CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
Production Notes GREAT POINT MEDIA presents a STERLING PICTURES / SPLASH PAGE MEDIA production a SIMON RUMLEY film JUSTIN SALINGER in CROWHURST executive producer NICOLAS ROEG
1. INTRODUCTION 2. SYNOPSIS 3. DIRECTOR’S NOTES 4. SCREENWRITER’S NOTES 5. BIOGRAPHIES 6. CREDITS
Great Point Media: [email protected] +44 (0) 20 3873 0020 Sterling Pictures: [email protected] +44 (0) 7956 529489
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
1. INTRODUCTION
A tragedy that is both grand and pathetic. In October 1968, Donald Crowhurst, a 35-year-old engineer and father of four, embarked on one of the last great adventures of the 20th Century. He was one of nine men who set out from the English coast that autumn as part of the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, chasing to be either the first or the fastest man to circumnavigate the globe - single-handed and non-stop. But for Donald the dream turned into a nightmare.
Tragic, heartbreaking and enthralling - CROWHURST is neither an apology nor an expose. It is a tribute to a brave man who was too proud to fail and too much alone to live.
2. SYNOPSIS
In October 1968, Donald Crowhurst, a 35-year-old engineer and father of four, embarked on one of the last great adventures of the 20th Century. He was one of nine men who set out from the English coast that autumn as part of the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, chasing to be either the first or the fastest man to circumnavigate the globe - single-handed and non-stop. But for Donald the dream turned into a nightmare. Tragic, heartbreaking and enthralling - CROWHURST is a tribute to a brave man who was too proud to fail and too much alone to live.
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
3. DIRECTOR’S NOTES
Donald Crowhurst’s story is truly a unique one, combining British derring-do and proud flag- waving adventurousness with an intimate story of a dream gone very badly wrong.
In the late 1960’s when men were landing on the moon, it seemed like nothing was impossible. Sir Francis Chichester had just sailed single-handedly around the world (stopping in Sydney for a well- earned quick rest) while Sir Chay Blyth and Sir John Ridgway rowed across the North Atlantic, all modestly brushing off these daring feats as being only marginally more dangerous than going to buy a pint of milk at the local shop.
The idea that a man might sail around the world with as little experience as Crowhurst still seems vainglorious and crazy although, in reality, both the aforementioned Blyth and Ridgway also set out on the same Golden Globe race with equally little, if not less, experience. Crowhurst’s story is tragic not only because he (probably) committed suicide but also because he left behind a wife and four children. Yet here was a man who was ultimately neither hero nor anti-hero but in a strange way both because his reasons for entering the race were entirely admirable; he wanted to win the £5000 prize money so he could support his family and extricate himself from financial debt. Forget that he cheated and lied to the whole world, somehow his comeuppance still feels too excessive for what seemed more like a series of white lies rather than deceitful, harmful falsifications. Robin Knox Johnson (winner and only man to finish the race) famously said that history should not judge Crowhurst too harshly and this is something we have taken to heart in the film.
With our modest budget, there was no way we’ll be able to compete with a larger production in grandiosity of scale and have massive Perfect Storm or White Squall type sea-spraying storm scenes. So artistry, imagination and suggestion came to the fore in telling this unique story in a unique way.
The main thing we’ve concentrated on is the emotional and psychological journey that Crowhurst went on; the narrative is about a man on a boat after all, and during this journey there are a few highs and quite a few lows. Not only is his loneliness and isolation explored but also, the ultimate irony that as each of his competitors drops out, so he comes closer to winning - the last thing, it turns out, he ever wanted to happen. There’s something terribly British about cheating to come last yet, perhaps worse, is cheating to come last and actually failing and winning by mistake.
When not concentrating on Crowhurst himself, we cut away to give the film a dynamism and pacing beyond its man-in-a-boat origins. The film is interspersed with descriptions of each of the other sailors, read by a BBC newscaster with maps to illustrate where they dropped out of the race. At the beginning of the story, after two sailors already crash out, Crowhurst humorously notes that he hasn’t even left home and he’s gone from 9th place to 7th. As the race progresses it becomes apparent that if the other contestants continue to drop out, then Crowhurst’s benignly cheating ways will have disastrous consequences for him. So, just by having these inserts, a great drama and tension is imbued into the film as the dawning realisation that disaster looms.
