Film Name: I am an Island
Director: Damian Draven
Writer: Damian Draven
Starring: Johnny French, Susie Redmond
Doesn’t everyone think about disappearing? Johnny stares into the black abyss to the point of no return only to reach out at the very last moment.
In a new Exclusive Interview on Blazing Minds ahead of Horror-on-Sea I got a chance to ask Writer/Director Damian Draven a few questions about the film ‘I am an Island‘
I am an Island will play at Horror-on-Sea on Sunday 19th January at 10.00am
Q. Your film has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect?
A. You can expect a roller coaster ride of emotions on this one as we are led down one narrative path only to have the ground swept from beneath us…
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script?
A. The central influence was to analyse a series of personal traumas that exemplified the themes of love, loss and introspection. Ebbing from that was a move for me to focus entirely on the performance as previously I took on roles as both production Designer and Director.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. Initially The Machinist but then the colour grade was redone to give a warmer feel to it. I wanted the camera to be hand held after the impact of Dancer in the Dark had on me.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Apart from subtle tweaks here and there the adding final line was most satisfying.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. Personally I feel that all the hard work was in pre-production so the filming was an absolute joy. To pick a favourite would have to be the hallway scene with Johnny and Becka as I already knew the electrifying score section for that scene.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Yes. As we did not have insurance to drive we green screened it and it just did not work for me.
Q. What makes it stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I AM AN ISLAND blurs the lines between real and fiction which is why it will resonate with an audience for a very long time…
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. That people reach out to friends they may not have heard from in a while.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I predominantly work as a graphic designer (Star Wars, Gangs of London, Penny Dreadful, Rivals to name but a few) in the industry and as it is so quiet I am in my studio painting.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. Get feedback from several people (some film some not film people!) and use that to tighten up your script. Keep it short for film festivals. Even if they are stick men, STORYBOARD everything! Collaborate knowing that it will all take time. You can even shoot on an iPhone these days so do not be intimidated by technology. Do some research on studio photography lighting. This will make all the difference when you colour grade it. Use a temporary score to give rhythm to your storyboards and edit. All the hard work should be in prep (rehearsals, lighting tests, colour grade tests, source temporary score etc) leaving the shoot to create your magic.
I am an Island will play at Horror-on-Sea on Sunday 19th January at 10.00am
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
