With You Forever
Filmmaker George Butterworth sets out to learn the process of getting a tattoo before he gets one himself, but is there more to this art form than meets the eye? It’s a how-to guide for tattoos, twenty-somethings and telling people you love them.
“A bold exploration into the sentimentality of marking ourselves forever. Leaves a mark in more ways than one.”
In Depth with the Director - George Butterworth
Hi George, tell us a little about yourself and your background in filmmaking
I'm currently finishing my third year studying Screen Production at Murdoch University in Perth. Storytelling has been in my blood from a young age, but it was early into high school that I discovered my love for filmmaking.
How did With You Forever first come together as a project?
With You Forever came into being initially as an assignment, I wanted to get a tattoo and I figured it'd be a great thing to document, so I got together a crew of my good friends and we shot it.
How comfortable were people with sharing their own personal tattoo stories with you on camera?
Some people were really comfortable and loved to explain the story behind their tattoos, even going as far as taking off their shirts or pants to show us; however other weren't as comfortable, in fact an encounter that has really stayed with me was something that wasn't even in the documentary at all. During the filming of the vox-pops, a middle-aged man came up to us and showed us a back piece dedicated to his son, he was halfway through translating the text when he started choking up, then apologised and walked away; it seemed he wanted to tell his story but wasn't quite ready for it.
You tell your own personal story on film. What was the experience like of filming yourself sharing such a personal topic?
Telling my own story was quite difficult, I hadn't told anyone in such detail before that point; but on set that night it was just our cinematographer, soundy and 2nd AC, who happened to be three of my best friends, so it didn't feel as imposing.
The climax of the film comes with you getting a tattoo. Did you ever second guess your decision in the lead up?
I did all my second guessing about the tattoo months earlier; this was my first one so I gave it as much time as I needed to make sure it was what I wanted.
As a new convert, what is your one tip for anyone looking to get a tattoo?
My one tip would be to make sure you're content with the tattoo you're getting because, at the risk of being self-referential, it's gonna be with you forever.
What were the major challenges in putting this film together?
The major challenge for this film was probably getting permission to film in the tattoo studio, because if we couldn't get that, it would sort of ruin the whole last act. Luckily Youngbloods, the tattoo studio we filmed in, were more than happy for us to go ham with coverage.
What projects are coming up for you in the future?
I'm currently working as editor on a short horror film that should be done by the end of November actually, it's called To Be Devoured. Then after Christmas we're gonna crack onto a time-travel comedy script I wrote; we can sleep when we're dead.
Do you have any message for our Melbourne audience?
Thanks for checking out my documentary! this is the first film I've made that's ever been selected for a festival, so it means a lot.