The Lure
Late at night, a lone fisherman discovers he is not the only one hoping to hook something.
Interview with Writer/Director Tony Hipwell
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I was keen on a new challenge and had never attempted a micro short before. It was a truly informative exercise in rethinking a lot of my habits as a writer, director and editor.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
To be surprised and hopefully amused!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I love playing with the unexpected. That is at the heart of the film. I believe audiences like to be surprised and are hoping for it. This film invites prediction but hopefully still delivers something fresh to a well-worn idea. Also, I think we can all relate to this notion of hoping for a quiet night in the wilderness but you can never escape that fear there is something else out there with a duplicitous hunger.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script was quite straightforward to produce as I originally wrote it as a drabble which is a short story that can be 100 words only, no more, no less. The shoot itself went very smoothly with a small but very capable crew. The real trick was post. I had to get really granular on how long every shot could be to communicate the narrative in under 90 seconds. The sound design required a huge amount of detail as well. I don't think I've obsessed more with my audio than in these 90 seconds.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It's been very positive. Hearing the audience react to the big reveal/gag at the end of the film has been hugely rewarding. I've had many people comment on how refreshing it was to see such a compact and satisfying short as many programs have so many that are much, much longer.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
For the most part no, it's mainly been affirming which is a great relief. The film hinges on surprise so you don't want people to be too far ahead of it. They might begin to suspect where the narrative is going, but the penultimate shot has to work or the whole thing fails and it seems that we have succeeded. So far I've only had one person correctly predict the ending!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm just excited for people to be aware of it. Micro shorts by their nature are blink-and-miss, so having a broader audience knowing it is out there gives it a life that is much longer than its run time. I'd also love for more people to discover the cast/crew responsible. Everyone on the film is incredibly talented and did such great work. It feels a much bigger film than its run time would suggest and much of that is down to the cast/crew.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would love to have more journalists find and comment on the film. Micro shorts often struggle for attention against the shorts that are larger in scope but I don't feel a short length means a film lacks in ambition.
I'm also keen for more film festival directors to find the film so we can cast our net even wider on the festival run.
And finally, it would be great to find a distributor for the film when the fun is completed. There are many great platforms for genre shorts but the prevailing attitude tends to favour a longer length so we are hoping to find somewhere that will see the value in the piece and distribute it, regardless of its duration.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
A small but mighty one! These films are trickier to produce than one might expect so I hope it leads to bigger and better things for all involved.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Just continue the awareness of the value of brevity. I was inspired to make a micro short because a number of talented friends had produced their own and I was struck by their ingenuity.
Would you like to add anything else?
No, just thank you for having us and platforming the film!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently developing a feature that is a spiritual successor to an earlier film of mine called Standing Woman. It's a climate change-themed body horror called Erosion and my team is very excited about it.
My producer, Cal O'Connell is also a director and is working on a number of features including a seasonal horror I am co-writing with him.
My lead actor Johnny Vivash has a number of projects on the way including the feature film, Isaac, a chilling dystopian horror that is touring festivals now.
Interview: November 2023
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
The Lure
Late at night, a lone fisherman discovers he is not the only one hoping to hook something.
Length: 1:28
Director: Tony Hipwell
Producer: Cal O'Connell
Writer: Tony Hipwell
About the writer, director and producer:
TONY HIPWELL is a multi-award-winning filmmaker whose work has screened at Academy Awards, Canadian Screen Awards, BAFTA and BIFA qualifying festivals. Tony's most recent projects include an adaptation of 'Standing Woman' by internationally acclaimed author Yasutaka Tsutsui which was nominated for the Yorkshire Film Award at Leeds International Film Festival 2021 and is available on ALTER. Their new short, The Lure premiered at FrightFest 2023 and is touring festivals around the world now.
CAL O'CONNELL is the head of creative and a company director at RO Pictures which specialises in all forms of video content, from corporate film, and short-form brand content to feature films. An entrepreneur through and through, with extensive training in creative storytelling, digital production and infrastructure, Cal’s superpower is bridging the gap between creative and business.
Key cast: Johnny Vivash - SHAW
Looking for: distributors, journalists, producers, film festival directors
Twitter: @HIPsince1980
Instagram: @hipsince1980
Hashtags used: #TheLure
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
ScreamFest - LA Oct 15
Sunderland Film Festival - UK Oct 20
Dead and Sudburied - Sudbury UK Oct 20
FilmQuest - Provo, Utah Nov 1st
Soho Horror Film Festival - London Nov 24th