Matt's Blog

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 31 July 2011

I recently had the chance to speak with Nelson Woss, producer of the new Australian film Red Dog.  It's being released on August 4 and is showing on more than 200 screens in this country (trust me, that's a lot for a locally made film).  You can listen to an extract of the interview in my special podcasts section by clicking here.  Here's what Nelson had to say...

Matt:  We’ve got a story set in the 1970s where the central character is a dog who doesn’t talk that roams remote Australia and forms a bond with people.  It doesn’t scream out to me “Hollywood blockbuster” so I’m curious to know how you came across this story and why you thought it’d be suited to the big screen?

Nelson:  I grew up in Perth and I’d heard these amazing stories as a kid of the Red Dog who roamed all over the great state of Western Australia.  I was also working in Los Angeles and I heard that the famous author Louis De Bernieres (probably best known for Captain Corelli’s Mandolin) had travelled all the way to this remote region of Australia and had seen the Red Dog statue outside the front of Dampier.  He was so moved by the story that he wrote this book.  When I read Louis’s book, I thought it would be a terrific idea to do as a movie in Australia.

Matt:  The statue that you mentioned we get to see at the very end of the film.  Was that the real statue?

Nelson:  Yep.  If you go and visit Dampier today you will see that statue.   

Matt:  I’m sure Louis’s novel provided a wealth of material but did you and screenwriter Daniel Taplitz have to go beyond that, do your own research and speak with those who had a connection with the dog?

Nelson:  Yeah we did a lot of research.  I actually took Daniel Taplitz out to the Pilbara and we wandered around.  It was easy because so many people would come up to us and Red Dog had obviously intersected so many people’s lives.  Everyone up there who was there during the time had a Red Dog story.

I’d made a movie several years ago called Ned Kelly through a similar process.  We started doing the research and then people came to us saying that my great great grandfather or a relation or a friend of a relation knew Ned Kelly.  In some ways, it was a very similar thing with Red Dog.

Matt:  So these characters in the story like John, Nancy, Jack and Peeto – are they actually based on real people or have they been fictionalised?

Nelson:  All stories that are in the Red Dog film are loosely based on composites of stories that really happened.  There’s nothing we made up.  Everything came from either Louis De Bernieres’s research or our research.

Matt:  Was there really a John?  Someone who had a really strong connection with the dog?

Nelson:  There was definitely a guy named John Stazzonelli and he was one of those who formed a strong bond with Red Dog.

Matt:  We know the general process when it comes to actors but the lead character here is a dog.  How do you go about casting a dog?  What are you looking for and how did you find the right dog for this film?

Nelson:   We really needed to find a dog that was strong and independent but we also needed to find a dog who could act and emote on the screen.  It’s a bit like casting human actors really.  There are some great actors and there are some actors who are stars.  Our Koko is very much a star dog.  He just stood out amongst all the other dogs that we auditioned.

Matt:  I always think back to the Aussie film Babe and they had about 50 different pigs that played that leading role.  Is this the same dog, Koko, all the way through the film?

Nelson:  Koko was definitely our main dog but like Tom Cruise, Red Dog had stand-ins and stunt dogs.  We had a number of dogs that we used throughout the filming but that being said, whenever you see a dog on screen with say, Josh Lucas or Rachael Taylor, that was our Koko.

Matt:  So you actually had a stand-in for when Koko was off in his trailer or taking it easy?

Nelson:  Haha, yeah exactly. Dogs are like people and they have a certain time limit that they can concentrate for.  We’d have a stand-in dog that was put in position while the crew did all the set up and lighting and then when we were ready to go, we’d bring Koko and his trainer in and they’d do the part.  It worked really well but we had a fantastic team.

Matt:  How easy was it to get Koko to do all the things that were required in the film?  Was it tough at times or was he a well behaved dog?

Nelson:  Overall he was terrific but like all actors, he had his good days and his bad days.  Some days he didn’t want to come out of his trailer but at the end of the day, we got everything in the can.

Matt:  There’s a very small cameo in the film from the late Bill Hunter.  I know it’s not a really big role so I’m curious to know how he came to be in the film?

