“I find it super hard to pitch the film after it has been made but this description is the best I’ve heard! A lone man, shrouded in darkness, declares an intention to rise again. Meanwhile, we, the audience, are hurtled off a hillside, details blurring like watercolors. This is expressive filmmaking of the highest order — epic poetry that takes us on a hero’s quest and dunks us into a milieu we’ve only witnessed from afar. Boldly shot, with a score to match, your pulse will race.” Director Finlay Pretsell on TIME TRIAL which screens at SxSW 2018.
Congratulations on your film playing in Austin at SxSW this year and I hear you are back!
I will attend all of my screenings! My main protagonist David Millar is coming too along with composer Dan Deacon. I have been to SXSW with a short before called CUTTING LOOSE. I was also on the American doc shorts jury many years ago. I love the freshly made at your table guacamole, the warmth of the people and climate and the ease of cycling around the city on a cruiser!
So how did you get into this business? Talk to me a bit about how you got your start and what you have worked on in the past.
I never studied to make films, I had drifted around for years making sandwiches, quoting pensions, pulling pints and racing my bike; I represented Scotland a few times mountain biking. There came a point where I just wasn’t getting anywhere riding my bike and was desperate to get into something else more creatively satisfying, my Mum and Dad were both artists so I was constantly being taken to art galleries and asked my opinion on their work for as long as I can remember. It gets under your skin I suppose – looking and seeing – always searching for something. I knew someone who knew the very young Scottish Documentary Institute; there were only 2 people part time at first and I volunteered to work for free because I was desperate to do something else and I believed in what they were doing which led me to work at Edinburgh College of Art as a film tech assistant where I first came across a video and film camera -something clicked and it all seemed to make sense. I met my good friend Adrian McDowall and there was a flood of ideas we both wanted to make, we started collaborating right away on a few short films – some good, some not so good! My first film was Standing Start, about an Olympic cyclist – it played at 40 film festivals and then went on to make Ma Bar about an old weightlifter, then Cutting Loose which won many awards and played everywhere! Once you’re making films you can’t seem to let go.
How did this project come together for you? Give me a rundown from the preparation, to shooting, to post-production to now!
This is an endless question man! I first spoke to David Millar 10 years ago with a view to making this film, since then I went on many research trips over the years to find out how to make the film that you will see, how to make it look and feel different to what is shown on TV. I wanted to capture that speed and feeling more than anything. I wanted to get immersed in the race like I’ve never seen before which takes a lot of time to make happen, you have to make relationships with the team, race organisation and world governing body and convince them that you’re going to make a good film about their sport and not get in the way. We had to be very thorough in our planning. The shoots were very long days, when we were on the road chasing the race.
What keeps you going while making a movie? What drives you?
Stupidity! Passion, sheer drive. For this film I gave up a lot to make it – you have to make professional and personal sacrifices constantly. But to make a film is a huge privilege so you must give it everything!
What was your biggest challenge with this project, and the moment that was the most rewarding to you?
Many things! I think raising money is the biggest challenge, constantly convincing people to hand over money is the most difficult part. At first I don’t mind doing it but it becomes challenging very quickly. In your head you know what the film will be and you believe in it totally but nobody else knows what the film in your head is going to be like – it’s a big leap to explain this.
I would love to know about the the visual design of the movie; what camera did you film with, your relationship to the director of photography and how the movie was photographed.
I worked with my close friend DOP and filmmaker Martin Radich – he taught me a huge amount of how to see things and transfer that onto film. He bucks the trend – he’s constantly trying to find new ways to shoot something, he steers clear of technical hyperbole, he sees the bigger picture of the film at large. It’s reassuring. We have spent months and months on the road together so you get to know someone very well for better and worse! We built a bespoke motorbike in France and were the first crew to use onboard bike cameras in a race situation. We used a mixture of different formats throughout.
What are you looking forward to the most about showing your movie here in Austin?
It is my North American premiere so I’m keen to see the reaction from an audience to the film; the film was shot in Europe, cycling is based in Europe, so I suppose I’ve always seen the film as from that part of the world and also post-Lance Armstrong. I can’t quite get a sense of how America sees cycling anymore. I’m really looking forward to hearing people’s reactions!
After the film screens at SxSW, where is the film going to show next? Theatrical, online, more festivals?
There are many more festivals lined up and we are planning a UK release and some other territories in Europe and I’m hoping for America too of course!
If you could show your movie in any theater outside of Austin, where would you screen it and why?
I suppose it would be the Grand Palais in Cannes! What a boring answer but I love this old school glamour attached to Cannes – it is also in France where the film is based around.
What would you say to someone who was being disruptive during a movie, even if it was your own?
WHY DID YOU COME?! You have to respect other people who may be loving that film even if you aren’t. My girlfriend gets really furious with people!
We have a lot of readers on our site looking to make movies or get into the industry somehow. What is the ONE THING you would say to someone who is wanting to get into the filmmaking business?
Be rigorous with your ideas and make each film like it’s your last!
And final question: what is the greatest movie you have ever seen at a film festival?
That is a difficult question! It will be an old film I’m sure; I remember seeing Walkabout at a festival in Spain once But I think it would have to be Stroyjek by Werner Herzog…the man is a genius.
Be sure to follow TIME TRIAL online at www.timetrialfilm.com!
To find out when this is screening at SxSW 2018, point your browser to www.sxsw.com/film!