Written & Directed by JAMES MILLAR
Produced by Chris Datson & Ashley Millar
Get ready for an action-packed ride with 'Kill List'! Follow a ruthless bounty hunter as he sets out to take down his latest target. This short film is a proof of concept for a larger story that will keep you hooked.
ABOUT THE FILM
Kill List Won Best Cinematography at the Midland Movies Awards. It also played at the Northampton Film Festival and the Lift Off Global Network Sessions.
ABOUT THE FILMmaker
Growing up in a movie-loving household, James Millar knew he was destined to make films. Since his first short film in college, he's made over 20 shorts and music videos, snagging a variety of awards, including one judged by Watchmen author Alan Moore.
With experience as a CG artist for major brands like O2 and Marks and Spencer, James is now head of video production at Jaguar Land Rover. But his ultimate dream is to write and direct a feature film.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH James
Welcome back to our Short of the Week series. What have you been up to since we featured SWINE?
Since the release of SWINE in 2021, my creative journey has been an exhilarating ride. Following the labour of love that SWINE entailed, I experienced a period of fatigue and burnout, especially while balancing a full-time role at Jaguar Land Rover and the responsibilities of family life alongside my passion projects.
However, I am thrilled to share that things are now back on track. SWINE's journey took us to some fantastic festivals where we had the pleasure of connecting with incredible individuals from the film community. The film's success was further bolstered by the recognition it received through various awards, which served as an inspiration and validation of our hard work.
As the dust settled, I dedicated my time to writing and nurturing exciting new projects. The experience with SWINE has fuelled my passion and motivated me to embark on an array of future endeavors.
With a renewed sense of enthusiasm and a vision for what lies ahead, I am eager to delve into these upcoming projects.
Tell us about the genesis of Kill List and how the project came about.
For years, I've been brewing an idea for a project called Shoe Town, named after my hometown of Northampton. This place holds a special significance as it was once a global hub for shoe manufacturing, and that legacy lives on through our football team, the Cobblers, and the enduring nickname 'Shoe Town' among the locals.
Shoe Town delves into the gritty underbelly of the town, drawing inspiration from personal experiences and the tales of others. It revolves around larger-than-life characters whose paths intertwine in unexpected ways, building up to a climactic finale.
Kill List emerged as an audacious experiment. We wanted to test the limits of our small filmmaking team, pushing the boundaries of what we could achieve without any external funding. We decided to shoot exactly what we envisioned, curious to see if compromises would hinder our artistic vision. To our delight, the outcome far exceeded our initial expectations.
It was an exhilarating journey, breathing life into our passion project, and discovering the untapped potential within our talented crew. Kill List stands as a testament to our collective dedication and creativity, proving that even with limited resources, we could craft a compelling and impactful film.
Kill List seems like it's part of a much larger story. Is this a proof of concept for a feature or just one in a series of Shoe Town short stories?
Kill List serves as an exciting glimpse into a larger narrative universe we've been developing. In our discussions, we envisioned a twofold approach: continuing to produce Shoe Town story shorts as standalone proof-of-concept projects, while ultimately aiming to bring forth a feature film set within the same universe.
Kill List, being the inaugural entry in this series of shorts, was a bold proof-of-concept experiment. It allowed us to test the waters, exploring the potential of this dark and immersive world we've created. As we move forward, we're thrilled to expand on the compelling characters and intricate storylines, paving the way for a future feature that will truly bring the Shoe Town universe to life.
Can you tell us about the world of Shoe Town?
Certainly! Welcome to the captivating realm of Shoe Town, a hyper-real, darkly comic reimagination of my hometown, Northampton. Prepare to be immersed in a world steeped in visceral crime, rampant corruption, and a multitude of sins that intertwine with its very fabric. In this twisted reflection of reality, the characters that inhabit Shoe Town serve as amplified caricatures, embodying the town's pervasive darkness in larger-than-life ways.
Within these streets, you'll encounter a colourful cast of characters whose lives intertwine amidst the chaos. Each individual represents a unique facet of the town's seedy underbelly, revealing the extremes of human nature in a way that blurs the boundaries of plausibility and amplifies the grotesque.
Shoe Town is a place where every corner hides secrets, every interaction brims with tension, and every moment pulses with a dark energy that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's a world that challenges perceptions, provokes laughter through discomfort, and pushes the boundaries of storytelling.
Check out this awesome behind the scenes video
What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making of Kill List and how did you overcome them?
Throughout the making of Kill List, we encountered several formidable obstacles that tested our creativity and problem-solving skills. The first challenge arose with continuity as we commenced shooting during a local fair's arrival last May. To capitalize on the golden hour lighting, we aimed to capture as much footage as possible before nightfall.
