Award-winning British filmmaker DANIEL ALEXANDER dives deep into the wonders of Frank L. Baum with this unique spin on the land of Oz with his new short film, GALE, STAY AWAY FROM OZ.
With extensive credits to his name for projects with the BBC, BFI, ITV, Warner Bros., and the official film for the Commonwealth Games Handover Ceremony, Daniel is well-versed in multiple cinematic disciplines from cinematography to editing to producing to writing and to directing in narrative film, commercials, music videos, television, and documentaries. He is also the creative producer and curator of the area’s leading Black film development program, “Back In”. And he has been named an Associate Artist of the REP Theatre. During the pandemic, Daniel even launched the Midlands Film Archive, an online platform that is home to original films created by Midlands-based filmmakers. As if he has time for anything else, he is also the creator and developer of CinePre, a software program of 50 cinematic film LUTs that enable filmmakers to provide cinematic color grading color tools at the touch of a button. (Note to filmmakers: you can purchase CINEPRE directly from Daniel via his website.
With all of Daniel’s experience, it came as no surprise to me that he is the force behind the haunting beauty, terror, and intrigue of GALE.
SYNOPSIS: Long gone are the days of emerald cities and yellow brick roads, the enchanting tale of the Wizard of Oz takes a haunting turn. Dorothy Gale (Karen Swan), now in her twilight years, bears the scars of a lifetime entangled with the paranormal forces of a mystical realm. These otherworldly encounters have left her shattered, and the echoes of her experiences now reverberate through her sole living relative, Emily (Chloë Culligan Crump). As Emily is beckoned to confront the unresolved matters of this bone-chilling Oz, a terrifying journey awaits her.
Written and directed by DANIEL ALEXANDER and co-written by Matthew R. Ford, GALE stars Karen Swan as “Dorothy”, Chrloe Culligan Crump as Dorothy’s granddaughter “Emily”, Clara Emanuel as the hospital administrator “Glinda” who helps care for Dorothy, and Laura Bailey as Emily’s decidedly wicked therapist.
Going back to the source material of Frank L. Baum’s original Oz books, the door is open for exploration into a myriad of journeys and adventures never addressed in prior Oz films be they live-action or animated. Under Daniel’s creative and confident eye, the magic of the books and the original illustrations is brought to life with a “next generation” tale of the Gale family laced with mystery, magic, the supernatural, and some horror.
Speaking with Daniel was an absolute delight as we dove into every element of the creative and production processes to bring GALE to life from story to casting to lensing to color to character development to editing to sound and so much more!
Calling on his own expertise as a multi-decade cinematographer and working with co-cinematographer Terrence Wilkins, the film’s visuals were carefully planned with a focus on conveying the tone and surrealism of the story through movement and shot composition. Using anamorphic lenses of varying types in conjunction with the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro and other cameras, Daniel developed a visual language that creates a sense of magic and wonder, much of which is questioning what is real and what is in Emily Gale’s mind or imagination. Intent on adding a supernatural element to the story which the visuals then elevate, with some experimentation with lenses and effects, the result is stunning. Standout are several oners that will have the hairs on the back of your neck raised in terror. As wonderful as the visuals and technical aspects of the film are, Daniel never lost sight of the emotional storytelling and the characters.
Most appreciated is Daniel’s incorporation of touchstones to the 1939 MGM film we all know and love while drawing primary inspiration from Baum’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” released in 1900 which served as the basis for “The Wizard of Oz.” One notable difference between the classic film version and GALE is that in GALE we have silver slippers as written and drawn in the original book. But be on the lookout for plenty of Easter Eggs and references to the 1939 film!
As wonderful as a story may be and as the production elements may be, if you don’t have a cast who can embrace and embody the characters, the film will fall flat. That is not the case here. Daniel has perfectly cast GALE and each actor brings key characteristics and story elements to life. In our conversation, Daniel and I discussed casting at length, as well as the importance of make-up, most particularly with Laura Bailey. As you listen to our interview, you’ll hear what I mean.
A true storyteller dedicated to the craft of filmmaking, DANIEL ALEXANDER is indeed a voice we need to hear and see more from. With GALE meant as a stepping stone to a feature film or series, I am already champing at the bit for another trip into the world of GALE and Oz.
As you’ll hear in this interview, articulate, enthusiastic, and joyous are just a few of the words that come to mind when you think of Daniel. He loves making movies and loves the art of filmmaking and storytelling.
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 09/16/2023
GALE is now streaming on ChillingApp.com. Chilling, devoted to horror and all things scary where you can “embrace your fear”, gives independent creators a platform to share content and compete against studios that create generic material just to hit metrics and sell tickets.
