then the other car went. I was like, oh, I guess I am then.
CRAIG NORRIS
So how did you so and that's? The stressful thing looking. For particularly that year, a model car that, that process went.
DANIEL BROOKS
I think initially, initially I think we were trying to look for. A convertible or convertible.
XAVIER DIREEN
That's right, yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
We did. We did find one, but the the mechanic that inspected it said no, no.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Giant.
XAVIER DIREEN
There was. It was an old sub, so there was something wrong with like the the firewall or whatever it's called. There's a crack in it and apparently like if you steer it for long enough, it will actually the car will split in half over time and it's like it's been known to happen. It will like just the the whole front of.
DANIEL BROOKS
There's a crack in it.
CRAIG NORRIS
Wow. Ohh wow.
XAVIER DIREEN
It would fall off. On the road.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah, this particular model was was very susceptible to that, yeah.
XAVIER DIREEN
This particular model, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
So the 92 Corolla was.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Still going to give the.
DANIEL BROOKS
Magic. Yes, and it was cheaper.
CRAIG NORRIS
You want it and cheaper, right? And and. And you're happy with how the 92 Corolla came out in the film?
DANIEL BROOKS
Ohh yes, it's it contrasts in colour colour wise greatly with the rest of the.
CRAIG NORRIS
Movie and that would have required equipment to film a car. Yeah. What's the equipment you need to film a car.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Oh, oh, well, we call it grabby. Some grabby.
CRAIG NORRIS
You're very happy.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Grab you some. I don't actually know what the. Yeah, the actual name is because it got replaced by. Grab your side in my.
Speaker
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Mind what and what does this do so?
EDWARD WILLIAMS
It basically you've got these 3 anchor points that are suction cups you you wipe off the the body of the car that you're planning on putting it on you. Suction it on, and then there's these two straps that are kind of like safety straps that that also allow you to do some finer adjustments with the position. Of it. And then you just screw the camera on and there you go.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right and this will help you get a shot inside the car as they're driving or, yeah. Yep. Or outside. And look noticeable. Did you drive it?
Speaker
Yep, Yep.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yep.
CRAIG NORRIS
On the road. With your device. Wow.
DANIEL BROOKS
And ironically, you can't tell that it's on there most of the time because it's actually it doesn't come out very far. It only comes out about as far if, if not, if not closer than the the than the side mirrors.
CRAIG NORRIS
Ohh, fantastic. Hmm, right.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Hmm. So when you're driving past. It just looks like the side mirror.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, right. Oh, perfect. But a kit. How did you find? That was on YouTube, you know. See, you want to film interior of a car driving.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yep, Yep. I I went on YouTube as as always, as as anyone who's listened to me rant and rave about this before. YouTube, YouTube, YouTube, it's great. You just look up. I wanna film on a car and then it you know, how do I do? That on a budget. And then blah, blah, blah blah blah blah. Send. You to this send you to that? Yeah. You go. Yep. OK. I'm gonna buy that. We're gonna do that, blah, blah blah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Cause it'd be like the the DIY Bunnings option. The kind of.
DANIEL BROOKS
You know, which I'm sure would be incredibly.
CRAIG NORRIS
Unsafe. The kind of Aliexpress Chinese thing that will take. Six months to get here or?
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah. No, I I think with something like this, you're. You're wanting a camera to be safe, and if you've spent some money on your camera, do it properly.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, right. Yeah. If you're gonna screw in X, $1000 hundreds dollar worth.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Bit of camera gear. Yeah. You don't want, you know PVC pipe from Bunnings.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
No, no.
Speaker
No.
CRAIG NORRIS
Bluetech to the side of the car.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
That would also vibrate too much as well. Yeah. Yeah, I'd imagine so.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. Were there any kind of what was there? Were there any kind of cheap DIY workarounds during the shoot this time or or was everything kind of purpose built or?
Speaker
What? Ah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
I think everything was purpose.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, pretty purposeful, actually, we actually.
Speaker
But it was.
DANIEL BROOKS
Did a lot more. With props this. OK. And we had in the past which is. Which is cool.
CRAIG NORRIS
And and what? What were some of the?
DANIEL BROOKS
Props that you used, we had to build or. Xavier had to build. You know how.
XAVIER DIREEN
To do it so we had a. I made this rusty old phone like a rusty looking old phone, but so it's made out of wooden. I painted it with metallic.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. Paint. We're talking like a like an old telephone.