Initially, this approach worked seamlessly. However, as the week progressed, we faced sudden closures of the fair due to low attendance. In some instances, we found ourselves in the middle of a take only to have all the rides abruptly shut down. This disruption threatened our desired consistency.
To mitigate this issue, we ingeniously implemented Astera Titan tubes to light our talent. By simulating the hues emitted by the rides, we could seamlessly match the lighting and maintain visual continuity when the fair abruptly closed.
Given that Kill List was a proof-of-concept project, we embarked with a loose idea of what we wanted to capture. Our vision truly took shape as we pieced together the footage during post-production. Unfortunately, this coincided with the fair's final week, resulting in its departure and leaving us in a bind, in need of additional footage.
To overcome this setback, we actively tracked the fair's movements through social media. As it relocated to different locations, we strategically shot in each new setting. For instance, the scenes featuring the talent walking around were captured in the initial location, while the drone shots were taken in a completely new location where the fair had relocated. We repeated this process for a total of three different fairgrounds to obtain all the necessary footage.
Despite these challenges, our resourcefulness and adaptability enabled us to triumph over unexpected hurdles. We emerged with a cohesive and visually stunning short film, Kill List, that captures the essence of our original vision.
Awesome location! How did you go about securing that or did you pull it off guerilla style?
Thank you! The truth is, securing the location was mostly a guerrilla-style endeavour. One evening, while visiting the fair with friends and family, I was struck by the incredible atmosphere and realized it would be the perfect setting for a shoot. Inspired by this revelation, I quickly formulated a rough plan that aligned with the Shoe Town concept, and we took the plunge!
During the shoot, we did encounter fair workers who expressed curiosity about our project. Fortunately, their inquiries were never derogatory; instead, they showed genuine interest and excitement about us shooting something in their workplace.
Embracing the guerrilla-style approach allowed us to capture the essence of the fair authentically and without constraints. It added an element of spontaneity and adventure to the process, enhancing the overall experience and resulting in some truly remarkable footage.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
The journey of bringing our film to audiences has been nothing short of exhilarating. Like every project we've undertaken in the past, our approach has always been to harness the power of social media and expand our reach. It can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, but through incredible platforms like yours and the support of remarkable film festivals, we've been able to ensure that the right people discover and appreciate our work.
With this film, we took a unique approach that added a new layer of excitement. We collaborated with a local musician, the sensational FFSYTHO, and incorporated her electrifying track, "Bop Through your manor," as the opening music of the film. Being a literal local legend and boasting a devoted fan base, it made perfect sense to infuse her high-energy track into our cinematic creation. The result was a seamless fusion of music and visuals, elevating the overall cinematic quality of the film to new heights.
This collaboration was just the beginning of our exciting journey together. We have plans to reciprocate the creative energy by working with FFSYTHO on one of her upcoming projects. It's a testament to the power of collaboration and mutual support within the artistic community.
We are grateful for the platforms and partnerships that have allowed us to connect with audiences who appreciate our work. It is through these meaningful connections that our film finds its way into the hearts and minds of those who truly resonate with it.
What do you think is the biggest challenge short filmmakers face trying to break into the industry?
Undeniably, one of the biggest challenges facing short filmmakers breaking into the industry lies in making a significant impact within an already vast and competitive market. With the rise of short-form videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, capturing audiences' attention has become increasingly challenging. People's attention spans have shortened, and the patience to watch content exceeding a minute online has diminished compared to the past.
Countless successful individuals in the industry have emphasized the importance of not solely relying on short films as a means to break through. Instead, they suggest using short films as a platform to showcase one's capabilities and seize opportunities to secure talented actors, crew members, and funding. The prevailing advice has been to leverage these short films as stepping stones toward embarking on ambitious feature film projects.
Navigating this landscape requires strategic thinking, adaptability, and the willingness to embrace change. As short filmmakers, we must find innovative ways to captivate audiences, while simultaneously utilizing our short films as powerful tools to demonstrate our vision, talents, and potential. By leveraging these opportunities effectively, we can build the necessary foundation to make a lasting impact within the industry.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
Something I watched recently was a short film called Lay Me by the Shore by David Findlay which was a Vimeo staff pick and It just got me! I loved it, also another short film I loved recently was Look at Me by Sally Potter starring Chris Rock and Javier Bardem and again it was just great! Also, the latest season of ‘Love Death and Robots’ on Netflix is inspiring! Feature film wise the new Spiderverse movie was epic! And I randomly watched ‘Wheelman’ on Netflix starring Frank Grillo from 2017 and I thought it was a cool concept kind of like DRIVE if he never left the car. Also, Guy Ritchie's new film on Amazon called Covenant was really cool.