What’s the best memory you have from working on Ashburn Waters?
The production of Ashburn Waters has become a bit of a blur over the years, there were a lot of ups and downs. But I have to say my most cherished memory now is when I was finally able to screen the completed film for friends and family that have been asking for years ‘When can I see your movie?’ Their reaction nearly brought me to tears, it was so vindicating.
Working with your brother, was it easier or harder than working with non-related actors / did you treat him differently?
Working with Adam was an absolute treat. In a lot of ways, it was easier because I already know him well and know how to talk to him. I did have him doing things that I never would have asked the other actors though! But only because I knew he would do them! He did his own stunts without the luxury of pads, there’s a scene where he rolls down a hill and he rolled his ankle pretty bad during that shot. But he just shook it off. There was one time though where I had him jump into the river to check for sharp sticks, so the other actors wouldn’t get hurt. Haha that was a bit rough. There were no sharp sticks, so all was good! He might tell you differently…
Having worked on this film for nearly a decade, what’s kept you motivated through the ever-changing horror landscape?
The main thing that was spurring me on was the fact that we had come this far and I refused to give up. Too many people had put their, time, passion and talent into Ashburn Waters to let it die off. The timing of the film’s completion has actually turned out to be quite fortuitous for us though, as horror is pretty hot right now. Where is when we filmed it, horror wasn’t really selling well.
If you could pick one icon from movie history to work with, who would it be, and why?
I would love to work with Rob Zombie. I’m a huge fan of his movies and his music and think he’s living the dream being able to do both at such a high level. If I could pick his brain and pick up a few of his tricks and techniques, I’d love to bring that to my next film.
What do you think the state of independent horror film production is like in Australia?
It’s getting stronger and stronger because filmmakers like myself are just going out and making these movies ourselves, rather than waiting for someone to tell us we can. Film equipment is becoming so much more financially accessible and making horror on the cheap can make it more appealing. The cheaper and nastier the better, I say! But we could do with more support from governing bodies and investors. There is some great talent in Australia, we just need the chance to show what we can do.
