 The Interview:
So Mark, how did you get into
filmmaking?
My passion for film developed at an
early age and I made several short films on 8mm, 16mm and
video. I started professionally as a still photographer and
developed my passion for cinematography. I built up a show-reel and eventually got to work on feature films. I have
worked as a cinematographer on eight British feature films. I
have also developed my skills as a scriptwriter and have
directed several short films. Recently I teamed up with
Brian Clemens writer of THE AVENGERS and writer/director of
CAPTAIN KRONOS VAMPIRE HUNTER as well, as many other genre
movies. Recently we made a short film together called FACE
TO FACE.
Have you always been a horror
fan?
I've always loved horror
films. As a teenager growing up in England, my first
introduction to horror films was the HAMMER HORROR FILMS.
And I still have a fondness for Hammer Films and their
Victorian gothic and contemporary retelling of the horror
classics like DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN as well many other
horror stories and characters.
Are there any US horror films
that you really enjoy?
As a teenager I watched many US
horror films. THE HAUNTING by Robert Wise is a horror film
and ghost story that I admire. THE CHANGELING, THE SHINNING,
THE EXORCIST, SUSPIRIA, THE OMEN (1976) AND HALLOWEEN are a
few of my favorites but also because these are films that
have inspired me as a writer and director. Recent favorites
have been STIR OF ECHOES, CANDY MAN, JEEPERS CREEPERS, and
FINAL DESTINATION. My list could go on and on…
 What
inspired the story for THE GHOST OF MAE NAK?
The idea for GHOST OF MAE NAK came
about when I first traveled to Thailand to work as a
cinematographer on the British feature film BUTTERFLY MAN. I
was awarded Best Cinematographer at 2003 Slamdunk Film
Festival Park City for my cinematography. While in Bangkok,
I became fascinated with Thai legends and Ghost stories. I
heard about an actual shrine at Wat Mahabut in the
Prakahnong area that is devoted to a famous female ghost
legend called MAE NAK (Mother Nak). The Mae Nak shrine is
visited by hundreds of Thai people everyday who ask for
blessing and guidance. I became more fascinated with the Mae
Nak legend and her tragic love story. I also discovered that
there had been many films about her over the last 50 years.
But apart from some classics made
in the 1950’s most Mae Nak film are hysterical, low
production value, and OTT acting. I watched the definitive
Mae Nak 100-year-old set period film called NANG NAK (1999)
directed by Nonzi Nimiburt. This film concluded with the
‘evil’ spirit of Mae Nak being held captive in a piece of
bone cut from her forehead by an Exorcist Monk, and the bone
was lost in time. It was here that I was inspired to write
my script and continue the Mae Nak story. In Thailand Mae
Nak is a legend and there are many stories about her. Thai
people believe the legend to be true and the Exorcist Monk
who exorcised her did exist. The legend is as famous to
Thailand as Dracula or Jack The Ripper is to the West.
I noticed that you also shot the
film. What challenges arise when you shoot and directed the
picture yourself?
Yes I was writer, director and
cinematographer on GHOST OF MAE NAK. Being a first time
director and handling the cinematography was exciting.
Cinematography is a passion and I had shot several
Independent British features films before this. I think
visually so it was a joy to light my own film. Because this
was a big production on a low budget and with many locations
and sets, I was able to work very fast and concentrate on
lighting just the areas I knew I would film.
However, I did have a camera
operator Ryan Goddard, a Canadian based in Bangkok who was
excellent at handling the 35mm camera, which can be
physically demanding. I was keen to find a new look for my
horror film, which was also inspired from the brightness of
Bangkok. There is a sense of backgrounds burning out because
of the bright sunshine and heat. I wanted to incorporate
that feeling into the film especially the beginning.
The lighting follows the journey of
the lead characters, so the first part of the film where
everything is ‘normal’ the look is sunny, bright and warm
with gold and yellow dominating. Gold and yellow is a
distinctive Thai palette especially with the Monks gowns,
colors of buildings and regular sunsets. But as the
supernatural elements start to take over and the look
becomes darker, de-saturated with colors like green and blue
dominating.
However for the period ‘flashback’
I wanted it to look very colorful and vibrant. I also used a
SwingShift lens to control the focus on specific parts of
the image for the flashback. I would have no problem working
with a cinematographer on my next film if that is the case,
I’d support them 100% as I know what they have to go through
to achieve results. But next time I hope to have more time
and budget like the Hollywood movies do.