Nelson:  It was a really unique part.  Bill played the character of Jumbo Smelt, an old-timer from the region who had been attacked by a shark.  We thought about it and we wanted someone who had a lot of charisma and represented that “old style” Australian look and there was no one better than Bill Hunter.  It was a great pleasure to work with him and it was terribly sad when we heard he had passed on.  I’m sure people will remember his work for a long time.

Matt:  I believe you made a small cameo in the film yourself?

Nelson:  It wasn’t by design.  We were on such a low budget and whenever we needed extras or more people on the screen, we’d just drag ourselves into it.  There is a small scene when I’m on screen but it flashes by very quickly so it won’t spoil the film.

Matt:  The 70s setting for me was interesting, particularly some of the costumes.  Was it tricky to recreate the timeframe in terms of the costumes and sets?

Nelson:  We had a terrific production designer, Ian Gracie, who had worked with Baz Luhrmann and we had a great costume designer, Marriott Kerr.  They did the research and I think they delivered the quietly flamboyant costumes in this movie.

It’s funny that when we showed the film to some of the locals, they told us that it looked authentic and they really did wear that.  A challenge of making the movie is that when we went to the mine sites, they have very rigid safety laws now.  All the actors would be wearing hard hats and fluro gear and as soon as we started filming, they’d take that off and we’d shoot the scene wearing thongs and singlets (which is what they wore in the 70s).  As soon as the director yelled “cut”, we’d have to cover up them up again.  It was an interesting way to work.

Matt:  It’s not often we see the star of the film travelling around Australia to promote it but that’s exactly what Koko is doing at the moment.  How has he been going?  Has the stardom gone to his head?  What’s he been like on the road?

Nelson:  He’s great.  He loves people and loves meeting his fans.  I don’t know about you but I have a Facebook account and maybe I’m a bit old for it but I only have 43 friends.  Koko has 2,000 friends and they’re spread across Australia and the world.  It’s quite interesting because the Red Dog story was also about a dog who pulled a community together.

He’s a good traveller.  He flies in planes and he rides around in cabs with us.  I think he enjoys it. 

Matt:  Hopefully the film is a great success here in Australia.  Nelson, thank you for speaking with us.

Nelson:  It’s a special film about Australian spirit and Australians coming together.  It was a privilege to do it and hopefully people enjoy it.

You can read my review of Red Dog by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 25 July 2011

I have a few interviews to share with you in the coming weeks and so in this week’s blog, I’m going to cover the winners of my self-indulgent Toomey Awards.  Three weeks ago, I named my favourite films and performances for the past 12 months.  I’ve put plenty of thought into over the last few weeks and now I can reveal my top pick in each category.

Hopefully it’ll inspire you to check out some of these films if you haven’t already.  The winners can be viewed by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 July 2011

I’ve mentioned it a few times already but I’m off to the Toronto Film Festival in September.  It’s my first trip to a major international film festival and it’s been a learning exercise in terms of how to plan and get tickets.

My experiences to date have been limited to the Brisbane International Film Festival.  The program comes out a few weeks before, you pick what films you want to see and then you buy the tickets.  It’s that simple.  A few films sell out but if you get in early, it’s not a problem.

As you can imagine, Toronto is very different.

Firstly, there are three different types of screenings – galas, special presentations and regular screenings.

Galas are held at Roy Thomson Hall, a huge concert hall that seats 2,600 people.  You can look at its amazing interior by clicking here.  The list of Gala screenings in 2010 included Black Swan, The King’s Speech, Potiche, Sarah’s Key, The Town and Barney’s Version.  For many of these films, it is their world premiere and you can expect the filmmakers / stars to be in attendance.

Special presentations are held at the Elgin Theatre’s VISA Screening Room.  It seats 1,500 people and is another big venue.  You can view a photo of this beautiful theatre by clicking here.  Special presentations last year included 127 Hours, Another Year, Biutiful, Blue Valentine, Buried, Conviction, Easy A, Hereafter, In A Better World, Made In Dagenham, Never Let Me Go, Rabbit Hole and The Trip.

