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@ESCAPE_filmhttps://www.facebook.com/
A short film, running time: 18:04 mins
Written and Directed by ………………… Paul Franklin Produced by……………………………….. Jessica Malik Jessica Parker Cast………………………………………… Art Malik Julian Sands Olivia Williams Ben Miller Mimi Keene Ivo Burton-Franklin Associate Producer……………………….. Lorena Wright Executive Producer……………………….. Celine Haddad
Synopsis – Short (50 words)
An ordinary family man is offered the chance to live out his wildest fantasy, all he has to do is hand over everything he owns. What secrets are held in his heart and just what is it that we really dream about?
Synopsis – Full (250 words)
THE ESCAPE tells the story of Lambert, an ordinary man who receives an incredible offer from the mysterious Kellan: I can send you to the fantasy world of your choosing, all you have to give me is everything you own and ten years of your life. Is Kellan a charlatan? His claims seem unbelievable and the price is so high, but Lambert is clearly tempted.
Lambert returns to his family where the burdens of responsibility, domestic and professional, press in on him - is this what he seeks to escape? Lambert listens as his friend Mike talks enthusiastically about his divorce, does Lambert covet Mike’s claims of freedom? Time passes, Lambert and his wife Sarah watch as their daughter, Megan, heads leaves for university - later that evening, as the rain drums on the roof, Sarah mourns the changes in their lives and the passing of time. Lambert is deeply moved, finally showing the love that has been hidden for so long. Thunder rolls as the storm outside builds and from the room next door Lambert hears the cry of his son, Alby, who has woken from a nightmare of floods and abandonment. As Lambert comforts the child, reassuring him that he’ll never leave surely we feel certain that he won’t take Kellan’s offer now, will he?
THE ESCAPE looks at the layers of a man’s life and asks what do we really dream about?
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Art Malik in ‘The Escape’. Photo: Liam Daniel. Copyright: Pari Passu Films Ltd
Paul Franklin, Julian Sands and Ben Miller behind the scenes on ‘The Escape’. Photo: Liam Daniel. Copyright: Pari Passu Films Ltd
Paul Franklin, Writer/Director, Biography
Paul Franklin’s career as a filmmaker began whilst studying at art school in England where he worked with friends to make short films and animations. After graduation Paul combined his love of filmmaking with his interest in new emerging digital technologies and moved into the area of visual effects, working on films including The English Patient and the Harry Potter series. Paul's long-running collaboration with director Christopher Nolan produced the spectacular sequences featured in The Dark Knight Trilogy as well as Inception and Interstellar, both of which brought him Oscars and a host of other awards. Paul is now using his experience of cutting edge filmmaking to tell his own stories and THE ESCAPE marks his directorial debut.
Director’s Statement
Over the years I have been lucky enough to work with some wonderful filmmakers, creating amazing images to support their vision, but increasingly I wanted to put my own viewpoint on screen. THE ESACPE is based on a short story that I have loved for many years - it’s a story of a man who is perhaps becoming detached from his life, who yearns for something that his comfortable existence appears unable to give him. As my career in filmmaking developed and the stresses it placed upon my own family life became ever more apparent I realised that the story spoke strongly to me with a new and urgent voice. One day I was suddenly struck with a way into the story that could bring it to the screen, updating it for the contemporary world whilst retaining everything that I loved about the original. I wrote the script over an intense weekend and began to circulate it amongst my filmmaking friends - Jess Parker and Jess Malik responded strongly to the script and we began to plan how to make the film. As each member of the crew joined our expanding team I found that the vision for the film began to evolve into something that had it’s own life, building on the original source material, moving restlessly forwards until we finally completed the project. I am delighted that THE ESCAPE will have its world premiere at TriBeCa 2017 in New York City, the home town of the short story’s original author, Robert Sheckley.
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Paul Franklin Photo: Paul Franklin. Copyright: Paul Franklin
FILMMAKERS’ FAQ
How did you fund your film?
We (the producers), with the support of the BFI, have been developing a feature film project with Paul. It became increasingly clear that it would be hugely helpful for us to make a short film first for Paul to direct. When he showed us the script of THE ESCAPE, we knew this was the perfect project. We immediately approached the BFI and CreaIve England for funding who responded very strongly to the script and agreed to fully finance the film.