 What
was your favorite part about shooting Ghost of Mae Nak?
I enjoyed every aspect of making
this film. Writing the script was a joy because I really
loved the story, the characters and everyday I was excited
and inspired to work on it. It was fun thinking up the gory
‘freak death’ scenes and exploring the legend of Mae Nak.
Once we started filming there were some exciting special
effects and set pieces to direct. I especially liked the
wirework stunts, especially levitating 3 people at the same
time in the Operating Room scene.
Using Computer generated imaging
(CGI) was exciting and a new experience for me. Mixing the
soundtrack was also an exciting discovery. It is recorded in
Dolby Digital EX, which is 6-1 speaker surround sound, ideal
for a ghost horror thriller. But on a personal level, I
really enjoyed working with the Thai cast and crew and they
made me welcomed as a Western director in Thailand.
During production did anything
turn out to be more difficult then you anticipated?
As a British director making a
horror movie in Thailand I faced many challenges. The most
obvious one is the language. I don’t speak Thai even though
I had written and directed a Thai based horror story. At
first it was difficult, but filmmaking is a slow process and
we eventually learned to find ways on communicating. Of
course I had translators, and there was the script, which
was written in English and translated perfectly into Thai to
work from. As a director I had to be precise about what I
wanted and always double-checked the information was clearly
conveyed. A film director is highly regarded in Thailand
which also means it becomes a responsible role.
Bangkok film crews are highly skilled, so the film making
process was no different to making a movie in the West and
the language of filmmaking is universal. I guess the biggest
difficulty and challenge for me was directing a movie in a
language that I don’t speak but finally I was congratulated
by many Thai people, film industry professionals and the
movie going audiences on how successful the film was.
Filmmaking can be a bit like walking a tightrope, and things
often go wrong during it, but I felt as though Mae Nak
wanted us to make this film.
 What
element of the film are you most looking forward to
audiences seeing?
The glass splitting scene is a
‘must-see’ scene. It always gets a great ‘gross-out’
reaction. When the film screened and the San Francisco
“ANOTHER HOLE IN THE HEAD” horror Festival last June, the
audience cheered and applauded the scene. It was very
difficult scene to get right and required a lot of
preparation. We filmed this scene at the Bangkok Tobacco
Studios backlot where we built a street set lined with
market stalls and traffic. NIRUN CHANGKLANG the actor who
played Ant, first had to visit the effects company First
Ideas to have made a full life-size cast of his entire body
in latex.
The authentic looking body-cast was
literally sliced in half from his head through to his groin
and then joined back together with a hinge. On set the stunt
company Baan Rig wired up the two large sheets of glass
(Plexiglas) to fall on cue. The life-size Ant figure was
treated like a giant puppet with wirework to support him and
control the split. Later the CGI effects company Digital Lab
would enhance this with computer generated wire removal and
digital blood.
The scene also required a stunt
vehicle and driver for the screeching bus, stunt extras to
jump out of the way, a trained dog to pick up Ant’s severed
arm, and a bucket full of animal offal to add grossness to
the “Grand Guignol” scene. The GHOST OF MAE NAK DVD will
feature my Director’s Video Diary as an extra that will
visually show how the death scenes were filmed as well as
the day-to-day film making process.
Do you have any upcoming
projects that you would like to talk about?
I am writing an exciting new horror
script set in the US in English language. I do have several
other spec horror scripts I have written and I am also
rewriting or fine-tuning them. This is something I always do
with my scripts until they get made. My subjects are
Vampire, Occult, Paranormal and Witches. I do have a new
Thai/Asian horror script but with Western characters and
English language, it’s a great idea. I am keen to develop my
passion for horror/fantasy films, I have some great,
original ideas, however I’m afraid I don’t want to reveal
anything about my scripts as yet, but I will keep you
posted.
 Thanks
for your time Mark. Any final comments?
Finally I would like to thank
KILLER REVIEWS for showing interest in the GHOST OF MAE NAK
and myself as writer and director. I would like to thank the
fans of GHOST OF MAE NAK. I appreciate your support. And for
those who have not seen it, then I hope you will give the
GHOST a chance and allow your self to be taken on a ghostly
thrill in Bangkok Thailand and discover a true Thai legend.
GHOST OF MAE NAK will be released
on DVD with Extras by the Tartan USA Asian Extreme label on
10th October. I hope those who have seen it will want to
learn more about the making, and those who have not seen it
will discover a new horror legend of the GHOST OF MAE NAK.
|
Interview
with Mark Duffield
