insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 22 - December 2016 | Page 25
ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
Two great examples were Cissbury in Findon and The Firle Estate. One of
the sequences required a large house/hotel overlooking sloping fields. A
very specific requirement. When we arrived at Cissbury in Findon, it was
almost exactly what I had described in the screenplay. So many times you
have to adjust your vision to fit in with the realities of a location, especially
given that I choose to shoot in real locations as opposed to studios, but
in the case of Cissbury I could literally shoot the location as it was. Firle
Estate was an example of a location which far exceeded our expectations
and I couldn't help but be inspired creatively; I found myself rewriting and
elevating a sequence that had stayed the same since the beginning. It's
rare for that to happen, but in this case it worked.
Why did you choose Sussex as your shooting location?
To underpin the precious nature of our planet, I needed to shoot in
beautiful locations. We were originally going to shoot around Florence in
Italy, but uncertainty as a result of Brexit and complications with European
co-productions meant looking closer to home. A number of my friends
had talked about how beautiful West Sussex was, so a quick internet
search later I was on the Sussex Film Office’s website and looking
through location images and then on the phone to managing director,
Kelly Mikulla.
What role did Kelly and the Sussex Film Office play?
Kelly quickly became an integral part of our team, sourcing and
negotiating all the amazing locations that we were looking for, so much
so that we brought her on as associate producer. Sussex Film Office also
sourced suppliers, crew, extras, and provided back office services. I can
honestly say we could not have made this film without their support and
we look forward to returning in the future.
What’s next for you?
As a producer you’re always working, but it’s quieter post shoot, so I’m
taking the opportunity while the edit is being put together to finish the
novelisation of my screenplay, The Winter Man. Novel writing is a very
different discipline from screenwriting, but one that I enjoy equally. I’ve
also been approached about a few new series', one of which will be shot
in Canada - a contemporary retelling of Lord of the Flies, which looks very
interesting.
Where did you shoot in West Sussex and why were those
particular locations chosen?
We shot in Bolney, Arundel, Bognor, Liphook, Firle and Findon. The
screenplay dictated the locations, which were mostly rural country
estates with lakes, fields and barns, disused railway tracks and tunnels.
It became apparent very quickly that West Sussex was the right choice
for us because the location options presented to us by Kelly were either
exactly, or exceeded what I was looking for.
The Last Boy is scheduled for release in the US in mid-2017.
Sussex Film Office
01273 773273
www.sussexfilmoffice.co.uk
25