FAQs

The short film was shot in various locations across Melbourne & Ballarat VIC, Australia. Locations included a private residence in Kensington, Le Hotel in Ballarat and parklands in Parkville.

The core creatives were James Antonio Masefield and D.O.Ü.G. who performed much of the films planning and production. Other creatives included the talented (Gemma Horbury - Trumpet Musician) and TBA (Sound Guy). Co-star Hélène Tardif as well as many extras who played the role of brethrens were also indispensable to the project.

In planning we thought long and hard about the films colour pallete which ultimately led us to the principle shoot location, a plush victorian hotel suite. The pallete is bold and colourful with warm reds and oranges, deep greens and rich browns with influences stemming from the Russian constructavists, (namely Walter Kandinksy).

At several times during the film we chose to story tell through dance as an alternative to conventional narrative. It brings with it an unspoken sentiment and playfullness to the scenes.

The film is shot with Film Noir, German Expressionism, Dogma-style, Super-8, Ukrainian Fantasy, Chinese Temple arc, and Soviet Montage cinema styles in mind.

The use of split screens at different points in the film allowed us to story tell in an alternative way. It enabled us to deliver content in a rapid manner, provided additional visual stimulation and also allowed us to focus on small details that would otherwise be lost in a wide shot.

A concious choice to keep the production team small and intimate has enabled us to make good use of our modest budget as well as retain full creative control of the project. A small team meant we could inact our own creative intentions and react quickly to tasks and challenges in both the planning and production phases. Utilising James's access to film equipment via his learning institution we were able to secure all technical resources we required.

The films music was initally created by D.O.Ü.G. (a drummer in his former days) as a digital funk backbeat using Ableton Live©. We asked our trumpet musician to watch the dance scene(s) and improvise according to what they saw and felt in real time with gentle direction. This tehnique has produced dynamic and unique music that emotes beautifully and is in touch with the visual content.

The film is loosely based on a true story although many of the events and dialogue have been changed and/or added for dramatic purposes and it should no longer be considered accurate.

James is working on a feature film, Grace The Pirate Queen, which portrays the life of Grace O'Malley (a. 1530-1603). One of the most famous pirates of all time. Auntie - A feature film about forgiveness, friendship, bullying and cultural clashes.

D.O.Ü.G.'s head is still spinning from what he managed to acheive with this project and will take time to contemplate his next steps.