We were absolutely thrilled that Gail Dana Sheckley, Robert’s widow, was kind enough to allow us the opportunity to make the film and has conInued to be supporIve throughout the filmmaking process.
How did Hans Zimmer and Remote Control get involved in the music for your film?
Paul has previously worked with Hans Zimmer on Chris Nolan’s films, Paul discussed the project with Hans at an early stage and he introduced us to Andrew Kawczynski, a composer who regularly works with Hans at Remote Control in Santa Monica. Paul is based in London but was able to visit California several Imes during post producIon to work with Andrew as he developed the score in conjuncIon with the evolving edit of the film. The result is a complex score that is by turns delicate, lush and disconcerIng -‐ perfectly in tune with the imagery on the screen.
Tell us some more about the director.
Paul Franklin, a double Oscar and BAFTA winning VFX supervisor, is making his directorial debut with THE ESCAPE. Having won numerous awards for his work with Christopher Nolan over the last decade, notably on INTERSTELLAR and INCEPTION, we are really proud to present Paul’s first work as a director.
What was the source material behind the film?
THE ESCAPE is based on the short story “The Store of the Worlds” by the American writer Robert Sheckley, first published in 1959. Sheckley wrote in a number of genres but is primarily known for his science ficIon which was o^en darkly saIrical and humorous. Robert Sheckley was born in New York City and graduated from New York University in 1951 -‐ we are so excited to be giving our film adaptaIon of Robert Sheckley’s amazing work its world premiere at TriBeCa in his hometown, New York City.
How did you cast the film?
We started sending the script out early in 2016 and received a fantasIc response, eventually assembling a wonderful cast including Art Malik (True Lies, Sherlock, The Living Daylights), Julian Sands (Room with a View, Killing Fields), Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense, The Ghost, Rushmore) and Ben Miller (Death in Paradise, Johnny English).
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Are there any significant locaIons in the film that mean something to the filmmakers?
Much of THE ESCAPE is shot in South East London around Greenwich and Blackheath where the director, Paul Franklin, has lived with his family for over 20 years. The use of locaIons from the physical landscape of Paul’s life gives the film an autobiographical aspect which informs the development of the characters, taking Robert Sheckley’s original story idea and making it deeply personal.
The framing scenes in Kellan’s mysterious office were shot at Trevor Howsam’s props warehouse in West London. Quite apart from being filled with an amazing collecIon of extraordinary objects the Victorian era building has a strong character of its own. Paul had wrigen the script before even knowing of Trevor Howsam’s existence -‐ when he was introduced to it by ProducIon Designer Morgan Kennedy for the first Ime he immediately realised that he had found the perfect locaIon for the scene, as if it had sprung to life directly from his imaginaIon.
Canvey Island, a small town on the River Thames Estuary, provided the unearthly Idal landscape. It was fascinaIng to find such a dramaIc locaIon so close to London -‐ the familiar River Thames widens out unIl it is several miles across and the horizon seems to stretch on forever. At low Ide shining mud flats are exposed, piled with the glistening black shells of mussels and bitumen-‐covered rubble, designed to prevent erosion by the mighty river.
How did you choose your cinematographer?
Paul met with a number of potenIal candidates for the posiIon -‐ it was very important to Paul was looking for a partner to explore and illuminate the story, someone who would be willing to operate the camera themselves. Paul immediately hit it off with Mick Coulter (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually) who brought an elegance and sophisIcaIon to the film that elevates the story.
What was the relaIonship between the director and the editor like?
Paul had previously worked with Pani Ahmadi-‐Moore on a test for a feature film. Pani brought a wealth of experience to the cujng room, having worked previously with veteran BriIsh film editor Mick Audsley (My BeauIful Laundrege, Harry Poger and the Goblet of Fire, Everest). Over a period of weeks Paul and Pani teased out the complex layers of THE ESCAPE’s narraIve, refining the cut in conjuncIon with the developing score and visual effects work.
How did the director’s experience with big-‐budget visual effects influence the film?
