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The Colony - The Gold Coast Bulletin '07 PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 16 March 2007

Thirsty work for blood brothers

The following excerpt is taken form the "The Weekend Bulletin Magazine" paradise liftout (Mar 10-11, 2007)...

As Gold Coast filmmakers Kane Sarota and Shane Dempsey make the transition from award-winning short films to the heady world of full-length features, their first project is one with plenty of bite.

The books on Kane Sarota's shelves reveal an actor and film-maker's passion. Spielberg, Brando and Stanislavski are among the subjects, names to offer inspiration and education. For Kane's business partner and film director Shane Dempsey, his fervor for film-making was awakened in the 1970s when, as a six-year old, he marveled at director George Lucas's Hollywood blockbuster Return of the Jedi.

Now the pair are working to make their own mark on movie-making, their company Shakane Productions having already enjoyed success with short films and about to take the big step into the big time of full-length features. Their debut promises to be a darkly intriguing one, and Australian vampire film called The Colony.

"It begins in London in 1848 when our vampire pursues his love across the sea as she makes her way to Australia," says Kane, a Gold Coaster since he was 14. "Unfortunately, she dies during the voyage and, in his sadness; he creates a vampire colony here. Then, 140 years later, his bloodline returns and chaos unfolds."

As they complete the inevitable rounds seeking investors for The Colony, Kane and Shane can approach their clients with the necessary mix of enthusiasm, experience and expertise. For instance, their most recent collaboration, the harrowing and memorable short film Humidity Rising, is enjoying widespread acclaim and awards here and overseas. Set on a Queensland cane farm, it features a 12-year-old girl (Gold Coaster Cleo Massey) who is forced to face the consequences when her mother - played by Cleo's mum Anna Waters-Massey - succumbs to the wiles of Kane Sarota's dangerous drifter. A decidedly more affable bloke in real life than the one he plays in Humidity Rising, Kane's pathway to acting began in unconventional territory: triathlon. "I might have been all right had my knees not given out on me, so I had to give up on any thoughts of pursuing a triathlon career," he says. "At a loose end, I headed off to London in 2002 and found a job with a production company. I saw the other side of the business by doing some script reading and editing and I worked on nine feature films." "There was Wake of Death with Jean-Claude Van Damme, Modigliani with Andy Garcia and also a flick with Jerry Springer, of all people."

"Working there really awakened the filmmaking bug in me. Once I was back in Australia I started writing and producing short films. Local Legends and Pitching were well received. "I was also taking acting roles and did a lot of theatre, including some Shakespeare, and even before I left London I'd done a production called Blokes with Bill Hunter. That type of experience made me certain about what I wanted to do.

"Then Shane and I met, found we had similar goals, and so we formed Shakane Productions. The Colony is a defining project for us." "There's just something about vampires," says Shane, who came up with the idea for The Colony. "There seductive and murderous at the same time and I wanted to explore a vampire story that had a distinct Australian atmosphere." "Ironically, I had written a character called Kane before I'd even met Kane."

Having completed a diploma in scriptwriting in 1998, between 2001-04 Shane directed 11 short films. At the time he was also completing a business studies course which he met Kane's wife and, as a result, Kane himself. "We work well together," says Shane. "We've already achieved quite a lot and we've learned what can go wrong along the way and how to make it right." "Making a film in Australia is a bit like climbing Mount Everest, but that doesn't mean you stop trying to climb." "It's a meter for doing the groundwork, sticking to your objectives and taking things one step at a time."

The pair hope to begin production on The Colony midway through this year, with Shane in the director's chair and Kane acting and co-producing. As for projects beyond The Colony, both accept they have a long way to go to emulate the achievements of the Spielberg’s and the Lucas’s of this world.

Nevertheless, though cinematic luminaries now, there was a time when even their bookshelves contained the names of the film-makers they admired. For Kane Sarota and Shane Dempsey, their journey is just beginning. Most importantly, however, each conveys the passion and purpose to see it to its end.
 
Humidity Rising - The Gold Coast Bulletin '07 PDF Print E-mail
Monday, 08 January 2007

Family follows a fine script

The following excerpt is taken form the "The Weekend Bulletin Magazine" paradise liftout (Dec 30-31, 2006)...

Anna Waters-Massey and Cleo exemplify the point. Their eyes sparkle when they look at each other. They joke around. They’re mates as well as mum and daughter. Even so, laughter and joking are in short supply in the pair’s most recent professional acting collaboration, the award-winning short film Humidity Rising.

