First time Australian film director, Dane Millerd, says budget movie producing and salesmanship could save Australian cinema.
Mr Millerd's first movie "There's Something in the Pilliga" cost just $84,000 to make, but in November he sold the worldwide distribution rights to Hollywood company, Black Wolf Media.
Before the movie is distributed, Mr Millerd has capitalised on visiting and selling his movie to independent cinemas.
Since January 10, the movie has raised between $10,000 and $12,000 from five screenings at four independent cinemas.
There are another 35 screenings at 14 cinemas organised, with more screenings and cinemas to be announced.
Mr Millerd's movie could pay for itself just with the independent cinema screenings, before he, his business partner and investors receive a percentage of sales from two distribution deals - one worldwide deal and another Australian deal with Monster Pictures.
Independent cinema owners are receptive to people who take the time to see them, Mr Millerd said.
He is doing everything he can to make money now, before the movie is sold on DVDs and online, and left vulnerable to piracy.
Intellectual property theft is the factor affecting the film industry the most, Mr Millerd said.
The style of Mr Millerd's movie - a "found footage" film, suits budget movie making, since only one camera was needed.
The movie's one camera tells the stories of people who encounter something in the Pilliga – a large forest west of Gunnedah, NSW.
The film tells the story of local folk lore, with tales of something that wanders – but is not lost – in the Pilliga.
Unknown actors starred in the film. To capture the sheer terror of being hunted, the actors and film crew spent 16 days shooting in the Pilliga.
“They were scared,” Mr Millerd said.
“I had to create that atmosphere.”
Many people who live in the Pilliga area had roles in the film's acting and production.
The cast and crew on location.
The success Dane Millerd has enjoyed in making his dream a reality comes after nine years of writing, directing and producing his movie. Then came the lengthy process of selling his work.
“Nine years, numerous jobs, numerous dogs,” Mr Millerd said.
Mr Millerd grew up in Gunnedah and would often hear stories about the Pilliga forest’s shadowy figure.
Whether a yowie exists there, or if a man in a goat-skin suit has a sense of humour, Mr Millerd is open minded.
“At one stage people thought the world was flat,” he said.
Some are convinced a yowie stalks the forest. Many truck drivers refuse to stop on a 120km road through the forest.
There are people who live there, but not many, Mr Millerd said.
The idea for a movie came to Mr Millerd, a former journalist, while writing a story about the disadvantaged town of Gwabegar, in the Pilliga’s western fringes.
The movie poster for the Australian movie, There's Something in the Pilliga
Mr Millerd travelled there to talk with people about their social and economic disadvantages.
“Despite the desperation of their plight they started talking about the yowie.”
The idea developed when his cousin told him about her experiences seeing something in the Pilliga, and that tale forms the plot for the movie’s first 35 minutes.
“There are inspirations from others,” Mr Millerd said.
“They might have seen red eyes glaring at them.
“I’ve added all the best elements I could.”
The movie, which already has received an IMDB score of 8.3/10 from 15 reviews, would help the actors and crew involved, Mr Millerd said.
“There’s going to be more places,” Mr Millerd said.
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