Supercool

By Carissa Pritchard

Helen Uskovic as "Orange"             Photo: Jess Husband

Today we’re shooting in an apartment in Maroubra. This is the scene “Orange”, played by Helen Uskovic, prepares to meet “Jo.” As the Director of Photography and Sound technician correct the boom shadow, Director, Garnet Mae stands beside me and surveys the apartment. Littered with cables, metal cases, towering lights and a steady stream of foot traffic, Garnet jokes, “People are always happy to lend you their place once, but never twice.” Why is it again, that everyone’s lending their time and assets to shoot a film for nothing?

In my original interview with Producer, Peter Furst, I quoted Matt Damon’s suggestion that failure of amateur filmmaking, such as Project Greenlight,  proved the success of the Hollywood system. Peter says he’s not trying to compete with Hollywood – that’s the ultimate destination. But in the real world, you don’t get there by winning a competition.

The opening shot is Helen’s bum – she removes a mobile phone from the back pocket of her jeans – a modern take on the original scene. I wonder how she prepared – months of Pilates? Three pairs of Spanx?

When I first met Helen at rehearsals, she was quiet, reserved and almost withdrawn. On set she’s a different person, relaxed, confident and open. After nailing the “you’re Supercool” speech, Garnet asks her to try it again, this time, with a slight twist to her lip. It doesn’t really work.

She asks Garnet, “Was that sh*t?”

“A little bit,” he responds.

She laughs.

I wonder what would make Garnet lose his cool.

The set’s changed for the close ups. I ask Helen if she was worried about the bum shot.

“No, I told the boys to make it look good, they’re guys, they know how to look at a women’s bum.”

Is this film promoting ‘women trying to be like men?’

“I don’t want to portray a woman as trying to be like a man, they’re not the same. Women show much more compassion to each other then men, we feel comfortable helping each other, men can’t.”

Good point. I found the original scene in the warehouse, when a badly hurt Mr. Orange asked Mr. White to “hold him,” confronting. How will it play between two women?

“Very differently,” she predicts.

Photo: Jess Husband

With close ups completed, the location is wrapped and the crew start breaking down the set. The collectable comic posters that decorated the walls are removed and a few women stand around the table peeling the adhesive off the corners. Garnet walks over and notices one of the pictures.

“You’ve torn one of them,” he says.

They stop.

Visibly annoyed; “Don’t do it if you’re going to wreck it. Someone lent us these in perfect condition and now I’m giving them back ripped.”

The set falls silent.

Garnet runs his hand through his hair. He takes a deep breath.

Everyone else holds theirs.

Someone starts stammering an apology.

He exhales slowly. “Don’t worry,” he says coolly and walks away.

All three Project Greenlight directors plucked from obscurity, failed miserably. Why? For the same reason they never made it in the first place. When series three winning director, John Gulaga, was given access to his hero Kevin Smith for advice, he got some he wasn’t expecting. Smith suggested he stop whinging about how hard it was and start showing some gratitude for the incredible opportunity.

Everyone on this set is working for no other reason than to improve their craft – they work hard and they work for nothing. This is Garnet’s fourteenth project; he wants to ensure these opportunities continue for him and everyone else. When he gets to Hollywood, it won’t have been overnight, but it won’t be short lived either.