Phoebe Nell Williams

SYNOPSIS

In Melbourne’s outer suburbs, fifteen year old Nina’s gambling mother makes her abandon her dog because they can’t afford to keep him.

Walking With Woody explores destructive mother-daughter relationships, and the impact that our choices have on other people. It is a short film about the brink we all face time and time again; do we stay or leave? What do we do if we can’t leave?

Underneath it all it asks the question; how long can someone last without love?

TEAM NOTES: ST KILDA FILM FESTIVAL

We’re making this film to submit to St Kilda Film Festival by the 30^th of January 2015. This is a pretty tight deadline we know, but we made our last film in less than two months, so we’re ready for the challenge.

ACTORS

We’re currently casting for the role of Nina, but we can confirm that Kerrie-Anne Baker will be playing Deb, Nina’s mother. Kerrie-Anne has worked on various films and TV shows including Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, and we’re very excited to have her on board! We can also confirm that Dusty the Kelpie will be playing Woody (so cute, right?)



WHY DO WE NEED YOUR HELP?

We’re student filmmakers, so we don’t have a lot of money. We’re resourceful (number one student skill), but films are an expensive venture. To make this film better than anything we’ve done before, we need an awesome camera and a house that we can have to ourselves.

This way we can put a set together and not have a crew member’s best friend’s mate’s mum’s vase perched precariously next to a TV screen that costs more than our HECs debts combined, while we swing a boom pole around.

A film doesn’t exist without an audience and we want you to be there from day one. We’re using our Facebook page to explore multi-platforming, and we’ll encourage you to share your stories in that online space as we go.

With your collective support, we know we can achieve these goals.



DIRECTOR’S NOTE

I wrote the script in April for an assignment, and it sat unused for six months. As our second semester ended, I didn’t know how I was going to cope with four months off. All I wanted to do was make a film, so I said to the others ‘I’m making another one, want to join?’ The script needed so much work, but it was liberating being able to pull it apart and rebuild it.

As a writer, I’m fascinated by people. While I’m not sure there is any universal truth, I’m obsessed with picking human lives to bits to gain some kind of understanding (also, as I mentioned in the video, I like making people cry).

The catering on this film will be vegan. The film industry can be incredibly wasteful at times, but I’m hoping to be a part of a more ethically conscious model of filmmaking. Full disclosure: there is a butcher’s shop scene in the film, but it is important as it reflects the world of the characters. Just trying to do our best!

-Phoebe

THE TEAM



PHOEBE NELL WILLIAMS (director)

Phoebe has written and directed two other short films in the past year, including the group’s previous film Not Near Us. She is currently an Associate Producer at SYN 1700, Melbourne’s only youth produced live music show, which airs on Channel 31. Film is her first love, and she lives for really depressing fictional narratives. She is about to enter her third year of a Bachelor of Media at La Trobe University.

CAMERON CROXFORD (producer)

Cameron worked as Production Manager and 1^st Assistant Director on the group’s last film Not Near Us, which is currently being submitted to local festivals. He loves the creative aspects of filmmaking, and being able to apply this in all stages and areas of production. He is about to enter his third year of a Bachelor of Media at La Trobe University.

MONA ISAKSEN (editor)

Mona worked as an editing assistant in Norway on various television shows. She has worked with SYN for over a year, and has crewed on SYN 1700 (Melbourne’s only live youth produced music TV show) throughout 2014. She has crewed on short films and documentaries with Deakin University and also externally, taking on roles such as camera operator, directing and editing.

RHYS DEVINE (Director of Photography)

Rhys crewed on Maxwell, a short film made for La Trobe Short Flicks, and worked as camera operator and lighting designer on the team’s previous short film Not Near Us. He has been involved in media and film projects since VCE. He wrote a script which was accepted by La Trobe Short Flicks in 2014.

We're keeping it on as tight a budget as possible, but our basic breakdown is:

- $800 for a camera and related equipment. We want the film to look AMAZING.
- $350 for location. We're renting a house because we need the flexibility to make it look like it belongs to Nina and Deb; to move furniture, empty cupboards and dress the set appropriately.
- $150 for catering. We'll be feeding approximately 13 people per day, with cast and crew combined!
- $150 for travel expenses. The cast and crew have a lot of moving around to do, as we're all coming from different parts of Melbourne/Victoria.
- $50 for props. It all adds up! Some examples of props are; food to be used in the film and school items for Nina's bag.

Our deadline is our biggest challenge. We are in pre-production for a film that we’re intending to complete by the 20^th
of January, for submission by the 30th. We know we can do it. It all comes down to organisation, and we don’t say “oh let’s shoot for another four days”. We work to the time we have, which is how we will deal with our time constraints.

Other challenges are most likely unforeseeable at this point, but this is inevitable in filmmaking. By finishing ten days before the festival deadline, we have ample time to address any hiccups along the way. Our general approach is “don’t panic”. The more we plan, the less variables there are, which is why we are dedicating such a large amount of our timeframe to pre-production.