The regular screenings are held at a variety of other theatres.  The great news is that they are all centrally located.  I’ve booked my accommodation at the Hilton Toronto and I believe I’m within 1 km of all the major theatres.  Some of them can hold up to 1,000 people.

So how do you get tickets?  Of the world’s leading festivals, Toronto is one of the most accessible to the public but the problem is that as a result, demand for tickets is high.

There are two types of ticket packages – TIFF Choice and My Choice.

TIFF Choice packages are where you don’t get to decide what you want to see.  Instead, the selection is made by the Festival programmers.  It’s not completely random however.  One of the more popular packages (as it’s already sold out) is the Opening Weekend at the VISA Screening Room.  This costs $87 and gets you a ticket to the VISA Screening Room film at 6pm on the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  This is likely to be a special presentation but you can’t be 100% sure.

The problem with these packages is that you’re effectively taking a chance.  You may get a film that you don’t want to see.  That’s just how it goes.  It’s not until the program comes out in late August that you’ll know the names of the movies.

Other TIFF Choice packages include (1) the 5-film Sampler Pack which gets you 5 random films for $82, (2) the Midnight Madness which gets you 10 midnight screenings for $156, (3) the Double-Date Gala which gets you 2 tickets to 2 different galas for $299.

The reason you want to buy TIFF Choice packages is because it could be your only chance to get to a gala screening or a special presentation.  They aren’t available with other packages (as you’ll see below).

For this reason, the packages I’ve snapped up are the two Friday to Friday at the VISA Screening Room packages.  This gives me a ticket to the 6pm and 9pm screenings for every night of the Festival at the VISA Screening Room.  The cost of the combined packages is $464 but it should ensure I get to all the special presentations (and hopefully I’ll get to see a few filmmakers and actors).

My Choice packages allow you to select the films you want to see.  You can buy them in packs of 10, 30 and 50.  The 10 ticket pack costs $160 and you can use it to get up to 4 tickets per film (ideal if you’re going with friends).

It may sound simple but it’s anything but.  For starters, you may not necessarily get the films you want.  In late August, the program is released and you must pick up your Advance Order Book.  You then go through each day of the Festival, mark the films you want and note the number of the tickets you require.  You then must return the Book within a week to the Festival Office.  A great look at how this works can be found of the TIFF Talk website by clicking here.

Once the deadline is past, all the Advance Order Books are placed in boxes.  A lottery is then held to determine which box is opened first.  If the number 13 is drawn, the 13^th box is opened followed by the 14^th, 15^th, etc and the back around until the 12^th box is reached.

The reason it’s done this way is because some films will sell out.  You may have picked it in your Book but if your box is one of the last opened, you may still miss out of tickets.  That’s why you’re also asked to nominate a “second choice” film in case you don’t get your first selection.  Apparently, the hardest to get ticket in 2010 was Black Swan.

You may be saying “hang on, wasn’t Black Swan a gala screening?”  The answer is yes but a film often screens several times at the Festival.  The premiere of Black Swan with director Darren Aronofsky and star Natalie Portman was a gala screening but if you were prepared to wait a few days, you could see it as a regular screening (without the stars) during the day.

It gets a little more confusing because your TIFF Membership can come into play.  If you pay $300 a year and become a Contributor member, it means your Advance Order Book goes to the front of the queue (and bypasses the lottery).  This seems to be the best way of securing the tickets you want to the films you want (excluding galas and special presentations).  I’ve decided to pay this additional cost and order 4 of the 10 ticket packs (for me and my friends to use) to help us get tickets to the films we want to see during the day.  We probably won’t need them at night since we’ll be at the VISA Screening Room.

There’s also an additional cost because I live in Australia and can’t pick up and return the Advance Order Book in person.  If you live closer to Toronto, you can pay $150 for a courier service which will deliver you the Book and allow you to return it within a week.  However, that’s not going to possible from Australia.  I’m therefore hoping to be selected to use the online version of the Book which is being trialled this year.  The problem is that I still have to pay the $150 but it’s the only choice I have.

