SUNDANCE CALLING

Michael Shanks on his debut feature film, Together, and his wildest professional dreams coming true.

 Michael Shanks directing Together. Photo by Germain McMicking

For most filmmakers, stepping onto the global stage with a debut feature film premiering at Sundance Film Festival feels like a slightly vain pipe dream. For Michael Shanks, that fantastical vision has become a reality with his body horror feature, Together, premiering on one of the most prestigious platforms in world cinema.

Shanks, a Melbourne born, bred and based indie filmmaker, is quick to explain that what appears to be an overnight meteoric rise has been anything but. “There's something vaguely embarrassing about wanting to be a filmmaker as you get into your 30s and you've been doing it for 15 years. Everybody's like, ‘Why isn’t he giving up yet?” Fortunately, Shanks’ desire to make “the weirdest movies possible” has persisted over the years and he credits a lucky alignment of “yeses” with getting him to this point.

“There are so many moments of luck to get here; with the right people and the right opportunities lining up at the right time,” he explains, “But I'd be lying if I didn't say it felt very validating.”

A LOCAL FILM WITH GLOBAL AMBITIONS

Together stars Hollywood talent and real-life husband and wife duo Dave Franco and Alison Brie playing a couple who relocate to the countryside and encounter a supernatural transformation of their love, lives, and flesh. Franco and Brie’s palpable on-screen chemistry fed perfectly into Shanks’ narrative about long-term monogamy and the joys and pitfalls of building your life with and around another person.

“You can't be riding the body horror pedal the whole way,” Shanks says. “At the core of the film, you could strip [those supernatural elements] away and I hope there is an effective and beautifully performed romantic drama at the centre of this.”

 Alison Brie and Dave Franco on the set of Together. Photo by Ben King

Shanks first crossed paths with Franco at a chance meeting where they discussed their mutual love of the psychological thrillers and the horror genre. “I said, ‘I've got this horror script that I'm really proud of, maybe you would want to take a read?’ not expecting anything at all.” The next day, Franco’s agent called and said he would like to star in the project, and also his wife Alison Brie was interested in starring opposite him.

“The agent wanted to know if I would I be interested in that. And I was just like, ‘Yeah, I'd be interested in that,’” Shanks says laughing. “I was walking down to the pub when I got that call, and it was the greatest session at the Mona Castle Hotel ever.”

From the outset, Shanks and his producer Mike Cowap from Princess Pictures were committed to making the film in Melbourne. “We always wanted Together to be an Australian production. There are financial reasons for that, but I also really liked the idea of making this film in my hometown,” he explains.

 Dave Franco as Tim in Together. Photo by Ben King

Brie and Franco set up camp in Carlton for the duration of the shoot, which predominantly took place at Docklands Studios Melbourne, as well at locations across the state including Olinda, Sassafras, Upwey, Sherbrooke, Port Melbourne, Melbourne’s CBD, Mount Evelyn, and Ivanhoe.

“It was such a delight for me to be able to film at Docklands Studios,” Shanks says. “I’m used to filming in my friend’s dad's abandoned shed or whatever. So, walking into an actual film studio, even just getting into the car park, I was like, ‘The dream’s coming true.’”

VicScreen was instrumental in supporting the production through the Victorian Production Fund, Shanks says, as well as supporting the post-production effort including detailed VFX sequences produced by Framestore with support from VicScreen’s Victorian Digital Screen Rebate.    

 Alison Brie as Millie in Together. Photo by Ben King

Working with a talented team of heads of department, like cinematographer Germain McMicking was inspiring, Shanks says. Coming from a place of independent filmmaking, the novelty never wore thin. “I'm so used to filmmaking where you have no money and the actors are your friends who can't act, they just happen to be unemployed at the time…The fact that someone built a set for my film, or that we had a dolly to move the camera—I couldn’t believe it…so in a lot of ways [on Together] I had more gear and more people and more talent than I'd ever had access to surrounding me. So, it was kind of the easiest thing I’ve ever made.”

“It's true, we do have world class facilities and world class crew here…if I'm ever lucky enough to make anything else I'd really try and keep it in Melbourne.”

Alison Brie and Dave Franco in Together. Photo by Ben King

SUNDANCE SELECTION

Shanks aims to balance his unique creative decisions with universal appeal. “I want to make the weirdest movie possible, but also something that someone’s uncle might say, ‘Yeah, that was a good yarn.’”

Sundance was always the ultimate goal, he reveals. “We planned our post-production schedule around submitting to Sundance. When other films had already found out they’d been accepted, and we hadn’t heard back, I started to prepare for disappointment.”

Then the phone calls started, 20 missed calls from his agents and producer, Mike Cowap. “When I answered, Mike was crying with joy and said, ‘Shanks, we’ve done it buddy.’ It was a really beautiful moment.”

Michael Shanks on the set of Together. Photo by Ben King

Shanks’ long-term partner, family and close-knit circle of friends—who in part inspired the central dynamics of the film—have been his bedrock of support throughout this process. His mum and sister are braving the cold of Utah to celebrate with him at Sundance. “I’ve warned them it will be freezing, and they’ll probably hate the movie, but I’m thrilled they’re coming,” he jokes.

“I've had a very privileged year of making my dream movie, so I'm walking on cloud nine right now. It feels like I’ve just won the lottery.”

Together made its world premiere on 26 January in the midnight section at Sundance Film Festival.