An Interview with Filmmaker Tom Paton
We have been hearing a lot of very good things about the indie feature Pandorica, an independent sci-fil flick from the UK, best described as John Carpenter meets Predator, combining the classic elements of sci-fi, horror, suspense and action, resulting in a cocktail of a visually-stunning and relentlessly thrilling indie surprise. We were very happy when we got the opportunity to sit down and chat to writer and director Tom Paton about the movie.
Hi Tom, it’s good to sit down and chat to you about Pandorica.
How did Pandorica come to be?
Pandorica was the brainchild of wanting to give the indie film scene a jolt to the system. I was working on a film called Endemic and became really disheartened with how anemic the process seemed to be for debut directors. I co-founded The Film Label with Nick Sadler and George Burt and co-opted the digital record label model into indie film. Pandorica was written last June in just 3 weeks and by September we were fully funded and in production. Ten days later we had a film and by Christmas it was cut together. We released in cinemas throughout the UK by April.
That’s great, it sounds like such a quick process.
Was your cast attached before the film got financing?
Not at all. We were moving at such speed that it felt like most of the pieces were falling into place at the same time, Financing locked down shortly before the cast. It’s funny, because we were making this big concept movie but asking for very little, so I guess it’s easier for investors to see past things like cast when the layout isn’t a soul destroying sum of money.
It’s an excellent idea.
How many of the other cast members did you select yourself? Were they all the rest of auditions?
The cast all auditioned for their parts but in all honesty we knew who we wanted before they walked in. Marc Zammit I knew from social media where he has a huge following. He was always a perfect fit for his character. Adam Bond brought Bentley Kalu to the party and I have a working relationship with Luke D’Silva, who introduced us to Laura Marie Howard. The final piece of the puzzle was the lead character Eiren. We’d used a photo of Jade Fenix on the original moodboard and decided to bring her in for casting. She blew us all away and landed the role even though this was her first acting gig. She’s got some huge things coming up so expect to see a lot of her in 2017.
All of the pieces to this puzzle seem like they fell together perfectly.
‘They’ say horror or science-fiction films are generally an easier sell to distributors. Was that your experience on this one?
I think that is the case because the numbers over the last few years support that. It wasn’t our guiding move on Pandorica but it certainly helped the film find a loyal audience, particularly on the European Comic-Con circuit where the fans really embraced the movie and the characters in it. That was an amazing feeling for me as the writer/director.
It is great when a movie can find it’s audience so soon, also to get the recognition for what you have created is a great achievement.
How much of the film’s effects were practical vs. CGI?
The film is nearly all practical. Blood squibs are actually quite expensive and restrictive when you are working at the speed that we needed to just to get the movie shot in the ten days. So for the blood effects we opted for CGI, but because the movie is almost all set at night it really blends the CGI well into the scenes.
It sounds like you have got a good mix of CGI and practical effects.
Does VOD open doors for independent film, in your opinion?
VOD is the single greatest revolution for modern filmmakers because for the first time in the history of the art, we are able to be masters of our own revenue. With camera technology becoming so accessible and social media making it achievable to build an audience…if you have a voice and something to say, and you’re willing to put the work in, then you can be heard.
We agree, it is an excellent platform.
Is there a potential sequel?
There is. I’ve just finished shooting my second feature Redwood, which stars Nicholas Brendon from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. After that I’m doing a film called Glow and we are also releasing Dark Beacon by Corrie Greenop on The Film Label too. And then hopefully we’ll be unleashing Assault On Pandorica, which is a much more expansive, world building story than it’s predecessor.
That’s pretty exciting news. We will look forward to more news about a sequel in the future, the title sounds very interesting! You certainly sound like you have a lot going on. Good luck with all your projects, we are sure they will be successful, and will be eagerly awaiting more news about them in the future.
Thanks again Tom.
