THE MIRROR NEVER LIES
Reflection, a film centered around an aging model on the tale end of a successful modeling career, recently screened at the Sandfly Film Festival winning the award for Best Performance. SFS graduate and SFS IAB member Kyle Sellers wrote and directed the film as his graduating thesis project.
Tackling the concept of the beautiful elite and vanity, the story revolves around Olivia, a heart-wrenchingly beautiful cover girl who wakes one morning realizing she’s not going to be that forever. In the industry based on perfection, Olivia is learning the hard way that she’s easily replaceable.
SFS: What inspired the idea to make a film that deals with these complex issues and personalities around them?
KS: The origin of the idea came from my own experiences with body image, but it was my experiences that made me think of those whose ‘careers’ are their bodies. We all know the world-renowned models at the top of the game, but what about the models who don’t reach such glitzy heights? What started as personal curiosity quickly developed into a concept once I started researching the topic.
The defining element of the concept (self-harming) came from my mate’s fiancé who is a nurse and had attended to young girls in a psych-ward. Learning about cutting (the act of self harming) and the motivations behind such acts was extremely disturbing, but a massive eye opener.
SFS: In the thesis film classes students are encouraged to explore a particular theme or cinematic concept. Which theme were you looking into?
KS: First and foremost I wanted to explore the theme of being replaced. Talk to any model who has had any form of success in the industry and they will tell you that you can be out the door as quick as you came in. There’s no loyalty, there’s no handouts. Once you don’t have the look that’s in – you’re gone.
Throughout the audition period Winnie (producer) and I were staggered at how many of the girls had their own stories of being told they were too old for the industry - TOO OLD AT 26!
Secondly I really wanted to play off the theme of naivety. For Olivia (Sarah Jane Coombe) her life was set in her early 20’s and in her mind the party was never going to stop. In the real world that just isn’t the case. Nothing is forever and I feel that for a lot of women who enter the modeling industry that knowledge is never truly respected. Understandably they’re young and none of us like to think of consequences when we’re being ambitious, but believe me, I work at Telstra as a casual job and there are a number of FHM/Ralph models now in the 9-5 grind. What seemed like the coming of stardom turned into a low-paying desk job? Believe it.
Thirdly, I wanted to explore the isolated world of an aging model before she realizes the inevitable. What’s a model’s mindset when she/he knows their run is coming to an end? What are the feelings that come out each morning in front of the mirror, behind that closed door?
Ultimately vanity is the most obvious theme that transcends the film, but I believe it’s the different layers of one’s vanity that are more interesting to explore.
SFS: Why the title ‘Reflection’?
KS: A film that deals with body image, self-loathing and vanity has a lot to do with the person who stares back at us in the mirror. Whenever we stand in front of our own Reflection we always see past the physical. Hence too our tagline – The mirror never lies.
SFS: Would you describe your main characters as archetypes?
KS: That’s hard to say, as my experience in the modeling industry is none existent. The characters I have developed are based off research and represent my own judgments on the people within that world.
My viewpoint says that Olivia is very much an archetype. The naïve model who doesn’t see past today and gets ahead purely based on her beauty appears to be very common within the industry. I’d even go a step further and say that that archetype isn’t just for women in modeling…and it’s growing!
As for her partner Mitch (Peter Healy), I like to think of him as a by-product of the world we live in today. We’re a society of consumers and we’re obsessed with staying up to date with technology. Mitch, whilst being Olivia’s partner, is also a symbol of the current world that she’s struggling to stay in touch with.
SFS: How much did your original idea change in the process of making the film?
KS: The concept was strong and structured from the start thanks to many rewrites. We made the odd tweak here and there, but the foundations of the story stayed the same.
When we went into production we shot the film as the script detailed. There were no last minute changes or audacious gambles on my part. We were disciplined and stuck to the game plan.
However, that all changed in post-production when we realized that we were playing with too many themes for a nine minute film. What worked and stayed was the theme of being replaced, but what most people don’t know was that the original script also featured the theme of infidelity. Mitch was in fact cheating on Olivia, hence the couple’s none-existent communication.
In the end though it was too much to stomach for us let alone an audience, so the choice was made to cut it out. Ultimately it made the film stronger and it meant that the story, and most importantly the emotion, always stayed with our protagonist.
I’d also like to add that the film was originally screened in a linear format, but with further post-production we changed it to non-linear. Without getting into too many details we felt that the power of our film was being wasted at the beginning, so we changed the structure so our payoff was at the end. That may have been the best decision we made!
SFS: How would you describe your film stylistically? Were you inspired by something in particular?
KS: Absolutely! I’m a very big fan of keeping the camera moving. Think of films like Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic and Tony Scott’s Man on Fire. That constant movement of the camera always gives me a feeling of being witness to the drama, like I’m actually in the room. It’s very ‘documentary’ if you will, but I think it’s unique and very effective when utilized properly.
