By Travis Johnson
The new Australian short film, Little Boy Blue, is a kind of rural fairy tale – albeit one that involves kidnaping, sexual assault and genital mutilation. The story of a young girl who discovers that a little boy is being held prisoner in a neighbouring farm’s barn, it’s a dark and haunting tale that fits firmly in the “Australian Gothic” genre, and picked up the Craft Award and Best Visual Effects when it recently screened at the St Kilda Film Festival. We stole a few minutes with producer and co-writer, Will Faulkner, to glean some insight into this striking and memorable work.
What was the genesis of the story?
The idea spurred from the image of a little girl discovering a boy trapped inside a barn. This image was filled with mystery. An intimate and innocent friendship among some very adult events. It resonated with us and we built the story and characters around it.
How long was the gestation process? What challenges did you face on the road to production?
The basic story came together quite quickly, but there was something missing. It was only in the early stages of production that we realised what this was and was able to layer the story with more complexity. This element really helped to drive home what we wanted to say with the film and how we wanted the audience to feel. Judging from the reactions in the screenings so far, the audience experiences a great sense of catharsis in the final moments.
Finding the barn was difficult. We drove for hours and hours through country New South Wales. We searched images of old barns on Flickr and Google. But when we stumbled upon the spectacular barn in Quirindi, just outside Tamworth, we knew it was the one. The barn was built for the 2006 Hollywood film Superman Returns, but after filming, the farmers requested it stay standing. Our fearless producer Will Faulkner approached the owners and requested permission to use it for the film.
Another major challenge was securing 100 chickens for the final climactic scene in a battery hen shed. Fastidious producer Joy Baines was able to find a specialist chicken breeder in Kenthurst, North West of Sydney. The breeder was open to providing 107 chickens which we put into the cages at Fairfield Showgrounds to create the scene. (No chickens were hurt throughout the process!)
I was struck by the excellent locations. How difficult was the film to scout and how far did you have to range?
New South Wales is an incredible state, filled with a myriad of breath taking locations. We shot the barn out near Tamworth, the farm house scenes on a property built in 1912 in Jerry’s Plains (near Singleton) and the evil farmer Mr Welch’s house scenes at the haunted Gledswood Homestead near Campbelltown. We found most of these locations by searching for images on the Internet or through friends and colleagues. Securing them was a matter of contacting the owners and asking, or sometimes, begging! Most of the owners were very understanding of what we wanted to achieve and generous in permitting use of their properties for a low fee.
How did you find working with children on this project, especially given the dark and at times gruesome subject matter? Did you have to shield them in any way, or shoot around certain elements?
We worked very closely with the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian as well as the child actor’s parents to direct the children in a safe environment. As the film draws heavily on fairy tales, the crew and I created an elaborate fairytale storyline that the children believed was occurring in the film. The children were never exposed to anything that scared or stressed them. Blood became strawberry sauce and the castrations became clipping an ogre’s toenails. While patience and time were tested, we strengthened our interpersonal and directorial skills.
The effects work is very impressive. How did you approach the gore gags, particularly in terms of choosing what to show and what not to?
I strongly believe that not showing something horrific can be as effective, if not more so, than showing it. What you only suggest can become more terrifying in the audience’s imaginations than anything seen on screen. Our brilliant composer Darren Lim and sound designed Justin Spasevski used music and sound to conjure some of the horrific events off screen.
The story is very dark and serious, but we wanted the ending to be uplifting and cathartic, so this guided us in how to end the film. There is a laugh or two towards the end which give the audience a release of all the tension held up til then. Freena Hamilton created the prosthetics and I think everyone can attest that they look very real!
What’s up next?
We are just beginning to take the film around the world and are hoping to be accepted into some more festivals. At the same time, we are adapting Little Boy Blue to the 90 minute feature format. As it is already 30 minutes, the story lends itself well to being adapted. With some screenings in Hollywood and a bit of luck, we are hoping to tell a bloodier, scarier and more cathartic version of this story to a global audience!
