BEHIND THE SCENES


Shane Abbess - Director
I had so much fun making this film. I had the idea for this film rolling round in my head for a while after Reggie and I talked about doing a film whereby a bunch of guys play poker and use matches for money. (Matches were the Signature item at that year's Tropfest) The idea evolved from there over the next few weeks till it ended up as the story you all know. I liked the challenge of taking these four guys round a table and trying to shoot it in a way that would be both interesting to the viewer and would suit the dynamics and pacing of the story. I also loved the fact that here where these four men who start out as tough criminal types but end up playing with matches and bickering like school children. I wrote the script in a night and to do so had to know who would play the characters before I began. I knew that we had to trade on obvious stereotypes in order to achieve the required chemistry in only seven minutes. Robbie was an obvious choice as the lead as he has a great intensity in his presence that would help the audience to assume him as the figurehead. Tim worked brilliantly as the nervous 'nuts and bolts' man as I'd seen glimpses of that character in his earlier performances. Paul was chosen because he emits a great amount of brute energy on the screen but had to also pull it back suddenly in the end when confronted by Reg, which to his credit, he did very well. Then there was Reggie. I've always known him to be a gentle giant so casting him as the 'victim' of the story worked well because it had to be a character that could emit both strength and ultimately a strong sense of hurt at the end. The actors were given the script a half hour before we began to shoot so we had to allocate time between each shot for the characters to rehearse. (Sorry guys) I originally planned the shoot to take 2 hours but it ended up taking 9 (as these things do) and it was funny because in the late hours of Sunday evening I was telling Reg to give everything he had to his end scene but in the same breath also told him had to keep the noise down so as not to wake my flatmates (We shot the film in my garage.) There were only three of us on the crew, Myself on camera, Troy Bell on lighting/grips and Sean O'Reilly on Location sound. The post production on this film was relatively pain free with the whole team completing their parts of the film comfortably within a 2 week period. Scott pulled out some great opening titles and managed to convincingly flick the head off the match. We shot that sequence with a match without a head on it and Scott added the head in post. Also a big applause to Scott for his end titles and animation work which helps to bring the film to a well-rounded finish. Brian worked the score in well during the opening and closing credits and holds off throughout the body of the film, allowing the actors to set the mood on their own. Ultimately I think this film works well and is a real credit to the cast and crew who worked on it. The actors managed the characters well and the post-production team showed true brilliance in the 'less is sometimes more' approach.


Brian Cachia - Score Composition
Was a very simple film to write for I took a contemporary feel at the start and gave it a little movement at the end once again following Scott James Smith's Direction with the still animation.


Sean O'Reilly - Sound Design/Location/FX/Final Mix
My main concern with this film was getting the dialogue as clear as possible. This was achieved using my Audio Technica Condenser again for its warmth. I was able to keep the echo of the location to a minimum by close miking the actors and with some careful EQ'ing I managed to get the best out of all the actors. Due to the fact that this film is driven mostly by dialogue I felt it was critical to make sure that this came though in the end. The score is another Brian Cachia masterpiece which kept pace nicely with the film.


Scott James Smith - FX and titles
A simple project for me considering that most of the film was focussed on what is some very funny dialogue, mannerisms and body language. The opening titles needed to be very simple so as to not distract from the introduction to the characters. The major task was creating a rotating 3D match-head without using any "real" 3D tricks. There were some stabilisation issues, and a general attention to detail required to get a true sense of gravity, perspective and trajectory. The closing titles came in response to what I thought was a rather flat ending, and required another photo shoot to get the various images of Reggie and the rest of the gang, who were then animated as stills to get the finished product. The wrecking ball was created digitally, as well the setting that it was in. We obviously allowed Reggie to keep his head, so I had to get that illusion happening as well. Again, 3D without 3D.


