Horror Scope
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Posted 2 April 2007
Interviewer: Mark Smith
Melanie Ansley is the co-writer/director of independent Melbourne horror film Watch Me. Shot over two months in locations in Melbourne and Beijing the film tells the story of a vengeful spirit which kills anyone that watches an email attachment entitled Watch Me. The film is Ansley's feature directorial debut, having previously produced and directed the documentaries and short films The Last Breadbox , Shanghai Bride , Flower Children and Butcher . To date the film has screened at the Atlanta, Phoenix Fear and Freak Show Horror Film Festivals.
It makes its Australian premiere in Melbourne on Friday, April 13 at the Insert Name Here event at Bar Open in Fitzroy.
Where did the idea for Watch Me come from? Why make a horror feature?
I've really loved horror for quite a while, and after being exposed to Asian horror at the Melbourne International Film Festival I knew I wanted to test my directing skills with a horror first and foremost. Seeing some of the modern Asian films, many on pirated DVD as that's the only place they were available, made me realize some of the possibilities of genre films. Horror's exciting, it's a solid genre, it's usually cheap to do, and it allows for a lot of creativity. Horror is fun to watch, I thought it must be even more fun to make.
The film was co-written by yourself and Sam Voutas. How did this collaboration work?
We both took on new roles, me as director and Sam as producer. Usually it's the other way around. This was also the first time we'd ever co-written anything, but it turned out to be pretty organic. Most projects before and since we've agreed to not co-write, it becomes like co-directing, you run the risk of becoming a two headed beast, two brains trying to decide which way to go. But somehow this really clicked. We pretty much agreed on how it would flow, plot points, everything. We knew what we wanted to make and we hammered out the script in less than two months.
The film is almost entirely made up of interior locations. Was this a conscious decision when writing the script?
The beauty about horror is that the genre almost begs to be interior, and hence easier on the budget. I knew we were tight on cash, but wanted to make something that would be seen and would be enjoyable. Also this would force me to focus more on character, dialogue, etc., rather than snazzy special effects and major locations. We ended up making five locations act as four different sets, changing rooms and interiors to make them seem like different houses. So Taku's house was also Jill's house, and Tess's house also doubled as Taku's bathroom. We did this by putting up sheets, covering doors, and being careful about camera angles.
What are the advantages of making an independent feature? What are the disadvantages?
Well the traditional answer is control over your picture. However I'm not sure I'd know, as I have not been offered the opportunity of selling out and doing a studio film. When you're in a position where you're being offered the chance to sell out, then you've “made it”. Certainly the disadvantages are that a lot of people don't take you seriously, which means you have to be extra disciplined and professional to make up for the lack of studio backing. You also don't have the money to sink into advertising and marketing, having to make sure that the film not only gets made but gets seen. That's a huge part of filmmaking, is not just shooting the bloody thing but finding the audience for it. And that takes money, something most independents lack.
What budget was Watch Me produced on? How did you raise the money?
We had some money cobbled together from previous productions, which we wanted to put into a new one. So we raised most of the money that way, and made up the difference with in-kind deals.
I noticed a lot of the cast and crew used in Watch Me have been part of your previous short films. Have you developed a team you like to work with?
Definitely. Filmmaking is not like being a writer or a painter, you can't just rely on yourself to make a good piece of work. You need others to collaborate and work with you, it's like a marriage over a certain shooting period, so you need to make sure that the people you're working with are people you can fall back on, people who won't walk out on you when the going gets tough. Which it will.
The film was shot over two months in both Melbourne and Beijing. What was the decision to do this and how did the process work to shoot in two countries?
I wanted to link the film a bit more with Asia, and being up in China more and more I also met several actors, including Thomas Lim, who were keen to be involved. Eventually both Sam and I felt a teaser beginning in Asia would only strengthen the film and give it an edge.
One of the films main strengths is the horror. What did you do to make sure you got these scenes right?
As writers we tried to spend a lot of time on the characterizations and the premise. We wanted the concept and the characters to be horrific, as opposed to just relying on gore and blood. This also meant trying to make sure that the scenes were shot right, so some segments took over twenty takes to perfect, because I didn't want to do cuts, I didn't want to have the usual jump scares etc. I was aiming to keep audiences on the edge of their seats to the point of discomfort.
Another strength is the score. How vital was it to get the right sound and how long did it take to get it to where it appears in the film?
I knew the score would be really integral. At least 50% of a horror's effect lies in its music, its ambience. So I knew I didn't want pre-recorded music, I wanted someone who would make something original and suitable for the film itself. When I met Jericho, Preuss and Huf and heard their tracks, I knew that they had the creativity to create something truly freaky. One of them owned a llama, for God's sake! What could be freakier than a composer who had weird farm animals at his disposal? We spent a long time, months really, listening to their CDs and giving them feedback, tweaking and adjusting and basically moulding the music to fit the film.
Are you happy with the end result?
The million dollar question. Yes, I am happy with the result, I'm really happy people seem to be enjoying it; people are scared, and that's the ultimate goal of any horror film. I think like any director, every time I watch it I think of something new that I would have done differently. But as someone said, films are never finished, they're just abandoned. You do need to sign off and say, my next one will be better!
The film has already been shown in Horror festivals including the Phoenix Fear Festival and Atlanta Horror Film Festival. What was the audience reaction like and did you get to attend these screenings?
Unfortunately I haven't been able to get to the festivals, but the amazing thing is that everyone who sees this film, so far anyway, has an overwhelmingly favourable reaction to it. Reviewers, horror fans, interviewers, I mean it's kind of scary. I'm waiting for that first person to come out and just hammer me into the ground about making a crap film. Usually you feel that you make a film and some love it and some hate it, but this has met surprisingly good reactions. I sometimes pinch myself, and try to remember whether I've been smoking anything strange lately…
Where can people see this film? Are there plans to release it on DVD?
Watch Me will be screening as a special Friday the 13th event at Insert Name Here at Bar Open, Fitzroy, at midnight on April 13th. The lead actresses Frances Marrington and Tanya McHenry will be there as well to promote it. Do check them out if you have a chance, both are wonderful and beautiful women. We are definitely planning to sign a DVD distribution deal this year, and should be close to announcing a release.
What is next for the Scopofile team?
I'm definitely keen to do a horror or thriller set in China. I have a few supernatural plots floating around which I would like to develop, now that I have some experience on my first film. The wheels are definitely in motion.
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