INSPIRATION
FOR
‘HORSES
WITH DAVIE PATERSON
LORD VOLVO AND HIS ESTATE, HUMPHREY OCEAN 1982“HUMPHREY OCEAN’S ARTWORK HAS LONG BEEN A FAVOURITE, WITH ITS SUBJECTS IN PERFECT COMPOSITION - VERY CINEMATIC, AND ITS SHEER ATTITUDE; LORD VOLVO HAS MOXY - TO ME, THIS IS THE I.P. I WANT TO SEE EXPLORED, RIGHT? I FEEL LIKE OCEAN’S CHARACTERS ARE RELATED TO THOSE OF ‘A STABLE FOR HORSES’ IN A SOCIAL SENSE, A POLITICAL SENSE, AND A SPIRITUAL SENSE. THEIR BONES ARE MADE OF THE SAME PLUCK AND GRIT.”
HILL END LANDSCAPE #2, BEN QUILTY 2005“I CAME ACROSS BEN QUILTY’S ‘05 PIECE WHILE CREATING THE COLOUR PALETTE WITH OUR COSTUME DESIGNER AND OUR COLOURIST. IT HAS THE ENERGY OF A MOVING PICTURE AND SPEAKS TO THE KIND OF MUSCLE CAR I GREW UP SEEING ALL AROUND ME - THAT DIRTY, LOUD, BEAUTIFUL TORANA SAT ON THE LAWN LIKE A SLEEPING GUARD DOG. I SEE THE PAINTING AND RIGHT AWAY, I KNOW THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. WE’RE WORKING IN PERIOD, SO PRODUCTION DESIGN IS GUIDED BY THAT FIRST AND FOREMOST; TONALLY, I LOVE THE DEEP BLUES UNDER THE GREEN UNDERTONE OF THE CREAMS, THE FLASHES OF MUSTARD. I ADDED A BRUSHSTROKE OF RED TO OUR MOOD BOARD TO REALLY TIE THIS PIECE INTO OUR PERIOD. AND AGAIN, COMPOSITION IS KEY IN THIS PIECE. QUILTY’S SO GOOD AT STILL LIFE COMPOSITION, I FEEL LIKE YOU CAN SEE THE SCENE A YARD OUTSIDE THE FRAME.”
LA HAINE, MATHIEU KASSOVITZ 1995“LA HAINE INSPIRED MY FIRST SPEC AND THERE’S A PIECE OF THAT SPEC IN EACH FILM I WRITE, SO THIS FILM HAS INFORMED MY WRITING IN A LOT OF WAYS, ESPECIALLY THEMATICALLY. IT’S UTTERLY PERFECT; FOREVER RELEVANT. AND SUCH A GREAT ENSEMBLE OF CHARACTERS, PERFORMED SO WELL - I’VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE I KNOW THESE KIDS. THE CINEMATOGRAPHY HERE IS ABSOLUTELY GROUNDBREAKING IN ‘95; ITS A GORGEOUS WAY TO TELL THIS STORY. KASSOVITZ WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF MY HEROES BECAUSE OF THIS FILM.”