Spend A Day at the Oasis with Filmmakers Tim Beckett & Tim Lethbridge
Revelation screens the world premiere of low budget WA production, A Day at the Oasis, on Sunday 18 July. Writer and producer Tim Beckett and director and co-producer Tim Lethbridge talk to Anomie about their understated comedy.
Tim Lethbridge with Cleighton Siva (DOP) and Peter McIntosh (Sound Recordist)
The awkward and painful humour of honestly observed life is done particularly well in many Australian films; do you see this film as particularly Australian?
TB: Yes, I hope that the film and the characters come across as being authentically Australian. We were trying to capture a certain type of social environment, where everybody knows each other, but are still emotionally isolated from each other. There is also a lot of stoicism amongst the characters, which I think is also typically Australian.
At the same time, I would like to think that the characters, and their stories, are universally relatable. The characters face issues which are common to everyone, not just Australians, and not just country people. And I find the response to emotional isolation especially interesting.
TL: I didn't specifically set out to make an "Australian" film, but I did want to portray characters that could be believed, even in the more absurd moments, and the best way I could do that was to use my own experience - which of course is as an Australian. On the other hand, my wife is German, so I briefly considered setting Oasis in post-war Berlin, but it was ultimately decided that the more subtle humour (read: wind-up sex-toy gag) might be lost in translation.
You shot 11 minutes a day, over 9 days on one camera. What was the production process like?
TB: The production process was very fast, but we didn't feel like we were under excessive pressure on too many occasions, because we always knew that would be the case. It was aided by a very efficient cast and crew, a very motivated First AD, and Tim Lethbridge's meticulous planning.
TL: I turned up on the first day of filming with a very specific plan - and promptly abandoned it.
TB: We did a technical rehearsal a few months earlier, to figure out the most efficient way to get the coverage we needed. Tim Lethbridge then developed a shot list for each scene, and we re-shot each scene from as many angles as we needed.
TL: In essence, we blocked each scene, worked out the shots we needed and set the camera rolling. We didn't have time to do anything too complicated, and I'm glad that we didn't. Oasis was never going to look like a Hollywood movie. It was all about the characters, and that was what I devoted most of my attention to. As long as we captured the moments where the actors nailed it, I was happy.
Why did you write these characters?
TB: For me, the writing process began with the concept of the dismal attempt at speed-dating in the bush. With that concept in mind, and knowing the types of issues I wanted to explore, I just wrote the characters that I wanted to see reacting to that situation. Prior to introducing the characters, I did not have any pre-determined plan of how they would develop. Once I had a good understanding of who the characters were, I just tried to stay true to those characters.
The most important thing for me was to (try to) get a good blend of characters. I wanted them to be different people, with different needs, but with the same sense of isolation. It was never meant to specifically be about country people or the desire to find a mate.
Tim Lethbridge with Lachlan Palmos (Steven)
What particularly excited you about the characters to make you come on board as director?
TL: I liked the fact that they were all so different but seemed to complement each other so well. Although the script changed enormously from the time I first saw it, the characters actually changed very little - they took on their own lives from a very early stage and from there it was just a matter of giving them the best material to work with.
While always a character based comedy, was the script written and developed for a DYI production budget or was it re-written to the more manageable shooting schedule of one location once you knew you were self producing?
TB: I wrote the film with the vague idea of self-producing, so I chose a concept that would make that possible. Having said that, once it came time to actually make the film, we made quite a few small changes to make the shooting more manageable. In particular, limiting the number of locations made a big difference. Almost the entire film was shot in and around one location.
TL: I admire Tim for his ability to do that - most of my scripts require budgets that would put Avatar to shame.
What stories or films inspire this film?
TB: I am inspired by a wide variety of films, but I am particularly obsessed with comedy. In relation to this film, it is (in some ways) similar to films like Best in Show, or even a TV show like The Office. We didn't use the mockumentary format, but I think that the pacing and character presentation is similar. It is not a film about big moments, it is meant to be more understated and observation.
I like stories that blur the lines between good and bad, and success and failure. I prefer stories that focus on smaller accomplishments or victories, because life is like that. I don't have an interest in writing a character that wins everything, or becomes the hero. If you like a character, then it should be enough for an audience to watch them pursue whatever is important to that character, even if it would seem unimportant in any other context.