XAVIER DIREEN
It'll. Yeah. I've kind of modelled it off like the Telstra boxes that we currently see on the street, the metal ones. And so like, yeah, there's this whole back story that we wrote into the script. So this is this is a kind of a fun little thing. So I don't know if anyone's ever done this themselves, but I've.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah.
XAVIER DIREEN
Telstra have free calls nationwide on the phone booths.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yep. So on the side. Of the road or like.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yeah. On the side of the road, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Elizabeth mould. Mould. You can go there.
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
XAVIER DIREEN
And so I I just decided one day to call my phone on one of the boxes and then I called the phone booth back and then you can call. Them back, really. Yeah, that's it. So.
CRAIG NORRIS
So there's a number there. I guess there is.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yeah, like and you can find out what the numbers are. I've got a whole bunch of them in my phone now that I've saved, like, all different ones and not just come up with this whole crazy thing.
CRAIG NORRIS
Oh my God. Have. You called those numbers?
XAVIER DIREEN
I have no one's ever picked up but.
CRAIG NORRIS
Wow, cause it when you test it, it it. Does ring it doesn't make.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yes, it does. Ring. Yeah, I I rang it back and it it does ring. Yeah. And you can pick it up and you can talk to yourself on the on both phones. You.
CRAIG NORRIS
No kidding. Right. I mean, yeah, and there are movies with that features, right? The the evil mastermind.
XAVIER DIREEN
Can make them. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
You know, get to this booth by 900.
DANIEL BROOKS
Which which makes you wonder. He he probably had to go down to the phone booth and test it out first and get the number for.
CRAIG NORRIS
Now fascinating.
DANIEL BROOKS
It which is kind.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Of a so yeah, I'm thinking it's well, yes.
XAVIER DIREEN
Anyway so.
Speaker
Alright.
XAVIER DIREEN
That whole thing we decided to write that into the script as a thing that my character did when he was younger, when he was a bit more full of life and a bit more optimistic back when he was 20. So there's gonna be like flashback scenes to when he was 20 and this and that and.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right.
XAVIER DIREEN
So. We just decided to make a rusty old phone booth that they stumble across in the. In the forest and then it sends him back into flashback mode and then flash forward again, and then there's this whole like, metaphorical thing that will come with it. You'll see it when the movie comes out. I won't say too much more, but that's. Why we had a phone booth so. That's that's one of the.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah. And you made this.
XAVIER DIREEN
Props. Yeah, I made it. Yeah. So out of. Just apply plywood and stud work stuff, yeah.
Speaker
What? Really.
DANIEL BROOKS
And I I had bought a a old prop phone like a dial. Like a. Yes. And you and it actually works.
XAVIER DIREEN
What's an old school one?
DANIEL BROOKS
It came came with all the equipment to actually plug it in. Wow, it only takes American quarters, though, so I cannot use it. I'd have to go and exchange some money.
CRAIG NORRIS
That's hilarious. Right? Right. That. And and you, you, you you managed to source that locally or Interstate overseas?
DANIEL BROOKS
Well, the phone came internationally.
CRAIG NORRIS
Wow, an American coin operated telephone.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, but it wasn't. It's like a plastic one that's a replica of a old, I think, 50s era. Yeah, wall phone.
CRAIG NORRIS
OK.
DANIEL BROOKS
But it it works. You can use it and I was surprised by that I didn't think.
CRAIG NORRIS
It would well in terms of music, you could plug it into an existing phone line. Yeah. And it'll it'll require coins. Yeah. To you. See, you've actually tried it up to the point. Which coins?
DANIEL BROOKS
Ohh well yeah, that's the point of knowing that my coins going to fit in it, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
And so then to to. Make this prop you you. Sourced all that material, spray paint and. So forth and they.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
It came out.
DANIEL BROOKS
Well, no, it's good. It's it's good, it's it's in my kitchen. There's nowhere else to put. It.
CRAIG NORRIS
So did did people want particular props given the the the effort that was going in or I mean you've ended up with the car? The phone? Uh-huh.
DANIEL BROOKS
No, I don't think anyone else sort of wanted anything else.
CRAIG NORRIS
Because there are these stories where, like I and I guess the big budget like there was one recently about what was it? Victor Morganson Mortensen. Yeah. Taking the sword. Yeah. From all the rings and using it in one of his.
DANIEL BROOKS
And his sword here.
