THE DEATH OF DON DUNCAN
When mismatched friends Alby, Otis, and Ed accidentally kill action movie star Don Duncan whilst sneaking onto one of his sets, they devise a plan to escape that’s so crazy it might just work. Or not. They’re not really sure.
SYNOPSIS
The Death of Don Duncan is an absurd comedy that follows three friends, Alby, Otis, and Ed as they try to find a way off the set of Death Rider 7 after they accidentally kill the lead actor. The film acts as a hilarious exaggeration of both Hollywood A-lister culture and the anxieties of doing something you know you're not supposed to be doing. It also doubles as an exploration of friendship groups of three and the difficulties that come with trying to navigate that dynamic, whilst also providing comedic moments.
Director's Statement
My whole life, I've been an incredibly nervous person. Nervous about the little things, like whether my bus driver hates me because I forgot to smile at them when I got on, whether I'm wearing the same thing I wore yesterday (thus, people will think I'm weird), or whether my wallet has disappeared when it's not in my direct line of sight. But, I've also always been worried about the bigger things. Nervous about where my creative voice fits in the vast creative landscape, whether my stories are worth telling, whether filmmaking is something I'm any good at.
I was always set on making a horror film for my final uni project. I wanted to challenge myself to create something subversive, something edgy, something unpredictable. So, I got to writing. I wrote draft after draft of contrived, overdone boring cliche horror concepts that I knew had no serious chance of ever making it off the page. So, I gave up. I had to face the reality - I was nervous, yet again.
So, when all hope was lost, I wrote about it. I wrote about my own anxieties. I wrote about how terrifying filmmaking is. About how when everything is going right, someone goes ahead and dies (obviously, an exaggeration, but you get it). It led me to a realisation, that filmmaking is, well and truly, the most ridiculous, illogical thing ever. This is a concept that was echoed throughout the production of this film - it was absolute hell. I felt so alone, I pretty much produced the whole thing by myself (yet felt as if I was being expected to do even more, due to others not pulling their own weight), crew members dropped out mere days before deadlines, files corrupted, drafts sucked, and I can say with my chest that it was well and truly some of the most difficult, uncomfortable months of my life.
Then, I finished post production. All the stresses were over. So, I decided to take a break from creating. I wanted to give myself some distance from filmmaking so I could come back even stronger.
And I hated it.
So, yes, I still (sort of) stand by my conclusion that I made before, but I'd like to amend it. Filmmaking is the SECOND most ridiculous, illogical thing ever. What's the first, you ask? Well, that would be not making films.
On the surface level, my film, The Death of Don Duncan, follows three friends accidentally killing their favourite actor after sneaking onto a film set. But read into it a little closer and you'll see that it's everything I'm excited for, everything I'm nervous about, hell, everything I'm just thinking about in terms of making films in the future. This process has made it abundantly clear that I not only want to make films for the rest of my life, but I simply need to. I crave it every second of every day, it's all I can think about.
So, I stand beside my biggest project (so far), The Death of Don Duncan, immensely proud of what me and my (mostly) amazing team of collaborators have delivered. I know my inspirations (such as the Coen Brothers, Scorsese, and other random flicks such as Wayne's World and Withnail & I) shine brightly through, and frankly I can't wait to see what people think of it. I can't wait to look back on it and see how far me and my friends have come. But most of all, I can't wait for you to watch it!
Crew
Cast
Script
Credits
Director
Maya Heinecke
Writer
Maya Heinecke
Producer
Luke Mendes
Director of Photography
William McAndrew
Production Designer
Isabelle Tang
Editor
Styliana Barn
Sound Designer/Recordist
Miki Pybus
Composer
Louis Wishart
Featuring
Campbell Krol as Alby
Tate as Otis
Zara Zuccolotto as Ed
Tommy Ropati as Dan/Don Duncan
Leo Larmer as Director
Also Featuring
Nia Chen
Louis-Sebastien Danoy
Ella Fraser
Isabelle Tang
Script Supervisor
William McAndrew
1st Assistant Director
Daniel MacKenzie
Runner
Josie Sullivan
Louis-Sebastien Danoy
Camera Operator
Ruihai Wang
William McAndrew
Key Grip
Nia Chen
Music
Don's Death
Written and mixed by Louis Wishart
Your Monologue
Written and mixed by Louis Wishart
Let's Get Out Of Here
Written and mixed by Louis Wishart
Colourist
Curtis Green
A Chitterhouse Production
Specifics
Runtime
10 mins, 36 seconds.
Format
Screener available at request on Vimeo
File format QT .mov Apple ProRes 422 HQ (open on VLC)