It’s worth noting at this point that single tickets to films aren’t available until after all of the above packages are dished out.  Apparently they do hold back a few tickets for the major films but I don’t know how easy these would be to get your hands on.  There are also “Rush Line” tickets where you can line up (possibly for hours) and hope to get in to a movie because ticket holders don’t show up.  Can be risky.  You’ll shouldn’t have trouble getting tickets to the smaller films (TIFF says that only 30% of films sell out each year) but I still think your best bet is to buy packages and fill our your Advance Order Book.

Believe it or not, there is a TIFF Membership category that does allow you to buy individual tickets before everyone else (even the Advance Order Book folk).  You can pay $1,200 to join the Patron’s Circle and for that, you can pick the films (any you like) for $19 for regular films and $38 for special presentations.  Doesn’t seem worth it if you ask me but it’s there as an option.

The highest Membership category costs $10,000 and this gets you such things as (1) a personal concierge service for ticket purchases, (2) an invitation for 2 to a directors cocktail reception and dinner, (3) invitations to private screenings and dinner events with special guests, (4) access to press screenings, and (5) tickets to the Opening Night screening, cocktail reception and after party.  I’ve got some money to spend but not quite that much sadly.

Does that all make sense?  I haven’t even started about media accreditation but we’ll save that for another time.  My application has been submitted and hopefully I’m considered worthy enough by the wonderful Festival organisers!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 July 2011

We’re half way through the year and releases are few and far between in Australian cinemas.  It’s left me with very little to talk about.

I therefore thought it an opportune time to go through my mid-year report card (as I have done in past years).

I went through this list with Kelly Higgins-Devine on 612ABC Brisbane radio and you can download a 9 minute podcast by clicking here.

I’ve seen 100 films so far in 2011 but none of them are worthy of my top rating – an A+.  Hopefully a few films will come along to change that over the coming months.

Total Films Released:  100 (slightly above last year’s 96 but down from the peak of 117 in 2008)

Total Films Seen Worthy Of An A+:  0

Total Films Seen Worthy Of An A:  4

Best Films:  127 Hours, Another Year, Inside Job (all 3 now on video) and Super 8 (now in cinemas).

Best Performances:  James Franco (127 Hours), Leslie Manville (Another Year), Paul Giamatti (Barney’s Version), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Rachel McAdams (Morning Glory), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit).

Worst Films:  A Heartbeat Away, Soul Surfer, Yogi Bear, How Do You Know, Big Mommas, Hoodwinked Too and World Invasion: Battle LA.

Proof That Australians Will Support Local Cinema If You Have An Interesting Story:  Mrs Carey’s Concert still pulling in crowds after 10 weeks with $970k, Snowtown doing the same after 7 weeks with $985k, and Oranges & Sunshine leading the pack with $2.75m after just 4 weeks.

A Weak Year For Animation If You Ask Me:  Yogi Bear, Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Rango, Gnomeo & Juliet and Hop.

Best Of The Animated Bunch:  Rio and Tangled.

You Can’t Beat A Good Documentary:  Inside Job, Catfish, Waiting For Superman, Mrs Carey’s Concert.

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying:  The Hangover 2 has grossed $31.5m in Australia – a bigger total than any of this year’s other releases despite being a carbon copy of the original.

Biggest Box-Office Opening:  Transformers 3 (with $12.3m) despite many negative reviews from the public and critics.  I dare say this will be passed by Harry Potter in a week’s time.

Was A December 2010 Release But Worth Mentioning:  The King’s Speech spent 17 weeks in the top 20 and made $31m.  Not bad for a film about a guy with a stutter seeing a speech therapist!

Films I Surprisingly Liked:  Never Say Never, No Strings Attached, Bridesmaids, The Lincoln Lawyer, Water For Elephants.

Films I Surprisingly Disliked:  The Tree Of Life, Sleeping Beauty, Scream 4, Conviction, Rango, Thor.

Proof That Foreign Language Films Can Be Successful At The Box-Office:  The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest reeled in $2.3m and spent 6 weeks inside the top 20.

Films Looking Forward To In The Months Ahead:  Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, War Horse, Senna, The Inbetweeners.

Films Not Looking Forward To In The Months Ahead:  Green Lantern, The Smurfs, Final Destination 5.

Why I’m Excited:  I’m off to the Toronto Film Festival in September!