The Date
Two single-parent divorcees try their hand at dating again. They have no idea how wrong they're doing it.
“Dreamlike suburban world, nightmare suburban situation. Simultaneously painful and hilarious to watch unfold”
In Depth with the Director - Taylor Olsen
Hi Taylor, tell us a little about yourself and your background in filmmaking
I'm an actor/ writer/ filmmaker based in Kjipuktuk/ Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. I started in the industry right out of theatre school in 2015 as an actor, then slowly began writing and directing shorts after falling in love with the filmmaking process and the medium. I've directed a number of short films of different genres - mostly character studies - and then last year directed my first feature film Bone Cage based on the play by Catherine Banks, which is currently travelling the film festival circuit and is playing right at this moment at Camerimage in Poland.
How did The Date first come together as a project?
I've never directed a comedy before, so I was pretty nervous when my buddy Bob Mann - the writer - asked me to direct the piece. We are long time collaborators as actors and he trusted my comedic instincts and I am so glad he asked. It was a blast. He wrote the part for Beth Amiro and they both nailed it. We shot the film on no money over the weekend as these shorts tend to happen. It was like a film camp, we just had fun, played, and couldn't stop laughing.
You've had some experience in front of the camera acting, how does that experience influence your directing style?
I think as an actor you're sensitive to your actor's needs when directing. You know how to make them feel safe and like they can experiment and fail, and because of that I think they can trust you in a very specific way. As an actor I like to lean on my actor's talents. Let them play it out in longer takes and experiment, so that they can bring something new and unexpected to the moment. Just get out of their way and then guide them towards a common goal.
The film is very visually distinct. From the bright colours and lighting to the 4:3 aspect ratio. What was the philosophy behind these decisions?
The bright colours came because I wanted the film to seem like - if it weren't for their lack of social skills and being in an awkward circumstance - it's the kinda bright, sunny, warm setting where two folks could have a perfect date; except it goes badly at every turn. At first the bright colours could seem sunny and pretty, and then when they get to the couch, etc the colour may seem like your Aunt's living room - not very sexy. 4:3 was the closest thing we could get to the aspect ratio of a polaroid with the camera we were using (1.348, whereas 4:3 is 1.33). I wanted the film to look like the small polaroids people take on cute dates. We played with a border like a polaroid has, but unfortunately it was too distracting. We pulled a lot of inspiration from Wes Anderson and Taika Waititi in terms of camera movement and framing. This stilted blocking and sharp moves.
Despite the awkwardness prevalent through the film, we can't help but cheer on the two main characters. Where do you find the balance between making the audience cringe and making them sympathise with your cast?
Oh, what a great question. That was something we were watching for on the day. In the end it came down to a gut feeling in the moment as to whether or not we were walking the tightrope properly. The key was to let Bob and Beth's personalities come through. We love actors because they show us a bit of themselves. The key was to make them feel awkward in the moment without it being forced, and let their own bright, lovely selves shine through while doing that. The awkwardness comes from the goal, the desire, instead of 'acting awkward'.
There is a wonderful use of close-ups during dialogue. This would seem to indicate you did three separate takes of each conversation. How did you keep the rhythm and tone of each conversation consistent throughout each take?
Honestly, that came down to a good few hour rehearsal marking the rhythm and tempo of Bob's writing. The timing was all key to make the beats land so we orchestrated it very specifically. That way on the day it was in the actor's bodies and they could play freely so that they didn't feel restrained or rigid, they could be loose.
What were the major challenges in putting this film together?
The major challenges were scheduling to be honest. Everyone is very busy, so just finding time to get everyone available for the same weekend (laughs) And the dolly. Our dolly did not want to be level. It was very resistant. Thankfully our grips made it all happen like the pro's they are. Otherwise it was just a blast!
What projects are coming up for you in the future?
As I mentioned I have my feature film Bone Cage travelling the circuit and I hope it lands in Australia soon! Upcoming I am directing my second feature film over 2021, an autobiographical cringe comedy about my experience with bulimia titled Look at Me, and I'm co-writing/ co-producing/ acting in another feature film Bystanders with my partner which will shoot in 2021 or 2022 depending on when the script is production ready!
Do you have any message for our Melbourne audience?
I spent eight months in Australia when I was seven and eight, I have a huge spot in my heart for Australia, and I'm so very happy to be playing here.