To emphasise the Britishness of the situation and how important honour and the Empire were back in the 1960’s we took inspiration from Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia where the whole cast sing Aimee Man’s ‘Wise Up’. From when Crowhurst departs to his final demise, we have various rousing and traditional British hymns/carols sung by various members of the cast - starting off with ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ when he leaves Teignmouth Harbour to The National Anthem when he realises his mission is in tatters. In between, we also have ‘Jerusalem, I Vow To Thee, My Country’ and ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’. The songs are sung by Crowhurst’s supporters but as his plight progresses they, bit by bit, fall away so that it’s only him singing with his family (him on his boat, them at home in England) and for one of the final scenes singing the National Anthem, it’s just Donald alone, on his trimaran.
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
Working alongside Nicolas Roeg during development on this project has been a terrific experience for me. Nic’s legacy to the art of film is enduring. Don’t Look Now, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Walkabout, Bad Timing, Eureka and the ultimate in filmed madness, Performance, all contain huge elements of the outsider, the alienated and the the horror and seduction of loneliness. Nic’s contribution to this film in terms of his support, influence and advice has been huge.
The goal of the film has been to treat Donald as the honourable man that he was before leaving on his voyage; a dreamer, a man with a vision, a father and husband, and more than anything, a British underdog. I hope the audience will empathise with his situation, share his hopes and dreams and ultimately his horror at the crazy turn of events the race unpredictably took. In Justin Salinger (Everest, Heartless, Enduring Love) I cast an immensely powerful and captivating actor who completely projected Donald’s charm - perfectly capturing his affable optimism yet never letting go of that sense of being a dreamer with a tangible vulnerability.
I’m very proud of this small but intense movie. It’s an incredible film about an incredible journey by an incredible man.
- SIMON RUMLEY London 2017
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
4. SCREENWRITER’S NOTES
The first time I came across the story of Donald Crowhurst I was surprised to discover there hadn’t been a movie made about this remarkable man. Of course, the story is tragic, but I was struck by Donald’s determination, the drive that pushed him on against the odds – again and again. It brought back thoughts of the “plucky English”, born out of a time when the Empire had fallen and the UK was searching for its new place in the world. And, for me, Donald was the man that epitomised that. In researching his story, I came across many people with complicating views on Donald. Some say he was a cheat and a liar – but for me he was a man driven by ambition, dreams, and the pressures of the real world. He was a hero.
Donald’s story is rich with passion, drama and suspense – every ingredient a story needs, but they came with a big problem when committing the tale to the screen: it was predominantly a film about a lone guy on a boat who slowly descends into madness as his dreams unravel. I didn’t want Donald spending most of the movie gazing into the middle-distance, talking into a tape recorder, so it took a little time to get a fresher approach. Finessing things with the director sharpened Donald’s inner journey into something highly visual, while being sympathetic and dramatic.
I was delighted when Justin Salinger was cast as Donald Crowhurst. I had the good fortune to work with Justin on a previous movie and knew he was more than capable of portraying Donald’s rebellious spirit. I remember the first day I visited set, my first glimpse of Justin as Donald was while he was hunched over the radio on-board the boat, receiving a message that would destroy his life. While sitting on the quay side in Bristol, watching Justin on the monitor I was completely swept away to the middle of the Atlantic. It was a fantastic moment watching the plucky Donald Crowhurst brought to life.
The most remarkable moment of the shoot came when we shot at the actual Crowhurst family residence. It’s a distinctive looking home, set in a beautiful secluded garden. Much of the décor inside hadn’t changed much since Donald lived there and the atmosphere felt charged air as we walked through the rooms and corridors, watching Justin re-enact history in the very locations it happened. It was thrilling and humbling, a nice end for this writer’s journey.
- ANDY BRIGGS London 2017
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
5. BIOGRAPHIES
as DONALD CROWHURST JUSTIN SALINGER: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0758411 Justin graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1996 and has become one of the most respected English actors currently working on stage on on screen. Well known for his commitment to demanding roles, his recent stage work includes numerous plays at the National, Almeida, Donmar and Royal Court for directors such as Patrick Marber, Rufus Norris, David Farr and Max Stafford-Clark. His recent screen performances include featured roles in Working Title’s EVEREST directed by Baltasar Kormakur, THE EICHMANN SHOW directed by Paul Andrew Williams and Jon Wright’s OUR ROBOT OVERLORDS. He has previously starred in such films as HEARTLESS, VELVET GOLDMINE, REVENGERS TRAGEDY, ENDURING LOVE and DAYLIGHT ROBBERY. His TV work includes THE WINDSORS, MILLINGTON PLACE, RIPPER STREET, HE KILLS COPPERS and DOCTOR WHO.