For the editing, when we were stuck as to how we could best bring out the films payoff, my DOP (Benjamin Zadig) suggested Alejandro Gonzalez’s 21 Grams. At first it seemed a little ambitious, but there’s no doubt now that the splicing up of events within the film worked for Reflection. Whilst you’re never fully confident of where you are in story time throughout the film, much like 21 Grams, you still embrace the story technique and the message being delivered. Well I hope anyway, so far no one has said to the contrary.
SFS: Was there a particular ‘feel’ you were going for?
KS: I went for minimal dialogue in an attempt to make the concepts subtle, yet the action strong enough that we could follow the characters and their journeys.
SFS: Throughout the film there are many sequences where montages of shots are placed in amongst the live action. This way we get a deep feel for Olivia’s mental state. Could you talk a bit more about this?
KS: Because we’re seeing a lot of the film through Olivia and what she’s observing, I felt that the additional shots would add a sense of judgment and obsessive tendencies. Traits that the audience could relate back to the vulnerability and isolation of our protagonist. Man on Fire as I mentioned earlier does this extremely effectively when Denzel Washington’s character (Kresey) is contemplating suicide. Through a montage of images solely focused on him, we get a greater sense of his anguish.
SFS: What would you like the audience to take / learn from the film?
KS: Initially I was told that Reflection read like a cautionary tale, which at first I didn’t like, but I have to admit that over time the description has grown on me. Whilst I think there’s far more to the film then “don’t do this otherwise you’ll end up like this”, I do think Reflection is a universal tale of the pitfalls of vanity - pitfalls that DON’T just apply to the outrageously beautiful. I think Olivia’s story is a reminder to all females that having it all can be more illusion then reality and of course the old cliché’ that money doesn’t buy happiness.
SFS: How did you, as a man, feel about directing what is essentially a female story? And a characteristic (‘vanity’) that is predominately a female attribute?
KS: I don’t prescribe to the idea that vanity is more a female character flaw than it is a male flaw – it’s just more obvious. I think in this day and age where how you look, how you dress and what you drive are more important than ever – vanity becomes subconsciously intrinsic. ‘Status’ seems to be a vital component to both sexes in the younger generations.
In terms of how I felt about directing a female’s story? I had no problems on that front and was more then comfortable with the subject matter. I think I actually have an advantage, as my perception isn’t guarded by embarrassment and an unwillingness to expose all the issues. Some stories are better told with an outsider’s perspective.
SFS: Sarah Jane Coombe (Underbelly) gave a great performance playing Olivia. Which little tricks did you use to get the performances right?
KS: Well unlike Brett Ratner, I do believe in rehearsals. They give actors perspective and understanding in the delivery of their lines. Having been an actor in my schooling days I understand that how you receive lines (as an opposing actor) is just as important as how you deliver your own lines. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a bit of improvisation and in fact I welcome it quite often, but you need to know the ‘game plan’, so to speak, inside and out first.
Getting performance is my favorite part of Directing. Seeing an actor turn your dialogue and action into reality is the best part of the job. Seeing a performance grow from strength to strength through hard work is so rewarding.
My actors were fantastic and really determined to put in the hard yards. Sarah Jane Coombe who played Olivia was just a pleasure to work with. Despite her hectic schedule she still made the time to come in and rehearse. Sarah’s dedication is all the more impressive considering Reflection was a student film, but she didn’t care, she believed in the story.
SFS: What were the main lessons you’ve learnt while making this film?
KS: Don’t produce your own film when you’re the Director. Especially when it’s an ambitious project as Reflection was. In all honesty I’m insanely competitive and I prescribe to UFC Champion Georges St. Pierre’s philosophy that “The danger isn’t to set your goal too high. It’s to set it too low and reach it”. But, there are limits, and the roles of the producer and the director are so different that I will never do that combo again.
Firstly, worrying about logistics whilst trying to be artistic and creative just doesn’t mesh. I found myself stressed and highly wired, so much so that two weeks after production I was still waking up at 2-3am and getting ready for a shoot that wasn’t on. Seriously, it messes with your mind.
Secondly, it means you’re not paying the amount of attention to your actors that they deserve. Too often I was disappearing and constantly my 1st AD (Pete Ireland) would have to send me back to my waiting actors.
If you’re there to Direct, then DIRECT! A good producer will take care of the logistics, so take the time to find him/her.
SFS: What’s your fondest memory of making Reflection?
KS: I always love the adrenaline when you first start production and you’re sh*@ing yourself thinking you’ll never succeed, but then the team comes together and ‘bang’ you get that rhythm back.
Personally I just loved working with Benjamin Zadig (DOP), Stephanie Bridger (Production Designer) and Sarah Jane Coombe (Olivia). They really worked hard for me and I’m so grateful they were willing to dedicate so much time towards Reflection. I know they believed in the project, so I’m just so happy that I’ve been able to reward them with a few festival selections.
All in all though it’s the collaboration that’s always the best memory – actors and crew alike.
GO BACK