Robbie Blance - Actor
9 hours to Breaking Point
After spending a few weeks preparing for a completely different movie Shane breaks the news to me that the movie has been canned, but the good news is he has another one nearly finished and would I like to do that instead.
Me:- Of course I would. When are we shooting?
Shane:- This weekend.
Me:- When can I have the script?
Shane:- This weekend.
Me:- F*CK!
This was my first time in front of the camera and as you would expect I was more nervous than a virgin on a promise. We arrived at Shane's house around 2pm.
Shane:- I have to get some film, you can learn your lines in the car.
So Tim and I are sitting in a car-park preparing our lines for a movie that will be shot in about half an hour. We began shooting and all seemed well until after three hours the little stools we were sitting on started to feel like they were being shoved right up our bums.
Shane:- Don't worry guys we should wrap this up in a few hours.
Half way through the shoot I suddenly get a wee bit of bother with the old short-term-memory injury I sustained as a teenager. The pressure is on now, our arses are sore, our bellies are growling and I can't remember more than two lines at a time. Five hours into the shoot and I'm thinking "What the f*ck is he doing, I thought this was a seven minute movie". After a wee break and a beer we were all feeling re-charged and the memory seemed ok again.
The shoot ended-up taking about nine hours. Now I know why it was called "Breaking point".
I feel lucky to have had my first experience in front of the camera with the Redline group. Being the new boy in the group I think I felt a wee bit out of my depth, but everyone was focused and encouraging which made the journey much easier.


Reggie Matson - Actor
Breaking Point was an extremely fun project, aided by the fact that there were no rehearsals. We just had to turn up, grab our scripts and get into it. I think it's amazing how the script and the whole concept of this project came together. It comes down to our director, Shane Abbess, being such a great storyteller, in more ways than one. He starts out with a small idea then starts ringing friends and actors alike, telling and retelling them his idea as he slowly adds, ad-libs and exaggerates the parts that are a little hazy until after 38 phone calls he has himself a full blown 6 hour feature film blockbuster which he then cuts down to be 7 minutes. A great film and a joy to be part of.


Tim Dalby - Actor
2.00p.m - Gimme that script! We are given a script to a short film entitled "Breaking Point". A Tropfest entry for 2002 about 4 bank robbers planning a heist, I have landed the part of the computer hacker/nervous guy. As our fearless leader drives us to get supplies and matches we attempt to learn lines.

3.00p.m - 2 - 3 hours tops!! Everyone has arrived and shooting has begun. It's four actors at a very small table, sound, lighting & our director Mr Abbess who assures us this will only take until 6 p.m.

4.00p.m - One page down. - The script is about 7 pages long and we've covered the first page. We're learning as we go but it's a lot of fun.

5.00p.m - We're at the car. - We seem a little behind schedule but we've reached the car on the way to the heist. "It should be quick for here on in".

6.00p.m - Call #1 - As catering come to the rescue we take a short break and I make a call to a prior engagement. I'm supposed to be at a work Christmas party by 7p.m in Balmain "I could be a little late!"

7.00p.m - One more time! - Take after take after take (it was all Robbies fault - kidding) "We'll be outta here in an hour" I hear from the director as we go for just one more take.

8.00p.m - My arse!! - With the 4 of us sat on tiny wooden stools for the last five hours a certain numbness has set in and we try in vain to build makeshift cushions out of t-shirts & jumpers.

9.00p.m - Call #2 - As our lighting guy suffers burns to his hands we take 5 and I make another call to the party "I'm definitely going to be late". Somehow we find the energy to really get into the robbery scene and as we each stand and rehearse our lines there is a certain magic in the room.

10.00p.m - Cabin Fever! - Something happens to a cast and crew when they are locked into a confined space for a long period of time and I don't think any of us have ever found matches to be so funny.

11.00p.m - We're still going! Can you believe it! We are still shooting!!

11.27p.m - That's a wrap!!! - The magic words and it's all over.
(I still made it to the Christmas party just after midnight)

Thanks to Robbie, Reg, Paul, Sean, Troy and Mr Director for an exhausting yet exhilarating Shoot - it was a lot of fun. Special thanks to Scott who did a fantastic job of titles & effects.


Paul Stanford Davis - Actor
6 of the best guys, a camera, a garage, 4 VERY HARD stools, 9 hours, 200 takes, great food, the best time, and Shane Abbess.
What have you got?
A bloody fantastic "7min" movie, 6 very tired guys with painful bums and painful laughing gear.
A week later what do you get?
Another call from Shane Abbess,"we're not finished yet guys"!
What do you say?
"SH*T"!
What do you do?
What ever he wants of course!