DIRECTOR SIMON RUMLEY: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0750121/ http://www.simonrumley.com/ Simon has been described by Screen International as ‘One of the great British cinematic outsiders’. His career started at the end of the 1990’s when he made a triptych of youth culture films set in London - STRONG LANGUAGE and THE TRUTH GAME were both released by the BFI and premiered at the National Film Theatre whilst CLUB LE MONDE was released more widely. They were critically praised and STRONG LANGUAGE garnered two BIFA nominations including one for Best Newcomer. After that, his films went into a darker, more psychological territory and gained him a strong following on the worldwide genre circuit. Both THE LIVING AND THE DEAD and RED WHITE & BLUE premiered in Rotterdam and the latter also played at SXSW. Together the films won over 50 awards around the world including best films at all the major genre festivals such as Sitges, Fantasia and FantasticFest. After these, he directed parts of two successful horror anthologies, LITTLE DEATHS and ABCs OF DEATH, the latter of which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Most recently he has finished filming a true story in Louisiana, THE LAST WORD, produced by veteran Hollywood director Frank Mancuso Jr (Species, Ronin, etc). He has recently directed FASHIONISTA and ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON. Simon’s films have played all around the world and been distributed likewise. Empire Magazine described him as ‘One of the most important and intelligent British film-makers working today.’
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER NICOLAS ROEG: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001676 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Roeg Nic is one of the most acclaimed directors in the history of cinema, renowned for his unique, atmospheric visual style and deeply intelligent treatment of human philosophical and psychological subjects. In a career that has spanned six decades, Nic has worked with many of the most illustrious names in cinema – Francois Truffaut, Gene Hackman, Peter O’Toole, David Bowie to name but a few. Nic first made his mark as a cinematographer, working on many films including such classics as: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, FAHRENHEIT 451, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM and CASINO ROYALE. Nic then turned his hand to directing where, again, he was responsible for some iconic films. Such titles include: PERFORMANCE, WALKABOUT, DON’T LOOK NOW, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH. Nic has been
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17 honoured with three Lifetime Achievement awards, a Fellowship of the British Film Institute, three Bafta nominations and numerous Best Director awards throughout his career. He continues to be one of the most influential, provocative and important film directors currently working. Nicolas brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the project, especially in regard to the fact that he himself was attached to his own version of the story in the early 1970’s for producer Si Litvinov (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE) and wrote a screenplay based on his meetings with the Crowhurst family.
WRITER ANDY BRIGGS: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1337887/ http://www.andybriggs.co.uk/ Andy is a screenwriter, graphic novelist, author and conservationist – writing on movie projects such as JUDGE DREDD and FREDDY VS JASON and FOREVERMAN for Spiderman creator Stan Lee and legendary producer Robert Evans. Andy went on to work on Warner Bros AQUAMAN while at the same time landing an eight-book deal with Oxford University Press for HERO.COM and VILLAIN.NET. His graphic novels include KONG: KING OF SKULL ISLAND, RITUAL and DINOCORPS. He wrote wrote and Executive Produced LEGENDARY starring Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren and has rebooted the classic character TARZAN, with a series of contemporary books TARZAN: THE GREYSTOKE LEGACY, TARZAN: THE JUNGLE WARRIOR and TARZAN: THE SAVAGE LANDS.
