Progress so far

The film is now in the final stages of Post Production and I now have the daunting luxury to look back retrospectively and see if I fulfilled my ambitions and desires when first embarking on this project. The journey to completing this film has been an exciting and illuminating process and so far I am happy with the outcome.

I returned to my visual pre-production material and in terms of aesthetic approach I feel I far surpassed my own expectations and am very proud of this aspect of the film. The script, in relation to dialogue has had the most alterations whilst the structure, which was quite ambitious to begin with works and provides the drama it was created for.

The script had a lot of superfluous dialogue and luckily because of the structure, cutting between two stories, it was malleable enough for me to remove quite large chunks from the film. This would allow for a quicker rhythm and interplay between the two stories and a deeper subtext into the emotional inner lives of the characters.

I set out to bring a level of real drama and conflict to my work and feel confident it has been achieved. The actors have brought a unique life to each of my characters, which are convincing, intense, and completely believable, this is one of the strongest aspects of the film.

The Sound Design has also become a large component of the film and we have had a large team assigned to the task of creating it after coming into contact with a team from SAE. I have also been working closely with a very talented  first time composer with a background in classical music, which has been a delight and his sensibilities bring a real edge to the film.

Our Marketing approach is to enter the film into Film Festivals both Nationally and Internationally. We feel confident that audiences would appreciate this film and endeavour to do our best to get it into the public arena.

Personally, at this stage of my education and future career as a filmmaker I contend that I have made a short film using the upmost of my abilities, that at this point of my life I could not have made a better film within the parameters I set out with. That gives me confidence for the future and a yearning to hone my craft, learn more skills and continually improve myself and my work step by step and hopefully achieve a higher quality of work.

Kostas Ouzas

Kostas Ouzas Filmography:

2009- 30 sec Doritos Commercial, TOP 50 NATIONWIDE FINALIST

2009- Short Film, Actor, ‘Repetition of Time’ Director: Stavros Kourounis

2009- Short Film, Writer/Director/Editor, ‘The Car Yard’

2009- Short Documentary, 2^nd Unit Camera, ‘From Dope to Dalai Lama’ Director: Jason Raftopoulos, IF AWARD BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY

2010- Short Film, Writer/Director/Editor, ‘The Importance of Being Idle’

2011- Short Film, Writer/Director/Editor, “Don’t Look Back”

"The Importance of Being Idle"- 2010

Pre-Production

The pre-production for ‘Don’t Look Back’ began in March 2011 under the working title of ‘Caprice’.

Having worked on the Director’s previous film to achieve a certain style and aesthetic we were constantly discussing the method in which this film would be shot, both in terms of the aesthetic and the production itself. We decided to keep crew to a minimum and some crewmembers had numerous roles. Traditional production roles such as continuity, line producers, location scouts were not needed and not used for the production. It was our aim to make the filmmaking process as personal as possible.

It was agreed from the outset to keep costs to a minimum throughout production using all resources at our disposal. Swinburne University were to acquire an ARRI ALEXA and it was decided that we would shoot on digital both as a means of experimenting with the digital medium as well as keeping film stock costs to nil. Locations were kept to those that we had direct access to as well as public places.

In keeping film costs down it was decided to invest in Art Direction, an area we both felt was imperative to the telling of the story. Ste Carey came on board as Art Director in June 2011 and his ability to work within a budget and still achieve a distinct style is testament to his work ethic.

The performance of the actors was of the utmost importance to the project and it was the Director’s desire to hone his directing skills by experimenting with new techniques. As a result, the Director worked closely with the actors through rehearsals in order to help develop the characters and their relationships.

Aaron Farrugia was chosen as Director of Photography early in pre-production as Kosta and Aaron had previously worked together and wished to continue the working relationship. However, one week from production Aaron became unavailable for the first week of photography and Tim Metherall was engaged to take on this role. Therefore, each individual was responsible for shooting one story each, Tim shooting the ‘Junkies’ as well as the ‘Flashback’, and Aaron the ‘Couple’. The result is two distinct yet harmonious shooting styles that indeed suit the telling of two different stories that share this tragic connection.

Alexi Ouzas

Jennifer and Nick

Here are some production stills by Tom Blanchford of Emily O'Brien Brown portraying Jennifer and William Emmons as Nick.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Interestingly, the two stories in the film had a different cinematographer. This was born out of practical reasons due to scheduling conflicts rather than an artistic decision but I believe it has added another dynamic to the film as the two stories are expressed visually by two different artists. Tim Metherall shot the flashback sequence and the junkies, and Aaron Farrugia was at the helm for the couples story.

Both men brought a unique approach and style to the film and I feel they compliment each other very nicely in the final outcome.

 Tim Metherall

Aaron Farrugia

Sound Design

The film has finally been picture locked and we have begun post-production on the sound and colour grade. Above is an ADR session with the actor Rowan Davies.

The Producer – Part 1: Filmmaking

The production of ‘Don’t Look Back’ began through the conception of the controlling idea that there are moments that we experience within our lives where blame is not attributable to one individual, but rather to the surrounding circumstances of that moment. Often, these moments bare a tragic element that alters the path of those involved. It is through finding the strength to deal with these moments that life thrusts upon you that you gain the ability to overcome your fears and insecurities.

The script was constantly developing from this initial idea and the Writer/ Director, Kostas Ouzas, continually developed the story and until it had evolved into the story we see now. The ability to work closely with the Writer/ Director Kostas Ouzas, my elder brother, allowed the concept for the film to take shape naturally through constant discussion. It was determined that the ‘effect’ of such an event that would be portrayed was as important as its ‘cause’, thus the story would be told in such a manner with the use of Flashbacks as a means of joining the stories. 

The structure of the film is particularly appealing as it breaks the typical convention of short films, that is, a linear story with a climax and resolution. Here, the climax and resolution are reached in a non-linear manner causing the viewer to believe the stories will eventually clash in real time. It is this unique structure that differentiates the film from most typical short films and I believe the experimentation with structure will prove to set the film apart from its peers.

The relationship between the Director and myself is certainly the backbone to the success of the production of the film as it allows myself, the Producer, to put my complete trust and support behind the Director and his vision. I regard this a very important aspect of filmmaking. My passion for film stems from the auteur and the notion that a film, like a piece of art, should represent the artist’s distinct voice and style. It is, therefore, the Producer’s role to make this vision possible to its fullest capabilities and it is only through complete trust and respect for that vision that such a task can be complete.

As Producer of this film my ambition has been to complete a piece of work that is at the extent of our current capabilities. Furthermore, it has been an important aspect of the project to break the conventions of filmmaking at every possible opportunity to ensure that we are creating an ethos by which we as filmmakers can call our own. This is important to achieve now so that when a feature film is produced the methods of production are already well defined. I believe that the production of this film has achieved that without forsaking any quality of the film itself.

As a first time Producer the production has certainly been a learning curve, however, such method of learning has been an invaluable experience. I believe that the lack of formal education forces me to continually research and read about filmmaking in order to understand the role of Producer. Although the responsibilities of a Producer are well defined I have been able to form my own view of the functions of a Producer that exists outside the conventional teachings.

The production of the film has to this point achieved all that was set out to achieve at its conception. With a firm post-production pathway in place the film has the ability to now go beyond our expectations. This is the result of the collaboration of all those that have been involved in the process. By engaging those people capable in their craft you allow for them to bring something new to the project and take the film to a place that was previously not expected.

It has, so far, been a very rewarding experience to see this film develop from its earliest stages as an idea, through to a screenplay, to seeing the characters and story come to life in production, and finally bringing together all those involved and working successfully through the production. 

By Alexi Ouzas