From the outset, we (the producers) were impressed with the fact that Paul first and foremost wanted to make a good film that tells a human story and it was clear from Paul’s script that he wasn’t going to rely on CGI and effects to carry the day -‐ the film would live or die by the quality of the performances and the depth of the characters.
Paul worked closely with independent Visual Effects Designer Shahin Toosi and Oscar-‐winning Visual Effects Supervisor Sara Benneg (EX MACHINA) of Milk Visual Effects to create the spectacular, but restrained, imagery, so crucial to the story of THE ESCAPE
Paul o^en describes his visual effects style as “stripped down”, only doing what is absolutely necessary to tell the story -‐ the small amount of effects work in THE ESCAPE serves to enhance and extend the film’s story, not to dominate it.
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Julian Sands during aerial filming behind the scenes on ‘The Escape’. Photo: Liam Daniel. Copyright: Pari Passu Films Ltd
Julian Sands in ‘The Escape’. Photo: Liam Daniel. Copyright: Pari Passu Films Ltd
Film Production Credits The Escape
Based on ‘The War of the Worlds’ by Robert Sheckley
Written and Directed by Paul Franklin
Produced by Jessica Malik
Produced by Jessica Parker
Cinematography by Michael Coulter BSC
Production Design by Morgan Kennedy
Edited by Pani Ahmadi-Moore
Music by Andrew Kawczynski
Costume Design by Charlotte Morris
Hair and Make Up Design by Karen Hartley
Associate Producer Lorena Wright
Executive Producer Celine Haddad
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First Assistant Director MATTHEW CARVER
Second Assistant Director DAN COX
CAST Lambert JULIAN SANDS Kellan ART MALIK Sarah OLIVIA WILLIAMS Mike BEN MILLER Megan MIMI KEENE Alby IVO BURTON-FRANKLIN Bearded Man STEVEN CREE Tough Looking Man TONY DENHAM News Reader ANGELA RIPPON
Art Director DAISY MASON Assistant Art Director MEG ROSS Poster Design REBECCA ROSE CAREY Art Department PA JACK WELLS
Steadicam Operator JOHN HEMBROUGH A Camera First Assistant GABRIEL HYMAN A Camera Second Assistant ROB HAWKINS DIT TOM ROGERS Camera Trainee JASON CHUA Drone Payload Operator KATYA NELHAMS-WRIGHT Drone Pilot in Command ADAM TURNER
Production Sound Recordist NIGEL ALBERMANICHE Boom Operator LEE SHARP
Script Supervisor LUCY NOBLE
Post Production Supervisor DAN BENTHAM
Visual Effects Designer SHAHIN TOOSI
Visual Effects Compositor JACQUELINE LOCKLEY Visual Effects On-set Stills Photographer ALISON WORTMAN
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Post Production Services by LIPSYNC POST Facility Director LISA JORDAN Senior Post Producer PAUL DRAY Colourist TOM RUSSELL Head of DI JAMES CLARKE DI Co-Ordinator ELIZABETH NEWSHAM Senior Online Editor WILL CHETWYND D-Lab Operators THOMAS WADDINGTON REUBEN YARWOOD JOSH KELLY KATIE CROFT Head of VT RICK WHITE VT Operators MARK LANGLAY-SMITH CALLUM GRANT
Sound by LIPSYNC POST Re-Recording Mixer ROB ACKERMAN Sound Effects Re-recording Mixer TUSHAR MANEK Dialogue and Sound Effects Assistant ROB ACKERMAN Foley UNIVERSIAL ADR Mixer JAMES DRAKE ADR Recorded at TECHNICOLOR
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Visual Effects by MILK VISUAL EFFECTS Visual Effects Producer SARAH WILLIAMSON Visual Effects Supervisor SARA BENNETT CG Supervisor NICO HERNANDEZ Head of Modelling SAM LUCAS Layout/Texture Lead NATASIA BOIS Lighting TD BASTIEN MORTELECQUE Compositor CARLOS FLOREZ Roto/Prep Artist TOMI GEORGE Tracking Lead AMY FELCH Tracker ROBERT NZENGOU-TAYO Editorial COLLETTE NUNEZ