PRODUCER MICHAEL RILEY: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0727121/ http://www.sterlingpictures.com/Profile.html Michael co-founded Sterling Pictures in 1994. His directing credits include the 1991 SKY TV documentary TIBET REPORT about Tibetan refugees and the Dalai Llama filmed throughout India and the TV films FLUSH (Granada TV), MOTHER'S DAY (Yorkshire/Tyne Tees) and EVERYTHING'S FINE (ZDF). His producing credits include BOSTON KICKOUT, RESPECT, LOOP, HARD MEN, OUT OF DEPTH, the epic BBC family saga IN A LAND OF PLENTY, LAVA, VAMPIRE DIARY, OUTLANDERS, THE MAN WHO WOULD BE QUEEN, SUGARHOUSE, Turner Prize nominated WAITING, CHINA’S WILD WEST, FRENCH FILM, THE GOOD TIMES ARE KILLING ME, HARD BOILED SWEETS, DEVIATION, SCAR TISSUE, THE SEASONING HOUSE, ZERO and SOULMATE. He is currently in post production on the supernatural horror film HERETIKS set in England in the 1660’s and his WW2 drama CHOSEN starring Harvey Keitel is released in the US in August 2016 by LIonsgate and in UK by Kaleidoscope. Michael trained at the MEDIA II Film Business School and is a member of BAFTA & EFA.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER JIM REEVE: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0716113 Great Point Media was set up in December 2012 by Jim Reeve and Robert Halmi Jr, together with the team formerly responsible for television production and television production financing at Ingenious Media. With over 60 years experience in entertainment media, including running production businesses, content distribution businesses and television networks, JIm and Robert have produced, financed and distributed over $2bn of entertainment content and have over 300 production credits in film and television. The company had 5 films in Sundance 2016 and has funded and completed 18 new feature films in 2017 - one of the most prolific in the UK.
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
6. CREDITS
GREAT POINT MEDIA presents
a SPLASH PAGE MEDIA / STERLING PICTURES production
a SIMON RUMLEY film
CROWHURST
JUSTIN SALINGER
casting by MANUEL PURO
music by RICHARD CHESTER
Costume Designer LISA DUNCAN
Hair & Makeup Designer KATIE BLANCHETT
Edited by AGNIESZKA LIGGETT
Production Designer CHRIS BARBER
Director of Photography MILTON KAM
Line Producer TAMSIN WILEY
Executive Producers NICOLAS ROEG JIM REEVE ROBERT HALMI JNR.
Written by ANDY BRIGGS additional writing by SIMON RUMLEY
Produced by MICHAEL RILEY
Directed by SIMON RUMLEY
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
CAST (in order of appearance)
Donald Crowhurst JUSTIN SALINGER
Clare AMY LOUGHTON
James MARCUS MAY
Roger AUSTIN MAY
Simon HAYDN MAY
Rachel AGATHA CAMERON KETTLE
Barry Sanderson HUGH HAYES
Rodney Hallworth CHRISTOPHER HALE
Stanley Best GLYN DILLEY
Adam Cunley-Jones ADRIAN HARRIS
Peter Porter EDWIN FLAY
Edward CHRIS AYLES
Archie SIMON ARMSTRONG
Ronald ERIC COLVIN
Harry TOM SAWYER
Santiago Franchessi LEWIS NICOLAS
Lucille MYRIAM OJEDA PATINO
John Ridgway DEAN HARRIS
Chay Blyth CHRISTOPHER DAVIES
Alex Carozzo PHILIP PERRY
Bill King RICHARD LEE
Loick Fougeron NICK JORDAN
Robin Knox-Johnson MICHAEL HARKIN
Bernard Moitessier CHRISTOPHER WILKINSON
Nigel Tetley CHRISTOPHER POOLE
Teignmouth Electron TENMEN
Production Manager GILES JOHNSON
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
1st Assistant Director ENO ENEFIOK
2nd Assistant Directors SAVANNAH MORGAN
GARETH WEBB
3rd Assistant Director JAMES MATHEWS-READ
Production Coordinator IRINA HENEGAR
Production Secretary MATTHEW BUSSON
Script Supervisor CLAIRE ELIZABETH ALBERIE
1st Assistant Camera SEAN FOX
Camera Assistant GEORGE PRETTY
Stills Photographer (Cayman Islands) EDWIN BEATY
DIT/Assembly Editor JAMES LINCOLN
Sound Mixer DAVID BEKKEVOLD
Boom Operator JAY RADOSAVLJEVIC
