New Directors: Edward John Drake

Interviewing writer/director Edward John Drake is a tough task. A trained journalist, he’s talking about structure, narrative and the importance of what makes a good story: “Working in journalism or a newsroom, you’re taught what’s important to a story and what isn’t, just in the same way that what an editor leaves in can be just as crucial as what they choose to leave out.”

We’re talking about his promo for Austrian dance act Klangkarussell. Filmed as a single shot that travels through a South London estate at dawn, the piece begins with the ringing of church bells and streams of fire in the sky before we are introduced to our main character, played by theatre star Charlie Archer. Waking in the middle of a road, the puzzled protagonist sets out on a continuous journey through streets and stairwells, in the hope of locating a lost loved one. Meeting a mix of obscure and intriguing characters along the way, he eventually finds his lady and continues on to a mystical scene under a tree, where a woman dressed as an angel awaits and the cast gathers to witness the film’s strange climax.

“It started small. Originally it was a single shot of a man by a grave,” says Drake, “and the camera would 360 around him, introducing new characters on each pass, and he would speak the monologue/lyrics directly to camera before lying down on it.”

Instead, however, the decision was made to run with the continuous approach to create a sense of frustration and uneasiness for the viewer. “With a one-take you can’t look away. It’s really hard to because there are no ‘cuts’ to distract from the action. There’s immediacy to a one-take piece most viewers only recognise subconsciously.”

Los Angeles-based Drake credits constant trips between the UK and Australia (Melbourne being his home town) as the influence behind his route into film. “There was a lot of free time on planes to watch the same fantastically archaic movies over and over. That helped me to appreciate everything that goes into producing a single frame. Each time you notice a new detail and question it.”

After freelancing at a few local newspapers in Australia, having studied stills photography at high school, he blagged an education in the moving image by sneaking on set for notable productions such as HBO series The Pacific.

“Just hanging around the grips was really where you learned the most,” explains Drake. “I was kicked off the set of The Pacific when I started asking too many questions, but man, it was worth it. That one day on set posing as ‘an assistant to the food people’ gave me more perspective than I could ever even hope to describe.”

Despite his journalistic ability, Drake says he “absolutely” enjoys the directing side of his work more than the writing. “I get to live in these worlds on set and shape them visually. What more can you ask for? The meaning can be as powerful as I like, and as a writer, I can’t give that sort of experience to a reader.” And with that in mind, we suggest you open this issue’s DVD and begin decoding All Eyes on You.