CRAIG NORRIS
Films is in the western.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Well, it's his sword, I mean. You know. Yeah, I. I think I think it's his sword. He deserves it. Umm. Mm-hmm. And I I, I. I don't really like the idea of just hanging on to a bunch of props either. No, not really like you know, I I think for me it's it's well, this is a prop that was used predominantly by this person. As far as I'm concerned, it's a good memento for them to keep.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, you know. And they've got way more ownership of that than anyone else would. Yeah, because it's their part. It's a part of their character and a part of their journey as an actor to have had had that.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yes. And and the and the whole process of making them is also quite a bit of fun, weathering them down, giving the prop. Itself a story. So you know the the location, the props all have their own story within what of course is the the character arc of individual characters and so forth. But they're the props as were unborn.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm. Yes, exactly.
CRAIG NORRIS
Accents.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yeah. One of the main props that are kind of a bit of a staple or our sunglasses, we have very particular sunglasses and yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Like Matrix 5I ended the I'm trying to think of sunglasses and films, and they're at notice was like this. The ray bands from risky business with Tom Cruise. There's there's kind of wrap around ones from the matrix. All the other ones Mobius has which don't have the arms on them. What were the sunglass designs for?
XAVIER DIREEN
Tom. Yeah. These ones. So this one's mine are a pair of kind of like. Square aviators like brown lens, deviators with like golden like the arms trimmer. Yeah. So like kind of very professional looking kind of things and then.
CRAIG NORRIS
Ohh wow. Gold trimming? Kind of.
DANIEL BROOKS
Umm.
XAVIER DIREEN
Sam, the 20 year old has a pair of like transparent yellow plastic looking things a bit more colourful, a bit more playful so it's like.
CRAIG NORRIS
These get so strong.
XAVIER DIREEN
They're mine. I'm a I'm a massive fan of sunglasses, so.
CRAIG NORRIS
Really that you'll be popping in for like shiploads and say ah, let me go to the.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yes.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, dead dead.
CRAIG NORRIS
Sun sunglass space.
XAVIER DIREEN
Dead set every time I'm at a petrol station, I'm always looking at the sunglass as long as.
Speaker
Yelling.
CRAIG NORRIS
And you're looking. For the quirky ones, what? What draws?
XAVIER DIREEN
I'm that, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
You to a sunglass. What? Ohh, don't know. Like.
DANIEL BROOKS
Unusualness.
XAVIER DIREEN
Just the vibe. Whatever vibe I'm feeling, you know, like, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right speaks to.
Speaker
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Fascinate. Yeah. Yeah. And then then you you can be involved in a in a in a a movie shoot like. This and it's. Like. Well, that's. Yeah, it's like chicken morganson sword from all the rings. Actually, I have sunglasses at home and voila.
DANIEL BROOKS
Let's.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yeah, they're like lots of different types like, yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
Well, it was. You have a lot of knickknacks and stuff that can be used like that so.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yeah. Yeah. Like a lot of my knickknacks were also used as props. So, like at home we have an attic upstairs and I've like kind of done it up a bit, bit of a man cave kind of thing and like, just have knickknacks all up on the shelves. And this that, like just old toys.
CRAIG NORRIS
Wow.
XAVIER DIREEN
Trinkets. This that the other thing throwing knives for the with the DART board like all just all kinds of random stuff.
CRAIG NORRIS
That and a gold mine for film production.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, which is why I think a couple of weeks and we decided, oh, we you, you might as well be the prop master for this movie because all of the props are coming from you so.
XAVIER DIREEN
Yeah. So I I became the prop master and the continuity director for for make making sure that. Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Fantastic.
DANIEL BROOKS
Your for your for your character.
XAVIER DIREEN
So cool in place. Proper steep shot, yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
Now we, we. Expanded a little bit. We have a makeup person. Now, OK, it's cool.
CRAIG NORRIS
Ohh, what was the makeup on this shoe? What?
DANIEL BROOKS
We didn't want that much of it, but it was a it was a matter of there was one particular day where we did because. Needed to make someone have one.
CRAIG NORRIS
Eye. Ohh. Like one eye like like a cyclops.
DANIEL BROOKS
So. One eye no, as in like I was missing one. I was missing not with, not with the patch, but with a giant scar on it. So we we wanted to do that. And so we we needed somebody to do that. And then saviours cousin knows how to do that so.
CRAIG NORRIS
Or when? With the pirate patch. Oh, now the skimmer 4.
DANIEL BROOKS
We got her to do that, really. So and. She where she we're planning to give her more work, so that would.
CRAIG NORRIS
Be good. Wow. Whenever I think of makeup, I always think of horror films, zombie makeup and so forth. So curious to see where future makeup might go would be exciting for the next project, so.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm.
