MADDIE CALCOTT
1. Since winning an award for Bloodfest in 2017, what have you done filmmaking wise?
In 2018 i created a short film for a mental health film competition. My film highlighted the current issues surrounding mental health with the aim of breaking stigmas. I was one of five finalists across Australia and New Zealand. Earlier this year I was asked to be an ambassador for the competition and help promote mental health awareness.
More recently I have been focusing on creating film clips for my songs which has been really fun and in some ways disturbing as my songs contain some pretty heavy emotions.
I feel it is really important to be open and try different things in this industry, so that you are allowing yourself to be open to more opportunities.
2. How was STALKED received by family and friends?
I was overwhelmed by the number of people that loved stalked. I was 13 at the time and it was my first attempt at creating a film. My family and friends loved it but what really surprised me was the response from my teachers. They were so impressed by the film and loved the message behind it. I even had an offer to use it for a conference on cyber safety. It wouldn’t have come together as well as it did without the help my friends
3. How important is music and sound in film?
I think it depends on the type of film you want to create. I mean the Blair witch project was a game changer in the horror film industry, but it didn’t have any music or obvious sound effects. The cinematography and acting sold the story and left people questioning if it was fact or fiction. However I love creating soundscapes and vocalisations for films. I think music is important for setting a scene or building suspense
4. How do you come up with ideas to score your films?
I think about what I am filming and try out different sounds. Usually when I am filming something I already have an idea of how I want it to sound. I like to think outside the box I try and use my voice in different ways to create sound or effect. I feel that layering tracks can be really effective in horror. A lot of my musical influence comes from my involvement with The House that Dan Built.
5. What's the last scary film you saw? What did you like about it?
The Blair Witch Project. It is such a simple film concept but it is really effective. I love how they based it on a real urban legend and then went on to market the film as a compilation of footage that was discovered after a student documentary team went missing in the woods whilst filming the project. People had no idea if it was real or fake but it was certainly effective. I mean what’s more scary than your nightmares becoming a reality?
6. How does cultural heritage influence your filmmaking
I feel that my film making seems to steer towards many issues that make a lot of people feel uncomfortable. Whether it is about mental health, the long term impacts of bullying, climate change or being free to embrace our cultural identity without judgement, I have always maintained a sense of pride in my identity and that ultimately comes through my film making by addressing these important issues. I just want to keep trying to break down the walls and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
JORDAN PAOLILLO
1. What is your approach to delegation and collaboration on a production?
My aim is to always keep clarity/comprehension king. I especially enjoy and look to work with people who are adding/contributing ideas to the overall project… It’s encouraging to know they’re invested in working together to make the best result possible.
2. How do you keep your films on schedule? What steps do you take?
I’m not the best at keeping on schedule myself, that’s why I find it’s very important to dedicate time and energy into finding a strong 1st AD. Sometimes with no budget it’s difficult to get them on set - in that case a stopwatch in your pocket isn’t a bad idea.
3. What is the most important qualities in a film director?
Self confidence and a friendly nature.
4. How do you work with actors that are unprofessional? How do you manage that situation?
In regards to non-actors, keep it simple and related to their language. They might not know how to react when a monster jumps them by surprise… but they might know how to react if they just dropped their phone in the toilet. With actors who muck around and rock up hungover on set, fire them. They’re not doing the film any good by approaching their work in that manner. The flip side to this is on smaller budgets with less at stake, you have the opportunity to complete the film and gain experience in handling such situations. Enduring the pain of working with someone difficult can help you to grow as an artist and human being.
5. What's the biggest mistake you made on a production and how did you fix it?
I was embarrassed recently to have finished a late shoot overtime by 1hr. I knew we needed a lot more time and had to decide between committing and finishing overtime, or calling it a night and reorganise the shoot another night. My on set mentor recommended just powering through and getting it done, we did and that’ll totally be my approach if I come across the situation again (if that’s an option).
6. Three tips for filmmaking to other young filmmakers
If it’s not working on the page, it’ll not work on the screen. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.
Learn to act. Even practicing the craft in a friends film will help with your communication towards actors. Live a life outside of film!
1. What is your approach to delegation and collaboration on a production?
My aim is to always keep clarity/comprehension king. I especially enjoy and look to work with people who are adding/contributing ideas to the overall project… It’s encouraging to know they’re invested in working together to make the best result possible.
2. How do you keep your films on schedule? What steps do you take?
I’m not the best at keeping on schedule myself, that’s why I find it’s very important to dedicate time and energy into finding a strong 1st AD. Sometimes with no budget it’s difficult to get them on set - in that case a stopwatch in your pocket isn’t a bad idea.
3. What is the most important qualities in a film director?
Self confidence and a friendly nature.
4. How do you work with actors that are unprofessional? How do you manage that situation?
In regards to non-actors, keep it simple and related to their language. They might not know how to react when a monster jumps them by surprise… but they might know how to react if they just dropped their phone in the toilet. With actors who muck around and rock up hungover on set, fire them. They’re not doing the film any good by approaching their work in that manner. The flip side to this is on smaller budgets with less at stake, you have the opportunity to complete the film and gain experience in handling such situations. Enduring the pain of working with someone difficult can help you to grow as an artist and human being.
5. What's the biggest mistake you made on a production and how did you fix it?
I was embarrassed recently to have finished a late shoot overtime by 1hr. I knew we needed a lot more time and had to decide between committing and finishing overtime, or calling it a night and reorganise the shoot another night. My on set mentor recommended just powering through and getting it done, we did and that’ll totally be my approach if I come across the situation again (if that’s an option).
6. Three tips for filmmaking to other young filmmakers
If it’s not working on the page, it’ll not work on the screen. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.
Learn to act. Even practicing the craft in a friends film will help with your communication towards actors. Live a life outside of film!