Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name: Cutting the Darkness
Genre: Drama
Date: 2010
Director: Paulo Areal
Producer: Paulo Areal
Writer: Johnathan Pienaar
Cinematographer: Paulo Areal
Production Company: The Moving Billboard Picture Company
Budget: $1000
Financing: Self Financed
Shooting Format: Mini DV
Screening Format: Dv Wide Screen
World Premiere: Global Nonviolent Film Festival 2020
Awards:
– Best Short Film at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival
– Best Actor in a Short Film at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival
Website
indieactivity: Tell us about “who you are”?
Paulo Areal (PA): I produced, directed, shot, and edited the short film
Introduce your film?
Paulo Areal (PA): Cutting The darkness, It’s a dark highly dramatic film, dealing with a victim of a Hijacking who is then thrown into a disused mine with his 3 workmates to die. He tells his fight to make it out alive.
Tell us why you chose to write, produce, direct, shoot, cut/edit the movie? Was it financial, chance, or no-budget reason?
PA: Johnathan and I decided we wanted to tell a harrowing story, 2 people, 2 cameras in a studio and only 1 take.
Introduce your crew?
PA: A once in a lifetime experience with Jonathan Pienaar in a command performance and myself moving between the 2 cameras, Pure poetry in motion.
What are your personal experiences putting on all these hats/responsibilities (simultaneously)? Tell us about the story, writing, and production?
PA: I loved the 2 main collaborations of this film, it was total trust in each other’s ability and love of our crafts.
What is the source of the idea? How did the story develop from the idea? And how did the story evolve into a screenplay? Why do this story? Do you have a writing process?
PA: The concept is based on a true story when the Nazi’s in retreat from Moscow threw the men of a village into a pit and left them to die. When the Allies found them there were only 2 men alive, one mentally disturbed and the other who told the tale discussed in the morning, shot in the afternoon.
What was your rehearsal process and period?
PA: None, we went with the flow
You shot the film in days. How long were your days?
PA: 30 minutes
Did the tight shooting schedule make it harder or easier? How did it affect performances?
PA: It was just right
What were the advantages and disadvantages of the way you worked?
PA: Quick turn around
What was the experience like of working with a small shooting crew?
PA: 2 men, was fun
The film looks stunning. How did you get such a good look when shooting so fast?
PA: I had a look I wanted, hence shooting Mini DV, for the softness and color range of Mini DVD
When did you form your production company – and what was the original motivation for its formation?
PA: 1987
What was the first project out of the gate?
PA: I produced and directed 400 odd music videos, then commercials, and now features.
What about independent filmmaking and the business do you still struggle with?
PA: Distribution
Where do you think your strengths lie as a filmmaker?
PA: Understanding Business and loving film. Both are important it’s a 50/50 relationship.
Let’s talk finance, How did you finance the film?
PA: As I own a Gear house and Post Facility, it was dirt cheap.
How much did you go over budget? How did you manage it?
PA: In budget
How important is marketing? Talk about the festival tour? Do you think a project can make a dent without it nowadays?
PA: Marketing is paramount, it’s no use making a great film and nobody knows about it.
Tell us about marketing activities or efforts on this project – and how it worked or didn’t work?
PA: To be honest, we shot this as a Proof of concept for the possibility of making a feature and decided against it.
What do you hope audiences will get from the presentation of your film?
PA: That it’s ALL about the performance
What else have you got in the works?
PA: 2 Feature films waiting for the COVID scare to be over and go into production (Both Financed), 2 TV mini-series in development
Tell us what you think of Cutting the Darkness What do you think of it? Genre? More genre? Let’s have your comments below and/or on Facebook or Instagram! Or join me on Twitter
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