Re-creating a world from another time requires meticulous research and creativity
from modern filmmakers, who must serve the story whilst staying true to its origin.
The team behind SAFTA-winning film Faan se Trein, set in the late 1950s, describe
how they brought an Afrikaans classic to life on the big screen.
Koos Roets on directing:
Though I don’t feel there is any difference in directing a period or contemporary
movie, as it depends entirely on the subject matter, I tend to concentrate more on
the visuals of a period piece. The look, which is achieved through close
collaboration with a number of departments, is of cardinal importance as this is the
most powerful way to create the historical mood required.
In a period piece I make sure the walls in a scene are a good 10 to 15% darker
than the faces of the actors. I use an old fashioned Weston light meter to determine
this as it can be very tricky to judge. In this scene the walls of the set were painted
dark green and a lot of shadows featured in the image.
Helena Spring on producing:
A period film requires a great deal of research and planning as well as a balancing
of the director’s wish list and the needs of the story against the available budget.
This film called for a steam train which could not be sourced in the Karoo, as well
as bulldozers which would have been new in the fifties.
These are just two examples, but challenges such as these extend to every aspect
of period work, from wardrobe, to make-up and hair, the nature of the dialogue and
even the posture and attitude of the actors.
Achieving a high level of authenticity was something we all worked hard towards
achieving as a period film is unforgiving if you get it wrong.
Barry Donnelly on sound design:
Designing sound for a period film means paying a lot of attention to accuracy and
subtlety, according to the era it is set in. We were after a quiet feel and so any
noisy exterior sounds had to be stripped away and all sound replaced from scratch.
I treated all dialogue and a lot of the sound design in such a way that it reflected an
old 1950s vintage film quality, but for the big scenes we decided to leave them with
full frequency response so they would really stand out and soar.
In this part of the story things are starting to spiral out of control and so we used
music to heighten the emotion. The stove was a more subliminal element which we
use to build tension, increasing the volume and intensity as the scene progressed.
Floorboard creaks were also added to heighten the tension.
Waldemar Coetsee on production design:
On an era specific film, a production designer is tasked with balancing an accurate
visual history as well as the elements which the story requires. It is really
important that the research and design complement each other. When an actor
walks on to set, they need to believe they are in the world that is scripted.
In this scene, Faan is portrayed as a naughty child while Truia is portrayed as a
motherly character. The colour of the wall reflects Faan’s simplicity while his khaki
clothing reflects the strict/limiting government and church of the time. Truia’s
background is supported by components of the train taken apart, which resemble
the town. Her costume screams freedom and the white and blue colours are
representative of her as a guardian angel.
Theola Booyens on hair and make-up:
Designing make-up and hair for a period film like Faan se Trein begins with
character research, mostly from family albums and archives, as well as research on
the narrative setting. A crucial part of designing how a character looks is
understanding their history and motivations.
Faan for instance is a boy in a man’s body and so his haircut is one which his dad
would’ve given him. He works outdoors and so he is tanned and has dirty hands.
Truia has no make-up on and keeps her hair pulled back in a uniform practical
style. These details give the audience subtle insights into who each of the
characters are.
Nicholas Costaras on editing:
To highlight the era of the film, the director chose to keep the camera still with
little or no movement. Initially I found this quite unsettling, being accustomed to
more modern filming techniques. But there is something great about creating space
in a frame for the actors to move around in and keeping the performances
undiluted.
The edit was straightforward: cut to what needs to be seen and let the characters
tell the story. The calm frames also created the right contrast for the train to burst
through at the end of the movie.
Amelia Henning on cinematography:
The main character in this film is honest and unpretentious and this was reflected in
the shooting style. The Karoo offers that honesty naturally and so no complicated
camera shots, cranes or moves were needed. We wanted the audience to be
captured by the story of this film rather than the technical aspects.
Amelia Henning on lighting:
We shot Faan se Trein on the Arri Alexa with Arri Alura Zooms. This allowed broad
spectrum for lighting ratios ranging from light starvation to extreme brightness with
all detail still intact. With this technical back up we were able to utilise natural light
and use small sources for outlines.
Being a period film set in an era where electricity hadn’t yet reached all parts of the
country, it was relevant to use paraffin lanterns in night interior scenes. The
shadows created by the lanterns added texture to the visuals and supported the
emotion of the scenes.
– Carly Barnes
