by Abhi Parasher
Making a successful film is a mammoth task that requires a lot of money spent on dozens of workers, both on the creative and logistical ends, all of whom need catering and potential accommodation. Clearly, the barrier to entry is high.
Or perhaps not…
Western Australian filmmaker Adam Morris’ Frank and Frank proves otherwise.
The film – whose title contains the cryptic subheading ‘(Or The Valley And The Walrus: Ruminations On The Mystery From Soup To Nuts)’ – follows the platonic friendship of two middle-aged men and stars highly respected thesps Myles Pollard (How to Please a Woman, Danger Close) and Trevor Jamieson (Storm Boy, Run Rabbit Run).
“Because our budget was so small, I only had character to work with,” explains Morris. “I wanted to tell a story with 2 or 3 characters that wasn’t a cliché. So, it worked out to be 2 characters that could be the same person who I wanted to take across a lifetime, one before their traditional conservative life and one after their life had collapsed.
“The crew was 4 people because we wanted to keep it simple, which creates a nice environment for the actors since it’s quite intimate,” explains Morris. “Most actors I’ve talked to say there are usually about 30 to 40 people behind the camera. I wouldn’t even know what to do with that amount of people on a set.”
This unorthodox approach allowed Morris to experiment with style as well as story, with a certain scene inspired by Steve McQueen’s Hunger.
“In my opinion, Steve McQueen is the greatest modern day filmmaker,” says Morris. “His films are so unusual and quite beautiful. I love the long takes in that movie [Hunger]. It was also practical for us to shoot 12 pages of the script in a day on the budget we had.”
Morris is not new to the micro-budget filmmaking scene with his first film, Edward and Isabella also made on a micro-budget. The filmmaker and his team don’t plan on stopping there.
“We plan on making at least one movie every year for the next ten years,” shares Morris. “I’d like to get that budget to around $300,000, but obviously if people want to throw loads of money at me, I’ll take it.”
It’s a unique and achievable goal given that Morris’ films are heavily dependent on well-constructed characters with satisfying arcs.
“Our style of film, which is heavily character-driven, you really don’t need millions and millions of dollars,” explains Morris. “If you have a good script, it will attract good actors who are willing to take a pay cut if they like the project.”
Frank and Frank is in cinemas August 17, 2023