Worlds apart from anything either Anna or Cleo had done previously, it is a harrowing study of a vulnerable woman, a calculating and violent man and a child forced into an untenable situation. Filmed on a property at Jacobs Well and directed by Louise Alston and starring Kane Sarota, Humidity Rising was an acting challenge too good to miss for Anna and Cleo. “This was a real gutsy role for Cleo, a real change, and for me it was such a great experience to play such a flawed character,” says Anna. “There were some awkward moments. Kane and I had a bedroom scene which as it progressed becomes more tense and violent. I was worried about how Cleo would respond to seeing me in that situation. Kane was also concerned that Cleo be kept off the set and was very aware of how she might feel. “We got through it. Cleo wasn’t on the set when that scene was filmed, but she’s seen it since and is very down to earth about it. It’s acting. To tell the truth; I think Cleo dealt with it better than me because my mind was on two things – my performance, as well as what she might think.”

Anna is selling herself short. The truth is that Cleo’s down to earth attitude is a product of her down to earth upbringing. The feeling is that even though Cleo seems to have a bright future as a performer, she will not be sacrificing her childhood or youth to achieve it. For the moment, she's having fun and sharing and reveling in that reality is satisfying enough for the entire family.

The future is always unknown, perhaps even more so for performers. However, the past is a matter of record and is all the better if able to be regarded fondly. No matter what she does with her life, if Cleo Massey can one day look back on her past with as much pleasure as her parents can theirs, she will have been enriched in ways beyond anything mere fame and fortune could ever match, let alone hope to surpass.
 
Queensland Short Film Festival 2006 - The Sun Article PDF Print E-mail
Tuesday, 05 December 2006

Award Nominees Long for Short-Film Fame

Filmmaker Steve Baker's drawing skills, practiced since he was young, have led to a glittering career in film. His artistic efforts have paid off with the 29-year-old Sherwood man nominated in this year's Queensland Short Film Festival closing night awards, held on Sunday night, for the best screenplay category with The Apprentice.

Mr. Baker also had two animated movies screen at the festival but the apprentice is a "live" movie. He studied animation after leaving school and since then has been involved in the production of music clips and television commercials. He recently directed a 13-part, one minute children's series for the ABC. "I've been drawing since I was a kid," Mr. Baker said.  "My mum encouraged me which was good".

Springfield man Shane Dempsey was also nominated in the awards in the best use of a Queensland location for Humidity Rising. Mr. Dempsey, 28, has been involved with film making since 1998. "I have been interested in films since I first saw Star Wars - Return of the Jedi when I was six," Mr. Dempsey said.

Moving from Adelaide to Queensland when he "found" scriptwriting after always being interested in art. "I love the business side  of filmmaking as well as the creative side" he said. At the festival, 16 world premiers, 20 Australian premiers and 28 Queensland premiers were screened.
 
Humidity Rising - Queensland Times '07 PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 03 November 2006

Starring Springfield

With their short film up for awards, this duo has their sights set on the Hollywood big time, Tegan Taylor writes.

Remember the name Shane Dempsey and Kane Sarota. You'll be hearing them a lot in the future. The Springfield Lakes entrepreneur's and film producer's have a short film in the running for awards and a feature length film in the works. Together with Gold Coast-based business partner and producer Kane Sarota, Mr. Dempsey made Humidity Rising, which is up for five gongs at the Queensland Short Film Festival this weekend, including best cinematography and best Queensland location.

Set in the steamy Queensland cane fields, Humidity Rising shows what can happen when loneliness and despair gets the best of people. A drifter named Warren, played by Mr. Sarota, comes across a woman and her daughter in his search for work. He and the woman share a short flirtation before it all goes sour and he attempts to kill both girls.

With the Queensland Short Film Festival awards to be announced tomorrow night, Mr. Dempsey said the short film was successful because he and Mr. Sarota were professional in the way they went about making it. "We went about the film as a business, not like 'can we have some money?" he said. It's a technique that is already paying off in the preparation for the pair's next project, a feature-length vampire film called The Colony.

Still in the script writing stage, the duo's company Shakane Productions has been offered about $25 million in British funding. Mr. Sarota said most of the 30-odd crew from Humidity Rising had also begged Mr. Dempsey and him not to forget them when the feature starts filming because they so enjoyed their style of work.

"We were treating this (Humidity Rising) like a feature film," he said. "Doing the paperwork, going through every detail of the film and that really stood out to people" Everyone was like; don't forget about me when it comes to The Colony." 

The Shakane partners have their sights set on The Colony being released on at least 4500 movie screens throughout Australia, Britain, America and Asia, and they agreed it was details they learned in the making of Humidity Rising that will ensure their next film is a success. "One of the biggest things I learned is communication... communication is paramount," Mr. Sarota said. Some of the lessons learned were more important than others. "If you're ever going to drink alcohol in a scene, make sure you taste what's in the bottle first," Mr. Sarota said. "It was meant to be white wine and it was lime cordial and they didn't dilute it first."

 
 
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