A Walking Shadow (2017)
Director: Bradley Barton, Alice Ryan
Writer: Bradley Barton
Stars: Natalie Sheriff, Penny Peters, John Newell, Alice Ryan, Cresseida Barton
The Southend-on-Sea Film Festival will be returning for its 11th year from 23rd May to 27th May. In preparation for the event I got an opportunity to ask writer and co-director Bradley Barton a few questions about the film
A Walking Shadow which has been selected to play at the festival.
Q. A Walking Shadow has been selected to play at The Southend-on-Sea Film Festival. What can we expect from the film?
I hope that, for some at least, A Walking Shadow will be a unique journey of discovery and inspiration that breathes enlightenment into the very existence of death and affords us all the incredible opportunity to search for the meaning of life.
Q. How did the original concept for the film come about?
Many great books and stage plays have all contributed to the concept and creation of A Walking Shadow, along with numerous classic films, including Blatty’s The Ninth Configuration (1980), Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1957) and Koster’s Harvey (1950): all of which were amazing influences and inspirations.
Q. Were there any elements in the final film that were different from your original script?
In regard to dialogue, no. But when it came to the actual shooting of the scenes there was often a need to think dynamically due to original shot concepts simply not being able to be put into practice.
Q. What were your influences for the look and style of the film?
There are so many influences it’s hard to know where to start, but a few would be, Lumet’s 12 Angry Men (1957), Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) and Welle’s Touch of Evil (1958), all of which are masterpieces in direction and lighting. The main look and style I was hoping to achieve was one of a film / stage hybrid, with the focus of attention all being on the characters and the dialogue. Once our talented cinematographer, Dan Keeble came on board we were able to rest easy in the knowledge that we would achieve this.
Q. What was the hardest part of making the film and did you experience any difficulties?
Everyone was so generous with their time, hard work and determination to make the film work, so when the end came, I just wanted to go immediately onto the next project with the same people. I didn’t want to say goodbye to such a talented and nice bunch. So, for me the toughest part was finishing.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
Tight shooting schedules inevitably bring an amount of stress due to the need to get a required amount of shots completed by the end of each day. But it is this very pressure that brings the greatest rewards. For when a great cast and crew, as we had on A Walking Shadow, comes together with such enthusiasm and camaraderie, to make it all happen, the feeling that you’re achieving something special is as much as I could ask for.
Q. Do you have any new projects that you are working on?
Absolutely. We have three more shorts lined up and plan to make at least one this year. We also have several feature scripts ready to go and hope that on the success of our shorts we’ll be in a position in the near future to start discussions with production companies to move these forwards.
Q. What advice would you give to someone who is looking to direct their own film.
Cast all fears aside and totally believe in your unique and special creation. Find someone else who does too. Be determined that no matter what, the project will be completed. Do whatever it takes to make it happen. Sell that car if you have to. And finally, make sure every member of the cast and crew is regularly thanked for the great work they are doing, for without them, it really wouldn’t happen.
You can find out more about future project from Tulpa Films by following them on Facebook and Twitter and for enquiries you can email directly on
Tulpafilmproductions@gmail.com
The Southend-on-Sea Film Festival runs from Thursday 23rd May to Monday 27th May. You can find out more about the event and purchase tickets on the website https://www.southendfilmfestival.com
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!
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