By Travis Johnson
In its initial form, Bullets for the Dead was a short project created by third year students in the genre strand at Brisbane’s Griffith Film School. “They had an artist in residence [Spanish director Alberto Sciamma] who thought it would make a good feature,” producer Cathy Rodda explains. “And pitched it to a sales agent friend, Michael Cowan at Stealth Media. I’d just been working with Michael on Iron Sky and, being in the same town as the young filmmakers, he introduced me. I liked the idea of giving new film grads a leg up into the professional world.”
For their part, Griffith put the four key students, including director Michael Du Shane, through their Masters program, and Rodda brought Norm Wilkinson of Visionquest on board to help produce the film. In keeping with the educational roots of the film, some 22 students joined a team of 30 professionals on the shoot in South West Queensland, around Esk, Wivenhoe Dam and Rosewood.
Making a feature film on a budget is never easy, but it becomes incrementally more difficult when you’re shooting a period piece with a less-than-experienced crew. Creative solutions were needed, such as putting a significant proportion of the cast in their pajamas for an extended period (it makes sense in context) and utilising a sparse, simple production aesthetic. Some issues, however, you can only laugh at, such as a Western only having access to “…one horse for two days.”
But the show must go on, and Bullets for the Dead was completed and is now in circulation, with Rodda and company four-walling the film, doing Q&As at individual cinemas across the country. Tugg screenings are expected to follow, then a DVD release in December. And then?
“Exploring Bullets the TV series,” Rodda says. We can’t wait.
Bullets for the Dead is playing at Sydney’s Dendy Newtown on August 18, Brisbane’s Newfarm Cinemas on August 19, and Hobart’s State Cinema on August 28, complete with Q&As with director, Michael Du-Shane, producers, Cathy Rodda and Norm Wilkinson, and select cast and crew members. Hit the official site for details.
