Sonny (Julian Curtis) and Mick (Thomas Larkin) are a couple of country lads learning about life and testing their limits in 1979

July 16, 2015

It’s 1979, a quiet country back road, two likely lads growing up, beer, a 1970 muscle car … and a truck. Get the picture?

This scenario played out for the cameras on the Kumbia-Brooklands Road near Brooklands on Wednesday afternoon.

A crew from the Griffith Film School in Brisbane had the road intermittently closed while they filmed the opening and closing scenes for a short film they are making, “Neon Kings”.

The team, which started working in the area on Monday and will be here until the weekend, is mostly made up of students, but there are hired professionals involved as well.

Shelley Veitch, who is responsible for hair, make-up and special effects, has just completed five months working on Johnny Depp’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” film on the Gold Coast.

She said she was enjoying working with the Griffith students.

“They’re great to work with, just amazing. They’re really professional,” she said.

The students also had professional stunt co-ordinator Yasca Sinigaglia, who worked on “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Matrix Revolutions”, overseeing the more dangerous scenes, including Sonny and Mick playing “chicken” with a truck.

Co-producer Danielle Redford said there were 33 people involved in the production, with a core crew of 22 students.

The leads are well-known actors Thomas Larkin and Julian Curtis. They play Mick and Sonny, two young men exploring their masculine identity while growing up in a country town.

Shooting began on Monday in Blackbutt where the Radnor Hotel – filled with South Burnett locals as “extras” – became “Saturday night at the pub”.

The crew then moved to Jandowae on Tuesday, before shifting onto Brooklands.

The 1970 Holden Monaro, loaned to the students for the movie, was the centre of attention on the Kumbia-Brooklands Road on Wednesday afternoon
Truck v Monaro … what happens next? We’ll just have to see the movie at some time to find out …
Actors Julian Curtis and Thomas Larkin looked a whole lot friendlier out of character
The professional crew: Shelley Veitch (hair, make-up, special effects) and Amelia Fuller (costume designer)
Griffith students Josh Kell (assistant gaffer), co-producer Jordan Lynagh and Jarrod Harker (best boy grip)
The magic of movies … when the film is completed it will look like Mick and Sonny are alone in the car when actually they are surrounded by a team of people

 

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