by Dov Kornits
“I’m always inspired by filmmakers who aren’t afraid to take a risk or two; those who try to do something a bit different, push boundaries and step away from the norm,” Alan King tells us when we ask him about his favourites. “It’s hard not to admire their adventurous and risk-taking spirit, even when things don’t go quite to plan. From the old school, my inspirations include Kubrick, Scorsese, Bergman, Herzog, Hitchcock, Coppola, Kurosawa, Weir, Malick and Lynch. Contemporary inspirations include Paul Thomas Anderson, Sean Penn, Lars Von Trier, Tarantino, and the next generation filmmakers such as Pia Borg, Chloe Zhao, Panos Cosmatos and Jordan Peele. I could go on and on.”
Alan King first came to our attention with the short Wild Will, an impactful experiment in style and substance. His films have played some of the world’s most respected film festivals, including Clermont Ferrand, Sao Paulo and Flickerfest.
“My last couple of shorts investigated suppressed rage,” King says. “There’s something that fascinates me with peeling back the mask to reveal the truth of what really lies beneath. The Beast continues the exploration into this theme, focusing primarily on the close association between infamy and fame, the unquenchable thirst for all things violent in our so called contemporary and civilized society, a thirst rarely discussed openly, but reflected in TV ratings and book sales.”
Budgeted at a modest $14,000, with some funds coming from Creative VIC and a Regional Arts VIC grant, King is looking forward to the challenge. “I did write the film with a small budget in mind, small cast, minimal locations, shooting Dogme 95 style (utilising natural light, handheld camera, minimal production design) plus I’m using a combination of moving and still imagery. We’re able to shoot within a short timeframe, which helps a lot.”
Co-producing The Beast with his regular collaborator Angela Ling and also starring Christopher Kirby (Wentworth, Preacher, Hunters), the film follows the rise and fall of a notorious recluse and explores the correlation between infamy and celebrity.
“I do think it’s experimental: the concept of using an equal measure of moving and still imagery to drive the film’s narrative both thrills and scares me to death! I love experimenting with storytelling techniques. I guess it’s in my nature as a filmmaker to work this way – it’s exciting. My hope is if I’m able to present a film that offers a new perspective on a relevant theme and do it well, people will engage with the work naturally and readily.
Entering the industry as an actor (Neighbours, Four Jacks, Killing Time), Alan King views his shift to filmmaking as “creating opportunities for artistic expression and voice. Having worked for many years as an actor, I became passionate about painting and in 2006 I completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at the Victoria College of the Arts. This changed everything! When I made my first short in 2011 [The Winking Boy], I really thought it would just be a bit of fun, something to do with my mates, but it turned out to be more than that, something really clicked for me with that experience. I felt very connected with the potential of filmmaking as an artform. It was like I had discovered the perfect amalgamation of both my fine art and acting skill sets. It all grew from there.”
The Beast will shoot in early May in regional and metropolitan Victoria.
