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Exclusive – The Last One Arrives At GPIFF

At the GPIFF you can expect to see a wide range of creative productions from all over the world. Because of the tremendous variety, there is something for everyone.  The Golden Panda International Film Festival should be on every filmmaker’s radar. Not only a terrific festival for watching new films but also a great place to network and foster new relationships. 

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a filmmaker from London about his latest film, The Last One. It’s about a man that suddenly finds himself alone . Everyone has disappeared without explanation and he is forced o cope with his new dilemma.

Paul Bailey wrote the screenplay for The Last One. He is also the actor in it and executive producer. The story is unique and engaging, even with the sole actor. Not an easy task to accomplish. I had to know the how, when and why.

 

“What was the idea behind this film and why did you write it with one character in mind?”

“The idea just came to me. I had begun jotting down ideas around the story and a few months later began writing the script. My first draft changed dramatically once I wrote the second draft. The story was much the same but overall it looked much different. I am an actor first and a writer second. I actually wanted to write a film that I could act in with a small budget. One of my goals was to make the audience feel empathy for the character.”

 

In the film, the character lives alone but has his parents voices programmed into two manikins. He tries his best to go about his life as if nothing had changed. It seems the audience is the only one in on the secret. Empathy is accomplished and curiosity ensues.

 

“In the film, there isn’t any explanation for the disappearance of the population. What was the reason for that?”

“I wanted the audience to draw their own conclusions and create their own reasons why. I had one audience member approach me afterward to suggest that the character had actually died and that this was his ghost trying to deal with his new reality.”

 

This was Paul’s first screenplay. He won an award for his script at a festival and considers himself an actor that makes films, rather than a filmmaker that acts.

 

“What are some of the advantages of writing scripts with you in mind as the main character?”

 

“When I’m writing a character for myself, I already know my limitations. It’s a real advantage to already know what types of characters you’re capable of playing. When I was in acting school, we had an exercise in which we had to take on roles that were opposite of regular roles we were used to portraying. It was tremendously helpful.”

 

It took Paul four days and one night to film his shots. In all of them the streets are empty of people including the tube station (subway). I had to know how it was accomplished.

 

“How did you make it appear that everyone had disappeared?”

“All of the outside shots were filmed strategically. The tube station scene was filmed at lunch when it is practically empty. We did have to ask a couple people to wait until we got our shot but mostly it was empty.  The street near the home is on a dead end and was filmed a 4 am when no traffic was present. The scene on the bridge was also filmed at a time when virtually nobody was there. There were only a plane and a cyclist that needed to be scrubbed out in editing. If people had stepped into the shot, we’d just shoot it over.”

 

Paul explained to me that they have a motto in London. Professionally made professionally paid. He lived up to that in making this film. He paid the heads of the departments in the crew, such as his DP, director and other key positions. His parents acted as caterers and served his moms recipes out of an RV. After all, a well fed crew is a happy crew.

In the film, there are some long scenes using one shot. He explained to me that he used that technique to allow the audiences eye to wonder and engage with the character more. I rather enjoy that technique and remember it being used in the film Birdman. It’s not used often enough but is a great technique when applied in the right scene.  

 

“Have you been able to travel to festivals with the film?”

“I have. I travelled to Fargo, North Dakota, as well as Grand Prairie, Alberta with the film. It’s been wonderful. I feel like I’ve made some life long relationships. I’ve also screened the film at two festivals in the UK and London. I had attended a festival in London with my director, Andrea Banjanin. The film had won best actor and an award for best cinematography. We were both very pleased that we attended the festival to appreciate the response.”

 

I enjoyed this film and look forward to more by this budding filmmaker/actor. Paul Bailey is one to watch for!  

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