Sound Mix complete

These are the last standing members of our glorious Sound Mix Gang - L to R Alicia Slusarski, Sound editor; Sound Designer Liam Egan; Sound assistant Michelle Child and the indefatigable Sound Mixer, Robert Sullivan. They are all part of a 10 person team that have slaved for four months - at SOUND FIRM, Sydney - to ensure the Sound Track is ready to meet out National Release date of April 15th. The Final Mix of Effects, Dialogue ad Mus

ic was completed on March 5th 2010. 

Also lets not forget the rest of the team Dialogue Editor Tony Murtagh, ADR Editor Leah Katz, Assistant Sound Editor Jennifer Sochackyj and to Bruce Emery for all his wheelin and deelin at SOUND FIRM.

Champagne glasses clinked to them all. Love your work guys, WELDONE!

We'd also like to mention the great help back in pre-production days of the 'Poole Family' (above). They suppplied the acreage on the outskirts of Townsville at Kelso, which became the trenches for the film. We are looking forward to seeing them and many other supporters of the film at the Townsville Premiere April 14th..

Actors Debut

Three of our tunnelling soldiers will have their feature film debuts with BENEATH HILL 60, when it is released this April 15th. We wish them all the success they deserve and thank them for such a great effort.

'Billy Bacon' played by Mark Cole Smith

Mark is a Broome based indigenous performer. He has a certificate in Aboriginal Theatre from WAAPA and

 a Bachelor in Indigenous Studies.  He made his acting debut in 2003 in the children’s series OCEAN STAR, shot on location in Boome for BBH.  Mark has done extensive theatre work for the Barking Gecko Theatre Company in Broome, touring WA invarious productions.  His TV credits include guest roles in BLUE HEELERS (Southern Star) and DIRT GAME (ABC) as well as the supporting role of Billie in series 1 and 2 of THE CIRCUIT for SBS TV.

Billy 'Streaky' Bacon

Billy Bacon, or Streaky as his comrades 

affectionately call him, is a

 young Aboriginal tunneller, who has a bit 

of mining experience and 

wants to head over to Europe and go to battle.

'Walter Sneddon' played by Alex Thompson

Alex Thompson is a graduate of The Drama Company and also attended Newtown Performing Arts high school. Alex was selected to participate in the Acting for Film intensive at the New York Film Academy. Having performed in various theatre productions, BENEATH HILL 60 is Alex’s first film.

Walter Sneddon

At 18-years-old, fresh-faced Walter Sneddon is one of the youngest in the section, and he craves adventure.  His father finds out that he’s signed up, and not wanting him to go to the frontlines alone, signs up the following day.  Walter is still a child, he’s very naïve, he says the wrong thing in situations, and is not very tactful. But he’s a sweet kid, and everyone likes him. He scares very easily, and is easily upset, so will take it to heart if someone says something harsh to him. 

Ginger 'Mick' O'Donnell played by Martin Thomas

Martin Thomas has appeared in many theatre productions and has appeared in numerous TVCs for major brands. While studying Acting for Stage and Screen at Charles Sturt University, Martin starred in a number of CSU TV shows. BENEATH HILL 60 is Martin’s feature debut.

Ginger 'Mick' O'Donnell  

Ginger comes from a large, poor Irish family where he had to struggle to survive.  He‘s a tough kid with a mean streak who tends to attach himself to power.  If the war has taught him anything, it’s that if you

look after the man beside you, he’ll look  after you.

Post Production

Here, at Beneath Hill 60 headquarters we have just wrapped ADR with our actors and now we our talented team over at Sound Firm are now moving onto the process of the Final Mix.

This means that all elements are to be equalized, balanced in volume and to be set. This includes sections on editing sound with picture, dialogue, sound effects eg .creating noises of giant explosions, music editing and adding subtle sounds that enrich the language and feeling of the film.

Also this week Jeremy Sims (Director), Bill Leimbach (Producer) and David Roach (Writer / Co-Producer) headed down to Melbourne to work with the amazing music composer, Cezary Skubiszewski and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for the recording of the final music score to BENEATH HILL 60.

The official Beneath Hill 60 trailer has been launched and you can see the posters all around Australian cinemas near you. You can watch the trailer by clicking the link,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYOpCJCl5L4

You can also catch the trailer in cinemas, which is being shown in front of the films 'Up in the air' and 'Nine'.

We also have a 'Beneath Hill 60' youtube channel up and running. Visit http://www.youtube.com/user/beneathhill60 

to see some behind the scenes footage of the film and interviews with our talented Production crew.

Keep an eye out on the book 'Beneath Hill 60' written by historian Will Davies, which is due to hit bookshops all around Australia on March 1st.

Sound Mix and Music

The picture of the film has been locked off in the editing rooms at Cutting Edge and delivered over to Soundfirm next door for the sound mix.

We've brought back some of the actors to record ADR (Additional Dialogue Recording) - a process in which the actors re-record dropped dialogue or lines affected by sound issues on set,  as well as recording voice-overs.