Art Directors KITTY CLAY
JEN SAGUARO
S/B Art Director CHARLIE BELLING
Production Buyer RACHEL HUDSON
Set Dresser PHOEBE ELEANOR TONKIN
Carpenters TOM SEWELL
KEITH HALL
Art Department Assistant FIONA MCNEIL
TE Name Painter CHRIS JACOBS
Graphic Artist FAYE BRITTON
Location Manager REBECCA LINCOLN
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
Gaffers DAVE HUTTON
MARKUS A. LJUNGBERG
Best Boy Electric RICHARD EMERSON
Grip Electric DAN DUNN
BERTIL MULVAD
Unit Nurse JOHN WILEY
Runner/Drivers BECKY PRESTON
SIMON ROBERTS
Volunteers ANKE KUBALLA
DANIELLE McSWEENEY
BEN WILEY-SCOTT
AARON BUCKLEY
HARRIET BUTCHERS
SCOTT NORRIS
BRADLEY NORRIS
Work Placement PAIGE EARLEY
SARAH LECLERE
MARINE SERVICES
Marine Coordinator GILES JOHNSON
Trimaran Skipper CHARLY HEIDELMEYER
Trimaran Crew PAUL MELHUISH
JOHN CHAMPION
JOHN KITCHEN
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
MIKE STEPHENS
PAUL BURTON
SEAN WRIGHT
SANDY DAVIES
Safety Boat Crew DAN MACLELLAN
HELENA REYNOLDS
Thanks to FRED CREER
SANDY BEESON
HUW GIBBY
SEAN SMITH
DON SMEATON
CATH BENNET
TOM MAYHEW
FACILITIES
CHRIS THOMPSON & DAVE BENNETT @ 180 ON SET Camera, Grip & Electric Equipment SOLUTIONS
Communications THE RADIO COMPANY UK
Catering MICHAEL OLIVIER @ 3 STRAWBERRIES CATERING
Payroll Services REBECCA WATSON @ MODINA
Production Office Provision TONY PRESCOTT @ AARDMAN STUDIOS
PICTURE POST PRODUCTION
Picture Post by THE LOOK
Online Editor TOM BOYLE
Post Production Producer DAN MARBROOK
VISUAL EFFECTS
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
VFX Artists JORDAN PLEWIS
KATHRIN SCHOEFTENHUBER
WILLIAM JONES
JAKE GREEN
MATTEO OLIVERI
ANDREA ACETO
JACK HENNIGAN
SOUND POST PRODUCTION
Supervising Sound Editor / Dialogue Editor ANDY WALKER
Sounds Effects Editor ANGEL PEREZ GRANDI
Foley Editor GAVIN WHEELER
Foley Editor PABLO PEREZ GARCIA-PINILLOS
Sound Re-recorded at MET FILM POST
Sound Designer / Re-recording Mixer VINCENT WATTS
MUSIC
Music Supervisor JUSSI BRIGHTMORE
Additional Music Research LEA DONOVAN
Assistant Composer ARRAN PRICE
“Let’s Dance”
Written by Goode / Goode
Performed by The Excels
Published by Nervous Publishing
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
“Tango Solitario"
Written by Chris Allard
Performed by Fugata Quintet
Courtesy of Chris Allard (2016)
PRODUCTION SERVICES
Insurance Services BRAD HANSON @ ROBERTSON TAYLOR
Banking Services BARCLAYS BANK
Post Production Script PS-POSTSCRIPT
Public Relations GREG DAY @ CLOUT COMMUNICATIONS
FOR SPLASH PAGE MEDIA
ELLEN FRASER FERGUS HAYCOCK
LAURA MACARA MATT STEVENS
CHERRY SUN KOK-YEE YAU
VERY SPECIAL THANKS
Terry and Marie Kelly at Woodlands
GRATEFUL THANKS
Bristol Harbour Master Captain Anthony Nichols
Members of Bristol Easton Salvation Army Band
Adam Mullinger at Bristol Film Office
CROWHURST Production Notes - draft 16/05/17
Win, John & Tim at Underfall Yard
Compass Sea School, Portishead LGS Marine Services, Avonmouth
Weston Bay Yacht Club Bristol Adventure Sea Cadet Corps
The Gothic Mansion, Bristol The Nova Scotia, Bristol
Maria Paull Commodore Tess Reid
Adam Goldworm Britta Rogozinski
Rob Hall Bob Portal
Carl Schoenfeld Roy Williams, Nervous Music
Andy Brassington Charlotte Tolhurst
Dr. Andrew Dougan Wendy Tannock
Nicholas Whittaker
Apologies to ketch owners everywhere
Filmed entirely in the United Kingdom.
The story, all names, characters and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons, living or dead, places, events, buildings and products is intended or should be inferred.
Ownership of this motion picture is protected by copyright and other applicable laws, and any unauthorised copying, duplication, distribution or exhibition of this motion picture could result in criminal prosecution as well as civil liability.
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