When casting the male lead what elements were you looking for?
I had a look and intensity that I wanted, but equally important was finding someone who was game to try different things. I went into the shoot with a rough outline and a few key shots I wanted to capture to tell the story, but the rest was improvised play.
Harrie Demero was recommended to me as someone who was professional and easy to work with. He endured freezing cold water, getting eaten by ants when tied to a tree, dodging rocks falling from the cliffs, and all my random ideas. Even the kiss at the end was decided on the day, while he was shivering between takes.
After I met him I actually rewrote the script slightly. I originally had a more nuanced plan for the video, but it would have required multiple takes and being able to review the shots to see if we captured what I was looking for. I realized that we only had a few hours to shoot to catch the morning light, so rewriting it in a way where the story was told more physically was helpful. Being able to tie him up wasn’t so bad either. I should write my own scripts more often.