THE PROJECT
HEAVYWEIGHT is a pilot/promotion/short film, approx 30 minutes produced in Melbourne.
Drama/black comedy......low budget. Payment method to be determined.
With a different kind of story and a unique style the main aim is to seek potential interest from streaming platforms in a series.
The main character is a transgender woman, an ontrend topic these days.
Publicity campaign via still images and teasers/trailers......world wide online exposure.
Strong visually/big acting/humour, a little violence and a sex scene will attract interest.
THE STORY / CONTENT
The opening and closing scenes are in colour.
OPENING.....Beatrice Fryer is a police detective and also happens to be a transgender woman. She is at home , lying on the couch under a blanket ,messy, on medication, on medical/stress leave. She was shot in the bum and is moody and whingy. She has her old doll with her.Also with her is her daughter , an independent/stroppy girl......(dialogue)
CLOSING....(scene in development) A quirky ending , possibly ex wife showing some tough love / wrestling Bee back to LIFE. or see below.....
THE MIDDLE SCENES OF THE FILM ARE ALL IN A CONTRASTY BLACK AND WHITE.
1 Bee in front of mirror ready for work....dark suit/blouse/makeup/hair tied back......looking at herself.......fierce.
Patting jacket...(her voiceover) "badge.....gun.....lip gloss......tissues......attitude....Detective Senior Sergeant Beatrice Fryer.....shit getting real...."
2 Police office.........Bee with boss who's overly enthusiastic re promotion and diversity, wants Bee to do publicity. She's not so keen.
3 Pub.......Bee with several detective collegues.....a celebration of her promotion. A speech and some muttered dissent in the room. May have faces with voiceover thoughts.
4 Bee's office where she has to discipline a junior male detective constable.
(Dialogue)
Knock......pause
Bee.....come in
DC.......enters/stands/waits
Bee......looking at computer.......well this is a clusterfuck (looks up) that's American military slang for a large mess..............you assault a suspect,who we have to let go,and he may sue us.......and then you abuse and harass a collegue...........too much testosterone is it? Down at the gym pumping iron and taking steroids.....
DC.....No Boss
Bee....you think you're Al Pacino?
DC.....No Boss
Bee..........sit down (moves around to him,sits on edge of desk)...What's your favourite Pacino film HEAT or SCARFACE?
DC.....SCARFACE
Bee.....I might have known......well I have a no dickheads policy on this team.....any more of this crap and your out of here ok?
DC........yes boss.......thanks
Bee......I'll be micro managing you so watch yourself......................you can go.
DC.......He moves to the door and turns back......What's your favourite Pacino film sarge?
Bee..........Dog Day Afternoon......google it......................and appologise to the other members.
DC Exits.
5 A girl is walking throught a park in the evening , she is stalked/bashed and raped.Possibly choreographed, surreal movement of actors.
6 Police Office..........Boss,Bee, other detectives, angst and urgency over another woman being attacked.The superintendent ,possibly in uniform gives a passionate/emotional speech about male violence that is jaw dropping.
7 Bee and detectives at crowded market , suspect has been traced and is confronted by detective team and arrested.........more surreal/abstract movement.
8 Bee and another dancing with abandon at a queer club with comforting physical contact.
9 Police offices........Bee leads interview with alleged rapist
10 Bee visits home of a male.....he comforts her.....they end up in bed..........sex. During sex Bee looks up and into the camera.......she may talk to it.
11 Police offices.....Bee attends session with pyschologist to discuss her condition but she changes the subject to the Tina Arena concert the pysch took his boyfriend to last night.
These scenes continue to develop and dialogue has been written but not included here.
Final Colour Scene.......in development. Could be Bee with artist ex wife in her studio.....Bee being painted....chit/chat,they leave and we pull back to see portrait which is a B/W anxious, abstract image of Bee.
THE END!?
THE STYLE AND METHOD
I have both commercial and experimental instincts. The colour sequences are naturalistic with playful dialogue and larger performances.The middle B/W section is not a typical flashback style, more fragmented aspects of her recent life/love/work/trauma.The camera will move and generally be tight on upper bodies and faces, dark suits,detailed white faces (or other ethnicities).Moments captured/dark/light/shadows. Documentary aspects.Possibly non linnear and surreal in the editing. Bits of dialogue and possible added noises. Bee in police/masculine culture but with all in dark suits it's a bit genderless. Bee is a force/strong presence.....she can be soft and hard....one of the team but separate.
Films are made 3 times....writing/developing......performance/discovery......editing/playing.
There is more than one way to make films!
