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short films
Writer- director Mal Woolford on how Fujifilm Eterna stock did double duty for his new short films, Fluffy and RedBlack.
Films set digital formats aside
and chose Fujifilm Eterna stock for a new short film, Fluffy. The story centres on Eric (Stevie Coe) as he de-clutters the last of his lost girl-
“friend’s belongings - or so he thinks.
I wanted this beautifully absurd romantic comedy to have a clean, clas-
Its creative approach drew in both experienced and up-and-coming talent in Anthony Barclay (Judge John Deed) and New York actress Molly Ryman (The Looker).
Both Anthony and Molly appreci- ated that this was no ordinary shoot. There was a great sense of occasion and they rose to it. They inhabit this terrific sodium-streaked dreamscape with real authority.
In the culminating night shoot, we were all communicating in a short- hand, intuitive way. As an exercise in trust, it has paid off handsomely: the one-light rushes are staggering.
The Eterna 500T catches some mesmeric reflections and flares that give the cityscape a great presence even in the closest of close-ups. We found parts of London which don’t reveal their beauty until three in the morning. Heartbreaking, majestic... a tremendous range of mood. You can’t help but feel it, and the Eterna stock caught it all.
Now that both films have been captured on Eterna, the production team are planning to deliver for DLP digital cinema projection. We’re not ruling anything out. We’ve created some fine, nuanced performances on both films from the carefully struc- tured comedy of Fluffy to the every-take-counts approach of RedBlack. The results are so
strong, they’re pulling in offers
of post production. ■
Fluffy and RedBlack were originated of 16mm Eterna 250D 8663 and Eterna 500T 8673
sical approach. The strength of the writing built the team for us, choosing Fujifilm cemented it. DP Darran Bragg (Dog & Bone, Come Closer, Swapped) and I had a similar vision of the film, which gave us a great foundation to build upon.
Eric journeys through several dif- ferent modes, above and below ground, through dreams and cityscapes, and we felt that film would give us a stronger sense of each location.
We were clear that we wanted to originate on film: with a short produc- tion we wanted a common language. When you’re crewing on a day-to-day basis, shooting on film keeps crew coming back. It inspires a level of care and attention, which lifts any project. And it made the difference during those occasional testing moments.
As Fluffy was getting under way, it was clear that Darran and I had a spe- cial collaboration and a great team behind us, so I wrote another short to shoot on the final night of production.
RedBlack is a complete 180 degree shift from Fluffy: from comedy to noir, from classical and structured to loose and random. It was way out- side the zone of comfort for everyone, and a good opportunity to take some creative risks. I can’t say it wasn’t stressful, particularly on the produc- tion side, but everyone got behind it in the greatest way.
Photo main: Director Mal Woolford (photo Chris Anderson); right l-r: Stevie Coe as Eric and Molly Ryman as Eric’s Dream Woman in Fluffy (photos Mike Massingham); The City of London at 3AM, reflections & glare and Molly Ryman in RedBlack
34 • Exposure • The Magazine • Fujifilm Motion Picture
SEEKING A COMMON
After several months of prepa- ration, our fledgling produc- tion company Brick and Pin
RedBlack takes a minicab ride through the starkly-lit City of London ends with a stunning twist in the tail.
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