 Jeremy Sims (our Director) believes the Music to be one of his favourite parts of film making.  In his first feature film (Last Train to Freo), he selected and pieced together all the music himself, but wanted to create a more 'epic' feel for Beneath Hill 60, using Music on a larger scale, with an original orchestral score.  He feels the music will play an integral part in creating drama and wants it to  have a massive presence in the film. We are thrilled to have reknowned composer, Cezary Skubiszewski on board to write the original score, to be recorded by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Cezary will work closely with our Sound Designer, Liam Egan - combining sound Design with the Sound Effects recorded on set (by Sound Recordist Mark Cornish), to create a rich sound palette. 

Cezary has composed and arranged many well known works - you will probably recognise some

 of them!

Check them out on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D21EHpWVKXQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv5U0W8FDDk&feature=related

Also, we have begun drafting the poster art. The poster will go up around the place from Australia Day (January 26th), ready for the anticipated release of the film on ANZAC Day 2010.

Historian Will Davies, has finished writing the book of the Film, to be released in conjunction with the movie release. Here's the draft of the cover Art.

Synopsis

Our final cut of the Beneath Hill 60 was locked off today! 

Now our editor, Dany Cooper and our First Assistant Editor, Luke Byrne  will hand the cut over to the Sound and Visual Effects Departments of Post Production for the final mix, grading, music and visual effects that will bring all the elements of the film vividly to life.

David has re-written this new synopsis to match the final plot:

1916. Two massive armies facing each other along the Western Front have fought themselves to a standstill. The count down to the Battle of Messines Ridge has begun. The allies' audacious plan to break the deadlock depends on a small company of Australian miners led by Captain Oliver Woodward.

These ordinary men from mining towns across Australia were given just two weeks military training before being thrust into the war. Poorly equipped, with scant regard for military etiquette, the miners' task is to defend a leaking, labyrinthine tunnel system snaking beneath the Messines Ridge. The tunnels hide a deadly secret; a series of massive mines. If the plan succeeds it will produce the biggest explosions the world has ever known and could change the course of the war.

But no one seems to know when the order will be given to blow the mines. With constant inundation of mud and water and endless vibrations from heavy artillery, the tunnels are in imminent danger of collapse. Disaster looms as the Germans discover the Australians' underground activity. A deadly cat-and-mouse game is played out thirty metres below the fields of Flanders and, as zero hour approaches, the whole allied strategy could be in jeopardy.

Beneath Hill 60, based on an extraordinary true story.

Random House: The Book of the Film by Will Davies

Random House publishers will be launching the book of the film early in 2010, written by Will Davies (author of 'Somme Mud' and 'In The Footsteps of Private Lynch'). Here is the first promo material:

Post Production

So we've said our fond farewells to the city of Townsville. We've filled in the trenches and dismantled the set and packed up the costumes.
Now, if you came across an empty field on Shane Poole's Kelso property, you'd never suspect it was once excavated into a trench system so large it could be seen from outer space! Luckily, Google Earth captured the moment...

Image from Google Earth

Post Production is going full steam ahead at Cutting Edge Post in the Fox Studios Entertainment Quarter. It's very exciting hearing the screams and explosions through the wall of the editing suite where Dany Cooper our Editor and Luke Byrne, First Assistant Editor, are cutting the film.

Our very talented Editor, Dany Cooper

These two are working tirelessly and Dany is deliberating closely with Jeremy Sims - who often seems to disappear into the dark edit suite for days at a time.

Our Post Production office is a few doors down the corridor in Cutting Edge. Sadly most of our Production team have moved on to new projects. We said our goodbyes were to Michelle Russell our Line Producer, Kelly Vincent our Production Coordinator, Katrina Lubans our Production Secretary, Lucy Vorst our Film Accountant, and Sandy Stevens our Production Manager - who is now working on a Bollywood film being shot in Sydney. (Couldn't get much further from a WWI drama!)

These ladies have had a huge job of settling all accounts and signing off and filing away any loose ends of Production, before packing everything up ready for Post.

Saying our goodbyes to Sandy (far left) and Lucy (2nd left). 
Colleen Clarke (far right) and Producer's Assistant Georgie Scott (2nd right) are staying on through Post.

Some new crew members have come on board to guide the project through the final hurdles in Post Production and ensure the film meets all delivery requirements and doesn't exceed the Budget. We are now in the capable hands of Colleen Clarke our Post Production Supervisor, from a company called Post and Deliver. She has a similar task to what our Production Manager, Sandy had during Production.

Another very important role is that of Visual Effects Supervisor. Ron Roberts makes sure the film is as visually precise (and exciting) as possible, using CGI (Computer Graphic Imaging) and other techniques. He deliberates closely with Luke, who provides Ron with a list of each scene that needs Visual Effect enhancement. For example, due to continuity reasons, the addition or enhancement of smoke and rain effects may need to be added to a shot, or a shot may need to be resized or blurred. On the odd occasion, something may need to be painted out of the picture - for example a glimpse of red underwear on a WWI soldier...

Ron also has the fun job of creating and enhancing explosions and flares, which were originally created by the Special Effects team during the Shoot.

And of course, the 'Big Bang'...

We are getting the film ready for test screenings. Audience members are selected to represent a range of ages, likes and dislikes,  genders etc to complete a questionnaire about the film. This gives the Director new insights into scenes that work particularly well, or those that are superfluous. Not only are we on a tight Budget and deadline, but also the running time can't be too long!