Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘The Flat Earther’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?
Before making The Flat Earther, my filmmaking experience mostly consisted of me being in front of the camera rather than behind it. Until my final day, I will always be an actor first and a filmmaker second. However, my passion for filmmaking has always existed since (funnily enough) I fell in love with my favorite movie of all time at 10 years old “The Exorcist", the first proper horror movie I ever witnessed. Until then, comedy had always been my favorite genre and is still a large part of my creative DNA, but The Exorcist was the movie that made me discover my immense love for horror. After the initial nightmares that I gained from that film, I dared to revisit it 4 weeks later and from that point, I was completely obsessed. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before, or since. It made me appreciate all aspects of filmmaking beyond great performances and overall opened my eyes to the technical possibilities of storytelling. Through groundbreaking practical effects, unique cinematography, intense lighting and shadows, iconic score, eerie sound design, unreplicated makeup (you know a movie is amazing when it has you praising the makeup!), and beautiful writing all universally coming together to deliver an unforgettable experience that stays with you for the rest of your life. It has been my aspiration ever since to produce a story that is held up to the same standard. It is the whole reason I enrolled myself at Sydney Actors School - an institution that not only provides the tools necessary to develop your craft as an Actor but also as a professional filmmaker. It was during my two-year course where I was given all the tools I needed to learn about all production roles associated with a film set, as well as the skill development of both writing and editing. Teaching me everything I needed to know about lifting a story out of my mind into a tangible MP4 file for the world to see. After doing a little two-shot horror short titled YONDOO (also starring Jarred Mauch, The Flat Earther himself) a monster horror that is available for those that can dig to find it, I embarked on filming my own script outside of education hours to make the most of the resources that I had access to for a limited time, thus resulting in my DEBUT short film - “The Flat Earther”.
Tell us about ‘The Flat Earther’. How do you describe it?
On the surface, The Flat Earther is a simple story about two people from opposing worlds coming together in search of a connection. But simultaneously, it’s also a film that requires you to question EVERYTHING since we now live in the age of biased media outlets and an endless stream of propaganda that is enforced upon us by the powers that be. Where we are assigned opinions and forced to live in a system that punishes contrarian views and outcasts' trains of thought that are outside of what is accepted as “normal”. Where judgement is guaranteed if you don’t commit to the agenda that surrounds every one of us and ridicule is imminent if you express how you truly view the world. And above all else, where you get laughed at if you challenge the narratives that benefit nobody else but the entities in charge! But also the importance of acceptance of one’s significant other despite a difference of perspective and life experience UwU. For the most part, The Flat Earther at heart is a silly rom-com inspired by the 2000s aesthetic of films of a similar nature (see every Mathew McConaughey film during this period). Above everything, I wanted to capture the feeling of being transported to a world that was undeniably charming and reminiscent of the tongue in cheek humor that feels all too missing in today's seemingly non-existent character-focused comedy genre.
Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.
I think Stanley Kubrick is the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time). I just think he understood every genre that he took on board and was able to push the boundaries to heights never seen before every time. I mean who else has a movie as culturally significant as 2001 A Space Odyssey under their belt? I think every film from that point was nothing short of a masterpiece every time. Whether it was the horror epic The Shining which has only gained iconic status throughout the years, or an equal part hilarious and grim depiction of the Vietnam War with Full Metal Jacket. My personal favorite is his criminal sci-fi A Clockwork Orange, a story about a juvenile menace who’s put through extreme psychiatric conditioning resulting in a forward-thinking take on the Nature vs Nurture debate. It’s a brilliantly acted film with twisted humor and a satisfying journey. As well as a distinct soundtrack and rich world-building. It’s a perfect movie by every means. Apart from Kubrick, I have a big respect for filmmakers who can infuse their personality within their storytelling, making it easily recognizable before seeing the credits. This includes Ari Aster, Robert Eggers, Spike Lee, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, David Lynch, Sam Rami, David Cronenberg, William Friedkin, and of course Tarantino and Scorsese. Lars von Trier is a personal favourite who I could only dream of collaborating with one day (AntiChrist, The House That Jack Built, Nymphomaniac)
If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?