TL: My favourite movie of all time is the Iron Giant. It is an utterly perfect example of taking a simple, beautiful story, having faith in it and not being afraid to put it out there in all its glory. With this in mind, I think one of the strengths of Oasis is that it doesn't try to be anything it's not. There were a few drafts (and I freely admit to being responsible for some of these) where we tried to over-complicate things, and the fact that we ended up going right back to the core was a big factor in the final product working as well as it did.
In a more specific sense, I always tried to keep in mind the great comedies and the way a single raised eyebrow or a moment of hesitation could be funnier than the joke itself. Shows like Arrested Development, The Simpsons, Bugs Bunny, all of the D-Generation's work, Blackadder, The Young Ones and a hundred more were the fabric on which I worked.
What do you attribute to the way that the film works? Do you think there's an intangible magic in film making?
TB: I like to think that the film has benefited from the circumstances in which it was made. Because it was an independent, self-produced film, we were able to make the film as we wanted it. Hopefully, that gives the film a sense of individuality, because we were not forced to follow certain film conventions, or please anyone other than ourselves. I also think that, because it was such a challenge to get the film made at all, there was a great sense of purpose and dedication from everyone involved. Without that, it simply would not have happened. So, hopefully, the tone of the film is reflective of the intimacy and distinct personality of the atmosphere in which the film was made.
For me, making the film was very life-affirming. I was told that it was overly ambitious, which may have been right. But the generosity, commitment and resourcefulness of people amazed me.
TL: I really don't know. Luck? I had no idea if it had worked until the audience started laughing in the preview screening. There are all sorts of things I could point to that I think we did well, but we also did a lot of things badly that I could have blamed had it been a disaster.
I do think that we approached it the right way. The actors all played it straight, which I think is a prerequisite for a good comedy - it makes the good jokes even funnier, and the bad ones can slip under the radar as if they were never intended to be jokes in the first place. We weren't precious about anything - nothing was too sacred to be changed if it wasn't working and everyone was prepared to be criticised. That helped a lot.
In the end, it was a lot of fun - hard work, of course, but still fun. If I had to come up with one reason why it was successful, it would be that we had fun making it, and that makes it fun to watch.
Tim Lethbridge with Cleighton Siva (DOP) and Peter McIntosh (Sound Recordist)The awkward and painful humour of honestly observed life is done particularly well in many Australian films; do you see this film as particularly Australian?
TB: Yes, I hope that the film and the characters come across as being authentically Australian. We were trying to capture a certain type of social environment, where everybody knows each other, but are still emotionally isolated from each other. There is also a lot of stoicism amongst the characters, which I think is also typically Australian.
At the same time, I would like to think that the characters, and their stories, are universally relatable. The characters face issues which are common to everyone, not just Australians, and not just country people. And I find the response to emotional isolation especially interesting.
TL: I didn't specifically set out to make an "Australian" film, but I did want to portray characters that could be believed, even in the more absurd moments, and the best way I could do that was to use my own experience - which of course is as an Australian. On the other hand, my wife is German, so I briefly considered setting Oasis in post-war Berlin, but it was ultimately decided that the more subtle humour (read: wind-up sex-toy gag) might be lost in translation.
You shot 11 minutes a day, over 9 days on one camera. What was the production process like?
TB: The production process was very fast, but we didn't feel like we were under excessive pressure on too many occasions, because we always knew that would be the case. It was aided by a very efficient cast and crew, a very motivated First AD, and Tim Lethbridge's meticulous planning.
TL: I turned up on the first day of filming with a very specific plan - and promptly abandoned it.
TB: We did a technical rehearsal a few months earlier, to figure out the most efficient way to get the coverage we needed. Tim Lethbridge then developed a shot list for each scene, and we re-shot each scene from as many angles as we needed.
TL: In essence, we blocked each scene, worked out the shots we needed and set the camera rolling. We didn't have time to do anything too complicated, and I'm glad that we didn't. Oasis was never going to look like a Hollywood movie. It was all about the characters, and that was what I devoted most of my attention to. As long as we captured the moments where the actors nailed it, I was happy.
Why did you write these characters?
