Creation process
The Script took 3 months to write, with an additional 2 months to finalise. Written purely by Senior, he had a goal: to demonstrate his ability as writer, as well as to transform a vision he has had for a while into physical reality, whilst producing a feature film before the age of eighteen. Which he achieved.
We wanted a film with passion, that affects the audience and provides a twist or two. We also wanted to make a film with a mixture of handheld camcorder and DSLR quality footage to create a candid feel. Our aim was to gain a cast & crew compiling of the complete NEK team, as well as our new friend D.M. Larson (x2 Emmy Awards), and locals whom were dedicated to the movie. This adds a friendly atmosphere, therefore enhancing the production process. Although many of the cast were untrained actors, we felt that each character was a reflection of teenage life, which is very important within the film.
Senior, along with Kyle Staff, Dan Lyle and Jack Ide, worked on the screenplay, choosing each shot with as much meaning as possible - we wanted each scene to reveal more and more each time you re-watch it. Soon after, Ide dropped out from the screenplay, with Dan Lyle contributing towards additional scenes. Furthermore, Senior planned the lighting, locations, storyboards, costumes and began graphic design.
Following the planning process, Senior assembled a cast of over twenty people, most of which provide essential cameo and extra roles.
Next, we re-contacted D.M Larson, winner of two Emmy Awards and a Telly Award, who agreed to act as an associate producer.
After that, we had to choose the soundtrack composers - Senior hand picked two people:
- Mattia Cupelli (Italian Video Game & Media Composer)
- Ross Bugden (Orchestral Film Composer)
They are absolutely amazing composers, both with an exceptional ear for emotional music.
In addition to this, Dan Lyle joined the executive production team, to add his own personal spin, with James 'Jimmy' Vowden, Jack Ide and Kyle Staff on the co-production team for the same reason. Despite producers and film assistants working closely with Senior, he never told anybody how film would end - he wanted everybody to watch the film with as much enjoyment as possible. Likewise, he only exposed actors to their segment of the script.
Following this, Kyle Staff composed the official and original song for the film, for which we produced a demo tape, and recorded the song in six different variations to select the best rhythm and sound quality. The song is entitled 'One Step Beyond', and can be found on SoundCloud (click on the 'NEK RECORDS' tab above). Staff also recorded an additional six musical numbers on his acoustic guitar, all of which were featured in the final film.
Shooting began late June 2015 and continued through to May 2016.
Later during production, Sam Ord-Houghton decided to
re-pursue is ambition to become an actor, and so joined both the cast and production team late October. Several additional crew members had since joined the team, and several locations and props were made possible due to Senior's team, who are all credited on IMDb.
Matt Senior method acted for a whole year to make his character more believable, as well as to experiment with the acting style he preferred most. This unfortunately affected his school and home life, which he was originally supposed to apologise for at the end of the film - however, this was removed from the final cut.
A video was released on the official NEK Facebook page explaining the delay with production in January 2016, explaining that the project will be completed by April 2016. This video has since been removed, much like the green band trailer.
Senior says that the film was intended to be art, and that the viewer may notice more and more with each view. He says "the film is crammed with eastereggs, and that every single scene can be analysed, there is simply too much to explain.
Ord-Houghton, upon watching the film, said that it was absolutely phenomenal, and that he wants to be Senior's first choice actor for all future films.
Fact: David Earle, the key prop master, took a break from his three-month wood turning tour to create the hand crafted spinning top from the film. As soon as Senior saw it, he said he had to have it, and wouldn't take no for an answer.
The Official Red Band Trailer was released on 13/03/2016, stating the release date as 20/04/2016. Following the films release, several people reached out to Senior expressing how his film had saved their life.
Be sure to visit the IMDb page after you've viewed the film and leave your ratings and reviews, all feedback is greatly appreciated.
