Film Maker, Director, Composer and Music Producer are just a few of the impressive credentials on Western Australian Peter Renzullo's resume.
This rising talent of the Australian film industry is also legally blind, which is not something you hear of often in people choosing the path of film making. However with only 3% left of his sight, this hasn't stopped him from following his dreams and branching out of his day job as a Music Producer into the world of cinema.
Peter also composed the score for the Australian film The Decadent and The Depraved written by Axel August and directed by Jordon Prince-Wright and Axel August.
Peter's directing and writing debut was his feature length film Anticipation which came out in 2019, and won 17 international film awards. Anticipation is the story of a struggling musician who is also battling social anxiety.
Peter has just released the teaser trailer for his new film Skylight: Caroline's Tale.
This week we welcome Peter Renzullo to the Director's Spotlight with The Australian Short Film Network.
Hi Peter, welcome to the Australian Short Film Network Blog.
Peter - My absolute pleasure.
When did you realise that you wanted to make films?
Peter - It was after filming a little fun project with an artist I was producing music for. We shot and entered a 1-minute short film into a national competition, as a fun venture. We ended up being short-listed into the top 7 entrants in the country, which was stupefying! After that, I was compelled to make more, and so I wrote and made Anticipation – 111 minutes longer than my first film!
You are legally blind, how has that affected your work? Or do you think it gives you an advantage?
Peter - Bizarrely I think it gives me an advantage. I have 3% vision left, which is enough to get around and not bump into things (it’s been this way for 25 years, so I’ve adapted quite well, to the point where most people have no idea I’m blind). I relied heavily on the focus guide feature on my Blackmagic Designs Production 4K camera, which was absolutely essential for me to know if what was being shot was in focus.
What I found interesting was that being a legally blind film maker, and more specifically that fact that I was behind the camera for every shot in my 112 minute film, gained interest from fellow film makers and media alike. In fact Blackmagic Designs contacted me and have helped me with promotion since.
What is your favourite Australian film?
Peter - Chopper. Purely based on the performances, and simplicity of the camera work which made it very engaging to watch.
What is your favourite genre of film?
Peter - Anything Indie. I find Indie films are more focused on story telling rather than visuals. It’s where my focus is in film making, as I am primarily a writer, and I enjoy watching films that hold your attention visually via simple methods, rather than crazy quick cuts or fast movements.
What are some of the main obstacles you have encountered in the Australian film industry?
Peter - I don’t really have any expectations, as I am so new to this, and as a result I don’t see the obstacles as specifically pertaining to the film industry. I am a music producer by trade, and I see a common thread between film and music in many ways – when it comes to the social politics and networking choices. So to me, it’s just another form of arts that requires you to be savvy in your marketing, not just your abilities, to ensure you make a name for yourself. So only obstacles are the ones I have to get over that relate directly to my decisions when pursuing potential opportunities presented to me. In saying that, I am not the sort to sit back and expect it to fall on my lap. I am a firm believer of “don’t ask, don’t get”
Can you tell us about your work so far? And what you are working on at the moment?
Peter - As far as actual narrative films go, I have a 1-minute short film, and a 112-minute feature film. But there are many music videos I have produced as well. I have been very proud to receive 17 international film awards for my feature film, Anticipation, which was such a wonderful thing for me to achieve, as I did not disclose my visual impairment to any of the festivals – an important thing for me as I did not want the opinion of this film to be affected by that fact. I have my second feature film – Skylight: Caroline’s Tale – in the works at the moment, and have written scripts for two others which will be produced as well. I can confirm that I am officially obsessed with this film making lark!
(Still from Skylight: Caroline's Tale.)
What advice can you give to aspiring film makers?
Peter - Just start. Don’t make sure you understand EVERYTHING you need to understand, or be put off by terminology and experience with certain aspects of film making – Just. Start. You will figure it out along the way. Nothing is more formative than making mistakes along the way. And guess what? You’ll make mistakes no matter how much you know before starting. You could be the most well-versed in understanding the ins and outs of film making, but until you step onto a shoot, and press record on that camera, you will have no idea. Don’t get bogged down in the details. Just. Start.
In an ideal world where would you like to be in 5 years?
Peter - I’d like to be 6 or 7 feature films deep into my career, and making a living from this amazingly fun venture!
Why is film so important to you?
Peter - Because it marries my two biggest passions – sound design and screenplays. I love creating both. The fact I can explore both of these within the one medium is absolute joy to me.
Where can our readers find you?
Peter - They can’t, I’m very hard to find. They’d have to guess which suburb I’m in first. BUT, they can check out my work on Facebook.(www.facebook.com/groups/skylightfeaturefilm, www.facebook.com/groups/featurefilmanticipation , www.scudleyrecords.com
Thank you for talking with us Peter, we wish you every success.
Peter - Thank YOU
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