Tremble (short film)
Encyclopedia
Tremble is an independent
short film, written, produced and directed by Australian filmmakers The Schelle Brothers, Ben Schelle and Matthew J Schelle. The film stars actor Danny Boyd as an old man trapped beneath the rubble and debris of the former Newcastle Worker's Club in the aftermath of the 1989 Newcastle Earthquake. Co-starring are actors Joe Brown
, Ricky Bush and stand-up comedian Tim Bean. The film was produced solely for the 2008 Newcastle Shootout film festival
, where it received the award for Best Art Direction for its scenes depicting the devastation of the Worker's Club. The award was also won by the same filmmakers the previous year for their World War II
comedy
short, The Night They Attacked Australia.
The film Tremble was shot on location at the Lock-Up Art Gallery in Newcastle, Australia, formerly the colonial Police Station
and at the rebuilt Newcastle Worker's Club (Newcastle Panthers).
, that only in-camera editing
was allowed and that a minimum of five items be included in the film as proof that it was made within the specified timeframe.
The five items featured in Tremble included:
, breaking down from alienation
to isolation
. This can be evidenced during the Earthquake scene itself, which occurs during a somewhat discordant phone call. The remainder of the film then becomes a one-sided reply to the interrupted conversation. The events surrounding the Newcastle Earthquake have had a major impact on the local community, as over forty survivors were pulled out of the club in the days following the quake, meaning the short film has an important cultural significance in the Hunter Valley
.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
short film, written, produced and directed by Australian filmmakers The Schelle Brothers, Ben Schelle and Matthew J Schelle. The film stars actor Danny Boyd as an old man trapped beneath the rubble and debris of the former Newcastle Worker's Club in the aftermath of the 1989 Newcastle Earthquake. Co-starring are actors Joe Brown
Joe Brown
Joe Brown may refer to:*Joe Brown , British singer*Joe David Brown , American novelist*Joe E. Brown , American actor and comedian*Joe L. Brown , Major League Baseball front office executive...
, Ricky Bush and stand-up comedian Tim Bean. The film was produced solely for the 2008 Newcastle Shootout film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
, where it received the award for Best Art Direction for its scenes depicting the devastation of the Worker's Club. The award was also won by the same filmmakers the previous year for their World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
short, The Night They Attacked Australia.
The film Tremble was shot on location at the Lock-Up Art Gallery in Newcastle, Australia, formerly the colonial Police Station
Police Station
Police Station is a American TV series that aired in syndication in 1959. Stories were taken from actual files.- Cast :*Baynes Barron as Sergeant White*Larry Kerr as Detective Chuck Mitchell*Henry Beckman as Detective Stan Abramson...
and at the rebuilt Newcastle Worker's Club (Newcastle Panthers).
Plot
Tremble is a poignant film which coincides with the upcoming 20th anniversary of the 1989 Newcastle Earthquake which claimed the lives of 13 people. The film opens with a staggering depiction of the collapsed Worker's Club, with shattered concrete beams, torn cables and twisted steelwork strewn over the club floor. In amongst the rubble are various Christmas decorations, the event having occurred only three days after the holidays. Stuck beneath a fallen poker machine is an Old Man, littered with debris, struggling to breathe and call out. Nearby is a still and seemingly lifeless arm wearing a beeping wristwatch. The film depicts the Old Man's attempt to stay alive whilst keeping the other unseen person buried in the rubble in contact. Intercut with these scenes are episodes depicting the rescue efforts of volunteers from the Police Rescue Squad and the State Emergency Service.Production
The film was made for the 10th annual Shootout 24 Hour Film Festival, which required that the film be entirely shot and submitted with 24 hours24 Hours
24 Hours and 24 Heures is a chain of free daily newspapers published in Canada by Sun Media, a subsidiary of Quebecor Media...
, that only in-camera editing
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
was allowed and that a minimum of five items be included in the film as proof that it was made within the specified timeframe.
The five items featured in Tremble included:
- Greek Statue - shown briefly on a television before the Earthquake sequence.
- Purple Head Sculpture - shown briefly on a television before the Earthquake sequence.
- Foot Art Installation - shown briefly on a television as the Earthquake cuts the power out.
- The Dude (The Shootout Logo) - littered on the floor of a house after the Earthquake strikes.
- Cafe in Hamilton - shown as a man drives to the Worker's Club.
Themes
The film is a running commentary on the themes of survival and communicationCommunication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
, breaking down from alienation
Social alienation
The term social alienation has many discipline-specific uses; Roberts notes how even within the social sciences, it “is used to refer both to a personal psychological state and to a type of social relationship”...
to isolation
Solitude
Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, i.e., lack of contact with people. It may stem from bad relationships, deliberate choice, infectious disease, mental disorders, neurological disorders or circumstances of employment or situation .Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one...
. This can be evidenced during the Earthquake scene itself, which occurs during a somewhat discordant phone call. The remainder of the film then becomes a one-sided reply to the interrupted conversation. The events surrounding the Newcastle Earthquake have had a major impact on the local community, as over forty survivors were pulled out of the club in the days following the quake, meaning the short film has an important cultural significance in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
.
Cast
The film centers around Danny Boyd as the Old Man but also features:- Joe Brown as the Young Man
- Tim Bean as the State Police Rescue Worker
- Ricky Bush as the ParamedicParamedicA paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
- Matthew Barry as the State Emergency ServiceState Emergency ServiceA State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue...
Rescue Worker - Joanne Schelle as the Survivor
Awards
- 2008 Best Art Direction at the Newcastle Shootout Film Festival. The award was voted by a panel of judges including actors Damian Walshe-HowlingDamian Walshe-HowlingDamian Walshe-Howling is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Andrew "Benji" Veniamin in the Australian underworld drama, Underbelly, for which he won the Best Supporting or Guest Actor in a Drama Series at the 2008 AFI Awards.-Biography:He also starred on Blue Heelers as Constable Adam...
, Matthew NewtonMatthew NewtonMatthew Newton is an Australian stage and screen actor. Born in Melbourne, he is the son of television personalities, Bert and Patti Newton, brother of Lauren Newton, brother-in-law of Matt Welsh and uncle to Sam Albert and Eva Eunice Newton Welsh.-Acting:Newton has performed in Australia and...
and Gyton GrantleyGyton GrantleyGyton Grantley is a Logie Award and AFI Award-winning Australian actor, best known for his portrayal of convicted murderer and drug trafficker Carl Williams in the hit Australian television show Underbelly, for which he was nominated for both Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series and Most...
, ChaserChaserChaser may refer to:* Chaser , a 2003 sci-fi first person shooter video game* The Chaser, an Australian comedy group* The Chaser , a South Korean film* "The Chaser" , an episode of The Twilight Zone...
's Chris TaylorChris Taylor (comedian)Christopher Thornton "Chris" Taylor is an Australian comedian, writer and former radio host from Sydney. As a member of The Chaser, he is best known for co-writing and appearing on satirical ABC Television shows CNNNN and The Chaser's War on Everything...
, comedian Juila Morris and singer Marcia HinesMarcia HinesMarcia Elaine Hines, AM is a vocalist, actress and TV personality who achieved success in her adopted homeland of Australia. Hines made her debut, at the age of sixteen, in the Australian version of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar...
.