Danny Phillips, Kiwi Film-maker and Magician, and a graduate of our May 2009 intake, recently submitted a film to the Las Vegas Magic Film Festival, and has cleaned up with the ‘Best Director’ award, along with his lead actor taking away the ‘Best Actor’ gong as well! Following is Danny’s own breakdown of events:
“The email arrived from a friend. “There is a film festival in Las Vegas that you might be interested in entering. Magic Magazine Film Festival, and they are looking for entries from around the world. All entries must have a theme of magic or magicians”. I am a professional magician as well as filmmaker so how could I ignore the challenge?
“The length was to be under 6 minutes, but the problem was I had just 5 weeks to make it in. I had no story and at that point, not a hint of a decent idea. I completed the entry form and emailed it. A week later I had come up with a few half baked stories but not one I was prepared to hang my cap on. I mused over this point. Twenty percent of available time had elapsed and I was no further ahead! Finally the gem of an idea started to take shape but it would be another five days before I had written the script and rewritten it 4 or 5 times before I was happy to proceed with it. It would be rewritten two or three more times before we shot it.
Antonio’s Secret – A time capsule is found under a home after the Christchurch earthquake. In it there is a series of predictions that turn out to be true except one. That the finder will have psychic powers. The owner is on a quest to track down the writer and finds he was a famous magician. Is the magician correct? Does the owner have psychic powers or does the magician have another agenda?
“Auditions were held only 5 days after the first advertisements appeared. Shooting was to commence a week later but I still had to pull together a crew. The pressure was on and every deadline was met. I ended up with a great cast and one of our lead actors Ken Blackburn ended up taking out the Best Actor award. The crew pulled together really well and the results were to be seen in the edited footage. I had to have the film couriered to USA and it arrived 24 hours before the deadline.
“The news we were hoping for arrived. “Antonio’s Secret” had been accepted into the Film Festival. But better news was to come when I was later told that we were in the finals. I didn’t think anything of being invited to attend the final night and prize giving ceremony. I knew all finalists were asked to attend, however two words at the bottom of the email made me hopeful “Good film” On the basis of those two words, I booked a flight.
“Winning Best Director and taking away Best Actor awards made it all worthwhile, but at the end of the day even without them, I had a helluva time making the film.”
Congratulations Danny, looking forward to the next one!
