Waylay by Kevin Pickering: The Skinny Short Film Competition 2015
Shortlisted in The Skinny Short Film Competition 2015, director Kevin Pickering explains the ideas, inspirations and processes behind his film Waylay
Filmmaker’s Statement:
After living in the woods, alone with his guilt, Donald finds himself back in town, with no option but to finally reunite with his past and the reality of the fateful night, which drove him into isolation.
Waylay, starring David Woods, was produced in November 2014 with a small crew for around £100. It was a very ambitious production and I think we have created something that is very fresh and exciting.
Q&A
What do you do and why do you do it?
I am a filmmaker. Filmmaking is such a big part of my life and I feel I have found a voice through film. I find it an invaluable way of exploring and expressing my thoughts creatively, and I love attempting to produce visually and emotionally stimulating work.
Where did the initial idea for your film come from?
The idea for Waylay came to me pretty well formed, as I recall. When I shared the outline with a few of my usual crew/collaborators, we decided it was achievable and to strike while the iron was hot. It was shot not long after, for around £100. Although we kept it all very simple, with such a small crew and no budget, it was a very ambitious production.
In my experience of writing, I believe that when we have certain creative ideas that hit a nerve or truly excite us, we should trust them. I don’t think ideas are ever random, but pieced together by the subconscious mind, like a dream. You might not always know what it means at the time, but if you trust the idea and go with it, while it's fresh, it can have the potential to be something very rich and unique. It can be exciting allowing the themes and meanings to reveal themselves over the process of creating the film, and long after.
Waylay was a film produced with this approach. In the edit, while finding the form of the film, I realised that Waylay may be one of my most personal dramas, being an exploration of guilt and the withdrawal from reality.
Describe your film in five words?
A peculiar tale of acceptance.
What excites you most about filmmaking?
I am excited by all aspects of filmmaking, but I love using the many elements and tools that film provides to explore ideas, concepts and themes; finding fresh ways to create something beyond reality that resonates and is felt and experienced on a more subconscious level by an audience. I continue to be excited to explore film's potential to evoke emotion, transport, arouse and enthral.
What advice would you give other filmmakers?
Trust your ideas! Get out and do it, don’t be scared to experiment or to be personal.
Credits:
Production
Writer & Director - Kevin Pickering
Director of Photography - Rob O’Donnell
Sound Recordist - Lewis Wardrop
Make Up - Alex Adair
Producer - Kevin Pickering, Nicola Whelan
Driver - Chris Melrose, David Pickering
Music - Gav Little, Fiona Liddel, Steve Kettley
Cast:
David Woods
Roddy Samson
Deborah Whyte
Freya Burnett
Learn more about The Skinny Short Film Competition and watch more short films at our Short Film Competition portal, and check out the full shortlist for The Skinny Short Film Competition.