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Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson
Thanks for speaking with us Dylan. How are you and whereabouts in the world are you right now?
Thank you so much for having me! I am doing very well thank you, currently I am in Wales working on the very early stages of my next project which I'm extremely excited about!
Your short film, Are You Ready? was recently reviewed by us. For those who don't know, what's the film about?
Are You Ready? follows a young man called Taylor who wakes up after a night out, sitting in a garden with a strange man opposite him. The man is not very talkative but seems very familiar to Taylor. The more the story goes on, Taylor puts together the truth of what happened last night. Without spoiling too much of the film, the story is also about themes of drug use and how fragile life can be.
Why did you want to tell this story?
I think the main reason I told this story is because it's imagery and story have been something I've always wanted to tell/do as a film-maker but never felt confident enough to make. It came to the point that I desperately wanted to tell this story and could no longer put it off and keep it on my chest.
I'm so glad that I finally did as the experience of making the film and reception it has had so far has been nothing but incredible and reassuring! I couldn't have made this film without the incredible cast and crew who have supported the film through thick and thin.
Jack Riley-Jones is an incredible actor who I truly believe was the only person who could play the role perfectly, Kieran Green as the Cinematographer and colourist was a genius in making the images I had in my head for the film a reality.
We also had H.Sin as the films main theme composer and they're music added so much more depth to a big scene in the film and last and certainly not least my hugely talented Mam Deborah Guard for the outstanding costume design.
With this amazing crew behind me I knew I could make the story finally a reality and I gained the confidence in myself and my ability to make it.
You chose to film in black-and-white. Why was that?
That's a very interesting question. I had a few ideas along with Kieran Green about what we could do with the film's colour. One of the first ideas we had was a blue tint to the film to make everything look cold. I think personally my heart was always set on black-and-white however.
One of the main reasons for this is because I am a massive fan of classic universal monster movies such as the wolfman and the invisible man and have always had a fondness for the imagery those films have.
The other main reason was that I felt it added to the dramatic nature of the story itself.
What were the challenges of making Are You Ready?
Luckily, I don't think we ran into issues with the filming of Are You Ready?. I think the only challenge was believing in myself that I could make and direct a film of this style and story. I was able to overcome that challenge and I'm thankful to everyone who continues to support and push me to be the best me.
What's the plan for the film now? Where can our readers see it?
The film is currently doing very well on the film festival scene which I am incredibly proud of! But the film will also be releasing onto our YouTube channel UncutFilms on Friday May 5th at 6PM.
I am incredibly excited to see people's reactions to the film!
What's next for you?
Currently, I am in the very early writing stage of a new and incredibly exciting project which is another story I've always wanted to tell. It's very different from anything I've done before which is incredibly thrilling for me!
Why do you make films?
I make films because I have so many stories I want to tell. Ever since I was young, I loved the idea of making stories that others could watch and relate to in some way. I love watching films and TV shows myself, it's my passion and that passion has driven me to make my own.
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