2018 NYC Web Fest / Baltimore Web Fest - After Nightfall
Who Killed Troy McLeavey?
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Wayne Tunks
Watch After Nightfall here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your webseries?
I have been wanting to create a web series for a while. I had created an idea with someone else a couple of years ago and it just didn’t feel right. But the beautiful thing was that I got to meet my DOP and co-producer, Nicholas Price. I went for a walk one night and seeing the moon, the idea just hit me. I walked for over an hour coming up with the whole plot. I came home, made notes, struggled to sleep and got up the next day and started writing. The whole series was written in a week, it felt like it chose me.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this webseries?
I think most people love a good ole fashioned murder mystery and this one has a lot of suspects. It’s a modern noir piece where every look and every word is a clue or a red herring. Plus, there’s some very important issues that we cover in the piece.
How do personal and universal themes work in your webseries?
As a writer I have always endeavoured to tell important stories for the LGBT+ community and as a playwright for the past 19 years, I have covered many different issues. So when moving to film, I really wanted to build in some important stories. Our murder victim, Troy McLeavey, is a young gay teen – did his sexuality play into his murder? During the series, his ex-boyfriend, Nathan, is sent to gay conversion camp. So many people loved this story because it seems like the dirty shame in both the US and Australia. It is reprehensible that young people are put through this, and I wanted people to talk about it.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I showed the script to my DOP, Nicholas Price, and he wanted to start ASAP. Within two weeks we did the first day of filming to see whether the series was going to work. We had such a great time and everything worked out, so we went from there. Booked days, cast who was free and let it all fall into place and we were so happy. But script wise, pretty much what you see on screen is what was written early.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
People seem to really enjoy the series. Everyone has loved talking about who they think killed Troy McLeavey. The theories have been wide and people are passionate about who they think did it. I love hearing people argue about it. Also people have really responded to the LGBT+ storylines, especially the conversion camp story. I wanted to entertain while making people think and I think we achieved that.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It has been quite overwhelming. I knew friends and family would enjoy it, but it is so amazing that people all over the world have been watching and loving it. We have received so many messages of support and won a lot of awards. It is quite humbling for a little Australian series with a tiny budget to touch a lot of people.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are hoping more people gain an interest in the series which makes them want to sit down and enter the world of “After Nightfall” and have them discuss who killed Troy McLeavey.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this webseries’s message?
I think journalists would be the answer. We made this to be seen. We weren’t looking to make money, we just had a story to tell. We would love as much coverage as possible so more people are able to enjoy this series and our upcoming season two.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this webseries to have?
If we can entertain while making people question, then we have done our job.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this webseries?
I’m at a point in my life where I get a little despondent when a series doesn’t have a regular gay character. In “After Nightfall”, we have many gay characters, with more introduced in Season 2. This isn’t exclusively a gay series, but these characters live in this world. I hope that more and more series will embrace the notion that we as gay people are everywhere in the world, and we deserve to have characters who reflect our lives.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We will be shooting a feature film adaption of my hit play, “According to Otto”, in January next year. This is a coming of age comedy about Otto, a teen who has always promised to come out on his 16th birthday. We have just finished filming Season Two and are planning a third season next year.
Interview: October 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
After Nightfall
Who Killed Troy McLeavey?
Length: 6 x 10 minute episodes
Director: Wayne Tunks
Producer: Wayne Tunks & Nicholas Price
Writer: Wayne Tunks
About the writer, director and producer: Wayne Tunks is an award writer, director, producer, actor and drama coach; who has been making theatre for 19 years. He was a storyliner on Australia’s longest running drama series, “Neighbours”.
Key cast: Tristan Clark, Prudence Holloway, Jasper Lee-Lindsay, Robert Miniter, Jacinta Moses, Bronte Parkin, Nick Sinclair, Anton Smilek, Wayne Tunks and David Woodland
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Journalists
Social media handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterNightfallSeries/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterNightfall1
Instagram: afternightfallweb
Other:
Hashtags you use: #WhoKilledTroyMcLeavey #AfterNightfall
Where was this filmed? Sydney, Australia
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXJtj1Nn30Hoy1IUHW8VrQ
Also screening at the Baltimore Webfest and the NYC Webfest