later, in the afternoon, the most amazing thing happened

Synopsis

Traumatised after giving evidence in court, 12-year old Stephanie eventually finds solace in the support she receives from family and friends.

Credits

Stephanie: Zoe Luckhurst-Lane

Mum: Gabrielle Hammond

Mark: Huge DeVaney

Carol: Sally Berridge

Megan: Naomi Jacobs

Ronnie: Claudia Schmidt

With Genevieve Davis, Ann Spaven, Joan Gissing, Maya Davis-Jackson

Written, produced and directed by Simon Luckhurst

Camera: Keean Murrell Snape

Sound: Nicholas Tyrrell

Clapper: Dennis Jackson

Colour Grading: Melvin J. Montalban

Budget

Total: around $300. Actually the budget for this film should have been considerable, however I once again received great support from Relativity Studios. Should the discerning viewer of this site detect a trend in regards to my alledged annual exploitation of the good folk at Relativity, please let it be known that my relationship with the studio for the rest of the year is best described in biological terms as being more symbiotic. Or so I like to think...

Screenings

Short Sited 11, Wollongong NSW, March 2007.

2007 Homebrewed International Film Festival.

Notes on the Film

I wanted to write something my daughters could be in. The eldest, of course, decided for reasons known only to herself that she would pass up this thrilling offer and go to Germany for the summer instead. For some reason known only to my sub-concious, a large part of the inspiration for the film came while watching a local amateur production of The Pirates of Penzance. I have yet to understand the link. That's brains for you...

We shot in the house of my friend Tans. If you look carefully you'll see her photo on the wall above the lounge. She would have liked to have appeared in it, but in a move obviously allied with that of a certain eldest daughter, Tans decided that the week of filming would be the best time to travel to the nearest thing that Australia has to Germany, ie Adelaide.

I felt it was important to make a drama so people could watch it and then nod knowingly to each other and then mutter to themselves about the 'move away from his early comedies...'

I had a whole other song in mind entirely for what are now the two songs that appear in the movie. When it came to editing, the other song just didn't work, although I had Murray Cox angrily singing alone in his bathroom with his recorder in a vain attempt to assist. As it was, his song Anger, which I eventually used, was far, far better. It says something of his songs that by the end of post production most of Relativity had made themselves a copy of his album.

Astute viewers will note that the gorgeous Genevieve Davis, who appears in the film with her daughter Maya, sings backup on Anger.

I was so fortunate to work with the cast and crew of this film. I had known Gabrielle was a hidden acting talent, although I knew her daughter Claudia could sing brilliantly. Hugh I had of course been working with for years (see Lina, Portrait of a Teenage Aztec Sacrificial Victim for example.) Ann thought she was coming to sing, little realising she was going to be in the film. Her friend Joan had even less idea what was in store for her. Sally jumped straight into the role of Carol at short notice. And Naomi, despite concerns at 11pm the night before shooting that she would have to work, managed to find someone to fill her shift and meet my vision for the role of Megan. My crew were no less brilliant, Keean once again providing sterling work with the camera, although I'm a little glad he didn't indulge in his latest passion for completely out of focus shots ('with meaning,' he claims.) He can continue to put them in his own films. And Nick worked above and beyond the call of duty on the day of the shoot and later in post. Melvin, in what may be his last cinematic venture before heading off to AFTRS, did a great job of colour grading. I knew him before he was famous...

Watch the Movie

Images

Sally Berridge	Naomi Jacobs
Gabrielle Hammond	Claudia Schmidt and Zoe Luckhurst-Lane
Hugh Devaney	Zoe Luckhurst-Lane