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Aussie filmmaker with eye for entertainment
Australian actor turned director Aash Aaron discusses the trials and triumphs of making his first feature film: a controversial thriller!
What's an actor to do when he can't land any decent feature roles? Well according to actor turned director, Aash Aaron, the answer was to write the screenplays himself. With over 25 years experience in the entertainment industry, Aaron has written and produced two feature films, I.C.U and Vigilante, both of which premiered at the Gold Coast Film Fantastic.
Having shot both films in Australia, Aaron has an interesting message for local filmmakers: "Focus on making universal commercial films rather than Aussie culture films. Aussies are sick of our culture. They just want to be entertained so we should be making entertaining fun joyride films and not dark human spirit dramas," he said.
Indeed his first feature film, I.C.U, seems to be just that: a voyeuristic thriller starring young Neighbours starlet Margot Robbie [pictured] as preppy highschool vixen, Tristan Waters. Unfortunately for Tristan, she becomes the sex object and visual target for a serial killer who is watching her every move from a multitude of hidden cameras in her holiday penthouse.
As his first feature film, I.C.U proved a big learning curve for the budding director. "[After I.C.U] I learnt to trust my instincts - everyone will tell you how it should be done but the reason I got into all this is because I already loved films and, inside, I knew how to make them," Aaron said.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing for the entrepreneurial filmmaker. The tough life of independent films meant that even though I.C.U was a low budget film, money was hard to come by. Aaron used funds from the acting lessons he taught on the side and the cast and crew deferred their payment to allow the movie to go ahead.
"We had investors drop out as soon as we finished shooting for no good reason which meant I couldn't pay for a lot of the post production needs so I had to learn how to edit and what I needed to do sound wise and beg for help wherever I could find it. Regatta Studios generously came to my aid and Home School Sound, which was a major relief because sound is such a difficult but crucial area you can't fluke."
However Aaron can now appreciate that these trying times made him more prepared for his second project, Vigilante, which was the first of his films released. "Once I got the technical junk out of the way [on I.C.U], the next film was a breeze, even though it was fifty times bigger with car chases, dozens of actors and extras, fight scenes and locations all over the Gold Coast. After my second film, I now know there is nothing I can't do and can't wait to move onto my next film."
It seems this Australian filmmaker won't have to wait long. Aaron's third film, Black Friday, is already in development and he is currently under negotiations with an Asian/USA production company to co-produce two more of his screenplays.
More information on Aaron's projects can be found at his website.