BBFF2022 Meet the Filmmaker: Shane Crosland

The Chieftain Of The Pudding Race

Shane Crosland delivers a story about diverse travellers and affluent locals, where Sunny the lead character struggles to find solace within his hometown and amongst his friends.

We had a chat to Shane Crosland about the process of making ‘The Chieftain Of The Pudding Race’ and his experience bringing this story to life.  

Screening at Palace Cinemas Byron Bay + Byron Theatre

• Saturday 22 October at 6:00pm with Noise of the Engines

• Saturday 29 October at 6:00pm with Sweet Adventure

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Buy BYRON THEATRE tickets

How did you come to discover the story in your film?

David, my co-writer and I, came to discover this story by living and growing up in tourist towns in the US and upon travels around the world. We began to notice there was a similar pattern of living in an international melting pot filled with false contentment, social ironies, and contradictions, which we believed to be quite comical. Through online meetings, we began to write and develop this story using Byron Bay as the backdrop, though this film isn't about Byron Bay. The location in our story remains ambiguous to let the international audience wonder where on Earth this town is. Our film and material has been influenced from actual people and events that we have both seen and experienced.

Have you always wanted to be a Filmmaker?

Originally, I wanted to be a photographer as I was heavily involved in the skate scene growing up. I decided to start filming my friends skating as no one else had a camera, which slowly started to transition in a love for filmmaking.

As a filmmaker what is your favourite memory you had in the process of creating this film?

I think my favourite part of this film is being able to trust my actors, who many of which aren't actors and/or are first timers. One scene in particular is when Gabriel is telling the HIro Onada story in the car. We had to push this scene back to a later filming date due to being rained out the first time and then we had rain the second time. We decided to bag up the camera and go for it anyways, standing in pouring rain in panchos. I couldn't even listen in on the scene, so I had to put my trust into my actors and Nolan, my DoP, who was in the car with them. Luckily, the script was derived from normal conversations Gabriel and Sam have outside of the film, and with many rehearsals, they nailed it. All sound was clear, imagery was beautiful, and it led to an amazing scene, though it is long.

Why do you think short films are an important medium to explore creativity through?

Short film is an amazing medium because it allows filmmakers to step into the world of film. It allows for them to test themselves, find their voice and image, find out how a set works, the stresses of working on set, and it is definitely a strong relationship builder. It is honestly a miracle how independent films are made due to the low budget, time constraints, and scheduling so many people that have other priorities, but when it call comes together, it's a beautiful thing. I've learned to trust your team whole heartedly, be open to critique from everyone, try to stay calm when things do not work out, respect the area you are working in, and that it isn't about what you have, but it's who you have and how you do it.

Part of the filmmaking process is you will face challenges, how did you overcome these?

Yes, we did. We had a lot of angry people in the morning who gave us a hard time for filming, but we remained calm and reassured them that we were just making art and the project was a local film. We also ran into so many issues with the subtropical climate and random thunderstorms and rain that would disrupt us, which made worrying about continuity a headache. With the magic of editing and push backed scenes, we were able to work with the randomness of the subtropical climate in which it didn't affect our continuity in the end.

What is next for you in the future?

Up next, we have a short film that should finish at 14mins titled, 'The M Word'. This story is a monologue to camera over the course of real time scenes, revealing the experiences and story of a nihilistic bartender.

How did the pandemic affect you as a filmmaker?

The pandemic allowed me to really push myself to write. I took it as a time to reflect on the previous 4 years of my life since I left the US, all the experiences I have had, the ups and downs, and allowed me to listen to the stories of others. From this, I was able to begin a feature, a series, and was able to develop The Chieftain Of The Pudding Race via online meetings with my co-writer, David Hungerford, who lives in Colorado. The pandemic made me realize the path I wanted to take and that is to create stories and become a director/filmmaker.

What is a piece of advice you can give to all aspiring filmmakers?

Take your time. Learn patience. Keep your ego at bay. Communicate properly with those willing to assist you in your projects and respect them. And remember, it is not what you have, it is who you have, and how you do it (something my University of Colorado at Boulder professor, Phil Solomon, once said to me that has stuck with me forever).

I think Byron Bay International Film Festival is an amazing chance for allowing so many local and international filmmakers voice their artistic process and image to the world across a nice display of genres. Festivals in general are a great way for filmmakers from all walks of life to share ideas with one another and continue to create projects that drive them as artists.