TB: For me, the writing process began with the concept of the dismal attempt at speed-dating in the bush. With that concept in mind, and knowing the types of issues I wanted to explore, I just wrote the characters that I wanted to see reacting to that situation. Prior to introducing the characters, I did not have any pre-determined plan of how they would develop. Once I had a good understanding of who the characters were, I just tried to stay true to those characters.
The most important thing for me was to (try to) get a good blend of characters. I wanted them to be different people, with different needs, but with the same sense of isolation. It was never meant to specifically be about country people or the desire to find a mate.
Tim Lethbridge with Lachlan Palmos (Steven)What particularly excited you about the characters to make you come on board as director?
TL: I liked the fact that they were all so different but seemed to complement each other so well. Although the script changed enormously from the time I first saw it, the characters actually changed very little - they took on their own lives from a very early stage and from there it was just a matter of giving them the best material to work with.
While always a character based comedy, was the script written and developed for a DYI production budget or was it re-written to the more manageable shooting schedule of one location once you knew you were self producing?
TB: I wrote the film with the vague idea of self-producing, so I chose a concept that would make that possible. Having said that, once it came time to actually make the film, we made quite a few small changes to make the shooting more manageable. In particular, limiting the number of locations made a big difference. Almost the entire film was shot in and around one location.
TL: I admire Tim for his ability to do that - most of my scripts require budgets that would put Avatar to shame.
What stories or films inspire this film?
TB: I am inspired by a wide variety of films, but I am particularly obsessed with comedy. In relation to this film, it is (in some ways) similar to films like Best in Show, or even a TV show like The Office. We didn't use the mockumentary format, but I think that the pacing and character presentation is similar. It is not a film about big moments, it is meant to be more understated and observation.
I like stories that blur the lines between good and bad, and success and failure. I prefer stories that focus on smaller accomplishments or victories, because life is like that. I don't have an interest in writing a character that wins everything, or becomes the hero. If you like a character, then it should be enough for an audience to watch them pursue whatever is important to that character, even if it would seem unimportant in any other context.
TL: My favourite movie of all time is the Iron Giant. It is an utterly perfect example of taking a simple, beautiful story, having faith in it and not being afraid to put it out there in all its glory. With this in mind, I think one of the strengths of Oasis is that it doesn't try to be anything it's not. There were a few drafts (and I freely admit to being responsible for some of these) where we tried to over-complicate things, and the fact that we ended up going right back to the core was a big factor in the final product working as well as it did.
In a more specific sense, I always tried to keep in mind the great comedies and the way a single raised eyebrow or a moment of hesitation could be funnier than the joke itself. Shows like Arrested Development, The Simpsons, Bugs Bunny, all of the D-Generation's work, Blackadder, The Young Ones and a hundred more were the fabric on which I worked.
What do you attribute to the way that the film works? Do you think there's an intangible magic in film making?
TB: I like to think that the film has benefited from the circumstances in which it was made. Because it was an independent, self-produced film, we were able to make the film as we wanted it. Hopefully, that gives the film a sense of individuality, because we were not forced to follow certain film conventions, or please anyone other than ourselves. I also think that, because it was such a challenge to get the film made at all, there was a great sense of purpose and dedication from everyone involved. Without that, it simply would not have happened. So, hopefully, the tone of the film is reflective of the intimacy and distinct personality of the atmosphere in which the film was made.
For me, making the film was very life-affirming. I was told that it was overly ambitious, which may have been right. But the generosity, commitment and resourcefulness of people amazed me.
TL: I really don't know. Luck? I had no idea if it had worked until the audience started laughing in the preview screening. There are all sorts of things I could point to that I think we did well, but we also did a lot of things badly that I could have blamed had it been a disaster.
I do think that we approached it the right way. The actors all played it straight, which I think is a prerequisite for a good comedy - it makes the good jokes even funnier, and the bad ones can slip under the radar as if they were never intended to be jokes in the first place. We weren't precious about anything - nothing was too sacred to be changed if it wasn't working and everyone was prepared to be criticised. That helped a lot.
In the end, it was a lot of fun - hard work, of course, but still fun. If I had to come up with one reason why it was successful, it would be that we had fun making it, and that makes it fun to watch.
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