This is Not a Love Story
Adding Value
CREDITS
Length 82 minutes
Production format Super-16mm colour negative
Producers Andy Calder, Keith Hill
Writer-director Keith Hill
Cast
Belinda Sarah Smuts-Kennedy
Tony Stephen Lovatt
Suzanne Peta Rutter
Violet Beryl Te Wiata
Karl Peter Elliott
Geoff Stelios Yiakmis
TV writer Bruce Hopkins
TV studio Tandi Wright
Bookstore attendant Ismay Johnson
Violet's friend Alan de Malmanche
Violet's niece Ismay Johnson
Key crew
1st AD Hamish McFarlane
DP/operator Phil Burchell
Production designer Cath Enchmarch
Costume designer Fiona Nichols
Location sound recordist Dave Hurley
Editor Keith Hill
Music Steve Garden
Sound designer Chris Burt
Key contributors
Suzanne's paintings Viky Garden
Original songs A.J. Bell
Festivals
DancesWithFilms. USA, July 2002. In competition. Winner: Best Screenplay
IndieVision Fest. Official selection. USA, September 2002
Milan International Film Festival. Official selection. Italy, October 2002.
Keith returned to New Zealand and shot extra scenes with the male lead to add more production value to the opening of the film. This enlarged the scope of the film in its early stages by introducing both the main characters and suggesting what might develop between them. The new opening made the film more resonant with possibilities.
Keith also secured another grant from Waikato Institute of Technology to enable work with a composer, Steve Garden, who had been adding a score over two years – and losing portions of what he had composed as scenes were eliminated in the editing. By March of 2002 the film was a finished product (apart from the blow-up to 35mm) and entered in the Dances with Films Festival in Los Angeles where it beat 1200 entries to make a shortlist of 12. It also won the script award and made Variety magazine which encouraged investors to support the cost of finishing the film.
Keith is still trying to raise the funding to enable this project to be screened. Films are often subject to re-writing and re-editing, re-shooting and test screenings. As products whose final success depends on audience interest they are not always right first time. Art films are subject to limited distribution opportunities and need to be sold through other avenues than mainstream cinema to make money. They also need to win awards to give them a selling point.
COP Outcome development and evaluation The film-making process allows continual testing and analysis. To grow from a conceptual design a film must convince a number of key experts. To reach the operational stage requires refinement and even during operation, modification is ongoing as more experts bring their perspective. Even after shooting, further refinement and testing continues.
Support for the project came from The Waikato Institute of Technology, Atlab Laboratory, Kodak, Panavision, Metrofilm and Images Post. The film was edited on Avid in the Media Arts Department of the Waikato Institute of Technology. Art works, furnishings and art-craft items came from Katalog, Zambesi, Anna Bibby Gallery, Hogland Art Glass. In addition, Viky Garden lent her distinctive and impressive paintings to the film.