Every film I make is a buildup to my dream project. Currently titled 300 Livingstone Road, named after the address of the boarding house I lived in for 3 years over the Covid-19 pandemic. I describe the building as a crossbreed between a Haunted House, a Mental Asylum, and a Crack House. Shared with 16 other residents who all pay for their own room with shared common areas (kitchen, bathroom, backyard, etc). Living there was dirt cheap but you paid a different price. From extremely racist neighbors, raging drunks, countless drug addicts, a landlord with dementia, mentally deranged men, actual criminals evading police, and old men who have come to rot away the rest of their days. It remains the most uniquely ridiculous “experience” I’ve ever lived through and managed to survive. I’m currently writing a screenplay that has every single interaction me and my roommate had with every single resident in that building with the hopes of turning it into a 2 and a half hour dark comedy horror epic that serves as a commentary on how bad Sydney’s housing is for people just above the poverty line and the condition they have to put up with to avoid being homeless. As well as analyzing classic Aussie archetypes that aren’t typically seen as horror villains. As soon as I have the right location and cast, nothing will stop me from turning it into what I envision my ultimate creative statement to be.
Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?
The experience of making The Flat Earther has taught me that the actual filming of a project is the least amount of time that you spend on the whole thing. And how easily it can fall apart if you haven’t planned it right. You need to be able to give yourself as much time as possible to plan and prepare for the upcoming shoot and ensure that your team is well-informed and committed to the vision at hand. Without communication and dedication to the end result, the process will most likely sour or at the very least not turn out the way you want it to. You need to be able to give yourself room to breathe and improvise if an issue arrives to ensure that you are well equipped to problem solve when it calls for it. This can include making sure you have other creatives to rely on in case someone pulls out without much notice and making sure everyone has received the information you have delivered out to them by being forward about needing confirmation from everyone in the team. As well as leading by example and being prepared to do the majority of the heavy lifting so others won’t have to feel pressure and doubt themselves, causing negative views of the production as a whole.
What was the hardest part of making ‘The Flat Earther’?
The hardest part of making The Flat Earther was having to organize everyone needed for the limited timeframe that we had to shoot. As I was studying full time the year we filmed it, and it wasn’t a part of the curriculum meaning I only had my mid-year holidays to get it done. It meant that I had to have the schedule organized months in advance with crew roles sorted so everything was to run according to plan. I believe my least favorite part of any shoot from this point is location scouting, as it’s such a mission to confirm a time that works for not only you but everyone else, especially when dealing with a place of business. Luckily I was able to secure The Regent Redfern as the pub location seen in the film. However it meant I only had the place for a limited time with less than 9 hours to shoot, so we only had one chance to get everything we needed. After filming the main scene with all the shots we needed for about 12 takes to give us plenty of options in the edit, every other frame (over 20 shots) were all one-take wonders. It was crazy experiencing the adrenaline rush just pumping them all one after another resetting lighting and frame between every take without cracking under the pressure of the time limit. If we didn’t get everything we needed, we were never going to have a chance to film again as I would had to go back to studying and everyone’s availability would never have lined up again. If you saw me during that afternoon my energy levels were through the roof. Luckily I didn’t fold, I knew what I needed thanks to the months of preparation I had on hand, as well as an extremely talented crew who knew what they were doing every time it was time to reset. We got everything done just as we were about to get kicked out. I couldn’t be more proud of ourselves and the final result.
If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?
I have about 10 ideas I have on the cutting room floor that are always growing in number. Right now though I have about 4 projects I’m actively working on which are in the writing stage. There’s a feature film called By Any Means Necessary starring the talented (and insanely buff) Joshua Rosewarne, a film that is the encapsulation of every gym meme ever. It follows a man’s journey from an everyday gym bro taking his protein powders and hitting his calories to devolving into a spiral of creatine, BCAAS, Turktostrone and eventually TREN (steroids). It’s meant to be a satirical take of men’s mental health and the substitution of working out instead of dealing with your actual problems. Another film is a short called The Sound Guy, a complete 180 from the light hearted warm humour of The Flat Earther into the depressing dark comedy depiction of a suicidal failed actor stuck in the film industry working as a soundie who has the worst day of his life. An analysis of what it’s like to feel undermined and plateaued in life in the entertainment industry surrounded by people who seem so much ahead of you. Starring real-life soundie and hilarious actor Perry Robertson Terranova. The last film I’ll mention is none other but a follow-up to The Flat Earther itself, a sequel FEATURE titled MEET THE FLAT EARTHERS. Without spoiling the original, it takes place a year after the events of the first film, where we are introduced to Nathan’s family who come from a long line of Flat Earth lineage themselves, ultimately expanding and exploring further into The Flat Earth lore while staying true to the rom-com style introduced in the first film. As I said, every film I make serves as a next step to eventually put me in the position of securing the resources to film my ultimate dream narrative, 300 Livingstone Road (which may be depicted in Theatre format first). Thank you Tokyo International Film Festival hosting the project and greatly assisting me in this journey. It means the world.
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