Where's The Other Siamese Twin Gone Now?

#3 - David Hawkins [Director/DOP]

So you want to know what happened in the four weeks where I went AWOL? I think I went insane.

It started out just fine. I took an old idea and expanded on it - Chester meets the girl of his dreams the previous night and now sets out on a mission to find her. Kind of 'Dude Where's My Car' meets 'Alice In Wonderland'. Every scene is a new location, a new support character and a brief quirky encounter.

I was liking the possibility of this being achievable with no budget until Chester suggested that we would have trouble finding a great female actor for no money. However he had a solution... he had already talked to a good friend of his who wanted to get involved. And this friend was male.

Part of my process was a simple rule; if it is offered then embrace it.

And so I began redrafting my treatment to be a buddy picture with two male leads. There were many variations: two guys after the same girl for love, two guys after the same girl but one wants to kill her, two guys after the same girl but one turns out to want the other guy.... You can see that I was veering dangerously into 'Days Of Our Lives' territory.

I also realised that these stories were not really very 'me'. I tend to watch films that have something different, something niche about them. And then I had the idea that the girl was in fact an alien visitor; Chester was searching for her as he believed that she was the girl of his dreams and the other male character was an alien hunter who wanted to capture her to make his scientific career.

Granted it still sounds kinda tacky but it got me excited. I like aliens. And it had the edges of those 80's flicks that I love so much.

With this finally solved I realised that for all of the rewriting I did not yet even know who this mysterious 'other male' cast member was.

This time we're going to be cheeky and let the secret actor himself, Chester, talk to you in the fourth stunning instalment of Making Bound By Blue (also know as - Please Leave Your Sanity With The Doorman).

Knocking on Barnum's Caravan

#2 - Kate Talbot [Producer]

Now if Dave had actually been listening to me he would have heard me say, “I’m nearly finished doing pre production prep on the latest two short film scripts you’ve sent me”.

Producing is so Smurfy

It was at this point David mumbled “Yeah… I’ve been thinking. Let’s put them aside for now… I have a bigger and better idea bubbling away (he may have even used the word crazy, but that part escapes me now). I’ll give you a call in a week.”

So I waited… and waited. And four weeks later I finally picked up the phone and demanded to know what this amazing new idea was. 

Perhaps all the waiting had made me a little desperate for production action because when David said “I have no money but I want to make a feature that uses a different location for every scene, shoots every second night over a two-month period and (wait for it) is all improv acting” my enthusiastic response was “Great! When can we start?”  

The initial concept was simple enough; a “buddy” film, set in Melbourne and starring Chester who was already on-board. David was fascinated by the “unseen-side” of Melbourne and wanted to explore this in the film, working Melbourne in as the third character.

Little did I know (foolishly, as I’d worked with David before and I knew that when he gets an idea into his head he’s like a pit-bull at a burglar’s leg) that I was embarking on an all consuming project that would see the next 9 months engulfed by 18 hour days and LOADS of logistical conundrums… 

Why don't I get David to fill you in on what happened in those 4 weeks of scheming silence? Check it out in the third episode of Making Bound By Blue (also known as - My Mother Always Said That Yodeling Was My Future).

How Much Does a Big Top Cost?

#1 - David Hawkins [Director/ DOP]

Would you like to be privy to the harrowing tales of how a trio of insane optimists set out to make a no-budget independent feature film with over 50 cast, 100 extras, 50 crew and 30 locations? A blow-by-blow account (how else do you think we could have pulled it off?) (excuse the double innuendo).

Beginning right now let me weave you a tale of heroes and villains, of desperate banditos and us, the begging paupers. And I will begin this epic journey at its humble beginning.

I was watching a film. An expensive film. A repeatedly funded film. An abhorrent film. Now I will not name the beast, but it is enough to say that two and a half hours of not funny romantic comedy could melt even the most avid film buffs belief in the magic of storytelling.

So I cracked it.

I told everyone who asked exactly what I thought of the film, and very quickly people stopped asking, "If that film had been dragged to life by the sheer no-budget determination of the filmmakers trying to get a voice in the world, then I would give them a standing ovation. But to create such uninspired and poorly produced crap when you have money and support being handed to you is unforgivable."

Believe it or not my wife got a little sick of hearing this over and again, particularly when I would add "I could make a better film than that without any support."
And so she told me what she thought of my opinions, "Then do it. Stop complaining and do it."

"A challenge" I thought. This was a suggestion that my wife was soon to regret voicing.

Also attending the aforementioned event was one of Australia's newest heart throbs (unable to be named at the moment... let's call him Chester for now). And he had also had to put up with my negative droning all night long. I surprised Chester a few days later with a phone call. The call began with these simple words, "I've got a favour to ask..."

Having gained his optimism and enthusiasm (Chester is a bubble of joyous energy!) I was spurred to make the next and vital call. I dialed the number of my ever-suffering Producer, Kate Talbot.

"Hi Kate. What's up? Uh huh. Look I'm not really listening, but boy do I have a question to pose to you that is going to change your world..."

I'll let Kate tell you what transpired next, in the soon-to-follow second episode of Making Bound By Blue (also known as - How We Came To Lose Our Minds, Hearts, Dignity and my Subaru 4WD).

Roll up, roll up!!!

It's been a while since my last update - apologies. I wanted let you all know that my AMAZING Producer KATE TALBOT has launched her grand brand new website for her production company Think Boy Think!

Check it out at: www.thinkboythinkproductions.com

We have just begun sending out our first short film PROGRESS to film festivals around Europe, whilst our second short film MUGGED is about to land in our hot little hands ready for the same dirty treatment.

In the meantime have a look at our pretty mugs on Kate's website.