Ahead of the release of his film, Life, Among Other Things, we caught up with writer and director, Chester Dimoglou, about the inspiration behind his ambitious project.
What inspired you to do the film?
"I’ve always been passionate about acting, writing, and music; I feel that film is the culmination of all these facets in one body. I acted in film director, ON, and good friend, Jack Parfitt’s film The Scales, and was inspired by it all, and wanted to give it a go myself!"
Where does the title come from?
"I completed the script a few months before I decided on a name for the title – it’s really tricky to find one short sentence to sum up what you’re trying to say. The film represents and appreciates the small bursts of life and vividity we can find, even through our hardship. The ‘Life’ is supposed to represent and emphasise the persevering good in the world around us, and the ‘Other Things’ are the troubles and pain that makes life so valuable, and this is reflected in the film. Hence: Life, Among Other Things."
How long did it take to shoot?
"The process of wrapping the film took me a little less than a year. I started strong with a 4-day bunk at a friend’s house in December (thank you Mark and Riel for having me!) shooting all my internal scenes and all the dialogue. It then took a substantial amount of time to not only select external locations but to schedule days where my cast and crew could make it and then eventually to go off and shoot it all. I only had three external shoots, but the planning took a hell of a long time! But it couldn’t have turned out any better."
How long did it take to edit?
"I’ve been editing it on the fly since I shot my first footage in December, so about 10 months of pretty relaxed editing. The editing process mainly consists of editing and structuring the videos and shots, colour grading and audio mixing. It’s gradually become more intense as time goes on; I’m still editing as we speak, and will be until the day of the premiere!"
Which elements of the film making process did you most enjoy?
"The main two interests this project has fostered are definitely screenwriting and photography. Screenwriting was a narrative form that I’d never really experimented with until this year, and it’s now pretty much all I do. I love the subtleties and nuance that embedding a narrative into the format of a screenplay can give – something sometimes lost in other forms such as a dramatic play.
I showed up to my first shoot with absolutely no idea how to use the camera I was holding in my hand. I feel that now my knowledge can still be built on, but the personal experience of capturing an emotive image through a lens was liberating. I now know my way around a camera, and now having relinquished the camera I loaned from the marketing department, I feel like it’s time to get my own!"
What did you find most challenging?
"Editing without a doubt, specifically audio mixing. Many aspects of filmmaking need a clear mind and intention, of which audio mixing is definitely one. The process of finding each audio recording, syncing each clip with its respective audio, and then balancing out the volume and gain afterwards is an arduous process, and needs full focus, so it was pretty easy for me to just push it to the back of the to-do-list. But I discovered the small joys you can get from completing a small task, and this exponentially increased my productivity while also being fun."
Did you write the script?
"I did indeed. The scriptwriting naturally comes first in almost every film production; I clearly remember being sat at a blank laptop trying to think of what to do for my independent project, and suddenly the idea came to me. It took me about a week to write the first script and poems, and I sent it around to teachers and colleagues for feedback, along with leaving it for a few days to reconsider with fresh eyes. I then adapted it and made my first wave of cuts, and after that it stayed the same until my final shoot in August. I started to get a nagging feeling that something might not be adding up, and completely tore out the ending and replaced it. Hopefully this was the right decision! I guess I’ll see on the 10th, but nonetheless screenwriting has been my biggest takeaway from this experience."
Was it hard to cast your characters?
"I had to cast two roles, and it was pretty tough. Jack gave me no problems with casting – he casted me in his film, and he was also perfect for the role and incredibly talented, so that role went to him without much thought at all. As for his co-star, I had no idea what I was looking for, so I put up an open audition at the start of last year, asking candidates to read a poem from the script aloud. The talent in the up-and-coming years truly daunted me! I deliberated for a few days, but the role fell quite neatly to now U5 student Darcy, who was very impressive and impressed yet again on camera. I couldn’t have asked for a better cast."
What do you want audiences to take away when they come and see the film?
"At the end of the day, I want people to enjoy it. It’s a story that certainly has a message behind it – it comments on the themes of life, struggle, writing and the strength of the human bond. While I want to leave the audience considering these themes and what it means to them, I ultimately want to make a film that people like. If people come out after watching it and tell me they liked it, that’s all I could ever want to hear. Hopefully I can inspire some people in the year below to continue the line! "
What has been the most important lesson you have learnt from your film making journey?
"Improvise! Never stick to a single idea – you get one good one in every 10 bad ones. Don’t confine yourself to a cage or lock yourself in trying to produce exactly what you envisioned, because you won’t end up with what you were thinking – you might even end up with something better! I know I certainly did. The door is a cornerstone of my film, and I didn’t even intend for it to be there. We found it on the beach, covered in sand, and I decided to carry it along the beach and use it, and dragged my dad back out to drive back in his pickup truck and collect it a few days after the shoot so I could properly integrate it into the film. Ideas will throw themselves at you, be open to them!"