Visual Effects by DOUBLE NEGATIVE LTD Visual Effects Coordinator MADDIE JOINT Storyboards DAN HEE RYU Concept Art JONATHAN OPGENHAFFEN Matchmover BENOIT VERMINET SCHUPPON Rotoscope Artist ADAM JACKSON Pipeline CHRISTOPHER KERR Studio KATE TYSOE Studio PETER HANSON Studio MILES DRAKE
Key Costumer MAIA HERZOG-LEE
Key Makeup & Hair Artist CAROLINE GREENOUGH
Production Coordinator ANETA CHALAS Assistant Production Coordinator BELINDA CUMMING Assistant to Mr. Franklin EMMA MOFFAT Third Assistant Director SAM ROOK Floor Runners JAMES BUDD LOUISE DAWSON MAX SMITH LAUREN VAN VEEN SILAS ELLIOTT
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Supervising Location Manager GEORGETTE TURNER Locations Assistant MATAT LEVIN
Production Accountant TANYA MELLOTTE
Chief Lighting Technician HARLON HAVELAND Lighting Technicians HUGH DONNELLY HARRY GAY DAVE SHERMAN Key Grip MARK MORLEY Assistant Grip REBECCA HORSBURGH
Property Master CHRIS ULUSELE Props TIM SILVERSIDES Armourer MATT STRANGE Props Buyer JACKI CASTELLI Prop Transport FILM FLASH TRANSPORT
Stills Photographer LIAM DANIEL
Transport Captain DEAN PORTER Driver PAUL BRAYBROOK Driver STUART ROWE Driver JIM CARSON Driver LEWIS DARLING
Chaperone DEBBIE GUSCOTT
Music Production Services … STEVEN KOFSKY Digital Instrument Design MARK WHERRY Sampling Team TAUREES HABIB RAUL VEGA DREW JORDAN Solo Violin CLAUDIO OLACHEA
Score Recorded and Mixed at REMOTE CONTROL PRODUCTIONS, SANTA MONICA CA
Titles Designed by PAUL FRANKLIN Main & End credits By LIPSYNC
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Visual Effects by MILK VISUAL EFFECTS and DOUBLE NEGATIVE LTD
Filmed on location in London and Canvey Island, England
The Producers would like to thank:
Jane Burton
Freya Burton-Franklin
Seth Burton-Franklin
Michelle Wright
Amelia Granger
Sheila Wickens
Mick Audsley
Andrew Lockley
Rob Curley
The Royal Parks
Kami Naghdi
Jennifer Parker
Luke Gornell
Matthew Kennedy
Paul Hillier
Trevor Howsam
Marcus Howsam
Lulu Roche
Stephen Kravitt
Gary "Gizza" Smith
Lucia Pallaris
The Helicopter Girls
Docklands Light Railway
The Cator Estate
Daniel Capel
Philip Richards
Andrew Boucher
Jo Withers
Harrison Miller
Lana Miller
Sonny Miller
Gina Malik
Sam Mumford
Arlo Mumford
Sudie Smyth
Aileen McIntosh
Charlotte Laing
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The Producers wish to extend a special thanks to
Milk Visual Effects
Double Negative Ltd
Trevor Howsam Ltd
Mission Digital
Arri
Panalux
Panavision
The Rivington Grill, Greenwich
Hans Zimmer
Will Cohen
Peter Hampden
Gail Dana Sheckley
David Gersh
Cora Palfrey
Lizzie Francke
For Creative England: Head of Film Caroline Cooper Charles Talent Co-Ordinator Alice Ramsey Finance Officer Lauren Summers
Camera Equipment by ARRI RENTAL Grips Equipment by PANAVISION UK Electrical Equipment by PANALUX UK
KODAK Motion Picture Products
Color and Prints by TECHNICOLOR ®
Made with the support of Creative England via the BFI NET.WORK
No person or entity associated with this film received payment or anything of value, or entered into any agreement, in connection with the depiction of tobacco products.
This motion picture is protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States and other countries throughout the world. Country of first publication: United States of America. Any
unauthorized exhibition, distribution or copying of this film or any part thereof (including soundtrack) may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.
The story, all names, characters and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with
actual persons, places, buildings and products is intended or should be inferred.
Cover image: Julian Sands in ‘The Escape’. Photo: Liam Daniel. Copyright: Pari Passu Films Ltd
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