DIRECTOR INTERVIEW
Eight FAQs about Six Years Gone.
Why did you make the film?
During lockdown I was starting to get itchy feet about making something new. I’d had the idea for Six Years Gone rattling around mey head for a while. Being a dad of a now thirteen-year-old daughter, the thought of her disappearing was the ultimate nightmare, and I felt I could mine those thoughts and feelings to use in a script. During this time I saw a film called The Unknown Girl on BBC iPlayer and the way it was shot, and the mood they captured, gave me the push I needed to get cracking on a script.
What was the budget?
It’s hard to exactly state the budget at this point as we have only just started on the PR push (that always costs more than you plan for!) but safe to say it’s very low - even for an indie release at around $18,000. A very special thanks goes to our (hands on!) Executive Producer David Fearn - pictured right.
How did you cast it?
I wanted to keep the production based largely in Brighton (my home town) to keep costs down and am really proud to say that film was cast and crewed almost entirely from creatives in the city. I actually had 140 tapes sent in for the lead role and, amazingly, Veronica’s was the FIRST I saw. No one after that quite nailed it like she did. I pretty much made the decision that Veronica would play Carrie from seeing a minute of that first tape!
With the casting of Carrie’s mum, Veronica was actually a huge help. We went through a lot of tapes until we finally found Sarah Priddy, and what an amazing job she did.
How long did it take to shoot?
We shot the movie in eleven days - not something I would recommend! This was largely made possible by the fact we used long single takes on many scenes. This means we only had to do one camera, sound and lighting set up for what could often end up being 4 minutes of screen time.
Saying all that, my amazing DOP Richard Osborne would, I’m sure, have liked a few more days…
What camera did you use?
Here’s the techie bit - we shot on a Red Epic Dragon, on Samyang primes, always with 1/8 Black Pro Mist in front, and varying levels of ND. Shot at 3k widescreen, 10:1 compression ,24fps... (Thanks Rich!)
Why did you shoot it using long single takes?
As mentioned previously, I’d seen a film called The Unknown Girl by the brilliant Dardenne brothers. I then sought out some more of their work and was intrigued and inspired by their shooting style. We have toned it back slightly as we have some edited scenes, but as a rule I wanted to keep it to one take as often as we could.
I love the documentary feel the style gives. I hope it lets the audience feel they are living Carrie’s nightmare with her.
How big was your crew?
VERY small! Just me, Richard the DOP, Jonathan the Gaffer, Paul on sound, Sian on Makeup and three very talented assistants in Michaela, Oli and Kasia… so a crew of just eight. In post they were joined by James the Composer, Joe on Sound Design and Matt the Colourist.
Are you happy with it?
I am incredibly proud of what we’ve all created. It’s easy to have an idea but it takes a dedicated and talented bunch of people to turn it in to a movie. Early test audience feedback has been incredibly encouraging and I really hope the public take the movie to their hearts.
When and where can I see it?
The film is now available to watch on Amazon Prime and Tubi.
If you have any other questions drop me a line or give me a ring.
info@sixty6media.co.uk / 07359 002666
