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The Plagues of Oz

Updated: Apr 14, 2020


IMAGE BY JOANNE BROOKER

Great celebrations usually accompany the welcoming in of a new decade, but the year 2020 would become permanently etched into the collective memory of mankind as apocalyptic.  

The Australian summer brought in scorching heatwaves that set much of the country ablaze, turning some towns into ash and threatening the very survival of some species.  The cities were soon choked with smoke as some people struggled to breathe.  The heat played havoc on weather patterns and soon we were smashed by super-cell storms that rained down hail stones as big as a man’s’ fist and drowned out places with flash floods.  In the Mallee, the dry heat led to dust-storms so high that they blended into the clouds that drenched Melbourne, almost

500 km's away in mud rain.

I'd barely released a short film called "Hamlet for the Fireys" to highlight PTSD amongst the volunteer firefighters who'd spent over a month on the front-lines battling ferocious blazes when a new, ominous threat was arising that would soon engulf the whole world.  In the far East, a city named Wuhan was  eagerly getting ready to usher in the Year of the Rat.  Little did they know that they would soon  unleash a virulent plague that would bring the world to it's knees.

I am writing this article today from Melbourne, Australia, where we are under stage 3 restrictions of our lock-down.  During 2019, I was constantly on set, bunging out one film after another, but now all shoots are on hold and the whole indie film industry has come to a grinding halt.

Amongst those that were moving ahead in leaps and bounds, but now have found themselves as hamstrung are Dick Dale - Producer/ Director, Dia Taylor - Director/ DOP, Glen Cook - Gaffa/ all-round crew, Brett Sixtysix - Director of the Fitzroy Art Collective/ Filmmaker and Vixey Teh - Actor/ Director.  

I am speaking to them all via remote connection and together, we will piece together an overview of how the Aussie indie movie industry has been hit, and how we are all dealing with it.

DB - Hi everyone.  Thanks for taking the time to chat to me today.  Let's start with a backgrounder. What were you doing before the Covid-19 lockdowns?


DICK DALE

Dick Dale – I was in the middle of Production for my first feature film, RIBSPREADER: Australia's first splatterpunk video nasty. I successfully raised money through kickstarter to potentially put it 'in the can' so to speak. Right now is when I planned to be in the thick of filming the rest of it. It has been cast and the cogs in the machine were getting well oiled. We have puppets made, miniatures have been started, fantastic props created and half the film shot. One scene was shot in London that needs to be matched with a body double and shots here. I also have another scheduled in New York.

We shall see after this. Screen Australia also funded Closer Productions to film a 'making of' web series so that is on hold too. They can probably get web cam footage of me slowly going crazy in my office growing a beard?

Dia Taylor – I was awaiting several videography jobs including a few weddings which would have helped me to financially fund my feature film.  I had a few music videos lined up to direct and produce as well as a short film I’ve been meaning to make for a while now.

Glen Cook – As a Gaffer and had a couple of jobs lined up as well as a couple of feature films lined up for later in the year, as well as a couple of productions I was Producing, among other things. In photography I also had a few assignments lined up. It all seemed like the worst of the year had passed with the bush fires and I was looking forward to getting one with things.

Brett Sixtysix - Running The Fitzroy Art Collective, exhibiting artworks, life drawing classes etc. I was also doing my own film music art projects.

Vixey Teh - Before the lock-downs, I was in Melbourne, making short films for David Black's YouTube channel, and Dia Taylor's short film competitions. I was physically on the set, actively acting and crewing in a very hands on way. A lot of my acting and crew roles required me to be physically present. Meetings for pre-production were all in person.

DB - How have the lockdowns affected your plans?


DIA TAYLOR

Dick Dale – I've had to cancel shoots I had planned and future shooting is unknown. I feel like I have my hands tied and can't really organise anything solid as I don't know how long this will last. Then once it is over, I will have to build the momentum back up again that we had with cast and crew. Once again I'll have to start balancing people's time (work etc), the weather and whether my locations are still secure. Eg: One is at a Repat, another one was in talks of being renovated. Then organise the whole shit show again. It's not going to be a case of 'OK, lock-downs over, let's get on with filming' scenario.

No doubt, some people are going to have to work to recover. I can't pay people so I have to work with all that.  ALSO, as you may know I run the Trasharama short film program. I assuming I'm going to get less entries this year because of this pandemic. All this with no lube.

Dia Taylor – Well all projects and work in pre and production stages have been postponed indefinitely.  We’re all just waiting to see when this all blows over.

Glen Cook – In the short term, quite simply it’s killed them all dead in the water. Really all that’s left to do is plan for when we come out the other side.

Brett Sixtysix - The government forced the closure of my Gallery. Now I’m focusing purely on creation and self-expression.

