M&C Saatchi ACD Kickstarts 'Kindred'
Kindred director Oscar Nicholson [centre top] & cast at rehearsals
KINDRED, the first Sci-Fi to star Indigenous Australians, has grown from being a humble 7 minute short, into possibly the most ambitious short film made in Australia.
The film, written and produced by M&C Saatchi Associate Creative Director Josh Bryer, now has more than 70 people involved, including cast and crew. Its production has attracted big names in the local film industry who’ve worked on Hollywood features such as Superman Returns,Dark City, Dying Breed and Stealth.
Actor David Page from Bangarra Dance Theatre at Kindred rehearsals
The Kindred production has also attracted angel investor Marie Slaight of Altaire Productions, who’s put up 25% of the budget to meet the demands of the increased visual effects, which are up from 4 to 9.
The expansion in the number and complexity of the visual effects has lengthened the postproduction time considerably, moving the premier date from March until mid 2013.
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Two of Sydney’s major VFX houses, Heckler & Digital Pulse, will be working on the complex special effects, supervised by Soren Jensen who did the VFX for Dying Breed while PrideFX stunt supervisors on Superman Returns and Dark City will be planning and overseeing the two key stunts in the film.
Other established names include David Page, of Bangarra Dance Theatre fame, who has joined the cast as the 3rd Indigenous character, acting alongside Damion Hunter and Maurial Spearim.
Lead Art Director Owen Kunnen sets to work creating a 5 x 15m spaceship for Kindred the film
Kindred’s alien spaceship, 5x15 metres big, is being built in Studio 2204 in Marrickville. Production Design Supervisor Wojciech Wawrzyniak, who has previously worked on films such as Stealth, building life-size model planes, is overseeing the spaceship design.
Bryer describes Kindred as a short film with feature length production values. He is thrilled so many big names have come on board. “It may be a 7 minute short,” says Josh “but with 9 VFX and 70 cast and crew working over 12 months and more than 30 people on set, ‘short’ doesn’t really do it justice.”
The initial crowdfunded budget of $20,000 has since doubled to almost $40,000 with nearly $5,000 coming from Josh’s employer M&C SAATCHI.
Currently in preproduction, and with rehearsals in full swing, the Kindred shoot runs from the 8 to 17 December. Kindred is scheduled to be finalised in time for the Venice Biennale film festival entry deadline of the 21 June.
Kindred is produced in association with Altaire Productions.