Speaker
Yes.
CRAIG NORRIS
Productions seemed to have a number of really memorable moments.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm.
CRAIG NORRIS
We've only got about 12 minutes left. 10 minutes, probably. Oh, no. I know it's going by so quickly and we're only up to production. I do have a question about post production, cause I know in the past we've talked about music. Mm-hmm. On films. What was the approach in terms of how you going to approach music? Is it going to be music in this film? Are you going to show some? How have you gone about that?
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, quite a bit. So I actually came up with every bit of music that I wanted in pre production.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. It came up in, in. What way like you?
DANIEL BROOKS
I sort of. Well, no, I, I'd, I'd. I'd written the movie around the idea that I wanted music in it. Yeah. So there are just a few scenes in there, like, well, this scene is gonna have music.
CRAIG NORRIS
You scored it on a piano. You've got it.
DANIEL BROOKS
What do I want? For this and so.
CRAIG NORRIS
It's like sad music, happy music, jazz.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah. So I wrote down or even just full fully recorded songs, and I thought ohh I have an idea for this. Right. Like bon jovis. Hmm. Yeah, something like that.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. But something you could actually get without having to. Pay a lot, yeah.
DANIEL BROOKS
And then so well, and we know like a fair few musicians who are keen to do that sort. Of thing so.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. Local musicians. Yeah, local great.
XAVIER DIREEN
The guy who did sound for us is also gonna produce some tracks for us as well, cause he's a he's a music guy. Like a real musical genius.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah, you know.
XAVIER DIREEN
And just really good with sound.
DANIEL BROOKS
I can't.
CRAIG NORRIS
Obviously, yeah, really good creative talent locally. To to enjoy.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yes.
CRAIG NORRIS
So what is the music score? I imagine it's not like a Blade Runner.
DANIEL BROOKS
No, it's probably more. Would you? That's pretty varied actually. There's some like country tunes in there. There's some more like quirky pop stuff and.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yes. There's one instrumental that I envisage being quite artsy sounding, and when you think about the score and soundtrack for your film, are you also thinking, you know, do I want to earn this music from going to work with a a musician? Do I wanna make sure I've got the right for it or what? What's what? How does that process work? Ohh, it just depends on each individual.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah. Track I guess. I mean I know for. One, the ones we did for just humans, there's one track there that we just entirely own.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yes. Which one is that one again?
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. So even though you've.
DANIEL BROOKS
Got catch the catch the rain.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah, that's right. OK, right. So.
CRAIG NORRIS
Catch the rain. And why did you decide that one was the one?
DANIEL BROOKS
It it was. It was more than it was. I actually don't know how the decision was come to that. We owned that one.
CRAIG NORRIS
That you'd own.
DANIEL BROOKS
Ohh sorry but. It just sort of happened, I suppose. I don't really remember what the process was. But a lot of the other ones we did at the time have shared ownership, so.
CRAIG NORRIS
What does that mean? It means the artist partially and the.
DANIEL BROOKS
Owns a certain amount, and then we own another. Yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
And then there are other ones where we, we, we.
DANIEL BROOKS
Side of it. Licence them as opposed to yeah, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
And that's for only a certain duration or something. I know there are some.
DANIEL BROOKS
I think it's just to be used in that production and sort of henceforth, yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So there won't be a version in five years time where you've. Had to put.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
No, no, no. I mean, we're we're, I guess we're a cottage industry, so.
DANIEL BROOKS
The people who. Yeah, the the people that we know are bit more sensible. Than that.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah. Yes, we're just. Not really trying to screw each other over. We're just, you know, trying to share our world with each other. And I think on on the Hollywood productions where where that it it gets political with all that sort of stuff and you know all these lawyers involved just for you know.
Speaker
Just good.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
30 seconds of a track, you know.
CRAIG NORRIS
And so the sound design as well in terms of you're you're going over now watching and listening to some of the footage you're happy with how it's all kind of appearing and soundings.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yes, yes. No, definitely. I think the we've discussed at length how how much of a jump in quality there's been from our last production to this one. There's like I I think that it's an astronomical change in, in the quality of shots and how that. Integrates with the script itself and how those things reflect on each other is quite quite a bit more than has been in the past and the sound is really good too. Our we upgraded our sound equipment this time so there was more that could be.
CRAIG NORRIS
That's excellent. Done there. Wonderful and so. Umm. What are the plans for people? Getting a hold of it, watching it at the new distribution plans, film screening plans.