Vixey Teh - The main changes being that everything is conducted online now. As and IT professional the transition to online has been quite easy for me. All meetings have been conducted via Zoom video conferencing. This interview was done online. Many projects that had previously been shelved after filming but before editing have moved into the editing and post production stages.

A lot of my acting/auditions has been voice over or self-take that I record myself using my phone. I was quite lucky and savvy to have bought a phone with a large video sensor plate, and good quality microphone. My phone is capable of very short 4k videos. So the drop off in picture quality has not been impacted, however I have been struggling to get the right lighting and of course you can't control depth of field on just a phone.

DB - What are you doing now to keep the ball rolling?


GLEN COOK

Dick Dale – Trying to keep motivated and keep touch with crew and some of the cast. Keep the torch burning. It's quite frustrating not knowing when I can shoot again. I can organise shot-lists and ghost schedules I guess. I'm still doing the best I can but to be honest it's quite crippling.

Some of my art department can continue finishing off and/or improving some of the work they have started. To be honest I've had a bit of a meltdown but am picking myself up. The show WILL go on!

Dia Taylor -At the moment I’m trying to stay as productive as I can.  My team and I finally released an extended and full cut of our short film ‘Sempre Piu’.  I’m also working on a few contracts for work that are in post-production stages, so that’s a nice bit of income soon hopefully.  We’re still pushing ahead with our up-coming feature Jett and I am using this time to finesse the script as much as I can plus do all the boring pre-production paperwork I have to do like breakdowns, contracts, and schedules.  

Glen Cook – Well right now, I’m taking a bit of a rest that has been earnt for some time, but as a creative I really suck at resting and have plenty of ideas rolling in my head that can come forth once things settle down. Of course there is work to be done on the social media side of things and getting some kind of presence out there too, so I’m not going to be bored.

Brett Sixtysix – Setting up a Patreon page, writing new music, editing a short film, processing photos from recent shoots, writing studying.

Vixey Teh - I have been surprisingly busy, as I mentioned earlier quite a few projects have moved into the post production stages. We are currently preparing a web series that will be edited down to a short film named "Coffin Run". I am in the editing studio cutting together a behind the scenes, we are making a full Electronic Press Kit to prepare for festivals.

We were very lucky to have completed the filming stages just before the quarantine. I have participated in interviews like this with David Black. I am also doing casting via self takes for Chained to Traditions, which we are running a fundraiser for https://www.gofundme.com/f/chained-to-tradition.   

DB - How do you think this will change the local indie film industry?  Do you think that things will return to the way we knew them when the lock-downs are lifted or do you see everything being changed radically?


BRETT SIXTYSIX

Dick Dale – I have no idea what everyone else in 'the industry' are doing. I'm independent. I will push on as best as I can.  I just need to finish this fucking film! A film making Terminator. "I'll be back!"

Dia Taylor – Oh I foresee a massive change.  Our industry, both independent and mainstream has completely shut down.  I’m hoping this is a restart button that will hopefully rejuvenate our crumbling industry but my pessimistic mind doubts that.  The arts and entertainment industry has been on it’s knees for a long time now and this lock-down; though very much needed to stop a global pandemic as much as it can, will only destroy us more.  I just really hope that when this is over, audiences realise that in a time of need, that it was artists that they turned to.  As well as medical and retail workers of course.

Glen Cook – Personally I hope it has an effect for the positive. With things being dead for three - six months as of time of writing, I hope it clears out a lot of the dead wood, a lot of the trouble makers, a lot of the rip of sharks, and a lot of the poison. With this shut down it’s an opportunity for a clean slate, which is what the industry really needs in a major way. I’m also hoping that the “industry” is seen and taken seriously as entertainment is what everyone needs right now and it ironically was the first one to die when all this went down.


Brett Sixtysix - For most people it will go back to been business as usual. For others i believe there'll be a radical altering of their internal world.

Vixey Teh - The wonderful thing I love about the indie industry is how innovative people are when thinking outside the box. We have already seen a few short films that were made entirely inside a filmmaker’s apartment. From parody music videos, to encapsulated dramas. I had previously written quite a few one room dramas for actor’s showreel material and was criticised for having it so claustrophobic and told I should break them out of the room. Now people are understanding the elegance of those stories and my projects have been able to get the go ahead. I enjoy writing with that challenge.

I think that people who are creative, need to create, just like roses need to bloom. It is something very natural and it will find a way even in the most difficult circumstances. I think after all of this is over some people will return to normal and some will continue to work from home, and people in general will be more understanding to those of us who have always been more introverted and indoor inclined.




VIXEY TEH

David Black - Wow!  So much to absorb and think about.  I really appreciate everyone making the time to share their knowledge today and hope that the readers can take away something to help them.

Here is “Hamlet for the Fireys” which was mentioned earlier in the story

You can find out more about our interviewees here:

Dick Dale –


Dia Taylor –  

youtube.com/diataylorofficial

Glen Cook –

Sixtysix –



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