Filming is broken into segments......4 to 6 hours......makeup/setup/rehearse/perform. There is always a framework but always creative space within that. No rush/stress.......all ideas valued.....fun. Actors not constrained by a lot of dialogue or technical stuff.I want them to breathe/relax/play.
My filmmaking methodology has developed over many films/ 2 webseries. Enjoyable.
THE SCEDULE/BUDGET/PAYMENT
Currently there are 14 sections to shoot , 5 are in police offices and can be done in 1 or 2 sessions.Many of the others can be done 2 at a time. Probably 8 filming sessions in total. Start filming when everything in place, Covid permitting.
Flexible weekdays/weekends........a few evenings.
Yes, it is one of those low budget films!
I want to pay participants something and have some personal funds but want to discuss options with potential producer(s).All deserve to be paid. I have a idea/budget in mind.
I will discuss this further with interested crew/cast.
For me, I need to keep being creative , sometimes it involves risk/sacrifice.
I attempt to offer stimulating workwith potential without asking for large time comittment or overwhelming effort.
THE TEAM/CREW REQUIRED
1 I am the writer/director/lead actor
2 A producer.....or 2
3 A cinematographer.....with own camera/basic lighting.Artistic/can work reasonably quickly/likes to try things/sometimes guerilla style(markets/nightclub). See's limitations as opportunities.
4 A sound recordist with own equipment....boom or radio mic's? experiment with random voices/sounds.
5 A co-director/assistant director/another filmmaker. To help me/another set of eyes. Involved in various aspects of the film.
6 Production designer/ art department..........I've never used these in the past but would be keen to work with them on this project.
7 Makeup artist..........maybe just 1..........design a makeup for lead character Bee. Many scenes with 2 actors , a few with 5/6/ or 7...........would need to work reasonably quickly. Could do a quicker powder down on some actors? Probably no need to do hair.
Also a makeup design for rape victim....battered/bloody.
8 Editor...very creative part of my filmmaking. Piecing together each sequence, moving things around/playing/experimenting.
Transitions on B/W pieces......jump cuts/fades/dissolves?
9 Music......composer..........some music cues, open to discussion.Electronic? Heard a track....In A Quiet Mood by Eric Hilton that was great for the sex scene.
10 Choreographer/movement consultant....could co-direct with me.
I have a no frills/punk ethos with art and filmmaking.
Ideas/energy/passion..........just do it.
Embrace limitations......great art is possible with very little.
CAST REQUIRED
1 Bee's daughter..........late teens/20's.......independent/outspoken/spunky attitude.
2 Detective inspector......male......40/50 not a dinosaur.
3 Detective constables on Bee's team.....4 or 5 including 1 female the rest male.....late 20's/30's any ethnicity.
4 Rape/assault victim..........female.....20's
5 Rapist.............male............late 20's
6 Detective Superintendent ......big boss.....50+
7 Bee's queer dancing friend..........any age/gender
8 Bee's lover...........male..........late 30's/40's
9 Police pyschologist.............male.........30's
10 Bee's former wife...............female 40's
NOTES
I am gender diverse/trans/mild AIS intersex......phew...
it happened to me......born this way (cheers Lady Ga Ga)
Grew up in Adelaide, had no idea. Eventual punk attitude with underlying shame.Even thought the trans element is a key part of the film it is generally free of the traumatic struggle of a lot of trans stories of the past. It's a new era.
Bee is strong/confident/charismatic and in charge (mostly). Her issues are mostly from the consequences of being in the police force.
Recent compulsion to resume acting.Rediscovered acting power and fascination with performing at recent workshops. Recent keto diet/fasting have trimmed body and sharpened features.Want to put this under the microscope of the film camera.
I still wonder where amazing cinema is going to come from in this country,maybe it's the one minute films on Tik Tok! I'm interested in big/bold performances. Energy/intensity/humour and weird.
POINTS OF REFERENCE
Jane Campion....Top Of The Lake China Girl.........how have I watched this 4 times?! Great photography,always intelligent and quirky.
Nicole Kidman in Destroyer....was never blown away by her acting but she is spacy and powerful in this.
Al Pacino in Serpico.....the outsider hippy in the macho police force.
Killing Eve...came to this late ,as usual. Jodie Comer brilliant...performing with abandon. Brilliant writing.
Tilda Swinton..........fascinating face of course but she talks about her different style of performing. She was a muse for the great English director/artist Derek Jarman.
Dear old David Lynch with his old video camera in Inland Empire........no frills/weirdness.....and Mulholland Drive.
This is a detailed brief because I am selling myself and the project ,as well as giving as much information as possible in the hope of finding passionate/talented people to create with. Thanks!
Please contact me with any interest/information about yourself/thoughts/questions at
kimmilesfilms@hotmail.com
mob 0415177099