DANIEL BROOKS
So. So the screenings probably won't take place for another potentially a year in a.
CRAIG NORRIS
Bit wow, right? Yeah. So we're only just starting that post production moment.
DANIEL BROOKS
Now, now the initial plan was that it was going to be September was probably going to be the. The time this year. But that changed when I realised there was a certain due date. That was that I had missed. Understood. And it was that I had we had, we would have had to have had it. Done like several. Months ago, for that to have worked and I was like well. We'll. Just wait till next year because there is a specific. I won't spoil it, but there is a specific thing we wanna put it in and enter it.
CRAIG NORRIS
Right, like a Film Festival or something, right? Yeah. Because I was going to ask if there any plans for Film Festival. So you have a an eye on a Film Festival, right? But don't jinx it. No, but it's sorry.
DANIEL BROOKS
In. Booth. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So that there is a plan for that. We have an eye on something that that we're going to have to wait until we no. Of course, absolutely. But.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
No, that's Plan B.
DANIEL BROOKS
That's Plan B. But.
CRAIG NORRIS
Well, it's really exciting. I'm really glad to hear you guys are thinking of film festivals cause that that that makes a.
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah. Lot of sense. Yeah. No, exactly. Very good. So and after and obviously you can't. We can't if we were going to do that, we can't really do anything with it prior to.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Oh.
DANIEL BROOKS
That so there's yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
Why? Because some of the requirements of Film Festival is released within a certain window. Yeah, for it to count, right?
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Or it can't be screened publicly. Yeah. Gotcha. So, yeah. And the other thing, too, about choosing festivals and and to everyone listening. I'm not an expert. I'm figuring this out as as we're going.
DANIEL BROOKS
Prior to you screening it there. Sorry.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
But I my approach to it is well. It could. We could put it in this Film Festival, but that's a lot of effort for a very low reward. Or we could put it in that Film Festival. However, it's very unlikely that we would stand out in that Film Festival or very unlikely that. We'd actually. Find any real success with that Film Festival so you each each project needs its own Film Festival. Yeah, to. To really focus in.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, sort of strategy.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
On. Yeah. And, you know, you mentioned Khan before and and Khan it's more. Like how? How would you describe those movies? They're a bit more, I guess.
CRAIG NORRIS
Established with backing and.
DANIEL BROOKS
I think established is what came to my mind, yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
To to me. Yeah. To me it's like. What if? The the the kinds of movies where what if a Hollywood studio had licence to be creative? You know without without having. Yeah, firm hand.
DANIEL BROOKS
On them too, too much like oversight.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah. So that sort of quality, but with a more artistic approach to the.
Speaker
Movie.
CRAIG NORRIS
So because you were saying, yeah, you're learning quite a lot each time you're working on. These projects any. Any experiences you're thinking of bringing to having that I now flag a next project, but any experiences you're thinking of bringing into the OR wisdom you're thinking of bringing into the next project you're working?
DANIEL BROOKS
Yeah. Yes. On yeah, heaps, none that I can like really conjure immediately as I'm talking because I'm writing something now. Ohh right, I'm to be made in 2025.
CRAIG NORRIS
Hopefully any hints genre? Is it a? Western it's a.
DANIEL BROOKS
It's a it's a drama, OK? Like a drama drama.
CRAIG NORRIS
Period. Ohh right, really right. So drama drama. Yeah. So that means a kind of conflict. Yeah, more tears.
DANIEL BROOKS
More, yeah, more like that than our other stuff, which is all actually, our first film was a a drama kind of been of just been just one and see it was. It's a bit of an absurdist drama and it kind of is funny, but it is a drama. Emotions. Supposed. But since then we've only ever only done comedies. So.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
I think I think an important distinction with our older stuff and I guess our newer stuff is that. I went in with a chip on my shoulder and that Chip's gone, so that influenced quite heavily how things were done and written. So yeah, that's that's probably what I'm going to be taking forward moving forward. No, no real chip on my shoulder about anything.
CRAIG NORRIS
It it feels like again bringing it all. Yeah. Into a circle that, that kind of wonderful moment in the third actor film where the initial kind of divisions or chips on the shoulders, which might have been there from the older guy to the younger guy. Have fallen away and Yep, you've all grown from the.
DANIEL BROOKS
Experience. But it's a talking about the the actors that we had our our co-star is actually Co writing this next script with me. So it's because he expressed interest to me in writing more so than acting. So he he's he and I are now writing that.
