Free Film Script Reading of “KANOWNA, PLACE OF NO SLEEP” by Chris Richards-Scully

To celebrate the merger with FTI, the final PAC Script Lab, free film script reading for 2013 will take place at FTI in Fremantle, from 6pm, Wednesday, 4^th December, 2013.

“KANOWNA, PLACE OF NO SLEEP” is a feature length adaptation of the Chris Richards-Scully’s short film of the same name. The new script is currently in competition, having recently been selected as a semi-finalist from more than 6600 entries submitted to major international screenwriting contest, Final Draft Big Break Contest.

The package is in the mail

Two big deadlines on the same day!  Always happens this way doesn't it?

Anyway, they weren't for the same project and Michael had to do most of the work in the final sprint to get the Screen Australia submission into the mail.

Writing a synopsis and director's statement post filming of the film was a really strange and annoying experience.  We've shot the film and just need help financing the post production, can't we just show them the film, they'll love it and want to support us? ... nice try.

Post production continues to move forward and we will finish Kanowna regardless.

Kanowna (short film) - fine, fine cut

Today, Sarah (Editor) and I went through the film again and addressed the feedback from the LA gang.  Some of the suggested changes really worked, some needed slight tinkering with the suit the pacing of the current cut and some didn't work at all.

It was quite a draining session, but I think we're really heading towards a much better cut.  Still, we need to be mindful about what film we set out to make in the beginning.  Some scenes have been dropped, some scenes shortened and sometimes we've had to make big calls about sequences we loved, which didn't work within the narrative structure and storytelling.  It is a great process and an exercise in maintaining objectivity throughout.

We reconvene tomorrow evening and that will probably be the last editing session before we present to Michael, our Producer.

Feeling a little drained, but we're almost there!

On another note, I had a long conversation with Dustin on the phone today about marketing, festivals and the feature, which was all very exciting and we came up with a really good idea that I will look to incorporate into the feature treatment.

Let's try to make Kanowna, the short film, again.

After numerous false promises, false starts and lost hope, we are going to attempt to make my short film,  Kanowna again. This blog was hijacked for the production of my last TV project attempt, called 'In and Under', but that is now on the backburner and we are a couple weeks away from shooting Kanowna.

Unfortunately this will be another no-budget film. That said, a number of us are banding together and contributing cold, hard cash to make this film a reality. You can't do a no-budget period film, you have to have period costumes, props and other items which are necessary to make the world believable. I did write this film with the view of making it for no money, but the reality is, we do need some.

Once again my good friend and collaborator, Dustin Clare is set to play Trooper Brown, Clarke Richards will be playing Trooper Clarke and Peta Sergeant will be playing Osarno. Other crucial roles are still in the process of being cast and this is a worry, but once again, with no budget we have had to do what we can.

Michael Facey has taken the reigns as Producer and is doing a great job creating everything from nothing. A number of my film friends have jumped onboard to help because of their belief in the project, which I am most greatful for.

The film is set in the 'Outback' and Kanowna is actually a place which is about 40Km's North-east of Kalgoorlie, because of our budget restrictions we've had to find a location close to Perth for our exteriors. Michael and I drove out to Meckering on Sunday and lucked upon an area of saltlake which is perfect for the isolated feel I want to bring to the film. It is now a matter of getting permission to film there and scheduling everything so it works.

I am concerned that we still don't have many of the necessary components in place to start production, but hopefully it will all fall into place in the next few days.

Production Meeting

We had our first production meeting last night with Camille, Michael Facey and me in attendance. It was the first time we've started to discuss logistics and every other production component that will effect our Production. I also met with Dave Le May who is a local DOP to discuss the film. We are still not sure who will be the DOP as there are many issues to be sorted, many relating to costs. It is going to be fantastic to one day have the money to work with the technicians you want to work with.

Chomatsu is still proving to be the difficult one to find, but some new possibilities were presented today.

I met with Emma Fletcher on Monday night and she is onboard as Production Designer. Emma has an affinity with that period of history and her initial thoughts about the look were exactly in the direction I wanted to go. I'm really looking forward to working with her.

I've been struggling through the script again today, but I think I've nailed the next draft and will be sending it out very soon. Richard Hyde has once again been a great help.

Kanowna (short film) The Script

So the script I had was only half ready and obviously I couldn't present it in that form.  So I jumped in and started writing again.  Kanowna is the first script I have written in 10 years, the last was my graduation film from TAFE which was too long, not very subtle in its messages and probably too obtuse.

It was a great exercise for my development as a writer and my process.  I started with a feeling, an emotion that I imagined what the film would be.  I then proceeded to a scene breakdown which progressed through the structure of the story.  Once I was happy with the structure, I then filled it out, making adjustments and re-arranging things as I felt necessary.

Then I gave it over to Richard Hyde, who I have collaborated with on a number of projects and he did a script edit.  Not much changed, he suggested changing the sequence of a couple scenes and deleting one or two.  The biggest changes were suggested in the dialogue where I was tending to state subtext.  We met and discussed the changes and I was very happy with his suggestions, with only a couple adjustments of my own.

So in a week we had a fully fledged 1st Draft.