CRAIG NORRIS
All right. And again you know.
DANIEL BROOKS
In earnest, it's A and it helps to have a a second person there, cause it really. Oh great. Pushes you along to do it really, really consistently.
CRAIG NORRIS
So again, putting yourself out there.
DANIEL BROOKS
Is your your your accountable? Else.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah, and. And let's be honest, I I'm not really a writer. I'm an editor. Like I I I'm good at editing dialogue, but I'm not good at.
CRAIG NORRIS
Yes. Writing it well, you see, so many films are.
DANIEL BROOKS
Zero.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Saved in the edit. Yeah. Well, I mean, you know, I mean, I I wouldn't give myself that much power over this story, I mean. My my, my, my strength when it comes to writing a script is more. Sort of. Choosing specific words or kind of re rephrasing a sentence to make it hit harder or be a bit softer or you know have a different connotation.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
But writing an actual story, I I, that's that's not really anything that I'm particularly good at to be.
CRAIG NORRIS
Honest again, you know the the journey each of you have been on in filmmaking is about clarifying. Yeah, you are once.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I've been in the way in the writing process, if anything. If I'm going to be brutally honest with myself.
CRAIG NORRIS
Too, again, yeah, we're. We're pretty much now at the end of the show. Any reflections or advice from this?
DANIEL BROOKS
Advice. If you wanna do something cool, just do it. Man. Michael.
XAVIER DIREEN
Like like Shia, Shia LaBeouf do.
CRAIG NORRIS
Just. Well, you've survived to come out the other end. I mean, I think this is.
DANIEL BROOKS
The remarkable thing that I mean, we've gotten to a pretty good place in terms of creative output and only about five years. Yes. So that which is pretty good I I.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
CRAIG NORRIS
It seems like you've surrounded yourself with a lot of great talent.
DANIEL BROOKS
So it's, it's I. I think it's pretty impressive to have gotten it to this position in half a decade. So I would. Pat ourselves on the back for that. And if I think if anybody wants to work with us, that would be lovely.
CRAIG NORRIS
Where can. They reach out to find out.
DANIEL BROOKS
To me on Facebook.
CRAIG NORRIS
And and what's? Is there a name on?
XAVIER DIREEN
Go up production.
DANIEL BROOKS
Facebook. I'm yeah. Daniel Brooks. And I suppose you could. You could. You could send a message to the big Love studios Instagram that we.
Speaker
Works.
CRAIG NORRIS
Have right big love studios and it's on Instagram.
DANIEL BROOKS
It's on. Yep.
CRAIG NORRIS
So people can reach out to you guys either by tracking down on Facebook, through Daniel Books. That's BROOKS. Yeah, KS.
DANIEL BROOKS
Hmm hmm.
CRAIG NORRIS
Or Instagram. The Big love studios. Any other contact points? They're the two main ones.
DANIEL BROOKS
Big. Yes. Ah yeah, those are the two main. Ones I think, look, I'll.
CRAIG NORRIS
Put it up on show notes.
DANIEL BROOKS
Or in person you can ambush me in a place you know that I suddenly am. I'm having a party tomorrow night. You can ambush me there. Has.
XAVIER DIREEN
Please don't at some minds.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
The address no, no.
Speaker
Well.
CRAIG NORRIS
Well guys, thanks so much for coming in. Edward, Daniel Xavier, it's been fantastic to have you on again continuing the documenting of. Yeah, this really fun, exciting indie film career that you've been embarking on for a while now. Umm, so I look forward to continue documenting this for future projects and we'll have to come in. As things fine up with their potential Film Festival in the.
DANIEL BROOKS
Future in the spring of 25.
CRAIG NORRIS
Spring of 25, it'll be gone just like. So keep listening to Edge Radio coming up next is not Kpop unlimited because poor Taylor has fallen off his scooter.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
He's fallen off his horse.
CRAIG NORRIS
Which yeah, could be the plot of some film. He is well, but the power of Kpop will heal him so you can find out more about media. Mothership, of course on Facebook and Instagram, there'll be show notes from today's episode up on the podcast as well, so I'll make sure there's some contact links for you guys there. And thanks again for coming in.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
That's alright. Yeah. Thank you for having.
Speaker
That's cute.
DANIEL BROOKS
Thank you. Us. Thank you, Doctor Craig. It has. Been beautiful. As always.
CRAIG NORRIS
Big love.
EDWARD WILLIAMS
Big love, big love.
XAVIER DIREEN
Big.
CRAIG NORRIS
Big love.
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